The Grammys' Biggest Hip-Hop Mistakes: Snubs, Errors, and Embarrassments

The real reason Eminem didn't give a damn about a Grammy.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

The Grammy Awards have generally had a pretty troubled relationship with hip-hop, to say the least.

On one level, it's a little understandable: the awards are voted on by the entire Grammy committee, which means that genres (like hip-hop) usually end up represented by acts and songs easily recognizable to outsiders. On the other hand, the Grammys can create an inaccurate view of hip-hop (and what's great—or not great—about it). Even as the genre took over popular music for a period in the late '90s and early '00s, the Grammy Awards seemed only kind of aware of hip-hop's biggest stars.

From Jay-Z to 50 Cent to Will Smith, many of the biggest acts in hip-hop have expressed frustration with the awards at various times; in 1989, Smith boycotted because hip-hop's first year at the Grammy's wasn't even to be broadcast on television. The lingering feeling of distrust continues to this day (in 2011, hip-hop exec Steve Stout even wrote an open letter to the voting committee, expressing frustration at their unwillingness to change with the times).

These are The Grammys Biggest Hip-Hop Mistakes: Snubs, Errors, and Embarassments. Here's hoping they get better about it.

RELATED: Rihanna's Seven Complex Covers
RELATED: Taylor Swift: The Baddest B*tch in America
RELATED: Artwork: Justin Timberlake "The 20/20 Experience"

LIKE COMPLEX MUSIC ON FACEBOOK

"Gangsta's Paradise" beats Tupac and Biggie

Not Available Interstitial

Neptunes and Dr. Dre: The only hip-hop producers to win Producer of the Year

Not Available Interstitial

Tony Bennett Wins Best LP in year of Illmatic, Ready to Die and Outkast's Debut

Not Available Interstitial

Nas has never won a Grammy, only nominated

Not Available Interstitial

The Lonely Island's "I'm On A Boat" featuring T-Pain was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Not Available Interstitial

Puffy's No Way Out beats Notorious B.I.G.'s Life After Death

Not Available Interstitial

Will Smith wins Best Rap Solo Performance for "Men In Black"

Not Available Interstitial

Outkast loses to the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack for Album of the Year

Not Available Interstitial

Evanescence beats 50 Cent for best new artist

Not Available Interstitial

Black Eyed Peas wins Best Rap Performance Duo/Group in 2005 and 2006

Not Available Interstitial

Kanye West always loses AOTY to old people (when he's nominated at all)

Not Available Interstitial

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss beat Tha Carter III

Not Available Interstitial

Guru snubbed in Memorial Montage

Not Available Interstitial

Ludacris sweeps 2007 Grammys with his worst music

Not Available Interstitial

Eminem loses to Steely Dan for Album of the Year

Not Available Interstitial

The Fugees lose to Celine Dion for Album of the Year

Not Available Interstitial

1996 Was the First Year Rap Albums are Even Nominated

Not Available Interstitial

Naughty By Nature's Poverty's Paradise, Best Rap Album of the 1996 Grammys?

Not Available Interstitial

Arrested Development Hype Gets a Little Out of Hand

Not Available Interstitial

Quincy Jones "Back on the Block," best rap song by a duo or group for 1991

Not Available Interstitial

Young MC Beats Public Enemy with "Bust a Move"

Not Available Interstitial

The Best Year in Golden Era Hip-Hop,1988, Was Snubbed by the Grammys

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Music