Not even being put on blast by Kanye West can diminish Beck’s appreciation of the rap star. “Beck needs to respect artistry, and he should have given his award to Beyoncé,” West said following the 44-year-old singer’s Grammy win over Beyoncé in the Album of the Year category.

“You can’t please everybody, man,” Beck told Us Weekly following the Grammys in response to Kanye’s comment. “I still love him and think he’s genius. I aspire to do what he does.”

As Beck accepted his award during the Grammys telecast, West jumped on stage and nearly interrupted the singer’s speech. It was a familiar moment for West: He infamously cut off Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards after she defeated Beyoncé in the Best Female Video category.

Following the Grammys, West explained that his family and clothing line were the reasons why he didn’t make a scene during Beck’s speech. “I’m not going to do nothing that would put my daughter at risk, but I am here to fight for creativity,” he said. “That’s the reason why I didn’t say anything tonight. But you all knew what it meant when ‘Ye stepped on that stage.”

It seems Beck knew what it meant, too. “I was just so excited he was coming up,” he told Us Weekly. “He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody.”

For more, head to Us Weekly.