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- SNUBBED_620x40050 Rappers Snubbed By the GrammysDespite being one of music’s most—if not the most—prestigious award ceremonies, the Grammys has made quite a few missteps in its attempt to reward rap's finest. Ever since the birth of the Best Rap Performance category in 1989, many of hip-hop's most revered revered MCs have been snubbed. Whether some artists experienced losses to unfitted candidates (Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize" loss to Will Smith's "Men In Black") or were just straight up omitted from particular categories (Public Enemy, Ice Cube), the Grammys can't seem to get it right. With the 54th Annual Grammy Awards set to take place on Sunday (February 12), <em>XXL</em> looks back at 50 deserving rappers who have been overlooked by the academy. —<em>XXL Staff</em>
- Da-Brat<strong>Da Brat</strong>Da Brat was one of rap’s hottest femcees when she entered the scene in 1994 with her <em>Funkdafied</em> debut—the first platinum-selling album by a woman. The album would anchor hits like “Funkdafied,” “Fa All Y’all,” and “Give It 2 You,” which were all Top 50 hits on <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100. Even though her hit streak continued thereafter (“Ghetto Love,” “Sittin on Top of the World,” “That’s What I’m Looking For,” “What’chu Like,” etc.) Brat would only be nominated twice (in 1998 for Lil' Kim's “Not Tonight (Remix)” and for her own “Got It Poppin” in 2004) with each resulting in no win.
- BigPun<strong>Big Pun</strong>Big Pun had the game on tilt when his <em>Captial Punishment</em> album dropped in 1998. Despite having strong singles in “I’m Not A Player” and “Still Not A Player” — both peaking on Billboard’s Rap Singles at no. 3 and 13, respectively— along with earning a platinum plaque less than three months later, these achievements wouldn’t be enough to earn Pun a Grammy win. Jay-Z’s <em>Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life</em> would go on to win for Best Rap Album.
- i340607502_3113_6<strong>Snoop Dogg</strong>With all the accolades he’s received since entering the game with his classic, 1993’s <em>Doggystyle</em>, Snoop Dogg is long overdue for a Grammy win. Aside from being snubbed in the Best New Artist category in 1994 following <em>Doggystyle</em>'s record-breaking first week sales, the Doggfather would suffer the same fate for his string of nominations including "Gin and Juice" (losing to Queen Latifah’s “U.N.I.T.Y.” in 1995),” “Beautiful” losing to Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s “Crazy In Love” in 2003 and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” losing to Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get Is Started” in 2004.
- Nas-Smoking.jpeg<strong>Nas</strong>The Best Rap Album category wasn't established until 1996, which takes <em>Illmatic</em> out of contention but, despite all the acclaim he received for the magnum opus, Nas wasn't even considered for the Best New Aritst nod at the 1995 Grammys. The double platinum, <em>It Was Written</em> was also omitted from Best Rap Album nominations at the 39th Grammy Awards, while Coolio's <em>Gangsta's Paradise</em>, LL Cool J's <em>Mr. Smith</em>, 2Pac's <em>All Eyez On Me</em>, ATCQ's <em>Beat's Rhymes & Life</em> and The Fugees' <em>The Score</em> (won the award) all received nods. “If I Ruled The World” would also lose to LL's “Hey Lover” for Best Rap Solo Performance.
- eric-b-rakim<strong>Eric B. & Rakim</strong>With classic album after classic album, Eric B & Rakim have proven time and time again why they're regarded as one of hip-hop's greatest duos of all time. In spite of their venerable catalog of timeless records, including “Eric B Is President,” “Paid In Full,” and 1992's “Juice (Know the Ledge)” and more, the respected duo hasn't ever been nominated. Blasphemous indeed.
- peterockandclsmoothfeaturePete Rock & C.L. SmoothAs one of hip-hop's landmark tracks, its a shame that Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” was shut out at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993. Nominees that year for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group were Beastie Boys with “Check Your Head,” House of Pain's “Jump Around,” Kris Kross's “Jump,” Public Enemy's “Greatest Misses” and Arrested Development's “Tennessee” (winner).
- filethe-notorious-big.jpeg<strong>The Notorious B.I.G.</strong>When Big Poppa kicked in the door in 1994, <em>Ready to Die</em>'s lead single, “Juicy,” peaked at No. 3 on <em>Billboard</em>’s Hot Rap Singles chart and 27 on the Hot 100. Soon after “Big Poppa," and “One More Chance (Stay With Me Remix)” would top the Hot Rap Singles charts and respectively peak at No. 6 and No. 2on the Hot 100. Not to mention that <em>Ready to Die</em> sold roughly 4 million copies. Still, Big wasn't acknowledged in the Best New Artist category. Only “Big Poppa” would get a Grammy nod (for Best Rap Solo Performance) and would lose to Coolio's “Gangsta's Paradise.” After his death, B.I.G.'s last offering <em>Life After Death</em> earned a few more nods, including Best Rap Album (But loss to Puff's <em>No Way Out</em>), Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Mo Money Mo Problems” (which loss to Puff's “I'll Be Missing You”). “Hypnotize” would lose to Will Smith's bubbly “Men In Black” for Best Rap Solo Performance.
- i237258656_71509_2<strong>2Pac</strong>Same as B.I.G., 2Pac is regarded as one of rap's illustrious figures, but wasn't able to garner a Grammy win despite six nominations. <em>Me Against The World</em> was nominated for Best Rap Album in '96 and lost to Naughty By Nature's <em>Poverty's Paradise</em>. “Dear Mama,” nominated alongside B.I.G's “Big Poppa,” Dr. Dre's “Keep Their Heads Ringin,” among others, would lose to Coolio's “Gangsta Paradise.” The following year,<em>All Eyez On Me</em> lost to The Fugees' <em>The Score</em>.
- Public-Enemy<strong>Public Enemy</strong>Public Enemy has historically been snubbed at the Grammys. When the award ceremony established its first ever rap category in 1989 (Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group) PE had already unleashed their tour de force <em>Yo! Bum Rush the Show</em> and <em>It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back</em> to critical acclaim and commercial success. While many expected the group to win the award, Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's “Parent's Just Don't Understand” would take the gold home. To make matters worse, the politically-charged, “Fight The Power” endured the same fate the following year to Young MC's diddly “Bust A Move.”
- heavy_d-e1320802953693<strong>Heavy D & The Boyz</strong>Heavy D & The Boyz were responsible for a number of hits and have never been able to win the coveted award. Their smash “Now That We Found Love” lost to DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince's “Summertime,” and the crew's “Nuttin' But Love” would miss against Salt-N-Pepa's “None of Your Business.”
- rick-ross-lincoln-tattoo-imitating-t-n-tattoodonkey.com<strong>Rick Ross</strong>Ross's critically-acclaimed <em>Deeper Than Rap</em> failed to earn a nomination for the Best Rap Album category while Flo Rida's unwitting <em>R.O.O.T.S. (Route Of Overcoming The Struggle)</em> squeamishly received a nod. The Bawse has yet to win.
- attends Joe 3H's 26th Birthday Party March 6, 2008 New York, NY<strong>Raekwon</strong>Both installments of Raekwon's <em>Only Built 4 Cuban Linx</em> series were critically-praised, but neither were won. Rae has never even been nominated.
- masterp<strong>Master P</strong>Despite all of his massive commercial success with No Limit Records, Percy Miller still hasn't been able to get his proper due from the academy. “Make Em Say Uhh!” was P's most successful single as it peaked at No. 16 on <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100 charts respectively, but was unsuccessful in locking in a nomination.
- wu-tang-clan<strong>Wu-Tang Clan</strong>"Puffy is good but Wu-Tang is for the children," said Old Dirty Bastard in a rant that has become the stuff of legend after Wu's <em>Wu-Tang Forever</em> lost Best Rap Album honors to Puff Daddy's <em>No Way Out</em> at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards. The Shaolin crew's never won despite its stellar catalog.
- dmx-2012<strong>DMX</strong>DMX's <em>It's Dark and Hell Is Hot</em> was left out of the nominees for Best Rap Album at the 41st annual show. Jay-Z's <em>Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life</em> won the award.
- 081211121648_0bustarhymesproduct-detail<strong>Busta Rhymes</strong>While he does have a good chance at capturing the gold this year (per his assistance on Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now") Busta Rhymes is one of many who is long overdue to become a Grammy Award-winning artist. Aside from receiving nominations for his string of hits and (<em> E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front</em>, Buss suffered a tough to Will Smith two years in a row in the Best Rap Solo Performance category. His smash “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” would lose to <em>Big Willie Style</em>’s “Men In Black” and “Dangerous” to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.”
- 2531571721_1<strong>Young Jeezy</strong>Jeezy's winless through three Grammy nods (“Put On,” “Amazing” with Kanye, and “Lose My Mind”). Not only was his seminal debut, <em>Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101</em> cushioned from the Best Rap Album contention in 2006, but Da Snowman's most successful single “Soul Survivor” —which peaked at No. 4 on the <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100 chart—wasn't nominated for Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group (won by Black Eyed Peas with “Don’t Phunk With My Heart) and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (won by Jay-Z & Linkin Park “Numb/Encore”).
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- icecube_2<strong>Ice Cube</strong>With all that he’s contributed to the genre, Ice Cube has yet to not only win a Grammy, but earn a nomination as well. Shame isn’t even the best word to describe this snub as the rapper’s garnered critical acclaim for many of his esteemed works including the classics <em>AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted</em>, <em>Death Certificate</em>, and <em>The Predator</em>. It’s either the Grammys don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on with the homey Cube.
- A+Tribe+Called+Quest+A_Tribe_Called_Quest1-e1291168696382<strong>A Tribe Called Quest</strong>Because the Best Rap Album category wasn’t added until 1996, A Tribe Called Quest’s classics, <em>People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm</em>, <em>The Low End Theory</em> and <em>Midnight Marauders</em>, missed being in contention for a Grammy. Ironically, “1nce Again,” which isn't regarded as one of Tribe's standout songs, would be the only single to grab a nomination—losing to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Tha Crossroads.”<em>Beats, Rhymes & Life</em> would lose to <em>The Score</em> and <em>The Love Movement</em> to Jay-Z’s <em>Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life</em>.
- ugk_bio1<strong>UGK</strong>While UGK has been known as one of hip-hop’s respected duos, Bun B and Pimp C would only earn two Grammys nominations. Their feature on Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin” was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2001 (losing to Dr. Dre and Eminem’s “Forgot About Dre”) while their classic “International Players Anthem (I Choose You)” would lose to Common and Kanye West’s “Southside.”
- Mase<strong>Ma$e</strong><em>Harlem World</em> shook the rap and mainstream world when it dropped in 1997, making Ma$e as one of hip-hop’s biggest stars at the time. While the successful album spawned three Top 10 hits (“Feel So Good,” “Lookin At Me,” “What You Want”) on the <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100—as well as Top 5 on the Hot Rap Singles charts—neither singles garnered a Grammy nod in the Best Rap Solo Performance category as well as the LP in the Best Rap Album category (losing to Jay-Z’s <em>Vol 2… Hard Knock Life</em>).
- krs<strong>KRS-One</strong>With all the crowning achievements he’s contributed including Boogie Down Productions’ <em>Criminal Minded</em>, <em>By All Means</em>, “Stop The Violence” and more, there’s been no love shown (neither a win nor nomination) to KRS from the Grammys.
- Ja+Rule+2r23daw<strong>Ja Rule</strong><strong></strong>Ja’s been nominated four times at the Grammys (<em>Pain Is Love</em>, “Livin’ It Up,” “Always On Time,” and “Put It On Me”) and despite the popularity of the songs and album nominated, neither secured a win. <em>Pain Is Love</em> would lose to Outkast’s <em>Stankonia</em>, “Livin’ It Up (ft. Case) to Eve & Gwen Stefani’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” “Always On Time” to Nelly & Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma,” and “Put It On Me” to Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson.”
- slickrick<strong>Slick Rick</strong>While “Children’s Story” and “La Di Da Di” are considered hip-hop classics, as well as 1988’s <em>The Great Adventures of Slick Rick</em>, neither has received a Grammy acknowledgement. To make matters worse, Slick Rick would later receive a nomination, but not for his own track, instead on Montell Jordan’s 1995 smash single “This Is How We Do It” which included a sample of his "Children's Story."
