The Official Hip Hop Grammys 2018 Thread

[Ziggiy]

Refinery taps Jay-Z to win AOTY

Album Of The Year
“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
4:44 — Jay-ZDAMN. — Kendrick Lamar
Melodrama — Lorde
24K Magic — Bruno Mars

I was super surprised that Ed Sheeran'sDivide wasn't nominated, like we initially predicated. I thought he would take it home for sure. Vulture made a strong casefor it among the other albums nominated. After learning that Beck did indeed release an album this year, I included him in my AOTY predictions as well because the Recording Academy clearly loves Beck. I was pleasantly surprised.

Predicted Winner: Jay-Z (I can't say that I'd be too thrilled about it given that the Grammys snubbed Beyoncé for the same award and 4:44 itself is an album where he opens up about snubbing her as well.)

https://www.google.com/amp/www.refi...1/182646/grammy-predictions-2018-frontrunners

 

[Ziggiy]

Billboards says that Kendrick will win AOTY but give Gambino an upset chance


Trammell: I don’t see Melodrama beating DAMN.for album. I love “Liability,” but while Melodrama is full of great songs, it isn't a statement, and the Grammys like to reward statements. Adele released a ballad album during a pop rush, and Childish Gambino did something similar: that revival of Parliament/Isaac Hayes/Stax funk sound. He could’ve easily put out more campus rap, but he tried something new. It’s the only album I could see beating DAMN. -- and it comes with a built-in star acceptance speech.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bi...mmys-2018-winner-predictions-critics-analysis

 

[Ziggiy]

The Associated Press choose Bruno to upset Kendrick

MOODY: This is definitely the "let's correct that Adele win" batch of nominations, and Lamar would be a heavy favorite to win it all, making it the first true rap album to take the top trophy. But this is the Grammys — and that's why it's not going to happen. First off, Jay-Z and Lamar will likely split the rap vote, and while Childish and Lorde are critical favorites, they are also underdogs. Grammy voters will more than likely be charmed by an act with huge commercial appeal, an amazing live act, top-notch songwriting capabilities, a multi-instrumentalist — who hails from Hawaii. This is Mars' for the taking.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nb...-Take-Home-Grammy-Awards-470528763.html?amp=y

 

[JordanWearinThe45]

6 more days. Hoping Hov wins aoty

 

[Ziggiy]

No Hov performance


Few people were expecting a new Jay-Z album to be released at this time last year. Fewer still would've expected that surprise studio effort, 4:44, to be one of the most talked-about and respected LP's of 2017, garnering multiple Grammy nominations for Album of the Year, Record of the Year (for "The Story of O.J."), to name just a couple. However, despite the accolades, it looks like Jay won't be gracing that awards show with his presence.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ho...-the-2018-grammys-report-news.42740.html?_amp

 

[Ziggiy]

Newsday taps Lorde to win AOTY

SHOULD WIN “Damn.” Lamar’s fierce, fiery rhymes succeed with both style and substance, showing how potent hip-hop can be as an art form.

WILL WIN “Melodrama.” Lorde’s album is potent and well-crafted and should take the award due to the power of her major label and the hip-hop and R&B vote getting split among the other four contenders.

They also tap K.Dot for best rap album, Childish Gambino for Best Urban Contempary Album, and Bruno Mars for Best R&B album

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ne...t/music/grammy-winners-predictions-1.16314984

 

[Ziggiy]

Rolling Stone says Lorde will upset K.Dot

WILL WIN: Melodrama, Lorde
With two hip-hop albums vying for attention, and lingering anti-rap sentiment among some of the elders in the electorate, this fantastic album might just suffer a problematic triumph. This is Kendrick's year, in the same way 2017 was Beyonce's, and a win would put Lorde in the same awkward position that Adele found herself in last year.

SHOULD WIN: Damn., Kendrick Lamar
In a better world, K.Dot would sweep every category this year. Nothing else here comes close to matching the power of his stripped-down virtuosity – not Jay's honorable return to form, not Donald Glover's critically adored throwback funk, not Bruno Mars' retro razzle-dazzle, not even Lorde's technicolor experimental pop. OK,

Grammy Predictions 2018: Who Will Win, Who Should Win

 

[No1]

Rolling Stone says Lorde will upset K.Dot

WILL WIN: Melodrama, Lorde
With two hip-hop albums vying for attention, and lingering anti-rap sentiment among some of the elders in the electorate, this fantastic album might just suffer a problematic triumph. This is Kendrick's year, in the same way 2017 was Beyonce's, and a win would put Lorde in the same awkward position that Adele found herself in last year.

