LOS ANGELES: Outspoken rapper Kanye West slammed the Grammys for awarding Beck with the Album of the Year Sunday, insisting the trophy should have gone to Beyonce instead.
Adventurous rocker Beck unexpectedly took home one of the night's top honors, beating out R&B queen Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Pharrell Williams for the prize.
As Beck collected his trophy, West walked onstage and abruptly turned around, leaving the confused-looking winner at the microphone for his thank you speech.
After the show, West blasted the Recording Academy for its decision, calling it "disrespectful."
"If they want real artists to keep coming back they need to stop playing with us, we ain't gonna play with them no more," he said in a rant on E! television.
"Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyonce," he said.
West argued Beyonce's self-titled album was an inspiration to fans and should have been recognized.
"When you keep on diminishing art and not respecting the craft and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you're disrespectful to inspiration," he said, with his wife Kim Kardashian on his arm.
It was the second controversy of the night involving West after he defiantly raised his middle finger to the world as he performed with Paul McCartney and Rihanna.
Despite not winning Best Album, Beyonce took home three Grammys Sunday for Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance and the more technical Best Surround Sound Album.
West also caused a stir at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when Taylor Swift beat Beyonce for best female video.
He crashed her acceptance speech and said Beyonce deserved to win instead, prompting boos from the crowd before a speechless Swift.
West is known for delivering his sometimes strong opinions publicly, speaking out on art, his own talent and race, including a comment about former president George W Bush, who he said "doesn't care about black people."
West was nominated for two awards at this year's Grammys, and has won a total of 21 trophies in the past.
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