Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Childish Gambino do not want to perform during the Grammy Awards this year. That says Ken Ehrlich, producer of the show, in The New York Times . That the artists refuse is remarkable because they are all three big contenders for prestigious music prizes that are awarded on Sunday.
Whether the men are present at the ceremony is not yet clear.
According to Ehrlich, the rappers rejected a performance due to the fact that hip hop artists often misunderstand the main categories. He regrets this.
“When they do not win the big prizes that has an effect on what the Grammys stand for and they remain less important in the hip-hop community.” Last year Lamar won all prizes in the hip-hop categories, but he did not win the award for best album. Jay-Z, who was nominated that year for no less than eight prizes, went home empty-handed .
Kendrick Lamar has a chance to win eight music prizes this year. Drake follows him closely with seven nominations. Childish Gambino can win four times as a winner.