Yahoo News Tyler, the Creator Calls Urban Grammys Category ‘a Politically Correct Way to Say the N-Word’
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Fresh from celebrating a win for best rap album, Tyler, the Creator took a moment to pay tribute to late NBA star Kobe Bryant and address the elephant in the room — voting transparency — in the press room at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards Sunday night.
“Man, that news was heavy, especially just being here in L.A. at the Staples Center and within a short period of time between him and Nipsey (Hussle),” he said of Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash earlier in the day. “If you’re from Los Angeles and depending what sector you’re in, that s— is really, really heavy.”
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On the subject of Grammy voting, he told the backstage crowd that he was torn.
“I’m half and half on it,” he said. “On the one side I am very grateful that what I made can be acknowledged in a world like this… but it sucks that whenever we, and I mean guys that look like me, do anything that’s genre-bending or anything, they always put it in a rap or urban category.”
“And I don’t like that ‘urban’ word,” he added. “It’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word, to me. So when I hear that, I’m just like, why can’t we just be in pop? So I felt like — half of me feels like the rap nomination was a backhanded compliment.”
Earlier in the night, he performed with Charlie Wilson and Boyz II Men for a medley of “Earfquake” and “New Magic Wand.”
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