Damon Dash disapproves of the Grammys yanking Kanye West from the performance lineup. The rap mogul doubled down on his position when speaking to TMZ on Tuesday, saying that the Recording Academy shouldn’t judge artists.
“I’m not trying to fit into somebody else’s system,” Dame said. He even went as far as to suggest that artists should create their own version of the award show.
“So we just create our own so we ain’t gotta worry about nobody else’s rules… It’s not for them to judge who’s hot. It’s for us. They really shouldn’t be giving us the awards. We should be giving them the awards. They gotta respect our culture.”
Damon Dash also expressed his disregard for the award show, saying that he and Ye “don’t give a f*ck about the Grammys” before following up with “We make our own Grammys.”
Kanye was barred from performing at this year’s Grammys due to his online behavior against ex-wife Kim Kardashian. However, he can still attend. Other celebrities have come to Ye’s defense, even Grammys host Trevor Noah.
Kanye and Dame Dash go way back, with Dame being the one to sign Ye to Roc-A-Fella Records in 2002. Ever since the two have maintained a close relationship.
Damon Dash’s Idea Gets Traction
Damon Dash’s idea for an artists’ version of the Grammys has picked up some steam. On Tuesday, J. Prince called on artists such as Kanye, Drake, and Nicki Minaj to protest the award show and perform an anti-Grammys concert.
In an audio message posted Tuesday on Instagram, the Rap-A-Lot Records founder voiced his disapproval over the situation. He compared the organizers to “slave masters” and likened the decision to snubs of artists such as Drake and The Weeknd.
J. Prince also commented on the reluctance of artists to take a stand for hip-hop culture. The artist said that he watched the Grammys “dictate our culture to their benefit” for over 30 years. He also remarked that artists would “complain, but never have the nuts to come together to do anything about it.”
To conclude his audio message, J. Prince acknowledged that he’s ready to face the consequences of his actions for the love of Hip Hop. The date and location of the concert would be the same as the awards show, April 3 in Las Vegas.
The call to action didn’t go unnoticed. Nicki Minaj commented “Respect” with a prayer emoji in response to the post, seemingly cosigning the idea.
The 2022 Grammy Awards will take place at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, airing live on CBS and Paramount at 8 p.m EST.
Written by Olan Bryant
