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Nineteen days after he interrupted Beck on stage during the Grammy Awards, Kanye West has formally apologised to the singer songwriter - and also threw in an apology to Bruno Mars for good measure.
The music world has talked of litle since West advanced on stage at the Grammy Awards in LA on 8 February, prompting a discussion about artistry, songwiriting and award show etiquette. As previously reported, Kanye West interrupted Beck on stage when he was due to accept his award and then declared after the ceremony that "Beck needs to respect artistry and he should've given his award to Beyonce."
It was not until last night however that West actually formally apologised for his actions. After an emotional interview with Zane Lowe went out on Radio One, West decided to issue a apology - not only to Beck but also Bruno Mars who has been the subject of West concert rants in the past.
I would like to publicly apologize to Beck, I’m sorry Beck.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 26, 2015
I also want to publicly apologize to Bruno Mars, I used to hate on him but I really respect what he does as an artist.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 26, 2015
I also would love for Bruno to sing this hook on this song 88 Keys / Puff and I produced… I even asked Tyler to shoot the vid.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 26, 2015
West has clearly been mulling over the apology for some time. On the Breakfast Club on 20 February he announced he fully intended to call Beck but never got round to it.: "I got his number and I was supposed to call, but I just keep forgetting...I felt good for him. Think of all the good stuff that happened to me in the last eight days. The person that won was Beck, because if I hadn't done that, his Album of the Year would've never been mentioned...He should win an award for what he did—Rock Album—but he shouldn't have won that award."
Similarly in speaking to Ryan Seacrest, West has offered further insight into his thinking behind the intervention. “It was kind of a joke – like the Grammys themselves,” he said. He explained that he wanted to "just joke around" with his previous interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 Video Music Awards. “So, the voices in my head told me go, and then I just walked up, like, halfway up the stage ... But I just didn’t really want to take away from Beck’s moment, or the time he’s having to talk.”
West's behaviour has been a hotly debated subject with musicians across all genres offering their perspective. Billy Corgan recently declared “I think it’s inappropriate for any artist to take somebody else’s moment and make it their own." The Smashing Pumpkins frontman felt that there is a time and a place for criticism. "In that particular moment you’re basically saying that everything that Beck’s done to be in that position is negated because in your own mind it’s not relevant to you, or your own thing. I didn’t think that’s the moment to do it.
"Maybe afterwards you can say that, you can put it in your own blog. But to jump on stage and steal that moment, to re-appropriate it in your own way I think is inappropriate." He added, "“I’ve been on that podium too and if someone got up on my stage I’d knock them out. I don’t care who it is I would’ve knocked them out … That’s my stage. I earned the right to be on the stage at that moment. That was Beck’s moment.”
Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson also entered the debate, describing West as a 'disrespectful twat who needs to grow up'.
