Jay-Z had some pointed words for the Recording Academy at the 66th annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
While accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, the rapper called out the academy for snubbing his superstar wife, Beyoncé, for Album of the Year.
During his passionate speech, which he delivered beside his 12-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, Jay-Z pointed out Beyoncé’s 32 Grammy victories and questioned why she hasn’t won one of the awards show’s biggest honors, despite scoring the most Grammys in history.
Looking over at Beyoncé, who sat in the audience dressed like a glamorous cowgirl, he said, “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year.”
“So even by that your own metrics that doesn’t work. Think about that, the most Grammys, never won album of the year, that doesn’t work,” Jay-Z continued.
“Some of you are gonna go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed. Some of you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category,” he continued, as the crowd gasped.
Holding nothing back, he doubled down on his words, adding, “When I get nervous, I tell the truth.”
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) hit the social platform to applaud the “99 Problems” rapper for standing up for his wife.
At the 2023 Grammys ceremony, Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” lost Album of the Year to English singer Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House.”
Jay-Z, whose offstage name is Shawn Corey Carter, has received 88 Grammy nominations and won a total of 24. Beyoncé has also been nominated for 88 Grammy Awards, winning 33 of them.
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Watch Jay-Z’s full acceptance speech below.