Drake Withdraws Grammy Nominations | Rap-Up

Drake has withdrawn his two Grammy nominations.

A rep for the Recording Academy tells Variety that the decision was made by Drake and his management, but no explanation was given.

Drake was nominated for Best Rap Album for Certified Lover Boy and Best Rap Performance for “Way 2 Sexy,” his collaboration with Future and Young Thug, at the 64th annual show.

In the Best Rap Album category, the nominees also included Kanye West’s Donda, J. Cole’s The Off-Season, Nas’ King’s Disease II, and Tyler, the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost.

The voting will now go forward with just four nominees in each category.

Last year, Drake voiced his disapproval for the Grammys after The Weeknd was shut out of the nominations.

“I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after,” Drake wrote. “It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just can’t change their ways.”

He also called for the start of a new award show. “This is a great time for somebody to start something new that we can build up over time and pass on to the generations to come.”

Drake has been nominated 47 times and won four Grammys throughout his career. In 2017, he decided not to submit his project More Life for any 2018 Grammy awards.

The 64th annual Grammy Awards are set to take place Jan. 31 in Los Angeles. Jon Batiste leads with 11 nominations, followed by Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and H.E.R. with eight each.