2008 Grammy Awards: Kanye West, Hear the Music?

Last night was a big night up in Los Angeles as singers and musicians of all genres gathered in Staples Center in hopes walking the red carpet, and phenomenal concerts blasted from the stage as musicians such as Brad Paisley, Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin rocked the stage to ease the tension of bands on edge.

But as the night rolled on, everything didn't go as smoothly as planned. Kanye West, a rapper, singer and American record producer was awarded a Grammy for best rap album, but he didn't take it well.

Gaudily clad he approached the stage alone and then proceeded to talk about how the Grammys had become a part of his life, tracing his finger around the edge of his new trophy as he spoke about music, past awards and their impact on his life.

Unfortunately, CBS wasn't looking for chatter, and as his speech continued they began to play the ever-familiar "get-off-the-stage" tune in the background, and as cymbals crashed West refused to budge, looking up towards the ceiling to snap, "I know that's not music."

Undaunted, he continued his speech, looking into the lights once more to say, "it'd be in good taste to stop the music." This time the music stopped, but he had done almost all the damage he could do, beginning his speech in a positive manner but leaving on a sour note, barely remembering to thank anyone before exiting the stage.

Other bands, such as Tool, seem to have his same attitude and refuse to even come to the Grammys, viewing the competition as a crude way of drumming up business. They feel that instead of honoring the artist for the work they have created, the Grammys "are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry. It's the music business celebrating itself."

They laugh, rather than use the stage as a pedestal to claim for fame, knowing that it's their music that will take them to the next level not an award that will only collect dust on someone's mantle.