I’m not here to argue about who should and should not win an award. Music is a subjective medium, so no matter the year or the nominees, people will always be angry with winners of the Grammys.
I’m here to discuss the ignorance of certain Hip-Hop “fans” and how their lack of knowledge speaks more about who they are and less about the artists they’re critiquing.
If you missed it, Killer Mike swept all of the major rap categories at the 2024 Grammys, taking home the awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance.
Unsurprisingly, a faction of Hip-Hop fans were shocked and frustrated when Travis Scott’s “UTOPIA” did not take home the award for Best Rap Album. Even the Houston rapper himself was shocked.
For the record, I also think Scott was more than deserving and fans are allowed to be angry when an artist they love doesn’t win a highly-coveted award.
I’m here to address the ones who had no idea who Killer Mike was until he took home a couple of trophies Sunday night and scoffed at the idea of him being a talented and successful enough artist to be recognized on a stage like the Grammys.
While it wasn’t a large group of people dumping on Mike, there were certain parties with huge followings on social media that shared their ignorance about the Atlanta emcee, and it frustrated me to the core.
YouTuber Kai Cenat is an easy target. But trust me, others shared his opinion. Under any given post or video about Killer Mike, there will be a multitude of comments saying, “Killer who?!” or “Name five Killer Mike songs!”
Ignoring his multiple public appearances and contributions to major movie releases, Killer Mike has been one of the most consistent Hip-Hop artists of the past decade. Not including “MICHAEL,” the album for which he won a Grammy, Mike has released other excellent projects since 2012 including, “R.A.P. Music,” and four Run The Jewels albums (with fellow Hip-Hop veteran EL-P).
These albums haven’t been blips on the radar that were enjoyed by just a couple of random fans before falling into the void. They were among the best albums each year they were released and recognized by those who have strong and respected opinions in the genre.
Specifically, “RTJ4,” was one of the most important projects of 2020 that perfectly described the climate of the world we were living in during that time.
Disagreeing with the Recording Academy’s decision is one thing, but being unwilling to educate yourself about Killer Mike and his catalog is another. If your reaction to him winning was more in line with the latter, it means that you’re a “spoon-fed Hip-Hop fan.” You’re a person who does not seek out new music and relies on radio, social media trends, and curated playlists from major DSPs to tell you what music is good and popular.
You don’t go the extra mile to learn about the pioneers and legends of the genre who laid the foundation for younger artists who are putting out new and unique music today.
Then there are rap fans who are “seekers” of music. You constantly look for new quality music, using every avenue available to you to find the best sounds out in the world. You learn about the pioneers of the genre that led us to the point we are now. If you fall into this category and still do not know who Killer Mike is, then I would assume you’d now take the time to do your research and give his music a chance so you can form an opinion for yourself.
Yes, Killer Mike is not nearly as popular as other Hip-Hop artists such as Drake, Nas, 21 Savage, and Travis Scott. But he is just as (if not more) talented as those others.
So if you don’t know who Killer Mike is and aren’t willing to learn about him, that’s okay. You’re just not quite the level of Hip-Hop fan you probably thought you were and I thank you for telling me and other Hip-Hop lovers how much you don’t know about the genre.