Eminem’s rocky relationship with the Grammys dates back to the early 2000s. Despite winning 15 Grammy Awards throughout his career, the Detroit rapper has consistently expressed frustration with the Recording Academy. One of his most notable grievances is the tendency for the Grammys to ignore hip-hop and urban music in major categories like Album of the Year.

In a 2018 interview on The Kamikaze Interview with Sway Calloway, Eminem bluntly stated:
“I’m tired of seeing them constantly screw up. They don’t care about hip-hop, and they definitely don’t respect it the way they should.”

Eminem nearly boycotted the 2011 Grammys despite being nominated for 10 awards, including Album of the Year for Recovery. While he attended and won Best Rap Album, it was clear that he viewed the event with skepticism. Many fans believed that his loss in the Album of the Year category to Arcade Fire highlighted the Academy’s disregard for rap music as a legitimate contender.

One of Eminem’s most iconic moments came in 2003 when Lose Yourself won Best Original Song at the Oscars, a rare recognition for a rap track. However, the same level of acknowledgment never seemed to translate fully at the Grammys, fueling the rapper’s belief that the Recording Academy was out of touch with contemporary music trends.

In his track Fall from the Kamikaze album, Eminem raps:
“The Grammys, they suck the blood from all the biggest artists like some leeches.”

He emphasized that artists are often invited to perform to boost ratings but are snubbed when it comes to winning major awards.