Jay-Z didn’t hold back at the 2024 Grammy Awards, using his acceptance speech to address the fact that Beyoncé has never won Album of the Year.
The Hip-Hop mogul was honored with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, celebrating his achievements in music. Hov took to the stage alongside his 12-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
Beyoncé applauds Jay-Z as he brings their daughter Blue Ivy on stage to accept the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/bWgQdrduA3
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) February 5, 2024
He joked about not being able to sustain his Grammys boycott and aired out his grievances with the Recording Academy, including snubbing his wife for the top prize.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year,” Jay-Z said, referencing Beyoncé making history in 2023. “So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys; never won Album of the Year. That doesn’t work.”
Beyoncé has more Grammy Awards than any other artist, with 32 of the coveted golden gramophones. Meanwhile, Jay-Z’s 24 wins tie him with Kanye West as the rapper with the most Grammy wins in history.
Jay-Z Addresses Grammys Boycott
During his speech, Jay-Z recalled, “how far we’ve come from Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff winning their first Grammy in ’89 and boycotting because it wasn’t televised.
“It wasn’t a great boycott,” he added, noting they returned to their hotel to watch the ceremony before admitting he later followed in their footsteps.
“But then ’98, I took a page out of their book. I was nominated for Best Rap Album, and DMX had dropped two albums that year. They both were number one — shout out to DMX — and he wasn’t nominated at all. So I boycotted and I watched the Grammys.”
He concluded by saying, “We love y’all. We want y’all to get it right. At least get it close to right.”
Hov felt certain Beyoncé’s Renaissance would win the coveted category on her fourth nomination because of the project’s impact. “Look what it’s done to the culture,” he told Elliott Wilson in February last year.