XXL celebrates 50 years of hip-hop with this function.
Hip-hop has all the time had a love-hate relationship with the Grammys. The truth is, the distinguished award present that’s catered to honoring the music business’s most proficient composers, songwriters and musicians turned a blind eye to rap for years. Some may say the Recording Academy has thought-about hip-hop the outcast of music on the whole, by no means recognizing the style for what it really represents: a cultural motion that goes towards the established order.
The Grammy Awards didn’t debut its first hip-hop class, Greatest Rap Efficiency, till 1989, though the style was born in 1973—the ceremony itself started in 1959. However the Greatest Rap Efficiency award was famously not televised, inflicting a lot of hip-hop’s largest names to specific outrage on the Academy’s choice. Regardless of being nominated, and finally successful the award, Will Smith (who was nonetheless often called the Recent Prince on the time) & DJ Jazzy Jeff selected to not attend the ceremony, marking the primary boycott of its form in hip-hop.
Since then, there have been numerous examples of rappers talking out towards the annual awards ceremony. Nicki Minaj’s current gripe with how her hit single “Tremendous Freaky Lady” was recategorized is additional proof, although it was snubbed all collectively as soon as the nominees got here out.
Then there are others who go as far as internet hosting the Grammys. Queen Latifah was the primary rapper to take action, and one of many choose few who obtained inducted into the Grammy Corridor of Fame. Grandmaster Flash and the Livid 5’s “The Message” was the primary rap recording to obtain this honor. In addition to the Queen and Flash, sure members of the hip-hop neighborhood have been gathering Grammys like Thanos sought to gather all the Infinity Stones. In doing so, this has led to a pleasant feud amongst greats for probably the most Grammy wins by a rapper. Tied for first place at 88 nominations in whole is Jay-Z, with Kanye West not too far behind at 75. The pair (previously often called The Throne) each have 24 awards every.
With hip-hop turning 50 this 12 months, XXL takes a take a look at which rappers have come out on prime with probably the most golden gramophones.—Derrius Edwards
