The concerning issue about Tyler The Creator’s comments on the Grammy’s and their use of the term “urban” to refer to black music and musicians is actually not that. It was the point he made about why he couldn’t win the pop category that was more enlightening. I find it troublesome that today’s black musicians are still giving energy to the ill-politics the Grammy committee plays when it comes to nominations and selecting winners.
There are countless and numerous times where consumers, viewers and other artists are left confused and outraged by the committee and their choices. We have easily put into summation that the Grammy’s has become more of a merit of popularity rather than quality of the project. However, every now and then there is an album or two that wins both on popularity and quality where everyone is pretty much left in agreement, and that is what gives the Grammy committee cover.
But where I choose to dig into the statement left by Tyler is more so on the fact that he is upset that his music or more specifically this album was not considered as “pop” and worthy of being nominated in the pop categories. In context of his statement one can pull that if “urban” is to be associated with black, then “pop” is to be associated with white. Which leads one to further pull away from Tyler’s comments that it’s not good enough for him to win the “black” category, and that he has an issue with their being a “black” category in music in general. Do I agree that there should not be a practice of racism and prejudice? Yes, I do. However, am I so optimistic that I am not willing to deal with the current reality? No. And I think that is where I start to veer left from Tyler’s comments.
I wish black musicians and black artists would become more comfortable with not having to be included in “pop” culture in order to feel validated for being great. Why is there this disturbing need for black musicians to feel valued as “pop” artists over “urban” artists? What is so marginalizing by being considered the greatest black artist of all time, or of the year, or of the month and etc? Why is it so important and imperative that black artists have to find themselves needing to dissolve the label of black when it comes to their artistry?
I truly believe it is the ego behind the artist that is on a quest to be bigger than Michael Jackson who is considered as the “King of Pop”, that drives him or her to have this problem with being only in the “urban” category. Tyler is not alone on this feeling as Kanye West has notoriously stated that the Grammy’s does not recognize black music in nominations for best album of the year awards or song of the year awards on a much more merited level. But again, why is it so important?
To be quite frank, if “pop” music suits the likes of artists like Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and others alike, why would Tyler believe that his style of music would even fit in that category? He actually does not make pop music, if anything his sound is complete anti-pop. But that is not what this is about. Tyler’s comment was a disguised way of saying, I WANT TO BE VALIDATED BY WHITENESS OR “POP”. This is not to suggest that he has no appreciation of being beloved by the “urban” community, but it is clear that this is not good enough for him. Understandably there has to be frustration with the prejudice in music and with the Grammy’s but what goes on with the Grammy’s is a reflection of black plight in America which Tyler is all aware of.
I am not saying he should not fight for black artists to not be solely seen as just “black” artists, but in the attempt for equality and justice it should not come with a slight at being the “black” artist.
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