The 2012 Grammy nominations have been announced and my head is now officially spinning. In what is arguably the biggest snub in years, Kanye West's 2010 rap-masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has been left off the list for Album of the Year contenders. Going into the nominations, West was seen by many as the frontrunner given the universal acclaim the record received. In my opinion, the album broke new ground for the genre and can be considered a high-water mark for hip-hop. In lieu of this decision, I am left wondering if West's 2009 VMA meltdown has anything to do with this decision. Was the latest record by the Foo Fighters, who have been musically spinning their wheels for years more deserving than the genre transcendence of West? I would say no.
While West did received more nominations than anyone else, many were relegated to genre specific awards. The Grammys have shamefully dismissed hip-hop in the past though, most famously in 2001 when Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP was beat out by a sub-par Steely Dan comeback album. The West decision represents another example of the smugness the Grammys have towards the genre, only rectified by OutKast's winning Album of the Year in 2004. On the upside, West did get a nod for Song of the Year for "All of the Lights," but pitted against Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," the song stands little to no chance.
"All of the Lights"-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
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