Drake Withdraws 2022 Grammy Nominations

Courtesy Republic Records

Longtime Grammy critic and four-time winner, Drake has removed himself from consideration for awards at the upcoming 64th edition of the annual Recording Academy fete — considered by many the industry standard for identifying and celebrating excellence in musical achievement.

Nominated for Best Rap Album for “Certified Lover Boy” and Best Rap Performance for the track “Way 2 Sexy,” the 35-year-old decided to withdraw his 48th and 49th nominations after consulting with his team.

According to Variety, which broke the news, a representative from the Recording Academy confirmed the nominations were withdrawn, but the Canadian rapper did not release any information pertaining to the reasoning behind the decision.

This is not the first time Drake has been at odds with the awards show. He has called for them to be replaced with something more equitable in the past, declined to submit his hit album “More Life” for consideration in 2017, and, perhaps most famously, delivered a blistering rebuke to the academy when accepting the Grammy for Best Rap Song (“God’s Plan) in 2019.

                                     Credit champagnepapi/Instagram

Drake took to Instagram in 2020 to lay out some of his grievances with the Recording Academy. 

“We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport,” he said. “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown… Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending money to buy tickets to your shows, you don’t need this right here. You already won.”

Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of Jacqueline Avant

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The Beverly Hills Police Department announced at a press conference on Thursday that it has made an arrest in the murder of Jacqueline Avant.

A philanthropist and the wife of Motown legend Clarence Avant, she was murdered at the couple's home on Dec. 1.

Aariel Maynor, 29, is the suspect in custody. Multiple surveillance videos showed the suspect’s vehicle heading eastbound out of Beverly Hills shortly after Avant was shot early Wednesday morning.

According to the BHPD, it was Maynor's greed and bad aim that led to his downfall.  

Beverly Hills PD arrested 29-year-old Aariel Maynor in the fatal shooting of Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend Clarence Avant, inside their Beverly Hills estate. https://t.co/jlt6lwiwZi pic.twitter.com/BmUvUeHBde

— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) December 2, 2021

Aariel Maynor, 29, is the suspect in custody. Multiple surveillance videos showed the suspect’s vehicle heading eastbound out of Beverly Hills shortly after Avant was shot early Wednesday morning.

According to the BHPD, it was Maynor's greed and bad aim that led to his downfall.

After the fatal attack on Avant in Beverly Hills, he drove to the Hollywood Hills and attempted to break into another home, somehow shooting himself in the foot with an AR-15 in the process.

Jacqueline Avant 🕊🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/fMyCmmmgj9

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) December 2, 2021

A statement by the department read, "Beverly Hills detectives responded to Hollywood division and collected evidence connecting Maynor to the homicide of Jacqueline Avant in our city, including the suspected weapon. Beverly Hills detectives have assumed investigative responsibility for both cases. The investigation leads us to believe there is no further threat to public safety. The evidence thus far shows that only one suspect was involved in the crime and the motive remains under investigation."

Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Steinbrook added, "To the Beverly Hills Community, let me reassure you, this is one of the most protected and patrolled cities in the world. Crime of any kind will not be tolerated here. Let this be a message to anyone thinking of committing a crime in Beverly Hills – you will be caught and brought to justice."

Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend Clarence Avant, fatally shot in Beverly Hills home

Celebrities and dignitaries came out in droves to offer their condolences today after Jacqueline "Jackie" Avant, a Los Angeles philanthropist and the wife of former Motown boss Clarence Avant, was shot and killed in an apparent home invasion early Wednesday morning. 

Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years. She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed.

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) December 1, 2021

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According to reporting by TMZ which broke the story initially, Avant, 81, was shot when at least one intruder broke into the Trousdale Estates home she shared with her husband and targeted her. Clarence, 90, was also home but not injured in the melee.

The Beverly Hills Police Department released a statement saying that its communications center received a phone call shortly before 2:30 a.m. regarding a shooting that had just occurred on the 1100 block of Maytor Place. Police units arrived and discovered a victim with a gunshot wound. The suspect or suspects were no longer on the scene. Beverly Hills Fire Department paramedics transported the victim to a local hospital where she was declared dead.

Media Release: Beverly Hills Police are Conducting a Homicide Investigation pic.twitter.com/GjYJTxkAT1

— Beverly Hills Police (@BeverlyHillsPD) December 1, 2021

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon Beverly Hills Police Chief, Mark Stainbrook, revealed that she was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital where she later died and said it was too soon to classify the incident as a home invasion or a follow-home robbery.

“The motives in this case are still unknown, and we’re investigating all possible motives,” Stainbrook said. “We will not speculate on anything that’s out there, including if this was a robbery attempt or not.”

He did confirm that Clarence Avant and a security guard were home at the time of the shooting and that no one else was injured but offered little new information on the case.

Avant was known for her decades of support of charitable causes in the area, particularly her support of the UCLA International Student Center. She was a former president of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group for the South Central Community Child Care Center, and entertainment chairman of the NOW benefit auction.

Her husband is widely regarded as the “Godfather of Black Music” for helping launch the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many other notables in the music industry, as well as the friendship and guidance he offered for athletic icons like Muhammad Ali and Hank Aaron.

In 2019 Netflix released a documentary about his exploits and impact on the music scene called "The Black Godfather."