Report: Drake Did Not Submit 'More Life' for Grammys
Drake’s More Life won’t win any Grammys next year because the 6 God reportedly didn’t submit it for consideration.
An anonymous insider tells the Associated Press that Drizzy did not submit his mixtape playlist for any album categories ahead of Music’s Biggest Night and that he also ignored all song categories despite being released within eligibility dates (Oct. 1, 2016 – Sept. 30, 2017).
Aubrey, who just turned 31, is no stranger to the Grammys. He’s been nominated 35 times and won three, including Best Rap Album (2011’s Take Care), Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song (“Hotline Bling”).
Drake has been critical of the Grammys in the past. Last year, he spoke about his gripes with the Academy during an interview on his Beats 1 program, OVO SOUND Radio.
“I am referred to as a black artist. Last night, at [the Grammys], I am a black artist,” he said. “I’m apparently a rapper even though ‘Hotline Bling’ is not a rap song. The only category that they can manage to fit me in is in a rap category, maybe because I’ve rapped in the past or because I’m rap. I can’t figure out why, just like I can’t figure out why ‘One Dance’ wasn’t nominated. There’s pop obligations that they have and I fluked out and got one of the biggest songs of the year. That is a pop song and I’m proud of that. I love the rap world and I love the pop community but I write pop songs for a reason. I want to be like Michael Jackson and artists I looked up to. Those are pop songs. I never get any credit for that. By the way, I’m speaking to you as a winner. I won two awards last night, but I don’t even want them. It just feels weird, for some reason. It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
More Life was released as a “playlist” back in March, but packaged as a regular album, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It has since gone on to move more than 2 million units, while breaking streaming records in the process.
Drake isn’t the first major artist to take this route. Last year, Frank Ocean did the same with Endless and Blonde. “That institution certainly has nostalgic importance,” Ocean said at the time. “It just doesn’t seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from, and hold down what I hold down…I think the infrastructure of the awarding system and the nomination system and screening system is dated. I’d rather this be my Colin Kaepernick moment for the Grammys than sit there in the audience.”
The nominees for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards will be announced on Nov. 28, while the show is set to take place Jan. 28 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.