In 2019, when Travis Scott remixed Young Thug’s top billboard song “Hot,” he ended his iconic verse with, “Afterparty, Astroworld out the planet. Laid the map out, but they didn’t understand it. When I’m home, know that I f*** on a Grammy.” He vividly expressed his suppression and frustration with the repeated offenses and robbed awards of his accomplishments, most notably in AstroWorld. With some of the most beautiful and well-rounded albums of this generation’s music industry, such as Rodeo, AstroWorld, and Birds in the Trap, he has constantly faced criticism from the Grammys, with ten nominations and zero awards. However, the industry’s oppression of his music did not end at AstroWorld.
Months before this song and in his hit documentary “Look Mom I Can Fly,” Travis Scott’s AstroWorld lost Rap Album of the Year to Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy. Critics and fans across the globe proclaimed Scott’s album as one of the most universally recognized great albums of all time, with songs having some of the most significant impacts on the music and pop culture world of the 21st century. His rap album hit triple platinum and debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 537,000 album-equivalent units, of which 270,000 were pure sales. His success numbers do not lie; he beats out every rap album by miles and has put his footprint on the industry for eternity. However, in the 2019 Grammys and eventually shown in his documentary, the rapper walked off upon learning the news while cursing to himself. With built-up frustration, Scott targeted the industry when he stated, “Laid out the map, but they did not understand it.” The robbery left fans eager for a new studio album that targeted the industry and showed his justice for the theft.
Leaving fans in suspense for five years, Scott teased fans with releasing a new studio album. First, he showed the Avenger-level team he assembled to create the masterpiece we know as Utopia. With some of the game’s biggest names, such as Drake, SZA, Playboi Carti, 21 Savage, The Weekend, and so many more, he set the stage for his next coming of the year’s best rap album. Critics proclaimed this album the second coming of AstroWorld and one of the most extensive advancements and evolutions in the music world to hit the public. With top critics stating, “Where “Astroworld” brought spectacle, “Utopia” brings subtlety and innovation..” and “A record that stretches the boundaries, ‘UTOPIA’ feels like his finest hour.”
When Scott finally released the long-awaited album, it did not disappoint to any degree. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at the top of the list of top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Surpassing Astro World’s initial prosperity and on track to beat all of his prior albums’ accomplishments, Utopia brought about a new era for the experienced veteran rap star. Scott attempted a unique blended mix of style and completion to his album that we have only seen glimpses of in his prior studio albums. Critics stated, “There are experiments with ambiance, risky beat switches, theatrical and hook-free pop, and orchestration that Scott has never attempted before.”
Despite all the backlash, criticism, and suppression Scott has received throughout his time spent in the music industry, with countless robberies in awards for his masterpieces created, Utopia would meet its inevitable fate. With many fans across the globe anticipating its deserved Rap Album of the Year award to come, the time never came. In a highway robbery on February 4th, the long-awaited award never came to Scott’s hands. The decision left fans enraged.
Although Utopia made one of the biggest footprints in the music industry by opening the door for a new generation and style of music, the album was still competitive with albums by Gunna, Metro Boomin, and Nas. Fans believed the award would come down to either Utopia or Heroes & Villages by Metro Boomin. However, in an absolute steal, a heavily unknown rapper named Killer Mike snatched the award from some of the greatest artists of our generation.
The robbery erupted in protest and questions about the results and the constant oppression of Travis Scott through the beauty of the albums he made with the touch of God himself. The question of “Is the Grammys Rigged?” arose once more. Scott’s infamous line, “Know that I f*** on a Grammy,” popped into the minds of fans and the man himself.
