This year appeared to be no different after YG’s My Krazy Life didn’t even receive a nomination and Iggy Azalea was nominated for both Best Rap Album and Best Pop Performance (is there no rule about double-dipping here?). Eminem’s Marshall Mather’s LP 2 was up for Best Rap Album, as well as “The Monster” for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration because, you know, Eminem pretty much has to be nominated for every album, even though it was released 16 months ago. I’m sure there’s some loophole that makes this perfectly okay, but it doesn’t take away the feeling that this album came out so long ago.

Outside of Common and John Legend’s rendition of “Glory,” the most hip-hop performance of the night was probably Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney’s performance of “FourFiveSeconds.” Or maybe it was Pharrell’s new version of “Happy.” I’ll let you think about that.

I’m starting to get the feeling that The Recording Academy treats hip-hop like the stepkid they only deal with because they love its parent.

Think back to a year ago where hip-hop fans everywhere were looking for someone’s head on a spike. If you can, think back to 1989, where rappers boycotted the ceremony as a whole because the network wouldn’t televise the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance to Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. I’m not calling for anything that drastic here. I don’t expect the Grammys to become hip-hop-centric or anything. But at least let me see the Best Rap Album be awarded. This isn’t a call to action;  it’s a call to question. Does The Recording Academy take hip-hop seriously? Or is hip-hop just its charity case? – Keith Reid-Cleveland