10 Great Songs And Albums That Missed Out On A Grammy

With the Grammys coming and going yesterday, the great debate over who would win versus who deserved to win had gotten us all worked up at XXL headquarters. And with good kid, m.A.A.d city—an album we bestowed with a XXL rating—missing out on grabbing any awards, the voices saying "Kendrick got robbed!" were growing. With that in mind, XXL has pulled out ten great songs and ten great albums which were nominated but haven't won since the 1996 inception of the Best Rap Album category, and the 2004 start of the Best Rap Song honor. They don't have no awards for them. Check 'em out.

1996
2Pac
Me Against the World
Winner: Naughty By Nature, Poverty's Paradise
This album was 'Pac coming into his own, making his case for being the best of his or any generation.

1997
2Pac
All Eyez On Me
Winner: The Fugees, The Score
One of those rare double albums without glaring weak spots, this is 'Pac's XXL-rated masterpiece.

1998
The Notorious B.I.G.
Life After Death
Winner: Puff Daddy And The Family, No Way Out
Puff over Biggie? The game is rigged.

1998
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Forever
Winner: Puff Daddy And The Family, No Way Out
This might have been the best year for this category since its inception in 1996, and the best year for double hip-hop LPs, period.

1999
Big Punisher
Capital Punishment
Winner: Jay Z, Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life
Pun was one of New York's finest, and this is the album that put him—and kept him—on the map.

2002
Jay Z
The Blueprint
Winner: OutKast, Stankonia
You can't argue against OutKast's victory, but if you could, it would be with Jay's finest album since Reasonable Doubt.

2004
50 Cent
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
Winner: OutKast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
It's amazing that this album didn't win a single Grammy, as it was the catapult from which 50's G-Unit empire sprung forth. Going up against the highest-selling hip-hop album of all time was the only thing that could stop it.

2006
Common
Be
Winner: Kanye West, Late Registration
Common was signed to Kanye's label at the time, and his epic was just as deserving as Yeezy's sophomore LP.

2009
T.I.
Paper Trail
Winner: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
Tip's strongest contender for a Grammy came with his album with the biggest singles of his career. Hard to argue with what is probably the best installment in Wayne's Carter series, however.

2013
Nas
Life Is Good
Winner: Drake, Take Care
Nas still doesn't have a Grammy. Read that again: Nas still doesn't have a Grammy.

2004
50 Cent
"In Da Club"
Winner: Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
"Lose Yourself" is one of the biggest hip-hop songs of all time, but Em's Interscope labelmate deserved a nod for this banger.

2004
Missy Elliott
"Work It"
Winner: Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
A woman has never won this award, and it would have been well-deserved if Missy had taken this crown.

2007
"Kick, Push"
Lupe Fiasco
Winner: Ludacris featuring Pharrell, "Money Maker"
Lupe's biggest single off his breakout album was worthy, though it's hard to argue with the combined force of Luda and Pharrell.

2008
Kanye West
"Can't Tell Me Nothing"
Winner: Kanye West featuring T-Pain, "Good Life"
Kanye lost to himself, so he can't be too upset, but "Can't Tell Me Nothing" is still a fantastic song that could have won in a weaker year.

2009
"Swagga Like Us"
Lil Wayne featuring Jay Z, T.I., Kanye West & M.I.A.
Winner: Lil Wayne featuring Static Major "Lollipop"
It's hard to argue with the winner, but the star power on this track should have been enough to get it some acclaim; they proved it with a hell of a performance at the Grammys (including by a pregnant M.I.A.).

2011
Eminem featuring Rihanna
"Love the Way You Lie"
Winner: Jay Z featuring Alicia Keys, "Empire State Of Mind"
The combination of Em and Rih is extraordinarily powerful, and never more so on this song.

2012
Wiz Khalifa
"Black and Yellow"
Winner: Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie, "All Of The Lights"
The song that singlehandedly put Pittsburgh hip-hop on the map, and was one of the breakout songs of a star-studded year.

2012
Jay Z and Kanye West
"Otis"
Winner: Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie, "All Of The Lights"
The song that spawned a trillion remixes. The "Otis" beat was recycled by so many rappers it was almost jarring, but the original was one of the best songs off a ridiculous album.

2013
Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
"Mercy"
Winner: Jay Z and Kanye West "Niggas In Paris"
"Mercy" ruled the summer of 2012 like few songs had before it; you couldn't walk down the streets of any major city without hearing it blasting from at least one car window.

2013
Drake ft. Lil Wayne & Tyga
"The Motto"
Winner: Jay Z and Kanye West "Niggas In Paris"
Was it possible to escape this song—or the catchphrase it spawned? We may only live once, but this song will seemingly never go away (not that we wanted it to).