The 60th annual Grammy Awards are a wrap. The biggest names in music attended and performed their most popular hits, like Bruno Mars’ “Finesse,” featuring rapper Cardi B. Thousands of people looked forward to seeing who would take home the biggest honors of the night.

Sadly, Jay-Z, one of the best-selling musicians of all time, went home empty-handed. This not only outraged fans, but stirred up a lot of confusion. Jay-Z has the most Grammy wins for a rapper in history. After watching the show, I believed he should have taken home at least one award. The big question remains. Why did he get snubbed?

Given the creative push behind his latest record, “4:44,” it was expected that the album would take home at least one honor. Despite receiving eight nominations, more than any other artist, Jay-Z lost to big winners. Kendrick Lamar’s album, “DAMN,” won rap album of the year and Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” earned him album of  the year.

Fans were not happy after Jay-Z was shut out and vented on social media. Twitter user @getthecannon stated, “Let’s get this out in the open. I feel like Jay-Z was blackballed at the Grammy’s last night. I feel like it was backfire from some very honest statements he made from his 4:44 album. He was nominated so many times and walked away with nothing. Crazy! Thoughts!?”

The big reason for the album’s snub is probably due to the facts he says about what is going on in America. We have a president who is dismantling our country and creating a racial divide. One song in particular, “The Story of O.J.,” plays with race, allusions to slavery, Ku Klux Klan, segregation, lynching and the Black Panthers. The real issue that some had with Jay-Z is that he is speaking on things that happened and are still going on. America today still deals with race and the perception of black culture. There was nothing wrong with him speaking the truth. The real issue is that some couldn’t handle what he had to say because they know it’s true. Jay-Z is one of those artists who raps about issues we face and see in our daily lives.

Fans did not expect Jay-Z to walk away empty-handed, but this proves the Grammys’ unpredictability. Artists who won, such as Alessia Cara and Bruno Mars, didn’t use their platform to talk about issues.

When an artist starts to speak the truth and even refer to how black people are represented in America, things can take a turn. This issue might have not been the cause for the rapper to leave without an award, but it’s possible.

Every year the Grammys snub artists whose work was phenomenal. Jay-Z just happened to speak about issues that are relevant, but did not sit well with some.  Hopefully, next year’s Grammys will give recognition to all artists, no matter what they speak on.

The 2018 Grammys will go down in history when rapper Jay-Z, who has acquired 21 Grammys, went home without a single award.