Smokey Robinson Says Lay Off Jennifer Lopez, Motown's Not Just for Black People

Smokey Robinson is outraged at all the people who are slamming Jennifer Lopez for representing Motown at the Grammys, and he thinks confining the Motown sound to African Americans is a "stupid philosophy."

Smokey thinks people who think there's something wrong with a Hispanic woman showcasing Motown completely misses the point ... that Motown is about breaking all color barriers. The man who was pivotal in turning the label's sound into a world force acknowledges it represents black culture, but he's quick to add it also represents other cultures ... Hispanic, Asian, everyone.

Smokey posted a tribute to J Lo Tuesday, saying she did an awesome job ... calling out critics, saying, "So now you're gonna try to diminish the scope of Motown and narrow it down to just music for Black people and you call yourself defending the image of Motown. Well you're trying to set us back a hundred years."

He has a big job ahead of him Tuesday night ... he's cohosting the big Motown 60th Anniversary show in downtown L.A.