By Nelson Santana
February 11, 2019
Cardi B’s debut album, Invasion of Privacy, took home the Academy Award statuette for Best Rap Album.
The Bronx rapper received four nominations: Record of the Year for "I Like It," in collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin (WINNER: "This Is America," recorded by Childish Gambino); Album of the Year for Invasion of Privacy (WINNER: Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves), Best Rap Performance for “Be Careful” (WINNER: tie between “King’s Dead” by Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, and James Blake; and “Bubblin” by Anderson .Paak; and Cardi’s collaboration with Maroon 5 garnered her a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in “Girls Like You” (WINNER: “Shallow,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper). Cardi B’s name was also associated with BOI-1DA, who was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (WINNER: Pharrell Williams )
Invasion of Privacy is the first album by a solo female rapper to win Best Rap Album, leading Cardi to make history. It has been an extremely emotional week for Cardi. In addition to her big Grammy win, her daughter, Kulture, uttered the word “mama,” according to Cardi. The Instagram caption reads:
After a week of only saying papa !She saying mama! Happy 7 months Kulture ! We love you @offsetyrn @hennessycarolina @melo9.11
More History-Making
Cardi B’s award is a major win for Caribbean artists. However, Cardi B was not the only artist to make history. Childish Gambino’s “This is America” won song and record of the year, becoming the first rap song to win both categories. In addition, women won big at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards:
Kacey Musgraves won four awards, including Album of the Year
Ariana Grande won her first Grammy
H.E.R received five nominations and won two awards, including Best R&B Album
Dua Lipa walked away with Best New Artist
Alicia Keys hosted the Grammys
Jennifer López mesmerized with her Motown tribute
Grammys Controversies
As usual Grammy tensions ran high. Ariana Grande made some comments via Twitter that seemingly downplayed Cardi B’s major win and simultaneously noted how her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller was more deserving of the award. Grande deleted the tweets and tried to explain herself afterward. In her tweet, Grande included the terms “trash,” “literal bullshit,” and other criticism. After a barrage of reactions, Grande backtracked and tried to explain herself. According to Grande, she criticized the Grammys for not inviting Miller’s parents’ out. Miller died last September of an accidental drug overdose. Although Grande denies the allegations that she threw shade at Cardi, her comment about Miller “sleeping” in his studio for two months while recording the album Swimming is possible evidence that Grande did indeed attack Cardi. The Grammys included Miller in its tribute of artists who passed away in the last year. Cardi B also honored Miller by noting “WE WON A FUCKIN GRAMMY”
Drake is among a slew of artists who in the past have criticized the awards ceremony for its treatment of hip hop, but more specifically music created by Black artists. Drake, like fellow artists Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino, refused to perform at this year’s show. During Drake’s acceptance speech for Best Rap Song (“God’s Plan”) his microphone appeared to be cut off during the middle of his acceptance speech. However, after the show, Grammys representative Michael Samonte, offered some “clarification”:
During Drake’s speech, there was a natural pause and at that moment the producers did assume that he was done and then cut to commercial. However the producers did speak with Drake following his speech and did offer him to come back on stage to finish whatever his thoughts were. But Drake said he was happy with what he said and didn’t have anything to add.
Below is a transcript of Drake’s speech:
I want to take this opportunity while I’m up here to just talk to all the kids that are watching this, aspiring to do music. All my peers that make music from their heart that do things pure and tell the truth, I wanna let you know we’re playing in an opinion-based sport not a factual-based sport. So it’s not the NBA where at the end of the year you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games.
This is a business where sometimes it’s up to a bunch of people who might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say or a fly Spanish girl from New York or anybody else, or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis [Scott]. But my point is you’ve already won if you have people singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here. I promise you, you already won. But…
The 61st Annual Grammys proved to be a historic award ceremony for women and the Black and Latino communities as well.
Album of the year
"Invasion of Privacy," Cardi B
"By the Way, I Forgive You," Brandi Carlile
"Scorpion," Drake
"H.E.R.," H.E.R.
"Beerbongs & Bentleys," Post Malone
"Dirty Computer," Janelle Monae
"Golden Hour," Kacey Musgraves *WINNER
"Black Panther: The Album," Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Song of the year
"All The Stars," Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Spears, Al Shuckburgh, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe
"Boo'd Up," Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai, and Dijon McFarlane
"God's Plan," Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron Latour, Matthew Samuels and Noah Shebib
"In My Blood," Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes and Geoffrey Warburton
"The Joke," Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth
"The Middle," Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha and Anton Zaslavski
"Shallow," Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
"This Is America," Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson *WINNER
Record of the year
"I Like It," Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
"The Joke," Brandi Carlile
"This is America," Childish Gambino *WINNER
"God's Plan," Drake
"Shallow," Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
"All The Stars," Kendrick Lamar and SZA
"Rockstar," Post Malone feat. 21 Savage
"The Middle," Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey
Best rap album
"Invasion Of Privacy," Cardi B *WINNER
"Swimming," Mac Miller
"Victory Lap," Nipsey Hussle
"Daytona," Pusha T
"Astroworld," Travis Scott
Best rap song
"God's Plan," Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake) *WINNER
"King's Dead," Kendrick Duckworth, Samuel Gloade, James Litherland, Johnny McKinzie, Mark Spears, Travis Walton, Nayvadius Wilburn & Michael Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake)
"Lucky You," R. Fraser, G. Lucas, M. Mathers, M. Samuels & J. Sweet, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Joyner Lucas)
"Sicko Mode," Khalif Brown, Rogét Chahayed, BryTavious Chambers, Mike Dean, Mirsad Dervic, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Aubrey Graham, John Edward Hawkins, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Ozan Yildirim & Cydel Young, songwriters (Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk & Swae Lee)
"Win," K. Duckworth, A. Hernandez, J. McKinzie, M. Samuels & C. Thompson, songwriters (Jay Rock)
Best R&B album
"Sex & Cigarettes," Toni Braxton
"Good Thing," Leon Bridges
"Honestly," Lalah Hathaway
"H.E.R." H.E.R. *WINNER
"Gumbo Unplugged (Live)," PJ Morton
Best country album
"Unapologetically," Kelsea Ballerini
"Port Saint Joe," Brothers Osborne
"Girl Going Nowhere," Ashley McBryde
"Golden Hour," Kacey Musgraves *WINNER
"Volume 2," Chris Stapleton
Best new artist
Chloe X Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa *WINNER
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
Best pop solo performance
"Colors," Beck
"Havana (Live)," Camila Cabello
"God Is A Woman," Ariana Grande
"Joanne (Where Do You Think You're Goin'?)," Lady Gaga *WINNER
"Better Now," Post Malone
Best pop vocal album
"Camila," Camila Cabello
"Meaning Of Life," Kelly Clarkson
"Sweetener," Ariana Grande *WINNER
"Shawn Mendes," Shawn Mendes
"Beautiful Trauma," P!nk
"Reputation," Taylor Swift
Best pop duo/group performance
"Fall in Line," Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart," Backstreet Boys
"'S Wonderful," Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
"Shallow," Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper *WINNER
"Girls Like You," Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
"Say Something," Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
"The Middle," Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Best country song
"Break Up In The End," Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
"Dear Hate," Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
"I Lived It," Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
"Space Cowboy," Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves) *WINNER
"Tequila," Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
"When Someone Stops Loving You," Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)
Best R&B performance
"Long As I Live," Toni Braxton
"Summer," The Carters
"Y O Y," Lalah Hathaway
"Best Part," H.E.R. featuring Daniel Caesar *WINNER