I’ve never put a lot of stock in the Grammys.
Certainly, I understand why artists do. It’s affirmation of your hard work, where music industry experts and insiders proclaim you the best of class. It’s a dream for most artists to stroll across the stage, thank God and their ma’am dem, and make a silly quip that goes viral.
But for decades, I never thought that the Grammys truly understood what made hip-hop, well, hip-hop. It often awarded albums with big buzz and chartbusting success, all but ignoring pioneers who paved the way, groundbreaking artists who helped evolve the sound or unsung heroes who became cult faves.
Snoop Dogg, the Notorious B.I.G., 2pac, DMX – all celebrated in rap circles as legends with undisputed classics, but have no shiny trophies to their names. They deserved more.
And in my fantasy world here at Soul In Stereo, that’s what I’m giving some of those artists.
It’s been 30 years since the Best Rap Album category was created. So we’re going to go through every year’s lists of nominees to see if the Grammy voters got it right, or if the real champion was robbed.
**A major note: I will ONLY make my rulings based on that year’s nominees, even if I don’t agree with them. Since the Grammy nomination window varies and can be unpredictable, I won’t speculate too hard on albums that weren’t nominated (MOST of the time…).
So let’s look back at 30 years of Grammys, and give the uncrowned kings and queens a moment in the sun.
1996
Winner: Poverty’s Paradise, Naughty by Nature
Nominees:
E. 1999 Eternal, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
I Wish, Skee-Lo
Me Against the World, 2Pac
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Who should have won: Me Against the World, 2Pac
The Breakdown: Every album here is good in its own right, but only Pac and Bone Thugs hit that next level of greatness. Even with the benefit of hindsight, I think 96 should have been Pac’s year.
1997
Winner: The Score, Fugees
Nominees:
All Eyez On Me, 2Pac
Beats, Rhymes and Life, A Tribe Called Quest
Gangsta’s Paradise, Coolio
Mr. Smith, LL Cool J
Who should have won: The Score, Fugees
The Breakdown: Yep, they nailed it. I’m sure the 2pacalyptos among us will scream in favor of his famed double-disc album, but I won’t relitigate my issues with its bloat and inconsistences. The Score has the impact, the commercial success, the legacy – it deserved this win.
1998
Winner: No Way Out, Puff Daddy and the Family
Nominees:
Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G.
Supa Dupa Fly, Missy Elliott
Wu-Tang Forever, Wu-Tang Clan
Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival, Wyclef Jean
Who should have won: Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G.
The Breakdown: This is TOUGH, as Biggie, Missy and the Wu dropped three of my all-time favorite albums, and I wore out that Puff as well (no Diddy). But I proclaimed Life After Death the greatest double-disc album in rap history for a reason, and it should have won here. Puff’s victory seemed like a stand-in for what BIG really deserved.
1999
Winner: Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z
Nominees:
Capital Punishment, Big Pun
Harlem World, Mase
Life in 1472, Jermaine Dupri
The Love Movement, A Tribe Called Quest
Who should have won: Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z
The Breakdown: They got it right. Its legacy is unfairly looked today, but Vol. 2 was the album that made Jay-Z JAY-Z. From the hits to album quality to commercial appeal, it was the best of this bunch, even if Capital Punishment surpasses it lyrically.
2000
Winner: The Slim Shady LP, Eminem
Nominees:
Da Real World, Missy Elliott
E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, Busta Rhymes
I Am…, Nas
Things Fall Apart, The Roots
Who should have won: E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, Busta Rhymes
The Breakdown: Here’s another collection of albums I adore, all with strong but separate cases for winning. But I’m gonna piss off the comments section and say this should have been Busta’s night. It’s his best and most expansive album, taking huge risks that paid off exceptionally well. I understand Em winning in the moment – this was a huge era from him – but it’s far from the best album nominated and he’d be much greater later. Speaking of..
