The Grammy nominations are nearly upon us, and in honor of that, as Uproxx’s resident rap expert, it seems that it makes the most sense for me to talk about the Best Rap Album category.
Here’s the thing: there’s almost no suspense to parse here; Kendrick Lamar and Clipse are locks for Best Rap Album Grammy nominations. Not only that, but the award will be more or less a two-horse race between them, all apologies to whatever other artists have the misfortune to get tossed into that gladiator fight.
I thought about doing a song-by-song breakdown or some other such self-serious exercise in justifying the above assertion, but come on. You know it. I know it. Pusha T and Malice know it. Hell, Kendrick Lamar is probably already over it. Between the Grammys’ historical preferences, the overwhelming public response to GNX and Let God Sort Em Out, and the truly suspicious Billboard chart rule adjustment that has no rap hits in the Hot 100 Top 40 for the first time since the ’90s, come February, either Clipse will be accepting their first-ever(!) golden gramophone, or Kung-Fu Kenny is making space for yet another trophy in his case (he’s gotta be running out of room in there).
So, here’s what we’ll do: Pick one song from each album to explain why it’s a lock, then, look at some of the other releases from the year to fill out the category. Ready? Here we go:
Kendrick Lamar — GNX: “Reincarnated”
This is actually a tougher choice than you’d think. After all, GNX is also home to “Luther,” Kendrick Lamar’s longest-charting Hot 100 No. 1 (and the second-longest-charting hip-hop song after “Old Town Road”), the inescapably catchy “TV Off,” which spawned the “MUSTAAAARD!” meme that still goes off at pretty much any public performance of the song, “Squabble Up,” a good, old-fashioned nod to LA’s dance music history that will surely bring a nostalgic tear to Academy Gen-Xers’ eyes, and “Gloria,” which utilizes that favorite hip-hop standby of personifying artform as a woman.
But “Reincarnated” undoubtedly has the most fascinating lyrical device of the album’s truncated runtime — and probably of the last three Kendrick Lamar albums, “Duckworth” and “We Cry Together” notwithstanding. In the course of the song’s three verses, Kendrick embodies blues legends like John Lee Hooker, soul divas like Billie Holiday, and even the devil himself, unspooling the through line between Black music, divine inspiration, and the hellish conditions that have anchored heavenly ambition. It’s an incredibly thoughtful, poised, and thoroughly impressive balancing act that the Compton rapper deftly lands despite its high degree of difficulty. Award show catnip.
Clipse — Let God Sort Em Out: “The Birds Don’t Sing”
This one is a no-brainer. Look: we all know the key to Clipse’s longevity has been the honestly astonishing depth and breadth of lyrical devices they’ve been able to employ in the service of finding new and creative ways to rap about their favorite substance. It’s not just a signature, or even a trademark; it’s the albatross flying alongside their ship, and they’ve wisely refrained from shooting it down for 25 years. But even Tim Duncan had to add a trick or two to his incredibly fundamental bag to seal four NBA championships.
Likewise, the brothers Thornton add an unexpected dimension to their craft, finally showing us something novel after all these years. Sure, they’ve flashed vulnerability in their discography before; the paranoia of “Nightmares” from Hell Hath No Fury, the self-recrimination of “Freedom” from Til The Casket Drops as examples. But “The Birds Don’t Sing,” hits another level as an honest, quiet reflection on the loss of their late parents. Having just put my own pops on a plinth, the universal nature of that theme rings more authentic to me than any New Jack City-inspired tall tale.
Everybody Else
So here’s a quick rundown of the other albums likely to be nominated for Best Rap Album.
Cardi B — Am I The Drama?
Cardi remains just the second woman to win a Best Rap Album Grammy for her 2018 debut, Invasion Of Privacy) and its long-awaited follow-up has the juice to impress Grammy voters looking to imbue this year’s field with a bit more gender balance.
Chance The Rapper — Star Line
Sort of underrated and overlooked, but Chance has the Recording Academy connections to make a dark-horse run. Star Line is being touted by fans as a return to form, and while it’s not as tightly wound as Coloring Book, it’s a deft examination of both Chance’s personal life since then, and the state of the world.
Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist — Life Is Beautiful
The Alchemist already has some name recognition with Academy members thanks to his run at the Best Rap Album category with Freddie Gibbs and Alfredo in 2021. While Al reunited with Fred for a sequel this year, his collaboration with Larry and Tity Boi was the more engaging listen.
Playboi Carti — MUSIC
I maintain, as I did in 2018 when I reviewed Die Lit, that we need a new category for Carti. Even he has given up the pretense that he’s doing much rapping, per se, with the title of his latest. Still, for an aging institution needing a shot in the arm and a little more goodwill from the youth, a surprise nom for Carti could begin to build credibility with the under-40 set.
Tyler The Creator — Chromakopia
Released in the fourth quarter of 2024 like GNX, T’s masterful self-exploration again displayed a new facet of his personality, while landing squarely outside the eligibility for the 2025 Grammys. He may have hurt his own chances, though, releasing Don’t Tap The Glass just a few months later.