The Weeknd has made it abundantly clear how he feels about the Grammys over the past few months. The “Blinding Lights” artist was shut out from the nominations completely, and has since boycotted the institution “because of the secret committees.” TMZ reports that 2Pac’s brother Mopreme Shakur says Pac would have had the Weeknd’s back throughout the situation and fought for change at the Recording Academy.
Shakur says the late rapper would’ve had “a lot to say” about the Grammys, and suggested the voters are out of touch. He added that he thinks 2Pac wouldn’t have stayed silent, instead putting pressure on the Recording Academy over the often unclear selection process. Since Pac never won a Grammy himself, it’s not unreasonable to think he Pac might have felt the same way about the award show.
Other issues with the Grammys that Mopreme highlighted include how Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes hadn’t gotten such awards during the peak of their careers, and Nas only just got his first Grammy on Sunday. Obviously the Weeknd has already won three Grammys, but his concerns regarding the lack of transparency are warranted. Mopreme Shakur added that Pac would’ve expressed the same concern, as well as the other concerns regarding race and representation.
Harvey Mason Jr., interim chief executive of the Recording Academy, recently responded to the Weeknd's boycott, saying the institution will continue to improve itself amid continued criticism. “We’re all disappointed when anyone is upset,” Mason replied to the Weeknd’s statement. “But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in past years, we are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees.”
