With so many fan favorite Black artists nominated for Grammys, we expected a fantastic show. The 66th Annual Grammys weren’t the spectacle we wanted, but it was still an enjoyable event. From show-stealing performances by SZA and Fantasia Barrino, to Jay-Z instant classic acceptance speech, the 2024 Grammys offered no shortage of unforgettable moments.
Best: Kirk Franklin Goes to ‘Black Church’
The gospel superstar got things started early with a powerful performance of his Grammy-winning song “All Things,” letting everyone at the Grammys Premiere Ceremony (the non-televised awards) that they were now in a “Black church.”
Best: Killer Mike Sweeps Rap Categories
No matter what you think of Killer Mike, it was truly inspiring to see his infectious excitement at winning Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Melodic Rap Performance.
Worst: Killer Mike’s Night Takes a Turn
After sweeping the rap categories during the Grammys Premiere Ceremony, Killer Mike saw his night cut short when he was reportedly arrested. Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter posted a video of the rapper being taken away. A short time later, Gardner wrote on X, “it’s a misdemeanor and has nothing to do with anything that happened today here inside the arena. Likely he will be released once it’s sorted.” He went on to add that his source said the incident was “a big nothing,”
Best: The Culture Is Classical
Alex Brown, the Harlem String Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith and A.B. Spellman’s excitement at winning Best Classical Compendium for “Passion For Bach And Coltrane” showed that Black artists are essenital to every genre of music. We do everything y’all.
Best: Michelle Obama: Two-Time Grammy Winner
The Forever First Lady picked up her second award for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording for the audio version of her book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.” She had eclectic competition in the category, with Sen. Bernie Sanders; Oscar winner Meryl Streep; “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and music producer Rick Rubin also nominated. Obviously, Obama wasn’t on hand to accept the award, but presenter Esperanza Spaulding accepted on her behalf.
Best: Trevor Noah’s Star-Studded Monologue
As usual, Trevor Noah proved that you can deliver a hilarious monologue that doesn’t insult people on the biggest night of their careers. Seriously, his excitement as Meryl Streep walked up when he was talking about her was adorable.
Best: Tracy Chapman Gets Her ‘Fast Car’ Flowers
Sometimes it takes awhile for true brilliance to be properly recognized. That’s what happened when Tracy Chapman joined Luke Combs for a duet of his “Fast Car” cover. The legendary singer/songwriter got the standing ovation and love from the crowd that she’s deserved forever. It was a beautiful moment for a beautiful artist.
Best: SZA Is an Action Star
SZA aka Queen of the 2024 Grammys, introduced the rest of the world to her badassery with a stunning performance of “Kill Bill.” If Hollywood isn’t calling, I don’t know what the problem is.
Worst: Just Do the Hits Bono
I will always love U2, but that performance was not good. They are officially in the “just play the hits” phase of their career. Guys, we just want to hear “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “With or Without You.”
Best: Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste Honor Legends
As usual, it’s difficult to call an In Memoriam segment one of the best moments, but Stevie Wonder celebrating Tony Bennett, Jon Batiste honoring Clarence Avant and Annie Lennox paying tribute to Sinead O’Connor were all so perfectly themed to the artists they were remembering. It was touching, beautiful and joyful.
Best: Fantasia Shuts It Down for Tina
The final In Memoriam tribute was the fiercest and most spectacular. Fantasia basically did a whole concert as she performed Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.” It was a female empowerment for the ages, and honestly the show could’ve ended there and we would’ve been good. It was a Grammy moment we will be talking about for years.
Best: Jay-Z Drops a Truth Bomb
When you get rich enough you enter your “no fucks given” phase, and thats where Jay-Z was as he accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. He let everybody in the room know these Grammys aren’t the be all, end of all the music business. He slammed them for never awarding Beyoncé Album of the Year, talked about rappers boycotting the show and how some artists are in the wrong category. Jay said when he gets nervous, he “tells the truth.” Well, he must’ve been hella nervous tonight because damn!
Worst: No Rap on the TV Broadcast
After a star-studded Hip-Hop 50 celebration at last year’s show, it’s back to business as usual for the Grammys, as no rap categories appeared on the show. I know they have a lot of performances and awards to get through, but it basically feels like nothing has changed since The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff won the first rap Grammy in 1989.
Best: Afrobeats Hits the Grammys Stage
Though no rap categories made it to the main show, there was time to introduce the rest of the world to Afrobeats with a cool performance from Burna Boy, Brandy and 21 Savage. It was great to see Burna Boy showcase his music on the Grammys stage, but I wish it’d been more. When it was over, I definitely felt like something was missing.
Best: Victoria Monét Is the Best New Artist
The “On My Mama” singer already won a few Grammys before the show started, but this one was different. Like most of these people, she’s not new. She’s been working toward this for a long time. You could feel the emotion of how validating this moment was for her. All the hard days and obstacles finally paid off for the “Jaguar II” Grammy winner.
Worst: SZA’s Major Snubs
Everything Jay-Z said was true. The powers that be will give Black women the most nominations, showcase them in a performance, but also doesn’t allow them to win Album, Record or Song of the Year. This isn’t a knock against Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift, but coming off of Beyonce’s “Renaissance” snub, SZA’s treatment sends a very clear message about who The Recording Academy values.
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