Jay-Z slams Grammys during speech over Beyonce snub

The rapper lashed out at the ceremony on stage, and appeared to throw some other nominees under the bus while doing so.

Jay-Z used his acceptance speech at the Grammys on Monday to hit out at the Academy for failing to ever reward Beyonce with an Album of the Year award.

During his acceptance speech for the Global Impact award, Jay-Z shared his hope that the Grammys would award deserving artists, before making a pointed remark about Beyonce never receiving the ceremony’s biggest reward despite numerous nominations throughout her career.

Rapper Jay-Z used his acceptance speech to lash out at the Grammys for his perceived snubbing of Beyonce. Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP.

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won Album of the Year,” said the rapper, while a somewhat incognito Beyonce watched from the audience. “Think about that. That doesn’t work.”

He also hit out at some of the other nominees, telling the audience: “Some of you are gonna go home tonight and feel like you been robbed; some you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category.”

As the crowd gasped, Jay-Z elaborated: “No, no. When I get nervous I tell the truth.”

Jay-Z at the #Grammys: "...[Beyoncé] has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year.

Some of you will feel like you were robbed. Some of you will get robbed. Some of you don't belong in the category! Sorry ... when I get nervous, I tell the truth!" pic.twitter.com/1suz8P8APR

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 5, 2024

Beyonce has been nominated for 88 Grammy Awards, winning a whopping 33 of them in total, and just like her husband, she has been nominated six times for Album of the Year.

It’s not the first time the Grammys have been called out regarding a perceived snub of Beyonce. Back in 2017, Album of the Year winner Adele said that Beyonce should have won the award for Lemonade.

 

Beyonce watched on as her husband called out the Grammys snub.

Fans were surprised to see Beyonce at the ceremony, but the star appeared keen to keep herself out of the spotlight, keeping her head down and hiding under her hat in the crowd.

Numerous viewers rushed to social media to poke fun at Queen B for seemingly trying to avoid the cameras at all costs during Fantasia’s tribute to Tina Turner.

Jay-Z claimed that some of the artists nominated don’t deserve to be recognised by the Grammys. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images.

“BEYONCÉ TRYING TO HIDE IS TAKING ME OUT!” tweeted one fan, while another said: “Not Beyoncé pretending she didn’t see Fantasia”.

Meanwhile, it’s been an eventful Grammys so far, with rapper Killer Mike picking up three awards for his song Scientists & Engineers – then getting arrested.

Footage from the event shows him being led out of LA’s Crypto.com Arena in handcuffs by police, shortly after his triple win.

 TMZ later reported that Mike was detained after allegedly getting into some kind of physical altercation with a security guard at the event.