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Diddy blasts the Grammys: "Hip-hop has never been respected"

Diddy accepts he 2020 Industry Icon award last night: Photo: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

Ahead of Sunday's Grammy Awards, Sean "Diddy" Combs called out the show for dissing rap and R&B stars, in a blazing speech that got a standing ovation from Beyoncé, Jay-Z and others, AP reports.

What they're saying: At the end of his 50-minute speech last night at Clive Davis' white-hot pre-Grammys gala, Combs said: "So I say this with love to the Grammys, because you really need to know this: Every year, y'all be killing us, man."

  • "Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys to the point that it should be."

The context: Over the years, the awards show has been criticized when Beyoncé, Kanye West, Eminem, Mariah Carey and others lose in major categories.

  • The rap and R&B stars often fall short of their pop, rock and country counterparts.
  • And the voting process was called into question last week after the academy's just-ousted CEO, Deborah Dugan, claimed that the awards are rigged and filled with conflicts of interest.

Go deeper: On-demand video rental services get awards season boost

Go deeper

Axios
26 mins ago - Politics & Policy

NRA files for bankruptcy, says it will reincorporate in Texas

Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association (NRA) speaks during CPAC in 2016. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The National Rifle Association said Friday it has filed for voluntary bankruptcy as part of a restructuring plan.

Driving the news: The gun rights group said it would reincorporate in Texas, calling New York, where it is currently registered, a "toxic political environment." Last year, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit to dissolve the NRA, alleging the group committed fraud by diverting roughly $64 million in charitable donations over three years to support reckless spending by its executives.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Hans Nichols, author of Sneak Peek
49 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Biden: "We will manage the hell out of" vaccine distribution

Joe Biden. Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

President-elect Joe Biden promised to invoke the Defense Production Act to increase vaccine manufacturing, as he outlined a five-point plan to administer 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations in the first months of his presidency.

Why it matters: With the Center for Disease Control and Prevention warning of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, Biden is trying to establish how he’ll approach the pandemic differently than President Trump.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Ursula Perano
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

A new Washington

Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Image

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the city should expect a "new normal" for security — even after President-elect Biden's inauguration.

The state of play: Inaugurations are usually a point of celebration in D.C., but over 20,000 troops are now patrolling Washington streets in an unprecedented preparation for Biden's swearing-in on Jan. 20.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow