

On the road to the Sunday evening ceremony, I attended many parties - including the annual Roots Grammy Jam - and I spoke with folks both new and familiar, some carrying good news, some in need. As a voting member myself, I hoped my voice and vote would make a difference. The Grammys were set to return to the house that Kobe built - now called the Arena - and, after a few years of diversity initiatives, the Recording Academy had a chance to turn a corner and avoid the embarrassment of past snafus like Beyoncé and Kanye West’s multiple snubs and Macklemore’s win over Kendrick Lamar for Best Rap Album in 2014 for an album titled The Heist. The Grammy ceremony hadn’t been in Los Angeles since the day Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash. We experienced it all, from run-ins with Paul McCartney to casual chats with Scarface and Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets.

We spent an extended weekend in Los Angeles for the 2023 Grammys.
