Steve Stoute Calls Out Grammy Family

[mecuryball]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=108402&p=1523926#p1523926
A letter to the Grammy's by Steve Stoute

Over the course of my 20-year
history as an executive in the
music business and as the owner of
a firm that specializes in in-culture
advertising, I have come to the
conclusion that the Grammy
Awards have clearly lost touch with
contemporary popular culture. My
being a music fan has left me with
an even greater and deeper sense
of dismay — so much so that I feel
compelled to write this letter.
Where I think that the Grammys
fail stems from two key sources:
(1) over-zealousness to produce a
popular show that is at odds with its
own system of voting and (2)
fundamental disrespect of cultural
shifts as being viable and artistic.
As an institution that celebrates
artistic works of musicians, singers,
songwriters, producers and
technical specialists, we have come
to expect that the Grammys
upholds all of the values that
reflect the very best in music that
is born from our culture.
Unfortunately, the awards show
has become a series of hypocrisies
and contradictions, leaving me to
question why any contemporary
popular artist would even
participate. How is it possible that in
2001 The Marshall Mathers LP — an
album by Eminem that ushered in
the Bob Dylan of our time — was
beaten out by Steely Dan (no
disrespect) for Album Of The Year?
While we cannot solely utilize
album sales as the barometer, this
was certainly not the case. Not only
is Eminem the best-selling artist of
the last decade, but The Marshall
Mathers LP was a critical and
commercial success that sold over
10 million albums in the United
States (19 million worldwide), while
Steely Dan sold less than 10% of
that amount and came and went
as quietly as a church mouse. Or
consider even that in 2008 at the
50th Annual Grammy Awards, after
going into the night as the most-
nominated artist, Kanye West ’s
Graduation was beaten out for
Album Of The Year by Herbie
Hancock ’s River: The Joni Letters.
(This was the first time in 43 years
that a jazz album won this
category.) While there is no doubt
in my mind of the artistic talents of
Steely Dan or Herbie Hancock, we
must acknowledge the massive
cultural impact of Eminem and
Kanye West and how their music is
shaping, influencing and defining
the voice of a generation. It is this
same cultural impact that
acknowledged the commercial and
critical success of Michael Jackson’s
Thriller in 1984.
Just so that I’m not showing
partiality to hip-hop artists
(although it would be an entirely
different letter as to how hip-hop
music has been totally diminished
as an art form by this
organization), how is it that Justin
Bieber, an artist that defines what it
means to be a modern artist, did
not win Best New Artist? Again, his
cultural impact and success are
even more quantifiable if you
factor in his YouTube and Vevo
viewership — the fact that he was
a talent born entirely of the digital
age whose story was crafted in the
most humble method of being
“ discovered” purely for his singing
ability (and it should be noted that
Justin Bieber plays piano and guitar,
as evidenced on his early viral
videos).
So while these very artists that the
public acknowledges as being
worthy of their money and fandom
are snubbed year after year at the
Grammys, the awards show has
absolutely no qualms in inviting
these same artists to perform. At
first I thought that you were not
paying attention to the fact that
the mental complexion of the
world is becoming tanned, that
multiculturalism and poly-ethnicity
are driving new meaning as to
what is culturally relevant.
Interesting that the Grammys
understands cultural relevance
when it comes to using Eminem’s,
Kanye West’s or Justin Bieber’s
name in the billing to ensure
viewership and to deliver the all-
too-important ratings for its
advertisers.
What truly inspired the writing of
this letter was that this most recent
show fed my suspicions. As the
show was coming to a close and
just prior to presenting the award
for Album Of The Year, the band
Arcade Fire performed “Month of
May” — only to… surprise… win the
category and, in a moment of
sheer coincidence, happened to be
prepared to perform “Ready to
Start.”
Does the Grammys intentionally
use artists for their celebrity,
popularity and cultural appeal
when they already know the
winners and then program a show
against this expectation?
Meanwhile the National Academy
of Recording Arts and Sciences
hides behind the “peer” voting
system to escape culpability for not
even rethinking its approach.
And I imagine that next year there
will be another televised super-
close-up of an astonished front-
runner as they come to the
realization before a national
audience … that he or she was used.
You are being called to task at this
very moment, NARAS.
And to all of the artists that attend
the Grammys: Stop accepting the
invitation to be the upset of the
year and demand that this body
upholds its mission for advocacy
and support of artistry as culture
evolves.
Demand that they change this
system and truly reflect and truly
acknowledge your art.
Steve Stoute
http://rapradar.com/2011/02/20/steve-st ... my-family/

[xnoxiousx]

Can someone make a summary of what he is saying lol.

