Backstage

In Hill’s Defense: Lauryn Hill’s record-setting five Grammys weren’t the only endorsement she got at the Shrine Auditorium Wednesday night. Many other artists on the show spoke backstage against accusations that Hill wrongfully claimed credit for much of her album’s production without giving proper dues and royalties to several other people. The matter is currently in the courts.

Sheryl Crow, who like Hill was nominated as best producer, went so far as to say on the telecast, “I want Lauryn Hill to produce my next album.” Echoing that later backstage, Crow--herself the target of similar charges regarding her debut album--noted, “I went through that, and so did Alanis Morissette. Every time [a woman] puts out an album, there’s speculation about who the great male is behind it.”

Hill, smiling broadly as she basked in her victories despite being rushed into a few select post-show interviews, said she was very pleased to hear of the support. “It’s very gratifying,” she said. “People think we have to have puppet masters and all that.”

She said she was thrilled with the validation of both record buyers and now her music business peers for an album she made without concessions to the mainstream.

“In the beginning, I made this home-cooked meal and thought people would say, ‘This isn’t McDonald’s,’ ” she said. “But they liked it, and that is really incredible.”

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It’s the Sales, Stupid: After changing from her booted-biker, black performance outfit into a slinky, sequined white gown, Shania Twain was asked backstage how she feels when people ask her more about her clothes than her music.

“The talent gets recognized,” she said. “People obviously buy the records. They don’t just go out and buy photographs. What we wear--that’s the fun part of it. I like looking good and I’m never offended when people ask about it.”

As for her upset loss to the Dixie Chicks in the country album category, she said, “I’m happy with my record sales. I’m the biggest seller. Every one of those records [sold] is the award for me.”

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Here to Stay: Rapper, songwriter and producer Missy Elliott, commenting on rapper Jay-Z’s boycott of the Grammys because he felt rap wasn’t getting sufficient attention, said, “For rap to even be a category now, that’s a good thing. That’s just a Jay-Z thing. . . . I think rappers are getting recognition anyway, because DMX, not Garth Brooks, got No. 1 out the door. People will realize that rap is here to stay no matter what they want.”

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Latin and International: Still glowing from his energetic stage performance, Latin pop winner Ricky Martin seemed awed and genuinely happy to be where he was. “Life is perfect,” he said. He spoke both of his excitement for Latin music’s growing audience worldwide and of his upcoming crossover album in English, and said they weren’t contradictory.

“It’s all about communication,” Martin said. “I’ve done recordings in French, in Portuguese, why not English? I’ll never stop singing in Spanish. I’m very proud of where I come from. But let’s communicate, right? Why not?”

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Out of Step: When the dudes of Aerosmith took the microphone backstage, their generation was showing. Crow, Twain and Elliott had all just finished expounding on the challenges of being a woman in the music business, and about their collective bashing of the old school walls. Nonetheless, Steven Tyler told sexist jokes, hinted at drug use and boasted of his womanizing. No one was amused or impressed. It was a surreal example of the old brushing up against the new, and the old seemed ridiculous.

Vince Gill, who won best male country singer, struck a different note in commenting on the woman power at the event. “All of my favorite singers have been women,” he said.

--Compiled by Steve Hochman and Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez