#1 [url]

Jan 28 14 2:07 PM

mcfan wrote:
I think India.Arie is discussing more the fact that the R&B categories haven't been part of the ceremony in years and that this year they were awarded to white and Pop artists.
Latin and other categories weren't included either, but I don't see her criticizing that. The reality is R&B music hasn't been all that popular lately, and the Grammys attempt to cater to the popularity in their show. When R&B music was popular, it was showcased. I remember John Legend winning R&B Album on-air back in 2006. This year Rap/Sung Collaboration was shown on-air because it featured some popular nominees. The only country award presented on-air was Country Album, so Rap/R&B had the same amount of awards presented during the telecast as Country.

Do I think race is a factor? Yes, indirectly. I think the majority of voters are white, and they vote for what they relate to most. If the majority of voters were black, I bet most of the winners would be black. Would India.Arie be complaining about that? In the end I think it has more to do with Rap not being something most voters love; M&L won because their sort of rap is more mainstream. But it's not like Kanye has never won in Rap.