Drake Doesn’t Need The Grammys To Tell Me He’s The GOAT

I’m a Drake fan, and to me that nigga is the GOAT. I don’t need a Grammy to tell me that because I’ve had years of music, performances, hits, records and cultural moments to make up my own mind. So when I see people acting like Drake skipping the 2027 Grammys is some new way to avoid being judged, I’m wondering where the fuck y’all been. 😂 This man has been telling us how he feels about that institution for years. In 2019, while accepting a Grammy for God’s Plan, he was on that very stage explaining that fans knowing your songs and showing up for your shows means you’ve already won. Then his camp withdrew his Certified Lover Boy nominations in 2021. Now Billboard reports he hasn’t submitted Iceman, Habibti or Maid of Honour for 2027. That’s not one random reaction to this year’s nominations. That is a position he has demonstrated over time. And I agree with him. A room full of industry voters doesn’t get to determine who’s actually talented, much less tell me who my greatest rapper is.

Let’s talk about the actual history, because some of these Grammy results make the whole idea of an objective talent award look crazy to me. In 2014, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won Best Rap Album with The Heist over Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. And the funniest part is Macklemore himself reached out afterward saying Kendrick should’ve won. So even the person holding the trophy thought the decision was wrong. That doesn’t mean Macklemore can’t make a good record. It means the Grammy outcome did not settle which album had more artistic value. If you ask a lot of hip-hop fans which of those two projects has aged into a defining piece of the genre, you already know the conversation is different from the one those voters had that night. And I bring up Kendrick on purpose. I can think Drake is the GOAT while also recognizing Kendrick got done dirty at those awards. I’m not about to defend the Grammys only when they reward somebody I like and call them trash when they reward somebody I don’t.

Then go back to 2011. Esperanza Spalding won Best New Artist over Drake, Justin Bieber, Florence + the Machine and Mumford & Sons. Now let me be clear, because discernment matters: I’m not calling Esperanza untalented. She’s an accomplished jazz musician, and jazz musicians deserve recognition too. But what exactly does that award prove about Drake’s talent? Nothing definitive. Best New Artist isn't a rap battle. It's people voting across different styles and different ideas of what should matter. Somebody can genuinely prefer Esperanza’s artistry, and I'm not offended by that. What I'm rejecting is the idea that her winning means Drake somehow lacked the talent or career potential that a Grammy is supposed to recognize. Look at the trajectory he went on to have. That’s why I trust time, consistency and my own ears over one awards-night decision.

And yes, I'm gonna question the money in this process too. People talk about Grammys like it's just the world's most talented artists lined up in a room, everybody listens fairly and the best one wins. Come on, man. There’s a whole industry around getting your work in front of voters. Labels and publicists can spend money on For Your Consideration advertising and campaigns, and people with bigger budgets have more ways to keep their records visible. Even the Recording Academy publishes rules for those campaigns. That's why, to me, it feels like a paid, political awards ecosystem rather than some pure musical talent test. But I’m not claiming there's proof you can hand somebody cash and automatically buy a Grammy; the Academy specifically prohibits paying for votes. My criticism doesn't need that accusation to stand. Money, connections, exposure and industry preferences can shape the environment around voting without every winner being literally purchased. If you want me to treat a trophy as the ultimate authority, you have to explain why that whole process deserves more trust than the music and its actual impact.

That's why I’m not switching up on Drake because some voter doesn't give him another award. To me he’s proven his place through a catalog that has lived in hip-hop and R&B for years, how many different eras he's survived, the records people keep going back to, and how many artists have been influenced by his sound. That's my opinion, and I can actually explain why I have it. Being a Drake fan doesn't mean I have to pretend every one of his songs is perfect or that I can't listen to somebody else. In fact, if my whole argument for him being the GOAT was five trophies on a shelf, I'd be insulting the very music I'm trying to praise. His success and his craft were there before this latest submission decision, and they will still be there after the next ceremony. The Grammys can recognize whoever they want. I don’t need to agree, I don't need to hate the person who wins, and I definitely don't need that vote to tell me what I’m hearing. Drake has spent years showing us where he stands on this. I'm standing with him on it.

The Grammys didn't make Drake the GOAT to me, so they damn sure can't unmake him.6IX / THE TAKE