These Are the Rappers Who Should Win Grammys This Year

Correcting what the Grammys will get wrong.

Feb 05, 2015
Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

The Grammys are out of touch more times than not. The hip-hop community was up in arms last year when Macklemore beat out Kendrick for best rap album. Will Smith boycotted the event in 1989 because the Grammys didn't televise the Rap portion of the show. And this year, Public Enemy No. 1 is Iggy Azalea​. Her singles "Fancy" and "Black Widow" were monsters in their own right, and more than likely got on Grammy voters' radar after they heard their kids jamming to them.

The people who come up with these nominations don’t have their ears to the streets. They go with what’s getting radio play, and it’s detrimental to how the masses view rap. The art form is no longer a fad that shouldn’t be televised at award shows, and the Grammys might reflect that if the committee had voters who were younger and more in tune with the music.

Rap isn't the only category the prestigious award show gets wrong, but it does seem to be the one most consistently botched. Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP2 came and went, yet it has multiple nominations this year. We have no clue why Common's Nobody's Smiling has multiple nominations, either, or why there are six Album of the Year nominations. The New Classic and Blacc Hollywood? Seriously? "We Dem Boyz" was good but, Jesus, let's settle down here.

However, one thing we can thank Macklemore for is the acceptance of indie artists in this category. Childish Gambino has multiple nominations, and so does Lecrae. Run the Jewels for album of the year 2015! Check out our picks as we try to fix the Grammys' Rap category. We hope they listen.

*All picks are based on the Grammy eligibility timeframe: Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014*

Angel Diaz is a staff writer for Complex Media. Follow him @ADiaz456.

Best Rap Performance

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Winner: Rae Sremmurd “No Type”

Four out of five ain’t bad. The Grammys did rap justice with this category. The only change we would make is switching out “Rap God” for “No Type.” The latter dropped in August, making it eligible. Don’t sleep on the Lecrae song either: “All I Need Is You” is a dope record, as are the rest of the nominations. Yes, even “i” and “3005.” Both of those records are built for mass consumption, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I, for one, hate "i" but I get it. I dig the lyrics, but the beat, not so much. Now, the only track that can give “No Type” a run for its money is “0 to 100,” and I think it does in this particular category, but it doesn't beat it. The energy on "No Type" is infectious, the hook is timeless, and there are too many one liners on that joint. "Ball like Jordan and I play full court" and "push start the whip, brought it straight to life" are two of the best lines of 2014.

After “No Flex Zone,” we wondered whether or not these kids were one-hit wonders. Boy, were we wrong. Instead, they turned out to be hit-making machines. SremmLife is one of 2015’s best so far, and it will be kick-starting parties for years to come. 212 million-plus views in total on Vevo don’t lie.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Winner: Rick Ross f/ Betty Wright, Kanye West, and Big Sean “Sanctified”

Sing that shit, Betty! I was baptized to “Sanctified.” I heard Betty’s vocals on this, and said to myself: “I am a heathen and need to wash away my sins.” I then went to the nearest church, handed the organ man an aux cord, and became born again. The old Grammy voters got three out of five right. “Blak Majik” and “The Monster” are cool, but worthy of the Golden Gramophone? I’m not so sure about that. I decided to keep "The Monster" on because its Eminem, and it's also a chill song built for coming-of-age movie soundtracks.

“Studio,” “Tuesday,” and “Bound 2” are all my shit, but they’re not fucking with Titi Betty. OK, maybe "Bound 2." She and Uncle Charlie should make a duet album. I’m here for it. Can both songs win? Also, it's crazy how Drake hopping on a remix can get you nominated for Grammy.

 

Best Rap Song

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Winner: Drake “0 to 100/The Catch Up”

Check it. I hate Drake just as much as the next guy, but you can’t keep frontin’ on this man. “Tuesday” is nominated for a Grammy because of him. The Drake Effect is a real thing. He hops on popular tracks and sends them to another galaxy. He stole “0 to 100” from Diddy and will more than likely get a Grammy for his troubles. Not to mention this track is a loosie. Shit ain’t even on an album. Gotdamn, that beat is stupid.

The Grammy committee dropped the ball with this category. Surprise! “Anaconda” is only good in a strip club, “We Dem Boyz” is more of an anthem than a “good” song (it’s all subjective), and “i” didn't quite hit the mark. It’s a positive song, Kendrick’s bars are cool, but the beat stinks. That's the difference between Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song: The former highlights just the rapper while the latter highlights all parties involved: writers, producers, etc.

The Grammys also front on indie acts not named Macklemore. Father’s “Look at Wrist” was one of 2014’s best rap songs. While “About the Money,” “No Type,” and “Bound 2” are all viable candidates, Drake’s random single gets the nod in part for the lore surrounding it. Did Puffy smack him? Did Drake’s shoulder really come out the socket? This is what VH1’s Behind the Music was made for.

Best Rap Album

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Winner: YG, My Krazy Life

Why does every other Grammy Rap category have five nominations? They had to work Iggy in there somewhere, huh? None of her songs were nominated, and all of this reeks of conspiracy. The Illuminati is real, ladies and gentlemen. These nominations are head-scratchers, and to be fair the same can be said about my picks. Jeezy’s latest is a damn good album, better than Nobody’s Smiling. You say “blasphemous,” old rap head? May I burn in hell.

You guys love Pinata, so I threw you a bone. I like that album, don’t get me wrong, but some folks act as if it’s an all-time classic like the one the Madvillains produced. Blacc Hollywood is trash. Get it out of here. The Marshall Mathers LP2 had some high points but, as a whole, didn't recapture the psychotic genius of the original. Oxymoron could’ve flowed better, but it had a bunch of bangers and deserved to be nominated (shout out to all my real gangstas out there). Because the Internet is very apropos of the times. An actor-turned-rapper blaming his album on the Internet? I'm not the biggest Gambino fan, but "3005" slaps, he's a good performer, and he deserved to be nominated.

Now let's get to the elephant in the room. They left off YG’s My Krazy Life, which is a travesty of the highest order. That album was cohesive and was filled with hits, and we all know that the Grammys love hits. You say he can't rap a lick? That's fair. However, some of you need to get off your high horses and just have fun. He and Mustard produced a great album with more than a handful of slappers. My Krazy Life is the Damian Lillard of Grammy nominations; the snub of all snubs.

GrammysFeatures

Latest in Music