Grammys: Host James Corden Calls Out Trump in Opening Rap
James Corden opened Sunday’s Grammys by recovering from a string of technical difficulties and rehearsal mishaps — or so the Late Late Show host wanted the audience and viewers watching to think.
Rising through the stage, Corden’s elevating entrance suffered a snag and the host was seen only from the waist up. After crawling his way up, he then rolled down the flight of stairs, losing one of his shoes and his mic pack in the process.
That’s going to leave a mark. You okay @JKCorden? #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/URenhMg0xm
— The Late Late Show (@latelateshow) February 13, 2017
“What has happened, people? We have rehearsed this, and rehearsed this, and rehearsed this!” he said before dismissing his dancers from the stage. “We cannot allow these sort of mistakes, this is the Grammys, people, isn’t it?”
He then launched into a rap about being in over his head and mentioned some of the upcoming night’s highlights, including: “Beyonce performing, the queen is here dummy / Slay the whole stage with twins in her tummy.”
But the lines that earned the most praise from the audience called out President Donald Trump.
“Live it all up, because this is the best / And with President Trump we don’t know what comes next,” he rapped. “We sit here tonight no matter our race / Or where we were born or color of face / Using this art remember forever / We can survive by sticking together.”
On the red carpet ahead of the show, Corden spoke to E!’s Ryan Seacrest about his day-of jitters and teased the opening number as part of the act.
“You wake up, you throw up, you get in the car and you throw up again,” he said, “Then you come in and do a rehearsal to time, starting at 11 a.m. But that didn’t go completely to plan, so you literally finish 20 minutes ago.”
While teasing the opening number, Corden stayed humble.
“I would…