Diddy was the honouree of the 2020 Grammys Salute to Industry Icons at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday night, and the hip hop OG used his speech as an opportunity to shed light on the wide range of overlooked artists in the industry. Following a tribute performance by various artists close to Diddy including Faith Evans, Ma$e, Lil’ Kim, and his son, King Combs, Diddy took the stage to accept the honour which resulted in a whopping 50-minute speech. Though he primarily focused on his own life and career for the majority of his allotted time, near the end of the speech, Diddy made the bold and admirable choice to call out the Recording Academy for their major musical oversights over the years, specifically of black artists.
“There’s something that I need to say to the Grammys, and I say this with love," he announced. "Every year, y’all be killing us, man. I’m speaking for all the artists here, the producers, the executives. The amount of time that it takes to make these records, to pour your heart out into it. And we just want an even playing field. In the great words of Erykah Badu, 'We are artists and we are sensitive about our sh*t.' We are passionate. For most of us, this is all we’ve got. This is our only hope." Diddy then comprehensively summarized his overarching point in two powerful statements: "Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys.”
Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The crowd applauds him as he proceeds to reference the current turmoil surrounding the Grammys, following the Academy's sudden decision to place its president and CEO, Deborah Dugan, on administrative leave after they received a “formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female [staff] member." Deborah has accused the Academy of its own misconduct, which includes voter manipulation, financial mismanagement, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination. Diddy spoke to how there have always been issues within the Academy, which includes a long history of excluding black music from its consideration.
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
“So right now, with this current situation, it’s not a revelation. This thing been going on, and it's not just going on in music. It's going on in films, it's going on in sports, it's going on around the world. And for years we’ve allowed institutions that have never had our best interests at heart to judge us, and that stops right now. I’m officially starting the clock: you’ve got 365 days to get this sh*t together," Diddy declares, challenging the Academy to shift how they operate for the better. "We need the artists to take back control, we need transparency, we need diversity. This is the room that has the power to [force] the change that needs to be made. They have to make the changes for us: They’re a non-profit organization that is supposed to protect the welfare of the musical community. That’s what is says on the mission statement. They work for us. It’s going to take all of us to get this done. I’m here for the artists, so sign me up.”
Diddy "Blown Away" By Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Award In Thank You Video
Rumor has it that it's about to be a Bad Boy reunion like no other.
Clive Davis's coveted pre-Grammy party is an event that celebrities anticipate. The music industry's elite clamor together for the annual event where they're able to enjoy music in a relaxed environment, put on by one of music's more powerful, influential, wealthy, respected and famous figures. This year, Davis and the Grammys have decided to honor Diddy, a three-time Grammy winner, with the Industry Icons Award at this year's pre-awards gala.
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“Clive Davis and Arista Records gave me a chance when I was starting Bad Boy Records, he was one of the first industry executives to really believe in me. I’m forever grateful for him,” Diddy shared with Vibe. “To be honored at this year’s Pre-GRAMMY Gala and receive the Industry Icons Award is truly a blessing.”
The music icon wasn't finished sharing his gratitude because he took to Instagram to give some last-minute thoughts about the honor. While receiving a hair mask, Diddy said, "I'm getting honored as an icon, I'm blown away! Thank you, Clive and the whole crew. It's a big honor for me, but I have to take the time out and just thank every producer, engineer, executive, artist, Bad Boy employee, every manager, every label that I've worked with, everybody that's been involved in my musical career as an executive. This is like, the highest award you can get as an executive from the most legendary record executive in the game, Clive Davis."
Diddy also mentioned that there are people he's worked with throughout his career flying in from around the world as they make their way to Clive Davis's coveted event, so check out the grateful media mogul's full message below.
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