Grammys CEO Responds to Kanye West Criticism: ‘Our Doors Are Always Open’
The people who organize the Grammys appreciate Kanye West‘s quasi-constructive criticism, but not on Twitter. Neil Portnow, CEO and President of the Recording Academy, has issued a statement responding to the rapper’s rant Wednesday begging Portnow for a meeting.
“Kanye West is a creative pioneer who has been recognized and honored by the Recording Academy time and again,” Portnow tells Rolling Stone. “We value his input as a member of the creative community, and our doors are always open to him. I continue to welcome Kanye, personally, to engage in a direct and productive dialogue about the future of music and the important role that music creators play in shaping that future.”
Earlier in the day, West sent a number of tweets demanding for respect from the Recording Academy for himself, his friends and black artists and calling out the CEO by name. “I would like to sit down with Neil Portnow right now,” he wrote. “I think the Grammys are super important!!! I know so many cool artists whose hearts have been broken by the politics including mine. We need to fix this. … I feel the Grammy awarding system is way off and completely out of touch.”
He then called himself the “most important living artist” and threatened that there would be no show next year if he was not respected. “I don’t want to just fix the awards for me but I want to fix it for Dexter Navy who directed A$AP Rocky’s ‘LSD’ video,” West wrote. “Everybody with any form of taste knows that was the best video of the year! Dexter didn’t feel he even had a chance of winning and he was right!!! You guys are supposed to be all about taste. You like your black people a certain way also. You wouldn’t have Future perform and that man owned the clubs last summer. … All artists have a problem with [the Grammys] and I am going to fix it for us all starting right now.
“Neil, please reach out as soon as possible so we can make the Grammys culturally relevant again,” he continued. “Us real music guys wanna have fun too. And always remember that rock and roll was stolen and don’t try to hide behind Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis … all positive vibes.”
He concluded by saying that he wanted to see Future and Young Thug at the Grammys. “Not just me and Jay in a suit.”
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