Young|G|Ohan

*blows the dust off my profile like it’s a Sega Genesis cartridge*

Welcome back y’all. Sports will always be my first love. I grew up watching MJ hit game winners over the Jazz and T.O. catching improbable passes from Steve Young to win a wild card matchup against the Packers (I cried after that game). But lately? I don’t know man, music has been knocking on the door the past few years and I’m about to cook some dinner for them. As a matter of fact, I took the whole month off of social media last month and what triggered my return was the consistent fiasco that took place at the Grammys. I’ll get to that in a moment because I’m sure you’re wondering how my experience without social media went. Let’s get into it.

I was tired of being a millennial

You ever felt like you wanted to get away from something because you had too much of it? You were too involved and couldn’t find a way out? Always felt the need to like a pic as routine rather than interest? You ever had a mayo & jelly sandwich? Alright, that was irrelevant but don’t knock it until you try it. But yes, I became over consumed with Social Media, to the point where I was running late to work because the morning scrollies on the toilet was hittin’. We’ve all been there. So I felt like it was proper timing with the New Year to take a sabbatical from everyone else’s life and focus on my own. It was refreshing, spent the month reading (currently reading David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell), connecting with people in real life (what a concept) and watching LHH Miami/NY (gotta pick and choose our battles). All in all, it was worth the time off, and I plan to limit my time on SM going forward.

 They Took Me Out My Element

Anyway, back to the topic (word to J.Cole). I’m done with the Grammys fam. Y’all know me, I’m usually an optimistic person, I give everyone and everything a chance (I gave White Famous a chance, even watched all 10 episodes, it wasn’t good, but I appreciated the message). Going into Grammy night, I shook off the wrongdoings of last year (Adele beating Beyoncé) and the year before that (TPAB losing against 1989) and the years before that (Macklemore beating K Dot for best rap album, Twisted Fantasy losing to that Esmeralda Spaulding girl, still enraged by that). 

Tonight was going to be a new night! 2017 was the first year that Hip Hop was the most consumed genre in the U.S. That lines up Jay & K Dot nicely for album of the year. Prior to that, Speakerboxx/The Love Below was the last hip hop album to win that prestigious award. Back in 2004. 14 years ago. I know the person reading this now isn’t the biggest hip-hop fan, and that’s fine, you don’t have to be. All we are asking is for respect, recognition on a national stage. I mean, you’ve seen Kendrick’s performance in 2016, that had to make you feel something right? Well that at least warranted him to open this year’s Grammys with another masterful performance. It gave me chills, it motivated me to become a better me, and that was after watching it the 7th time. The meticulous creative direction he takes in his performances is something to marvel (and should be a case study at your nearest institution if it were up to me, but I digress.  

“The only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America, is being an honest black man in America” (Chappelle, 2018).

  Let’s marinate on that for a second. A black man opened the 2018 Grammys through the vehicle of Hip-Hop. Look how far we’ve come right? Ha, you would think. K Dot had a good start of the night. He won best rap song, best rap album (in which he endorsed Jay for president, I guess Yeezy ain’t running no mo?) best rap performance, best music video and best rap/sung collaboration. But when it came to the main event? The best album of the year goes to…Bruno Mars. Hol up. YOU mean to tell me that Bruno Mars had a better album than DAMN.? Damn, where’s the love? Where’s the justice? I lost it in real time. I screamed, I got into arguments with my friends and even told my mom about it. I couldn’t believe my ears. It happened again.

You mean to tell me that a 9-track album that is 34 minutes long beat out K Dot’s latest masterpiece? Explain to me how it is better. Because 24K made you dance? Because ‘That’s What I Like’ made you feel good about your surroundings? TELL ME. Music is supposed to make you FEEL. more than just “happy”. It is supposed to make you think differently, make you gain a perspective that you did not understand previously. Music is supposed to HUMBLE. you, give you insight to things you hadn’t thought about. Music should invoke FEAR., letting your thoughts wonder to places you wouldn’t have imagined before you pressed play. Bruno Mars did all that for you? Because DAMN. did for me. And I know what you’re going to say, “Mike, music is subjective, you can’t say 24K is supposed to only make you feel one way and only that way.” Granted, and I appreciate your opinion hypothetical person, but more importantly, music is best served forward. So ask yourself, forget about the numbers and the artist, which album brought music more forward: throwback R&B ballads or thought-striking lyrics that encapsulate the ultimate level of storytelling?

I know it’s easy to say that at least they got nominated, that’s progress. I’m here to tell you that’s not enough. Even Jay said it at the pre-Grammy party, “We can pretend we don’t care, but we do. We really care because we are seeing the most incredible artists stand on that stage, and we aspire to be that.“ Who wouldn’t want to win the most prestigious award? Who doesn’t want to feel validated?

Am I going to boycott the Grammys next year? I don’t know yet, I’m an optimistic person. But at what point does history tear down optimism? I’d hate to have to wait my whole life to find out that answer. I guess Frank Ocean was on to something: