The Official Hip Hop Grammy's 2021 Thread

[Ziggiy]

Uproxx Predicts Nas will win Best Rap Album but that Freddie Gibbs SHOULD win


Best Rap Album
D Smoke – Black Habits
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
Nas – King’s Disease
Royce Da 5’9″ – The Allegory

Who Will Win? Nas

Who Should Win? Freddie Gibbs

With all the standout rap albums released last year, it was quite surprising when The Recording Academy opted to nominate more traditional, older artists instead of highlighting the genre’s newcomers. Nevertheless, this category is filled with decades of remarkable talent. While D Smoke, Jay Electronica, and Nas were all favorites for the “rappity rap” sector of music lovers, it’s Freddie Gibbs’ Alfredo that is an immediate standout. Linking up with esteemed producer The Alchemist, Gibbs doesn’t waste a single breath on his tight bars while dishing out a rap master class.






They also predict that Megan Thee Stallion will win Best Rap Performance but that Lil Baby SHOULD


Best Rap Performance
Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle – “Deep Reverence”
DaBaby – “Bop”
Jack Harlow – “What’s Poppin”
Lil Baby – “The Bigger Picture”
Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé – “Savage”
Pop Smoke – “Dior”

Who Will Win? Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé

Who Should Win? Lil Baby

This category features all strong contenders, from the late Pop Smoke’s “Dior” continuing his posthumous reign to Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin” showcasing just how effortless his flow is. And of course there’s “Savage,” which finds Megan Thee Stallion teaming with her idol Beyoncé. The latter seems like the promising win here based on how massive it was, but Lil Baby shouldn’t be ignored. The rapper is at his most vulnerable on “The Bigger Picture,” as he sheds light on police brutality occurring both in his native Atlanta and across America. But what makes this protest anthem so insightful is that Lil Baby turns the mirror on himself and tries to correct the wrongs he’s done with his own violent lyrics.

Who Will Win And Who Should Win At The 2021 Grammy Awards

 

[Ziggiy]

ABC News predicts Roddy Rich will walk away with Best Rap Song


BEST RAP SONG: “The Bigger Picture,” Lil Baby; “The Box,” Roddy Ricch; “Laugh Now Cry Later,” Drake and Lil Durk; “Rockstar,” DaBaby and Roddy Ricch; “Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé.

HALL: Megan and Beyoncé will not be denied.

FEKADU: I don't want no smoke with B, but there's another rap hit that dominated the year more than “Savage," and that's “The Box." The Grammys love Roddy — he was a newbie and won his first Grammy last year — and “The Box" is also nominated for song of the year and “Savage" isn't. Plus, “The Box" offers one of the best lines, especially necessary during the pandemic era: “Don’t wear no shoes in my house!"

He said, she said: AP writers predict 2021 Grammy winners

 

[Ziggiy]

OK West predicts Jay Electronica will win Best Rap Album as he has the Jay-Z factor on his side


Best Rap Album

• BLACK HABITS (D Smoke)

• ALFREDO (Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist)

• A WRITTEN TESTIMONY (Jay Electronica)

• KING’S DISEASE (Nas)

• THE ALLEGORY (Royce 5’9”)

“Savage” was in many ways a victory lap for Megan Thee Stallion. She blew up in 2019 thanks to some great tracks such as “Cash shyt” and “Hot Girl Summer,” and her run culminated with perhaps music’s biggest star, Beyoncé, hopping on the remix to her Suga single “Savage.” That pushed the song’s chart success to another level, and solidified Megan as an essential voice in popular music. I expect the song to take the two awards its nominated for, while Roddy Ricch’s inescapable early 2020 hit “The Box” was the last big hit pre-lockdown, and will have its name called in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category. In a year with a lot of big name artists dropping rap albums, this year’s set of nominees was more obscure, even though it is great to see Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, and Jay Electronica get recognized for some stellar work. In the end, I predict Jay Electronica’s long awaited LP, with its multiple Jay-Z guest appearances, will be written in the envelope.


Grammy Predictions 2021

 

[Ziggiy]

Billboard predicts that Megan Thee Stallion will win Best New Artist, becoming the first female MC in 22 years to take home that award

Best new artist


Nominees: Ingrid Andress, Phoebe Bridgers, Chika, Noah Cyrus, D Smoke, Doja Cat, Kaytranada, Megan Thee Stallion

Four of these artists are nominated for best album in their respective fields: Andress in country, Bridgers in alternative music, D Smoke in rap and Kaytranada in dance/electronic. That doesn’t mean the others have no chance -- Megan Thee Stallion didn’t release an album in the eligibility period, just an EP (Suga), so her lack of a rap album nod can be explained away.





Megan Thee Stallion would become the first female hip-hop artist to win here since Lauryn Hill 22 years ago. Andress would become the first female country artist to win here since Carrie Underwood 14 years ago.

To state the obvious, Megan became a major star last year, landing two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She would become the seventh artist who notched two or more No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 prior to winning best new artist. The Beatles amassed seven No. 1 hits before being named best new artist of 1964. Milli Vanilli had three before being named best new artist of 1989 (the award was later revoked). Men at Work (1983), Mariah Carey (1990), Christina Aguilera (1999) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2013) each had two.

The likely winner: Megan Thee Stallion

Who Will Win in Grammys' Big Four Categories? Our Fearless Predictions

 

[StoneColdSteveAustin]

Funny how Gibbs rapped on Alfredo: my Name cocaine they dont put me on the nominee

And a few months later they did

 

[Mr. Negative]

I never even heard of this D Smoke kid until I read this thread. His music actually alright, though!

 

[Ziggiy]

I never even heard of this D Smoke kid until I read this thread. His music actually alright, though!

It is good. People are calling him “Kendrick Lite” but there’s enough uniqueness where it doesn’t feel like he’s biting.

