Disclaimer #1 – I am NOT a Beyonce fan, but I’m not a hater, either. I will admit that Beyonce is both beautiful and talented. I attended one of her concerts way back in the day when she first started her solo career, and I have some of her songs on my iPod. I like her. She a’ight. I’m just not a fan or a card-carrying member of the BeyHive.
Disclaimer #2 – I absolutely LOVE Ledisi. I’ve seen Ledisi in concert twice, and if she is ever in or around where I am, I will go see her again and again. I have all her CDs, and one of her songs (“Alright”) is my ringtone and stays in heavy rotation on those days when I need an extra spirit-lifter. Just so you can conceptualize how much I love Ledisi’s song “Alright”, my 20 month-old daughter knows the words and can sing along when I play the song. Ledisi’s voice is amazing, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s a gorgeous, dark chocolate sistah with locs … much like myself. J I am a Ledisi fan. A big one.
So … Sunday night’s Grammys. Yeah …
Before the show even aired, I read articles and social media accounts that Beyonce was slated to perform “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” at the Grammys … instead of MY girl, Ledisi. Wait. What?!?!? So … Ledisi is in the “Selma” movie and on the movie soundtrack, but someone else gets to sing the song? What’s that all about?
Then it was later revealed that Beyonce requested to sing the song as an opening for “Glory” by John Legend and Common. So … she requested to sing a song from a movie that Ledisi was in, a song that Ledisi sang in the movie, and a song that Ledisi straight kilt (Yes, I used ‘kilt’ instead of killed.) on the soundtrack? And nobody saw a problem with that and gave Queen Bey her way? Really?!?!? Okay.
I have several issues with the Grammy snub. Yes, admittedly. I am biased because I am a Ledisi fan, but let’s just be real. How was the blatant disrespect shown to Ledisi okay? Why hasn’t anyone been publicly called out on it? How can anybody justify why it went down in the first place and why it was deemed acceptable?
Even though “Precious Lord” is not Ledisi’s song, she performed the song in the movie and on the soundtrack. The piece from the Grammys featured songs from the “Selma” movie. Why would you even consider letting someone else do the song when the person who performed it for the movie was sitting right in the audience? She was right there, y’all!!
There were further accounts someone stated that when Beyonce asks to perform with you, you just can’t say “no”. So, you can say yes to Beyonce at another person’s expense and be okay with that? Okay.
But here’s the thing that really burns me up about the entire situation. Beyonce is an international superstar. Everyone knows who she is. She’s won Grammy after Grammy. She doesn’t have anything else to prove to anybody. She could retire right now, and her place in music history would still be solidified. So why would she feel it necessary to steal the spotlight from a lesser known artist? I mean … would it have killed Beyonce to let someone else who has never graced the Grammy stage a chance to perform?
And how are you a “feminist” and claim to be all about girl power (Who runs the world?) when you undercut another sistah’s time to shine?
I’m so done.
Ledisi has shown nothing but grace and poise through all of this foolishness. While my hat is off to her for keeping it classy, I almost wish she had been more vocal about being denied a chance to perform at the Grammys. I am interested to see if anyone (Beyonce, John Legend, or the powers that be for the Grammys) steps up and apologizes to Ledisi for the snub. Interested, but not hopeful. Damn shame.
