10 Hip Hop Artists That Have Won a Grammy
Winning a Grammy is the dream of nearly every aspiring artist. It is the pinnacle of musical achievement in the United States, and is the ultimate signal you’ve MADE IT!
Rap music has been part of the Grammy ceremony since 1996 when the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences first recognized the genre in the awards.
Jay-Z
As the first rap billionaire of all time, Shawn Carter is mainly responsible for turning hip hop into a legitimate and lucrative business.
He deserves the top spot on this list with a whopping 22 Grammys across his career, including the award for Best Rap Album back in 1999 with Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life.
Eminem
Marshall Mathers is known for breaking the rules, norms, and Billboard records. His talent and ambition have earned him 15 Grammy awards over the years!
His Grammys come in many categories, including Best Rap Performance and Best Music Video. He has also been nominated for overall Album of the Year, the biggest honor, but he did not secure that ultimate prize.
Outkast
Andre 3000 and Big Boi ruled the rap game at the turn of the century with a unique, genre-bending style of southern hip hop.
Critics and fans showed nothing but love for Outkast, and the group was awarded many Grammy nominations and victories over the years.
They also took home Album of the Year for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which marked a massive leap for the hip hop genre.
Ludacris
Is there a funnier, more charismatic rap icon than Ludacris? The multi-talented artist was nominated for over a dozen Grammys in his career, taking home a total of three.
He has branched out into acting and philanthropy over the past few years, but Luda will always be remembered for his crazy and cool hip hop persona.
Kanye West
Love him or hate him, but Kanye has been getting those Grammys for over a decade now!
West has been nominated an astounding 69 times, taking away 21 awards since he first released The College Dropout back in 2005.
Kanye hasn’t won a Grammy since 2013, but he has bigger things on his plate now!
Macklemore
In partnership with Ryan Lewis, Seattle rapper Macklemore had a huge year at the 2014 Grammys. Who didn’t fall in love with “Thrift Shop”?
Their album The Heist ran away with Best Rap Album, along with several other victories. The duo was also named Best New Artist, although they have been on hiatus since 2017.
Kendrick Lamar
A true rap visionary, Kendrick has won 13 Grammys in less than a decade of music.
His latest two records took home Rap Album of the Year, and he has received tons of other accolades, including a Pulitzer Prize for Music!
Kendrick has been a bit quiet this past year, so let’s hope he gets back to the music soon.
Chance the Rapper
Who could forget the fun and exciting 2016 release Coloring Book? It was a fan favorite that won Chance Best Rap Album at the Grammys and made him a superstar.
We haven’t seen much from Chance lately, but we’re counting on a big comeback!
Cardi B
Females rappers may be underrepresented in the Grammy conversation. How many Grammys does Nicki Minaj have? Despite several nominations over the years, she still has no wins!
Cardi B, on the other hand, was able to secure the 2019 Best Rap Album Award for her work Invasion of Privacy. Lauryn Hill would be proud of that girl power!
Tyler, the Creator
The 2020 award for Best Rap Album went to Tyler for his brilliant album Igor, and his live performance at the show was out of this WORLD!
We’re excited to see where Tyler’s wacky imagination takes us next.
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