Kelly Rowland Backs Jay-Z’s Criticism of the Grammys

Kelly Rowland shared her thoughts about Jay-Z’s candid Grammys acceptance speech on Tuesday (Feb. 6).

When Jay-Z stepped on stage to accept his award with 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy on Sunday (Feb. 4), he criticized the show for never awarding Beyoncé the trophy for Album of the Year. Despite never winning Album of the Year, Queen Bey is the most awarded artist in Grammy history with 32 total wins.

During the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love in Los Angeles, Rowland told Entertainment Tonight that the rapper is “one of the greatest men” she knows.

“I’m just really happy for a lot of things that he said. I think that he made a lot of artists feel very seen and very heard in those minutes that he took on stage,” Rowland shared.

“Whether you carried some of that for years or a year or felt some sort of way about that… And it’s no disrespect, as he said. It’s just more so thinking – whether it’s vote or come together or new artists… What are the rules? How do they apply? It’s really a big moment when you go to the Grammys,” she continued.

“Shawn Carter is one of the greatest men I know and his words ring so loud to me. I couldn’t be more proud of him,” the singer added.

READ MORE: Jay-Z Criticizes the Grammys During Global Impact Award Speech

With regard to Beyoncé being consistently snubbed for Album of the Year, Rowland called her longtime friend “innovative.”

“I feel like she is an icon… and that’s for a reason – it’s because she starts trends. She is innovative, her thoughts are big and bright and she just jumps for them and does it. I think that her albums are a reflection of that, and it should be really celebrated in that way,” the former Destiny’s Child member explained.

“I’m not saying that because it’s my sister, I’m saying it because it’s the truth. I’ve seen the blood, sweat and tears that she puts into these projects, and her thoughts and her heart and her passion and her soul,” she added.