Lil Wayne continues to impress with the clarity of his rhymes. You can hear every Robitussin-y word! He also continues the theme of the night rappers and the white soul singers who love them. While it's hard to argue with having Wayne perform his tribute to his native New Orleans, it's a shame we couldn't have watched him put the censors to the test with one of his more adventurous hits. Toussaint's own New Orleans tribute, featuring the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Terence Blanchard, is electric on TV, but it doesn't appear to do much for the audience. The room is getting cold, or exhausted.
Grade: B+
Grammy Awards 2009
TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel grades the performances of the 2009 Grammy Awards