Rapper Jay-Z joked about crime in Los Angeles during his acceptance speech at the Grammys on Sunday night, prompting laughter from the audience.
Receiving the “Dr. Dre Global Impact Award,” Jay-Z used his time in the spotlight not only to call out the Music Academy for how it treated black singers in the past but also to scold the crime rate in Los Angeles. He addressed the audience directly, referencing those who would get nominated for an award and not win.
“Some of you will feel like you were robbed,” he said Sunday. “Some of you will get robbed.”
The aside prompted laughter as Jay-Z appeared visibly nervous, which he admitted to feeling.
U.S. rapper Jay-Z (L) accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award alongside his daughter Blue Ivy on stage during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
“When I get nervous, I tell the truth,” he said.
The rapper also addressed the fact Beyoncé never won Album of the Year despite winning multiple Grammys.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won Album of the Year,” Jay-Z said. “So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys; never won Album of the Year. That doesn’t work.”
Blue Ivy joins Jay-Z on-stage to accept the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 #Grammys pic.twitter.com/H87XxdAoN8
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 5, 2024
As Breitbart News noted, Los Angeles experienced a nearly “12 percent surge in crime, including homicides, rape, robberies, armed assaults, and burglaries.”
“Los Angeles County recently enacted its zero-bail policy, which will allow criminals to return to the streets without posting bail money as they await their day in court,” the report said. “The radical measure was a result of pressure from leftist activists who claimed cash bail is racist.”
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