- 102986-juvenile_617_409<strong>Juvenile</strong>Juvenile helped open doors for Louisianan rappers and also assisted Cash Money evolve into the powerhouse it is by producing an imposing track record that consists of <em>400 Degreez</em> that sold four times platinum and two more platinum albums, <em>Tha G-Code</em> and <em>Juve the Great</em>. Juvie also generated gold albums <em>Project English</em> and <em>Reality Check</em>, which topped the <em>Billboard</em> 200 in 2006. As impressive as those achievements are, none converted to a Grammy win.
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- bizmarkie_newsitem1<strong>Biz Markie</strong>Biz's “Just a Friend” off of <em>The Biz Never Sleeps</em> is as Grammy-friendly as it gets, but despite peaked at No. 9 on the <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100 chart, the legendary song wasn't observed by the academy.
- Gang-Starr-foto-4410_huge<strong>Gang Starr</strong>Christina Aguilera's Primo-produced, "Ain't No Other Man" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2007, but the legendary producer's group, Gang Starr, never won. Despite classic LPs like <em>Hard to Earn</em> and <em>The Moment of Truth</em> the group never even received a nod.
- tumblr_ly7i9527n91qc0trjo1_500<strong>Guru</strong>In addition to his classic works with Gang Starr, Guru has a solid solo career to speak for—namely his <em>Jazzmatazz</em> series. The Monotone MC never received a nod with or without Primo.
- Ghostface-Killah<strong>Ghostface Killah</strong>Ghostface's solo catalog is easily one of the best in hip-hop history, but the Wally Champ has never even been nominated for Best Rap Album.
- Redman<strong>Redman</strong>Redman has an impressive track record. The Doc went platinum in back-to-back years with <em>Doc’s Da Name 2000</em> in 1998 and <em>Blackout!</em>, his collaboration LP with Method Man, in 1999. He also has four gold albums under his belt, <em>Whut? Thee Album</em>, <em>Dare Iz a Darkside</em>, <em>Muddy Waters</em> and <em>Malpractice</em>. Still, his résumé does not include any Grammy awards.
- up-1brand_nubian_1_lg<strong>Brand Nubian</strong>Brand Nubian's <em>All for One</em> is one of many hip-hop gems ignored by the Academy. The New Rochelle-bred group's never been nominated.
- scarface_l1<strong>Scarface</strong>Scarface has accumulated double digits when it comes to albums released, and that is not including the projects he helped crank out as a member of the Geto Boys. With <em>The Diary</em>, <em>The Untouchable</em> and <em>My Homies</em> each earning a platinum plaque while <em>Mr. Scarface Is Back</em>, <em>The World Is Yours</em> and <em>The Last of a Dying Breed</em> achieving gold ones, it is hard to understand why the Texas legend has no Grammys to his name.
- Geto-Boys<strong>Geto Boys</strong>Geto Boys is one of the pioneering rap groups in hip-hop. The crew has their platinum effort <em>We Can’t Be Stopped</em> that featured the timeless record “Minds Playing Tricks On Me” and their gold plaques for both <em>Till Death Do Us Part</em> and <em>Resurrection</em> to their credit, but no Grammy nominations.
- Cypress-Hill-Smokeout<strong>Cypress Hill</strong>Cypress Hill acquired multiplatinum plaques for their first two albums, <em>Cypress Hill</em> and <em>Black Sunday</em>, and were nominated for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group for “Insane in the Brain” and “Throw Your Set in the Air” at the Grammys, but walked home empty-handed each time.
- talib kweli1<strong>Talib Kweli</strong>Kweli's work with Reflection Eternal earned praise, but no Grammy nod. His Kanye West-produced single, "Get By," which particularly sounds Grammy-friendly, was snubbed. He's yet to be nominated.
