Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn the wake of the not-entirely-unexpected news that Kanye West has been barred from performing at the Grammy Awards due to his “concerning online behavior,” he has not been barred from attending the show, sources tell Variety.That means West — who is up for five awards around his “Donda” album, including the top prize of Album of the Year — can walk the red carpet, attend and accept awards at both the Premiere ceremony (the livestreamed event before the main show where non-televised awards are given out) and the main show itself.It’s also possible that he could hold a competing event that would draw viewers away from the Grammys — a spiteful if not out-of-character move that arguably would harm the many fellow artists performing on the show more than the show itself.
In fact, unconfirmed rumors state that he is planning just such an event with Drake, another artist with a rocky Grammy history.
While it is unclear how far conversations about a West Grammy performance had progressed — in fact, incomplete performance plans, just two weeks before the show, could have been a contributing factor to the decision — a quick look at his recent social media posts, videos and concert performances give ample reasons for why a performance on live network television would be prohibitively problematic, despite the ratings it would draw.Recent weeks have included a racial slur directed at Grammy host Trevor Noah in response to comments Noah made on “The Daily Show” about West’s public behavior toward his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian; repeated public support for accused sex offender Marilyn Manson and unrepentant homophobe DaBaby; and vague threats against Kardashian’s new boyfriend, Pete Davidson.
Read more on variety.com