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Today, your Facebook and Twitter feeds will be flooded with all the post-Grammys coverage you expect: Can you believe Taylor said that? Kendrick Lamar [insert here]. Is that hat surgically attached to LL Cool J’s head at this point?
But one of the evening’s biggest snubs probably won’t get much media attention. During the annual “in memoriam” segment, in which a montage of clips and photos help to eulogize those in the music industry who’ve passed away that year, one big name was absent: Clarence Reid, AKA Blowfly.
His name carries more weight in Miami than it does nationally, but his importance to the music industry and the legacy he leaves behind makes him a no-brainer, especially considering the spectrum of faces we saw during the segment, which ranged from the noticeable to the highly unnoticeable.
It wouldn’t have taken a research team long to realize Reid deserved a spot on that segment. His passing sparked coverage from Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, and more. His work at TK Records helped launch the careers of Betty Wright, Sam & Dave, KC & the Sunshine Band, and more. But it was his later work as an X-rated parody that caused folks like Snoop Dogg and DJ Quik to list him as a hero. He’s since been sampled into oblivion by the hip-hop industry.
Reid’s manager, bandmate, and friend, Tom Bowker, took to Twitter under Blowfly’s account to express his anger last night.
So livid that @TheGrammys dissed Clarence, I failed to mention they dissed #OtisClay too. I guess the academy is allergic to black legends.
— Blowfly Official (@BlowflyOfficial) February 16, 2016