- mos-def-1<strong>Mos Def</strong>Mos Def was snubbed with his classic debut, <em>Black on Both Sides</em>, but received nominations for <em>The Ecstatic</em>'s “Casa Bey” and “Undeniable.” <em> The nominations did not translate into actually winning the award.</em>
- too-short<strong>Too $hort</strong>Too $hort will achieve the milestone of 30 years in the game next year, pushing out well over 15 albums during his decades rapping. The California native’s <em>Life Is... Too $hort</em> went double platinum, and five other albums received platinum plaques and three others reached gold status. Short has yet to be nominated for a Grammy.
- 8168_KOOL-G-RAP<strong>Kool G Rap</strong>Kool G Rap changed the game as part of the Juice Crew and his works with DJ Polo, but the academy has never recognized his music. The Corona Queens legend has never been nominated for an award.
- Fat+Boys<strong>Fat Boys</strong>The Fat Boys were no strangers to producing amusing tracks by means of concise lyrics. Tracks “Jailhouse Rap” “Yes, Yes Y’all” and “Fat Boys” were solid cuts from their albums, and “The Twist” peaked at No. 16 on the <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100 chart in 1988. In any case, the Brooklyn trio was never able to gain a nomination for a Grammy for neither a song, nor album.
- the-game-2<strong></strong>"I care about the Grammy they gave Missy, they cheated me," Game spits on "Rough." Actually, Missy didn't win in any of the four categories Game's "Hate It or Love It" was nominated in, but he still hasn't won a Grammy.
- Ol+Dirty+Bastard+odb3<strong>Ol Dirty Bastard</strong>Aside from being snubbed with Wu-Tang, ODB was also overlooked for his solo works and his chart-topping collaboration with Mariah Carey.
- MobbDeep<strong>Mobb Deep</strong>Mobb Deep’s body of work features stellar LPs like <em>The Infamous</em>, <em>Hell on Earth</em> and <em>Murda Muzik</em>, but the Queens pair has never been nominated for a Grammy.
- run_dmc<strong>Run DMC</strong>Run-D.M.C. would certainly be on rap’s Mount Rushmore if one were to ever be created. The trio’s timeless record <em>Raising Hell</em> went triple platinum in less than a year while <em>Tougher Than Leather</em> went platinum in less than four months. Clearly trailblazers, their influence is immeasurable. But, simply put, the Queens trio is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but doesn't have a Grammy to its name.
- 1983279e-02-5818204011am3710-10-01-2008-FP-mclyte<strong>MC Lyte</strong>MC Lyte is among hip-hop’s greatest female MCs of all-time, pushing out gold singles such as “Cold Rock a Party,” “Keep On, Keepin’ On” and “Ruffneck,” which she received Grammy nomination for, among others. Not one of Lyte’s nominations translated into victories.
- foxy-brown-in-black<strong>Foxy Brown</strong>Foxy Brown came onto the scene as a teenager and managed to keep up with Jay-Z in her appearance on Hov’s “Ain’t No Nigga.” Foxy would go on to drop three solo albums that cracked the Top 10 of the <em>Billboard</em> 200 chart and was a part of The Firm alongside Nas and others. Unfortunately, Fox Boogie never came home with a Grammy win.
- fabolous-2-765533<strong>Fabolous</strong>Fab has made a career out of recording hip-hop soul records, which should have made him a shoe in to win Best Rap Sung Collaboration over the years, but he's yet to even be nominated in the category. He did score a nom for <em>Loso's Way</em>'s "Money Goes, Honey Stay (When the Money Goes Remix)" in 2010, but lost to Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent's "Crack A Bottle").
- drake-stripes<strong>Drake</strong>Drake made history when his smash hit, "Best I Ever Had" was nominated for two Grammys off a mixtape, but he's still searching for his first Grammy win. He was nominated four times for <em>Thank Me Later</em>, but again shut out. He'll have an opportunity to win his first Grammy on Sunday as he's nominated three times.
- the-2-live-crew<strong>2 Live Crew</strong>2 Live Crew cemented their place in hip-hop decades ago with albums like <em>As Nasty As They Wanna Be</em>, which went platinum in less than a year. The provocative group headed by Uncle Luke also had a few gold albums thanks to records like “Banned in the U.S.A.,” but has zero Grammy awards to call their own.