[RossMc]

Can someone make a summary of what he is saying lol.

Eminem should have won Album of the year with Marshall Mathers LP when it was nominated.
Eminem should have won Album of the year for Recovery this year.
Kanye West should have won album of the year for Graduation when it was nominated.
Justin Bieber should have won best new artist this year.
The Grammys suck.

[xnoxiousx]

Can someone make a summary of what he is saying lol.

Eminem should have won Album of the year with Marshall Mathers LP when it was nominated.
Eminem should have won Album of the year for Recovery this year.
Kanye West should have won album of the year for Graduation when it was nominated.
Justin Bieber should have won best new artist this year.
The Grammys suck.

First off who is Steve Stoute

and i agree with all but that

[RossMc]

Can someone make a summary of what he is saying lol.

Eminem should have won Album of the year with Marshall Mathers LP when it was nominated.
Eminem should have won Album of the year for Recovery this year.
Kanye West should have won album of the year for Graduation when it was nominated.
Justin Bieber should have won best new artist this year.
The Grammys suck.

First off who is Steve Stoute

and i agree with all but that

Nas's manager.

[Master Chief]

If it wasn't Biebs, Drake should have won. I'm not kidding.

[vivaldiwasasellout]

Can someone make a summary of what he is saying lol.

Eminem should have won Album of the year with Marshall Mathers LP when it was nominated.
Eminem should have won Album of the year for Recovery this year.
Kanye West should have won album of the year for Graduation when it was nominated.
Justin Bieber should have won best new artist this year.
The Grammys suck.

Kanye was so happy for Arcade Fire...

Please read the letter, it's a good reading.

[xnoxiousx]

Eminem and all artists should just boycot the show untill things change its not like they need to be htere.

[Sukot]

I do agree with most of what's been said there. I find hip hop, because it's a newer genre in the mainstream, and isn't as conservative as, say, country music, is hated by a lot of the older generations, who constitute a sized portion of the people determining who wins awards. I know I'm generalizing a bit here btw.

[vivaldiwasasellout]

"The awards show has become a series of hypocrisies and contradictions, leaving me to question why any contemporary popular artist would even participate."

" "Does the Grammys intentionally use artists for their celebrity, popularity and cultural appeal when they already know the winners and then program a show against this expectation?"

"And to all of the artists that attend the Grammys: Stop accepting the invitation to be the upset of the year..."

This

On my opinion Recovery is better than the Suburbs, but I know someone will say that that Arcade Fire are great and that quality is more important than quantity. Well, '90s are gone and Music Industry is agonising, so quantity is an important factor. Arcade Fire sold 500kb. Em is a really good mix between quality and quantity and he deserved to win the award for the album of the year. He was robbed and used.
They used Em, Gaga and Bieber to sell the show.

[slimsoxshady]

Can someone make a summary of what he is saying lol.

Eminem should have won Album of the year with Marshall Mathers LP when it was nominated.
Eminem should have won Album of the year for Recovery this year.
Kanye West should have won album of the year for Graduation when it was nominated.
Justin Bieber should have won best new artist this year.
The Grammys suck.

he never said this

[MayIAskAQuestion?]

lol he was checking actually the MMLP wikipedia page I think for the numbers : 19 million worldwide is an old number from a 2005 UK news.. MMLP is like 23 now..

Wiki thing is really popular

[mdemaz]

Don't forget to leave out the part about Steve Stoute.

[Fleka]

Dude has a point. Who the fuck is/are Arcade Fire?

[OneDream_89]

Dude has a point. Who the fuck is/are Arcade Fire?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X94GQZM4M48&feature=player_embedded