Grammy Awards
Chris Brown apologizes for Grammy Awards blowup
The controversial rapper apologized for comments he made after losing the award for Best R&B Album
Following a series of heated Instagram stories, Chris Brown has since apologized for comments he made against Best R&B Album Award winner Robert Glasper.
After being snubbed for Best R&B Album during the 2023 Grammy Awards, Brown took to social media to express his disappointment in losing to the producer, posting a meme asking, “WH😂 THE F*CK IS ROBERT GLASPER,” and making other disparaging comments.
Perhaps due to the reaction received, Brown has since directly apologized to Glasper.
“I would like to apologize if you took offense to my reaction at the Grammys.. you were not the Intended target and I know I came off really rude and mean. After doing my research I actually think your amazing,” he wrote in an Instagram direct message.
Glasper’s successful 20-year-long career
Glasper, who isn’t as widely known as other producers, prefers to allow his work to speak for itself, with a 20-year-long career.
An accomplished pianist, producer, and songwriter with a focus on Jazz, Glasper has worked with countless well-known artists, including Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, Bilal, and others. He has also released several successful albums, including ‘Black Radio’ which earned him his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2013.
Brown calls for better representation of black artists
In addition to his apology to Glasper, Brown believes that the Grammys should better categorize artists under the R&B label, saying that “[Glasper] AND I SHOULD never be in the Same category… two totally different vibes and genres.”
The category of R&B has gone through many changes. From 2003 to 2011 a category called ‘Best Contemporary R&B Album’ referred to R&B albums with hip-hop stylings until the award show merged it with the ‘Best R&B Album’ category.
Later in 2020, a new category called ‘Best Progressive R&B Album’ replaced the controversially titled ‘Best Urban Contemporary Album,’ which many black artists felt reduced them to something they didn’t identify with.
“It sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that’s genre-bending or that’s anything they always put it in a rap or urban category,” musician Tyler, The Creator said of the old label. “I don’t like that ‘urban’ word — it’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word to me.”