I was recently interviewed by The Fader for an article on the GRAMMY's Best Urban Contemporary Album category. I played a part in the creation of this category in 2012 and had the honor of working with several people I truly respect in doing so. In the inaugural year, the first award given out in this category went to Frank Ocean for his album "Channel Orange". The category was created to give artists, who's music may contain other elements that may not be considered traditional R&B, a place to enter their music.
“Barias [helped] organized a committee of R&B producers, songwriters, and managers he’d collaborated with (he declined to give names, but described members as “veterans” and “heavyweights”), and together they wrote up a proposal officially defining the Urban Contemporary Grammy category: “albums containing at least 51 percent playing time of newly recorded contemporary vocal tracks derivative of R&B.” They outlined potential nominees as “artists whose music includes the more contemporary elements of R&B and may incorporate production elements found in urban pop, urban Euro-pop, urban rock, and urban alternative.” The proposal was passed by the Awards and Nominations Committee, and went in front of the National Board of Trustees. They agreed, and by 2013 Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange became the first ever Best Urban Contemporary Album.”
Make sure to tune in on Sunday February 8th and watch Jhené Aiko, Beyonce, Chris Brown, Mali Music and Pharrell Williams vie for the award in this category at the 2015 GRAMMY Awards being broadcast on CBS.