Indie Arie Blasts The Grammys For Robbing Black Artistes In An Open Letter

This year’s 56th annual Grammy Awards spawned tons of criticism from performers blasting the event to other critics speaking out against some of the show’s obvious snubs. Now, in an open letter posted on Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, musicia, and record producer Indie Arie's Tumblr, she also criticized Grammy Awards for the lack of support for black musicians' music. Read what she said in the open letter below...

"@Kendricklamar WAS robbed, BUT he was not the only one who was robbed," Arie wrote on her Tumblr page. "Though it's called 'Music industries biggest night' the #Grammys are NOT about the music, it's a popularity contest. The voting process allows people, to vote on name recognition alone - the music industry politics is a whole NUTHER conversation. Too much to go into here.

If the hip hop community voted on hip hop - r&b COMMUNITY the same - same for each category - we'd see winners that reflect the MUSIC ITSELF. We all know that's just not the way it goes," she explained. "NOW the BIGGER losers, are ALL of black music. Where was the black music community represented in last nights #Grammy show? Performers and Winners (or not) ... Where were the black artists?"

I don't even get surprised any more, but, it still hits my sense of fairness, because I KNOW many of the artists who are overlooked. I LIVE in that world. We keep showing up and subjecting ourselves to the game, hoping MAYBE we'll win. I was so HAPPY to see @Kendricklamar take that stage - because it is a FORM of winning, at LEAST, he was SEEN,"