'They just want to use us for promotions’ - Adesope Olajide calls for boycott of Grammys

UK-based Nigerian radio and TV personality Adesope Olajide has asserted the Grammys have no good intentions for Africans and their music culture.

Without mincing words on Instagram Live, February 4, 2024, Olajide accused the Harvey Mason Jr-led Recording Academy, organisers of the revered US-based Grammy Awards, of exploiting Africa’s population, culture and artistes for promotional purposes.

The Afrobeats promoter intimated South Africa’s Tyla being declared the historical first winner of the new Best African Music Performance award, over Burna Boy and Davido, the most nominated African acts this year, was proof the Grammys was out of touch with African pop music and, in fact, up to something sinister.

He argued a grand opportunity to bridge the African diaspora in the United States of America, and locals to the African continent was sorely missed.

Visibly aggrieved, Adesope Olajide urged a boycott of the Grammys.

Nicknamed Energy Gawd, he fumed: “The band is playing Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti’s Water whilst somebody that had a different water was walking on the stage.

“If you wanna know about an organisation that has no clue, the Grammy has no clue. None. They have no clue, they know nothing about our culture, and we shouldn't be wasting our energy there.

“This week was about us coming to America, really putting our flags down, building our bridges with our African American brothers and sisters, expanding our coasts, beyond Africa the continent, and embracing our brothers and sisters here in America.

“…these punks gave Tyla’s Water an award, [and were] playing Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti’s Water in the background. Is that an organisation that understands us?

“They don’t care about us, they just want to use us for promotions.

“One billion people in Africa, they want us to continue serving the Grammys. We ain’t f**king with that, man,”

“I don’t want nobody to come speak to me about no Grammys, man.

“They used David[o] heavily to promote their platform, they relied hugely on the incredible numbers, and audience and eyes that Nigeria brings and Africa brings, and they used our artistes – they announced one of the greatest musicians of our time Burna Boy to be performing at the Grammys which got us all excited, they nominated Burna Boy four times, they nominated Davido three times, but they knew that they were going to f**k them up.

“They were not going to treat them right.

“Come on, man! How can you be giving Tyla Water and be playing Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti’s Water in the background? And they’ve been planning for that for some time. So they had no idea which water was which.”

2021 Grammy winner Burna Boy had four fresh nominations for the 2024 Grammys, while Davido had three debut nominations. That notwithstanding, the 66th Grammy Awards ceremony, at the Crypto.com Arena, California, USA, ended with no honours for either.

Meanwhile, Tyla's FAX Records and Epic Records July 2023 release, Water, entered the enviable top 10 list of the Billboard Hot 100 in November. Though it dropped later, the bedroom mood-setter is currently at number 11 and rising.