2001
Winner: The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem
Nominees:
2001, Dr. Dre
Country Grammar, Nelly
…And Then There Was X, DMX
Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, Jay-Z
Who should have won: The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem
The Breakdown: No-brainer. Em’s best album and with the slight exception of 2001, is far superior to its nominees.
2002
Winner: Stankonia, Outkast
Nominees:
Back for the First Time, Ludacris
The Blueprint, Jay-Z
Pain Is Love, Ja Rule
Scorpion, Eve
Who should have won: The Blueprint, Jay-Z
The breakdown: In hindsight, anything but a Jay win is madness. But even back in 2002, anything but a Jay win was crazy. Outkast was riding high in 2002 but as good as Stankonia is, it’s by no means a Blueprint.
2003
Winner: The Eminem Show, Eminem
Nominees:
Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, Petey Pablo
Nellyville, Nelly
Tarantula, Mystikal
Word of Mouf, Ludacris
Who should have won: The Eminem Show, Eminem
The breakdown: These nominees are … interesting. No Missy, no Nas, no Scarface, eh, whatever. I’m shocked Nelly didn’t win just off sales alone but Em has always been a Grammy darling. Not mad at his win.
2004
Winner: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Outkast
Nominees:
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse, Jay-Z
Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent
Phrenology, The Roots
Under Construction, Missy Elliott
Who should have won: Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent
The breakdown: I mean, it kinda HAS to be 50 Cent, right? Every album here is pretty great (Under Construction is Missy’s best album, by the way – I’ll die on that hill) but even in 2004 none had the culture impact of 50’s reign of terror. A swing and a miss for the Grammys.
2005
Winner: The College Dropout, Kanye West
Nominees:
The Black Album, Jay-Z
The DEFinition, LL Cool J
Suit, Nelly
To the 5 Boroughs, Beastie Boys
Who should have won: The College Dropout, Kanye West
The breakdown: No question. Kanye’s best album (to this DAY!) and his breakout moment. The right choice.
2006
Winner: Late Registration, Kanye West
Nominees:
Be, Common
The Cookbook, Missy Elliott
Encore, Eminem
The Massacre, 50 Cent
Who should have won: Late Registration, Kanye West
The breakdown: Yep, another correct choice. Those 50 and Em albums were abominations and had no business being nominated but y’all know the Grammys loves radio hits.
2007
Winner: Release Therapy, Ludacris
Nominees:
Game Theory, The Roots
In My Mind, Pharrell
King, T.I.
Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, Lupe Fiasco
Who should have won: Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, Lupe Fiasco
The breakdown: Ah yes, this Grammy win was infamously – and rightly – panned at the time because as much as I love Luda, he had no business beating any of these nominees. Lupe was robbed.
2008
Winner: Graduation, Kanye West
Nominees:
Finding Forever, Common
Hip-Hop Is Dead, Nas
Kingdom Come, Jay-Z
T.I. vs. T.I.P., T.I.
Who should have won: Graduation, Kanye West
The breakdown: Kanye’s third album win and I’m here for it. Nothing else here comes close.
2009
Winner: Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
Nominees:
American Gangster, Jay-Z
Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, Lupe Fiasco
Paper Trail, T.I.
Untitled, Nas
Who should have won: Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
The breakdown: OK, so this is a weird one. In strict terms of album quality only, Jay, Nas and Lupe’s albums are all superior to C3. But none had the monumental impact of Wayne’s long-anticipated smash. It’s not perfect but it’s the most significant here, so I’ll allow it.
2010
Winner: Relapse, Eminem
Nominees:
The Ecstatic, Mos Def
The Renaissance, Q-Tip
R.O.O.T.S., Flo Rida
Universal Mind Control, Common
Who should have won: The Renaissance, Q-Tip
The breakdown: Yikes, this is suspect lineup. Q-Tip is by FAR the brightest pearl in a sea of mediocrity, it wins.
