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Macklemore Made His Private Apology Public 10 Years Ago and the Grammys Haven’t Been the Same

Macklemore won Best Rap Album for 'The Heist' 10 years ago at the 2014 Grammy Awards, later sharing his infamous private apology to Kendrick Lamar.

Reflecting on that moment in 2021, Macklemore told Talib Kweli, the text “obviously shouldn’t have been put on the internet.” But in recent years, other artists have found themselves in similarly conflicting positions — torn between their artistry, personal fandom, and privilege. The internalized and systemic biases that have long plagued the Grammy Awards aren’t anything Adele, Styles, Eilish, or anyone else being showered in trophies could change during a one-minute speech. Frank Ocean — who doesn’t submit his music for consideration anymore — took aim at the Recording Academy itself in 2017, annoyed about Kendrick Lamar losing out to Taylor Swift for Album of the Year in 2016, among other things.

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