Grammy Awards 2025: Predicting who wins in the Rap categories

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1979 saw “Rapper’s Delight” making it to the Billboard Top 40, and it wasn’t until a decade later that the Recording Academy took action to establish an award category for rap music. This might seem slow, but it was more about being careful than lazy. The genre of rap could have easily vanished, much like disco did.

Although Blondie’s “Rapture” was a significant hit in 1980, and the revolutionary work of artists like Afrika Bambaataa, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, NWA, and Public Enemy transformed the cultural landscape throughout the ’80s, it’s important to remain cautious about such matters.

Luckily, the Academy recognized the merit of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (later known as Will Smith) in time for them to win the first Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” However, the organizers decided it wasn’t suitable for the live broadcast, so The Fresh Prince wasn’t there to receive the award that night.

Predicting who will win the Rap awards at the 2025 Grammys

Currently, Rap music holds a place within the Grammys’ R&B, Rap, and Spoken Word Poetry category. Notably, there are four distinct awards set aside for Rap music. It has also grown to be a substantial force in the broader field that acknowledges music from all genres.

Shall we have a brief glance at the four nominees in the Rap category, and try to guess who could win the 2025 Grammy Awards for Rap Music?

Rap Performance

1) This prize is the longest standing, with minimal alterations since its inception by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince in ’89. There are seven contenders this year. I sense there’s a rationale behind this, but I’m not curious enough to explore it. The Grammys frequently adjust their regulations at their discretion, so I find it more convenient to adapt accordingly.

This year’s nominees feature two artists who have garnered more than ten Grammy Awards each, and one artist who has yet to receive a nomination. It seems likely that the final award will be contested between two of these three musicians.

Initially, let me clarify who I believe won’t take home the award this year. The defending champion, Future, who collaborated with Killer Mike, Andre 3000, and Eryn Allen Kane to win with “Scientists & Engineers” in 2024, is unlikely to secure another victory. I also doubt that Eminem will triumph again. Cardi B made history as the first solo female to win Rap Album in 2019, but it remains her only win so far; she won’t be claiming a second Grammy in this category this year.

Last weekend, GloRilla gave a splendid rendition of her nominated song “Yeah Glo!” on SNL. However, it’s unlikely to take home the Grammy award this year. Similarly, Common may not be able to replicate his 2008 win (which happened under a different name), that being said, let me refrain from delving into discussions about nomenclature changes…

the fresh face, Doechii, who’s nominated for “Nissan Altima,” and one of the contemporary giants, Kendrick Lamar, for “Not Like Us.” Given that “Not Like Us” was a significant victory in Kendrick’s ongoing rivalry with Drake, it appears he has an edge. However, Doechii should not be underestimated as she’s also nominated for Best New Artist. More on her later. This year’s winner for the category of Rap Performance is expected to be ““Not Like Us”.

Melodic Rap Performance

In the year 2002, the Grammy Awards introduced a new category named Rap/Sung Collaboration. Eve won this category for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” with Gwen Stefani providing the vocals. Nowadays, this award is known as Best Melodic Rap Performance, and it includes five nominees who are some of the most popular young artists in hip-hop today.

Among them is Adetunji, a 25-year-old Irish rapper, who collaborated with R&B singer Kehlani on a track aptly named “Kehlani.” Also part of this group is Latto, a 26-year-old artist, who was recognized as a Best New Artist nominee for her transformative hit “Big Mama” a few years back.

Rapsody’s experience shines through on her song “3:AM,” making her declaration of “You make me feel like a newcomer” particularly striking. The track has a jazz vibe, graced by multiple Grammy winner Erykah Badu. Instead of Kendrick Lamar, who was featured in their Best Rap Performance nominee, Future and Metro Boomin’ opted for the Weeknd on “We Still Don’t Trust You” for the Melodic category.

It seems that any of the nominees could emerge victorious, but I’m not willing to wager against the fifth candidate as she holds the record for the most Grammy awards ever won. As far as I know, it’s around 75,000 or possibly 32, but I can’t recall exactly. Regardless, Beyoncé has been successful in numerous genres, including Rap, and I believe her collaboration with 83-year-old Linda Martell and 29-year-old Shaboozee on “Spaghetti” could secure another win for her.

Rap Song

In the year 2004, Eminem bagged his first Grammy for the Best Rap Song, which was “Lose Yourself.” This track remains a contender among the most remarkable rap singles ever produced. Regrettably, he didn’t receive a nomination in this category this time around, but we haven’t seen the last of Eminem yet.

Rapsody, GloRilla, and Kanye West are all nominated in the Song category. Notably, Kanye has been nominated a staggering 76 times in total, with his collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign on “Carnival” being one of them. He previously won this award for “Jail” several years ago.

But I’m sticking with Kendrick. “Not Like Us” sweeps Performance and Song.

Rap Album

As a die-hard fan, I’ve got to say that ‘Not Like Us’ was a standalone single that didn’t make it onto the album GNX. Somehow, this tune seemed to steal the spotlight from the album, and perhaps that’s why it wasn’t nominated for an Album. On the other hand, Future, Common, Eminem, and J. Cole all received nominations for their albums. These artists are all multi-Grammy winners.

2022 has seen a newcomer stealing the spotlight, at least when it comes to Grammy nominations. The album “Alligator Bites Never Heal” by Doechii has been added to the prestigious list of Rap Album winners that started with Naughty by Nature’s “Poverty’s Paradise” in 1996. Keep an eye out over the next few days to see if she manages to win the Best New Artist award as well.

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2025-01-29 17:01