2011
Winner: Recovery, Eminem
Nominees:
The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z
B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, B.o.B
How I Got Over, The Roots
Thank Me Later, Drake
Who should have won: Recovery, Eminem
The breakdown: I know there’s a current sentiment of Kendrick Lamar winning every Grammy by default but he has nothing on Marshall Mathers – they were just throwing those mini-gramophones at his face. Recovery is at least a good album (unlike the previous year’s so-so Relapse) so I’m not too angry at the win. This is a underwhelming class of nominees, though.
2012
Winner: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Nominees:
Lasers, Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj
Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne
Watch the Throne, Jay-Z and Kanye West
Who should have won: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
The breakdown: Easy win for Mr. West here. How on Earth did Lasers get nominated!? Oh, I know, it’s home to “The Show Goes On.” Somehow I bet even Lupe was annoyed by that nomination.
2013
Winner: Take Care, Drake
Nominees:
Based on a T.R.U. Story, 2 Chainz
Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, Lupe Fiasco
God Forgives, I Don’t, Rick Ross
Life Is Good, Nas
Undun, The Roots
Who should have won: Life Is Good, Nas
The breakdown: Listen, I know WHY Drake won. By this point, he was fully cemented as rap’s new golden boy – and to be fair, this is still his best album. But I will scream till my dying breath that Life is Good is one of the greatest rap albums of all time. This should have been Nas’ first Grammy win, but clearly it wasn’t meant to be.
2014
Winner: The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Nominees:
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Kendrick Lamar
Magna Carta Holy Grail, Jay-Z
Nothing Was the Same, Drake
Yeezus, Kanye West
Who should have won: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Kendrick Lamar
The breakdown: And man, does Macklemore’s victory take on a whole new level of sympathy considering recent events! His victory was met with us venom in 2014 – so much so that he all but apologized and admitted the voters screwed up! He wasn’t wrong, Kendrick was outright robbed.
2015
Winner: The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Eminem
Nominees:
Because the Internet, Childish Gambino
Blacc Hollywood, Wiz Khalifa
The New Classic, Iggy Azalea
Nobody’s Smiling, Common
Oxymoron, ScHoolboy Q
Who should have won: Because the Internet, Childish Gambino
The breakdown: While there were far better releases in that era than this list of nominees represent, Childish Gambino’s sophomore album was a standout in a pretty desolate era. I’m one of the few fans of MMLP2 though, so that win doesn’t bother me too much.
2016
Winner: To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar
Nominees:
2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole
Compton, Dr. Dre
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake
The Pinkprint, Nicki Minaj
Who should have won The Pinkprint, Ni…
LOLOLOLOL To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar.
The breakdown: DUH.
2017
Winner: Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper
Nominees:
And the Anonymous Nobody…, De La Soul
Blank Face LP, ScHoolboy Q
The Life of Pablo, Kanye West
Major Key, DJ Khaled
Views, Drake
Who should have won: Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper
The breakdown: I was all ready to complain about this win but, considering the other nominees, I can’t debate this pick too much. The other albums are OK at best and wildly overrated at worst (looking at you, Views).
2018
Winner: DAMN, Kendrick Lamar
Nominees:
4:44, Jay-Z
Culture, Migos
Flower Boy, Tyler, the Creator
Laila’s Wisdom, Rapsody
Who should have won: DAMN, Kendrick Lamar
The breakdown: After years of mediocre nominees, we finally have a strong class again! Every album here is great, except Migos but, hey, it’s their biggest release, so the nod is understandable. It’s a very close race between Kendrick and Rapsody, but I think she just edges him out here. I’m shocked they didn’t give the win to Jay for his alleged final album. That’s a very Grammys move, after all.
2019
Winner: Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B
Nominees:
Astroworld, Travis Scott
Daytona, Pusha T
Swimming, Mac Miller
Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle
Who should have won: Daytona, Pusha T
The breakdown: I know I’ve told this story before, but I’m old and old people love repeating their tales: After this show aired, I met a Grammy voter who admitted to me that she voted for Cardi’s album despite never listening to ANY of the nominated albums. So why did she vote for Cardi? Well, she had heard of the name Cardi B before, so she assumed she must have the best album.