SHOULD WIN: Damn., Kendrick Lamar
In a better world, K.Dot would sweep every category this year. Nothing else here comes close to matching the power of his stripped-down virtuosity – not Jay's honorable return to form, not Donald Glover's critically adored throwback funk, not Bruno Mars' retro razzle-dazzle, not even Lorde's technicolor experimental pop. OK,

Grammy Predictions 2018: Who Will Win, Who Should Win

You're way too invested in this fam lol. People have to stop gassing DAMN btw.

 

[Ziggiy]

You're way too invested in this fam lol. People have to stop gassing DAMN btw.

Everyone’s got their vices


I think Damn is a great album btw..

 

[Ziggiy]

The Mercury News Predicts Damn for AOTY

So, who will win the biggest prize on “Music’s Biggest Night”?

Well, it probably won’t be Lorde, unfortunately. Her sophomore effort is nothing short of brilliant (and, indeed, it’s our pick for the finest platter of 2017). Yet, it also stands in the deep shadow of its predecessor, 2013’s “Pure Heroine,” which, simply put, ranks among the greatest debuts of all time.

Then there’s Mars, who must be considered a serious threat in all six of the categories he’s nominated in. But his hit-heavy album just feels a little too lightweight to take home the big prize in 2018.

And surprise nominee “Awaken, My Love!” appears to be the longest shot of the bunch. So, “Atlanta” TV star Donald Glover (who performs as Childish Gambino) likely won’t have to worry about making room in his already-crowded trophy case for this one.

That leaves the two hip-hop entrees, competing in a category that has been infamously unkind to the genre over the years. The last hip-hop album to take home the prize was OutKast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” in 2004.

That should change this year.

But will it be Jay or Kendrick to accomplish the feat? It’s easy to make compelling cases for both men. Yet, hopefully it will just boil down to who made the better album. And then the choice should be clear.

Prediction: “DAMN.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.me...018-predictions-will-jay-z-own-the-night/amp/

 

[No1]

Everyone’s got their vices


I think Damn is a great album btw..

I don't see what is great about DAMN. It's not wack but it doesn't move me like that. It's funny that people use bangers like Humble or DNA to justify it when that stuff didn't matter when he lacked them.

 

[Ziggiy]

I don't see what is great about DAMN. It's not wack but it doesn't move me like that. It's funny that people use bangers like Humble or DNA to justify it when that stuff didn't matter when he lacked them.

Kendrick has always had bangers though. Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees, King Kunta, Etc.

I like Damn because it’s a fresh album in which Kendrick didn’t sacrifice himself as an artist to make hits, rather he utilized all of his strengths and happened to make hits in the process. DNA is one of my favorite songs of last year.

 

[Bickin Back Being Bool]

Days before the fukkery

 

[No1]

Kendrick has always had bangers though. Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees, King Kunta, Etc.

I like Damn because it’s a fresh album in which Kendrick didn’t sacrifice himself as an artist to make hits, rather he utilized all of his strengths and happened to make hits in the process. DNA is one of my favorite songs of last year.

I like DNA. My only point with DAMN is that if another artist made that it would just be a good project. But then again, I sm only ever able to listen to Kendrick in doses.

 

[Ziggiy]

USA Today has Bruno Mars pegged for AOTY

Will win: Bruno Mars, 24K Magic

With Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN nominated alongside Jay Z’s 4:44, album of the year is hip hop’s to lose. But the danger of vote-splitting between Jay Z and Lamar means that the Grammy may go to one of the category’s more pop-oriented artists. The obvious front-runner, then, is Bruno Mars, who earned the third-most nominations behind Kendrick and Jay-Z, showing he’s clearly a favorite among voters. While critics loved Lorde’s Melodrama, she’s the only album of the year nominee that isn’t nominated for one of the night’s other major categories, which may signal that Grammys voters aren't as keen on her as a winner. And then, there’s Childish Gambino’s psych-R&B of Awaken, My Love, which exists in the category as an intriguing spoiler.


Should win: Kendrick Lamar, DAMN

Despite his seven Grammy wins and 29 nominations, Kendrick Lamar has a history of Grammys heartbreak. There was the Macklemore incident of 2014, in which the Seattle rapper took home best rap album for The Heist over Lamar’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, then infamously texting Lamar to apologize. In 2016, Lamar’s breathlessly-acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly lost the album of the year prize to Taylor Swift’s 1989. Now, with a third universally praised release competing for the night’s biggest award, Kendrick Lamar deserves to win for DAMN, not just for the sake of cosmic retribution, but because his album is the category’s best, a singular artistic statement from the best rapper of a generation.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/1054015001