In a move that should surprise no one, Beck was all class after last night’s Grammys, in which he won for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album but also got caught up in the latest rant from Kanye West.
After winning the night’s biggest honor for his recent LP Morning Phase, West appeared to bum-rush the stage reminiscent of his move at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when he told Taylor Swift that Beyoncé had the best video of all time. It was all laughs as West returned to his seat without incident. But in a post-Grammys interview with E!, West reiterated that Beck “needs to respect artistry,” and that he “should’ve given his award to Beyoncé.”
Beck has responded in pretty much the way you’d expect, telling US Weekly at the Universal Music Group after party:
“I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody. How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?”
He even kinda-sorta agreed with West, saying Beyoncé was deserving.
“Absolutely. I thought she was going to win. Come on, she’s Beyoncé!”
Here’s part of Kanye’s late-night rant: “I just know that, the Grammys, if they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us. We aren’t going to play with them no more. ‘Flawless.’ Beyoncé’s video. And Beck needs to respect artistry, he should have given his award to Beyoncé. At this point, we tired of it. What happens is, when you keep on diminishing art, and not respecting the craft, and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration.”
And to that, Beck replied:
“You can’t please everybody, man. I still love him and think he’s genius. I aspire to do what he does.”
Well, maybe not everything.
Beck will headline Friday night of Boston Calling’s May 2015 festival.