NOW you see why I don’t take Grammys seriously!?
Cardi may have had the loudest buzz but it’s objectively the weakest album here. Hindsight makes me wish that Nipsey got his moment but Daytona still reigns as Pusha’s best solo project. He deserves more than the Grammy lady deserves voting power.
2020
Winner: Igor, Tyler, the Creator
Nominees:
Championships, Meek Mill
I Am > I Was, 21 Savage
The Lost Boy, Cordae
Revenge of the Dreamers III, Dreamville
Who should have won: The Lost Boy, Cordae
The breakdown: I don’t even know what to do with this random list of nominees. I never got the big deal with Igor, despite a few good songs. Cordae has the best album here, I guess, with Dreamville as a close second but neither feel Grammy worthy. I’ll just say Cordae by default.
2021
Winner: King’s Disease, Nas
Nominees:
Alfredo, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist
The Allegory, Royce 5’9″
Black Habits, D Smoke
A Written Testimony, Jay Electronica
Who should have won: Black Habits, D Smoke
The breakdown: So a weird thing happened by 2021 – the academy finally, FINALLY, began nominating the highest-quality rap albums, instead of the most buzzworthy. (…for the most part, that is, there are still some head-scratchers to come.) The result is a much stronger field that usual. I was ecstatic to see Nas win his first Grammy but, to be completely fair and unbiased, every album here had a strong case for the trophy. I’m going with D Smoke’s Black Habits – it was the most unsung album on the list but it’s INCREDIBLE and by far the best. It had no shot at winning, but this is my list and my lists are never wrong!
**Everyone now runs to the comments to talk about how wrong I am**
2022
Winner: Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler, the Creator
Nominees:
Certified Lover Boy (withdrawn), Drake
Donda, Kanye West
King’s Disease II, Nas
The Off-Season, J. Cole
Who should have won: King’s Disease II, Nas
The breakdown: LOL at Aubrey taking his ball and going home because he knew his pregnant emoji album was a laughing stock. Tyler’s album was great – the best of his career as of this post – but King’s Disease II deserved the previous year’s accolades even more.
2023
Winner: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar
Nominees:
Come Home the Kids Miss You, Jack Harlow
God Did, DJ Khaled
I Never Liked You, Future
It’s Almost Dry, Pusha T
Who should have won: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar
The breakdown: Yeah this is one of those head-scratching years that I mentioned above. But they got the end result right, that’s all that counts.
2024
Winner: Michael, Killer Mike
Nominees:
Her Loss, Drake and 21 Savage
Heroes & Villains, Metro Boomin
King’s Disease III, Nas
Utopia, Travis Scott
Who should have won: Michael, Killer Mike
The breakdown: I’d never, ever think we’d see the day that Killer Mike would have a Grammy in hand for one of his solo projects, but we did and it’s deserved. It’s the best album here, yes, even better than Kings Disease III.
2025
Winner: Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii
Nominees:
The Auditorium Vol. 1, Common and Pete Rock
The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), Eminem
Might Delete Later, J. Cole
We Don’t Trust You, Future and Metro Boomin
Who should have won: Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii
The breakdown: Once again, I was left speechless when the Grammys actually got it right! Ignore the needless hate that was thrown her way, Doechii’s breakout deserved the accolades.
2026
Winner: GNX, Kendrick Lamar
Nominees:
Chromakopia, Tyler, the Creator
Glorious, GloRilla
God Does Like Ugly, JID
Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse
Who should have won: Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse
The breakdown: Another batch of worthy contenders! I understand why Kendrick won – he was probably the biggest star on the planet after Drakegate – but Clipse’s comeback was a monstrous success that produced a better album. They should have won.
Thirty years of Grammy wins – did you agree with new picks? Let us know below.
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