Although Kanye West’s invitation to the 64th annual Grammy Awards was rescinded by the Recording Academy, that didn’t stop Yeezus from still making Grammys history.
On Sunday (April 3) Ye — who was not in attendance for music’s biggest night — won big with two Grammy wins. Two may not seem like a lot for some, but with those two Ye was able to tie with Jay-Z for a total of 24 Grammy wins, and receiving a nomination alone is a huge honor.
The “Praise God” rapper has been nominated for a total of 75 Grammys throughout his professional career and won Best Rap Song for “Jail” and Best Melodic Rap Performance for his collab with The Weeknd and Lil Baby on “Hurricane” from Donda last night.
Yeezy had been uninvited from the Grammys after displaying what reps described as “concerning online behavior” when the “City of Gods” rapper lashed out at multiple people, including comedian D.L. Hughley, Grammys host Trevor Noah and more. At one point, the beloved kids’ TV show character, Peppa Pig, was even thrown into the mix.
Despite it all, “The Daily Show” host still openly showed support for West. “There are few artists who have had more of an impact on me than you Ye … Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this,” Noah tweeted in response to Ye.
In the end, Ye still came out victorious. Thanks to his 24 wins, the Donda artist now has the most Grammys for a rapper — an accomplishment that he and Jay-Z both share.
Jay and Ye had previously won two Grammys in association with their iconic Watch the Throne project, which included hits like “No Church in the Wild,” “Otis,” and more.
Ye received his first Grammy nomination in 2005. His debut album, College Dropout, earned him the award for Best Rap Album.