This year’s Grammy nominations were just announced, and I got to hand it to them. They really nailed it this time, not (Borat voice). The Grammys are a perplexing cultural achievement. Some artists don’t hold back on their feelings toward the prestigious award, such as J. Cole. Some, such as Kanye, have even decided to put their past awards in a toilet and peed on them (he still got nominated after this, by the way). To other artists, even a nomination for this award can be the biggest achievement of their entire career.
A genre they seem to get objectively incorrect consistently is the hip-hop category. Hip-hop made its first appearance in 1989 when DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the award for best rap performance for their track “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” The two men actually didn’t even show up to the award show to boycott the award show for not airing the rap categories. So let me tell you, that was a real slap in the face for the winners (I’m sorry, the joke was sitting right there. I had to).
We all know the infamous 2014 Grammys when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s The Heist won over debatably the greatest rap album and just album in general of the millennium, Kendrick Lamar’s good kid m.A.A.d city. To be fair, Macklemore’s project wasn’t trash. He had three cultural hits that everyone knows (“Thrift Shop,” “Can’t Hold Us,” “Same Love”), but, like, c’mon. This was just the start of a series of bad nominations and winners.
In 2017, things began to look positive when the Grammys formed a rap committee, and things looked bright for a little. Smaller but culturally significant artists such as Pusha T, Freddie Gibbs, and Rapsody began receiving nominations. Tyler, the Creator racked up a few wins, although some would argue that Igor is not even a rap album. J. Cole finally got nominated, even though I’m sure this meant as much to him as a participation trophy. Then I saw this year’s nominations.
Below you will see the current Grammy nominations for rap album of the year, which I think will win, who I think should have been nominated, and finally, who I believe should have really won.
Best Rap Album Nominations
Jack Harlow: Come Home The Kids Miss You
Really? I don’t even think Jack would agree with this one. It seems like they learned nothing from 2014. If he wins this award over Kendrick and Push, well, good luck Charlie.
DJ Khaled: God Did
I generally don’t know a soul who still listens to this album. Never in my life has someone said, “Yo, Dash. Play that new Khaled.” And if they did, they wouldn’t be my friend. If this wins, then the Grammys must love “mystery music.”
Future: I Never Liked You
I’m definitely not the biggest Future fan, but this was not a bad nomination by any means. This album sold incredibly, spawned a hit, and restated Future’s claim to being at the top of the rap game. That being said, if they wanted to pick one trap album, I would’ve gone DS4Ever by Gunna.
Pusha T: It’s Almost Dry
EGHCK (Push voice)! Currently in my top three favorite albums of the year, the committee got this one perfect. Push has earned his second nomination in five years, and deservedly so. He has teamed up with expert producers (Kanye West, Pharell, and the Neptunes) and has become the Martin Scorsese of cocaine rap. I will be ecstatic if Push brings this one home.
Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (The Real Winner)
Personally, this was my least favorite Kendrick project to date. That being said, I cannot complain about its inclusion. It is expected. Kendrick will most likely win this award, and I’ll be happy for him. I just would rather Push.
My Best Rap Album Nominations
Pusha T: It’s Almost Dry (Who Should Win)
You already know.
J.I.D.: The Forever Story
This was the committee’s chance to recognize a truly amazing rap project from someone who continues to get better with each coming release. This album deserved recognition from the committee, although I’m sure J. Cole gave his prodigy some wise words on the importance of this award.
Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers
Even though I didn’t love it, this project deserves to be there. We waited around five years for it, and it did its job. It’s excellently produced and crafted, and whether I like it or not, there was no chance it would not be nominated.
Westside Boogie: More Black Superheroes
Ok, here it is—my hot take. I don’t know if the average hip-hop fan has heard this tape, but it is absolutely amazing. Boogie is so vulnerable throughout the project, and at the same time, he can craft an amazing banging rap track. The features excellently deliver, the production is top-notch, and Boogie is at the top of his game.
Conway the Machine: God Don’t Make Mistakes
Someone from Griselda deserved some type of nod. Out of all of them, Conway delivered my favorite project. He’s always been my favorite member of the collective, and he gets deep on this album. The dark production is there as always, the lyricism is there, and the features are there. Listen to the track “Guilty” if you want to hear a gut-wrenching track that’ll change your perspective on this style of hip hop.