 

[Ziggiy]

LA Times says that upholding the album format as the standard for excellence is “outdated” and that artists like Lil Baby and Da Baby deserve Best Rap Album nominations over Nas and Jay Electronica


Let’s talk about the rap categories. Best rap album is filled with work by veterans such as Nas and Jay Electronica — very on-brand for the Grammys. Yet best rap performance includes younger, more vital stars like Lil Baby, DaBaby and the late Pop Smoke.
Holmes: A lot of older voters cherish values in hip-hop that might not be what’s popping on the Hot 100. If you come from a certain era, maybe you can’t see why Lil Baby or Roddy Ricch are so transformative; these are kids recording stuff that sometimes has never been done before. So they’ll throw out a rap performance nomination, but when it comes to rap album: “All right, we’re gonna reward Nas’ 10th-best album.”


Here are our Grammy predictions: Beyoncé, Taylor and the cursed best new artist category

 

[Ziggiy]

Vulture predicts that Nas will win Best Rap Album but Freddie Gibbs SHOULD win


Best Rap Album
Black Habits, D Smoke
Alfredo, Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist
A Written Testimony, Jay Electronica
King’s Disease, Nas
The Allegory, Royce Da 5’9”

What the hell is going on here? While the other rap categories announce a next generation of stars, the youngest nominee here is 35-year-old Kendrick Lamar wannabe D Smoke. Jay Elec and Freddie Gibbs are exciting surprises here, but they come at the expense of Nas and Royce Da 5’9” for albums that were easy to miss last year. A win for Nas would be a lifetime achievement award, with the rapper at zero trophies for 15 nominations. But it would sure be exciting to recognize Gibbs, at the peak of his abilities after over 15 years, and the Alchemist, who also helmed Boldy James’s stunning The Price of Tea in China last year.

Should win: Alfredo
Will win: King’s Disease




They also predict Meagan Thee Stallion for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song. They predict Roddy Rich’s “The Box” for Best Melodic Rap Performance


Who Should (and Will) Win at the 2021 Grammy Awards?

 

[waynep]

LA Times says that upholding the album format as the standard for excellence is “outdated” and that artists like Lil Baby and Da Baby deserve Best Rap Album nominations over Nas and Jay Electronica


Let’s talk about the rap categories. Best rap album is filled with work by veterans such as Nas and Jay Electronica — very on-brand for the Grammys. Yet best rap performance includes younger, more vital stars like Lil Baby, DaBaby and the late Pop Smoke.
Holmes: A lot of older voters cherish values in hip-hop that might not be what’s popping on the Hot 100. If you come from a certain era, maybe you can’t see why Lil Baby or Roddy Ricch are so transformative; these are kids recording stuff that sometimes has never been done before. So they’ll throw out a rap performance nomination, but when it comes to rap album: “All right, we’re gonna reward Nas’ 10th-best album.”


Here are our Grammy predictions: Beyoncé, Taylor and the cursed best new artist category

The way people just so blatantly disrespect Nas is ridiculous man smh

 

[Ziggiy]

The way people just so blatantly disrespect Nas is ridiculous man smh

Nas is laid back and generally doesn’t give a fukk. At this point his legacy is set in stone as a top 5 Greatest Rapper of ALL time. There’s not really much anyone can write or say that will take that away from him.

 

[Budda]

LA Times says that upholding the album format as the standard for excellence is “outdated” and that artists like Lil Baby and Da Baby deserve Best Rap Album nominations over Nas and Jay Electronica


Let’s talk about the rap categories. Best rap album is filled with work by veterans such as Nas and Jay Electronica — very on-brand for the Grammys. Yet best rap performance includes younger, more vital stars like Lil Baby, DaBaby and the late Pop Smoke.
Holmes: A lot of older voters cherish values in hip-hop that might not be what’s popping on the Hot 100. If you come from a certain era, maybe you can’t see why Lil Baby or Roddy Ricch are so transformative; these are kids recording stuff that sometimes has never been done before. So they’ll throw out a rap performance nomination, but when it comes to rap album: “All right, we’re gonna reward Nas’ 10th-best album.”


Here are our Grammy predictions: Beyoncé, Taylor and the cursed best new artist category

This is why people without a grasp of rap history shouldn’t talk about t, what’s never done before? Do these fools think Roddy and Lil Baby are the first or only melodic style rappers in the game? When Bone Thugz Nate Dogg and TQ were topping charts 20+ years ago?

 

[Ziggiy]

US Weekly predicts Megan Thee Stallion will win Best New Artist


Best New Artist
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Noah Cyrus
Chika
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion

Will Win: Megan Thee Stallion
Should Win: Megan Thee Stallion

Bridgers deservedly received widespread acclaim for her emo-folk album Punisher, but it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Megan shaking her body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody all the way up to the Grammys stage to accept Best New Artist. Not since Nicki Minajhas a female rapper made such a splash.


Grammy Predictions 2021: Who Will Win and Who Should Win

 

[Ziggiy]

Freddie Gibbs says that as a fan, if he wasn’t betting on himself he’d pick Royce or Nas to win Best Rap Album



Who, as a fan, would you want to see win if you had to pick?

As a fan, I'll probably pick Royce or Nas -- because Nas ain't never got one yet.

Royce said, "It's the culture who wins at the end of the day."

We all won, bro. We make jokes about winning, but we all already won. I don't really feel no kind of way about it. It would really be winning if they let us have a real Grammy party. That's the main thing with me. Let us get a real Grammy party off.

Freddie Gibbs Is a Happy Kid From Gary, Indiana Realizing His Grammy Dreams

 

[kes929]

I played Kings Disease again this morning and that joint still has zero skips. Very well put together album. Sonically amazing too.