Anti-Trump and pro-sh*thole countries: The 2018 Grammys was political
The Grammy Awards are one of the most important music events across the globe. With awards that honour the greatest of musical talents and a slew of politically charged performances, the ceremony is not one to be missed out on. This year, the 60th edition of the Awards was held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and was hosted by TV anchor James Corden.
While there were many who deserved to win in multiple categories, it was Bruno Mars who swept away a surprising number of awards with his album 24K Magic. In Rap, it was Kendrick Lamar who managed to outshine all, with his album Damn and tracks like “Humble” and “Loyalty”.
But it is not just the awards that matter in the Grammys; it’s the performances. In the age of Trump, award shows have become a podium for artists to provide commentary on the political environment. The Black Entertainment Television Hip Hop Awards last year witnessed Eminem taking potshots at the president. And he wasn’t the only one. Fat Joe rapped the line: “KKK/that’s just Trump in disguise”. Belly and Cyhi the Prynce too had politically charged performances.
In the same vein, this year’s Grammys witnessed multiple instances of political resistance. Earlier this month, when US President Donald Trump expressed concern — behind closed doors — over people coming to the US from "shithole countries" like Haiti instead of countries like Norway, he received a lot of backlash from not just his political colleagues and rivals, but also from artists and the masses. Referring to that, U2 front man Bono began his performance with the words, "Blessed are the shithole countries”.
In fact, Cuban-American singer-songwriter Camila Cabello introduced U2’s performance with: “Tonight, in this room full of music’s dreamers, we remember that this country was built by dreamers, for dreamers, chasing the American dream. I’m here on this stage tonight because just like the dreamers, my parents brought me to this country with nothing in their pockets but hope. They showed me what it means to work twice as hard and never give up. And all I know is just like dreams; these kids can’t be forgotten and are worth fighting for.”
Hip-hop artist Logic paused at the end of his performance of his anti-suicide hit “1-800-273-8255” to proclaim, “To all the beautiful countries filled with culture and diversity and thousands of years of history — you are not shithole countries.”
He also said: “Black is beautiful. Hate is ugly. Women are as precious as they are stronger than any other man that I have met. Be not scared to use your voice, especially in instances like these when you have the opportunity. Stand and fight for those who are not weak, but have yet to discover the strength that the evil of this world has done its best to conceal.”
But perhaps the most power-packed performance came from Lamar. With a glaring image of the American flag, surrounded by a bunch of men in fatigues and masks, Lamar rapped a verse from his iconic song “XXX”: “Ain't no Black Power when your baby killed by a coward.”
Lamar’s performance was accentuated by the presence of comedian Dave Chappelle, who told the audience that: "The only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America."
Kendrick Lamar's full performance at the 2018 #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/VG5K88hPQ0
— DUCKWORTH TDE (@DuckworthTDE) January 29, 2018
Political commentary presented itself in other avenues in the event. Hillary Clinton, Trump’s rival in the 2016 presidential elections, made a surprise cameo, and read from Michael Wolff's bestseller Fire and Fury — an explosive account of life inside Trump's White House — as part of a skit. Others who took part in the readings were rap artists Cardi B and DJ Khaled.
Of course, Clinton’s “performance” received some backlash. While Donald Trump Jr hit out at her on Twitter saying, “Getting to read a fake news book excerpt at the Grammys seems like a great consolation prize for losing the presidency" and “The more Hillary goes on television the more the American people realize how awesome it is to have Donald Trump in office"; she and the event was also criticised by US United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who wrote: "I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don't ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it."