And Finally Artist News Awards

Kanye, Beck and Shirley Manson comment on Kanye’s ‘artistry’ rant

By | Published on Tuesday 10 February 2015

Kanye West

Awards ceremonies are super boring, so thank heavens for Kanye West to ensure that something vaguely interesting might happen during one occasionally.

His latest escapade, of course, was getting up on stage after Beyonce lost Album Of The Year to Beck at the Grammys on Sunday, stopping and turning round just before butting in to reprise his ‘Imma let you finish’ speech from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Everyone laughed at the funny joke, but then later it turned out that West wasn’t joking, he’d just managed a bit of self-restraint on this occasion. He later told E!: “If the Grammys want real artists to keep coming back they need to stop playing with us … Beck needs to respect artistry, and he should have given his award to Beyonce.

He went on: “When you keep diminishing art and disrespecting the craft, smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration and we as musicians have to inspire people who go to work every day”.

According to TMZ, West subsequently denied that he’d been claiming that Beck wasn’t a real artist when later cornered by paparazzi, saying that he was just “talking about the Grammys”. Which you’ll see, if you really examine the line “Beck needs to respect artistry” hard, is the case. Almost certainly. No? Oh, OK then.

Still, Beck doesn’t mind, so I guess it’s alright. “I was just so excited he was coming up”, he told Us Magazine about West’s stage invasion. “He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody. How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?”

Asked if he agreed that Beyonce should have won the award, he said: “Absolutely. I thought she was going to win. Come on, she’s Beyonce!”

He didn’t say he was going to give her the award though, so it seems he wasn’t entirely on Kanye’s side.

Also not on Kayne’s side was Garbage’s Shirley Manson, who posted one of those open letter things on her Facebook page last night.

“In attempting to reduce the importance of one great talent over another, you make a mockery of all musicians and music from every genre, including your own”, she said to West. “Grow up and stop throwing your toys around. You are making yourself look like a complete twat”.

As a PS, she added: “I am pretty certain Beyonce doesn’t need you fighting any battles on her account. Seems like she’s got everything covered perfectly well on her own”.

Which is a fair point, though Beyonce’s grace and humility means she’d never march up on stage to protest her album not winning an award, even if she really, really thought she should have won. And that’s why awards are boring.



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