Frank Ocean is a national treasure. So talented. So beautiful.
But while we adore Frank, it seems that he does not feel the same way about the Grammy Awards.
Not even a little bit.
See, back in 2013, he performed at the Grammys. There were some issues with the performance — it was a live show on a huge scale, after all.
And that’s fine, it happens. But for some petty reason, a couple of producers from the awards show decided to run their mouths about it, four years later.
“We executed his vision knowing that it was faulty,” a producer named Ken Ehrilch told Rolling Stone in a new interview. “And we tried to tell him that, we tried to tell his management that, we tried to tell the record label that.”
Ken called Frank’s performance “rigid” and “faulty,” and that it was “not great TV,” and that the reason he hasn’t been involved with the Grammys in the years since is because he was upset about it.
And, well, Frank heard about the interview. And he didn’t appreciate it.
In fact, he felt strongly enough to address it in all all-caps rant on Tumblr.
“OK Ken (and David),” he began, David being the other producer that talked trash. “As much as I hate to make you guys famous or even to respond to you directly. We all die one day and you’re old so f-ck it.”
“Yea yeah my 2013 performance at the Grammys was absolute sh-t. Technical difficulties, blah blah. Thanks for the reminder. Very much appreciated.”
“F-ck that performance though,” he continued. “You think that’s why I kept my work out of the Grammy process this year? Don’t you think I would’ve wanted to play the show to ‘redeem’ myself if I felt that way?”
It’s a fair point, but Frank hasn’t even hit his stride yet.
“In reality,” he wrote, “I actually wanted to participate in honoring Prince on the show but then I figured my best tribute to that man’s legacy would be to continue to by myself out here and to be successful.”
“Winning a TV award doesn’t christen my successful. It took my some time to learn that. I bought all my masters back last year in the prime of my career, that’s successful.”
“‘Blonde’ sold a million plus without a label, that’s successful. I am young, black, gifted and independent.. that’s my tribute.”
OK, and now we’re about to get into the Taylor Swift shade …
Frank said that “I’ve actually been tuning into CBS around this time of year for a while to see who gets the top honor and you know what’s really not ‘great TV’ guys?”
“1989 getting album of the year over To Pimp a Butterfly. Hands down one of the most ‘faulty’ TV moments I’ve seen.”
He’s referring, of course, to Taylor’s last album, 1989, and how it beat out Kendrick Lamar’s amazing To Pimp a Butterfly for the Album of the Year Grammy.
“Believe the people,” he advised the Grammy producers. “Believe the ones who’d rather watch select performances from your program on YouTube the day after because your show puts them to sleep.”
“Use the old gramophone to actually listen bro,” he went on. “I’m one of the best alive. And if you’re up for a discussion about the cultural bias and general nerve damage the show you produce suffers from then I’m all for it.”
“Have a good night.”
And, well, he’s not wrong. About any of it.
Taylor’s album sold extremely well, and it was fun and catchy, but Kendrick Lamar definitely had the better album.
Just like, all those years ago, Beyonce had the better music video.
It’s a good thing Taylor doesn’t have a new album this year — we have a feeling we know who’d be getting the pointed, misguided speech this year.
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