Cardi B takes home Rap Album of the Year at the 61st Grammy Awards
Janessa Hammers
Staff Writer
Sunday night’s Grammys were heralded in the usual glitz, glamour, and over-the-top individualistic fashion but it was also a night that welcomed a handful of firsts. For the first time, rap was fully appreciated at the Grammys, and neither Beyoncé nor Taylor Swift were in attendance, but the former First Lady was.
Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the Grammys, opening the show by walking on stage hand-in-hand with co-hosts Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and Alicia Keys.
Wearing a shimmering sliver jumpsuit that loosely flowed around her curves Obama addressed the audience attempting to finally quiet the roaring crowd after a solid 25-second standing ovation that erupted as soon as Obama introduced herself.
She spoke about the impact of music in her own life including her favorite power anthem by Beyoncé, “Who Run the World”, and that no matter what genre or artists we like to listen to “music helps us share ourselves… it allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in. Music shows us that all of it matters. Every story within every voice, every note within every song.”
With this inspirational message to open the show, the performers geared up to give the best show of their lives and the audience readied themselves to accept a win or defeat. Childish Gambino, who was not in attendance, released his new album this past year with his chart-topping song “This is America” which ended up winning Best Song of the Year, an award never before bestowed upon a rap song, in addition to his album being awarded record of the year. With these two record-breaking wins it was a shame Gambino could not have been in attendance to receive them in-person. Lady Gaga performed her song hit song “Shallow” at the show, but again no wins for the song as Gambino’s rap rose to the top.
Her onstage performance, on the other hand should have won her an award as anyone watching could tell how passionately she was throwing herself into the dance and song for a breathtaking performance with Mark Ronson.
Cardi B made a splash on the Grammys red carpet modeling a dress that made her look like an oyster on the half-shell and Ursula the sea-witch combined into a Grammy-worthy gown. The gown was part of Mugler couture from 1995 and featured a sheer torso and chest that blooms into a black dress with satin pink abalone on the inside, in addition to an explosion of pearls at her neck and on the top of her head.
Cardi B also made it onto the list of 2019 Grammys first’s being the first solo female to win the Best Rap Album with her album “Invasion of Privacy.” Her husband and fellow rapper, Offset, accompanied her up to the stage to receive the award following his alleged affair earlier this year.
In case Offset forget, Cardi B reminded him and everyone else of her success and why she will continue to inspire and change the rap game. As Obama said, “Music is all about connection through experiences and perhaps by listening to music, humans can also eventually learn to listen to each other.”
Feature photo courtesy of the Associated Press.