Diddy calls out Grammy Awards for ignoring black artists

The Grammy Awards featured virtually no mention of the chaos surrounding the Recording Academy, including allegations of gender discrimination and sexual harassment from its ousted CEO in the week leading up to Sunday night’s ceremony. But the mounting scrutiny over the organization’s recognition — or lack thereof — of black and female artists did not go unnoticed as the music industry gathered in Los Angeles this weekend.

Hip-hop mogul Diddy, who received the academy’s salute to industry icons award, addressed the controversy toward the end of a passionate, nearly one-hour speech at Clive Davis’s annual preGrammys gala on Saturday.

“I say this with love to the Grammys because you really need to know this. Every year, y’all be killing us, man,”he began.“I’m talking about the pain — I’m speaking for all the artists here, producers, the executives — the amount of time that it takes to make these records, to pour your heart out into it, and you just want an even playing field?”

“We are passionate. For most of us, this is all we got. This is our only hope, ”he added, following a nod to Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone,” which starts with the singer announcing, indelibly, that as an artist, she’s “sensitive about”her work.

“Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys,” he added.“Black music has never been respected by theGrammys to the point that it should be.”

“So, right now, this current situation — it’s not a revelation,” Diddy continued, alluding to the bombshell complaint Deborah Dugan, the Recording Academy’s first female president and CEO, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week.