It's Grammy season again, and that means it's time to argue about which artist the shady Grammy committees will select to go down in history this year, and which artists will fade into obscurity. Or at least, that's what they'd like us to believe; then again, until Nas wins a Grammy, this whole enterprise will always be a little suspect. But one of the things the hip-hop community likes the most is a good debate, and the hip-hop categories of this year's awards serve up plenty of fodder for that. How many trophies will Drake take home? Will Kanye get shut out completely? Will Justin Timberlake's incredible award streak of 2013 deliver another Grammy for Jay Z? Does Kendrick Lamar have a shot at Album Of The Year? And, most divisively, who will take home Best Rap Album?

With Music's Biggest Night only two days away, the XXL staff delivers our picks for who we think will take home the hip-hop Grammys, and we also weigh in on Album Of The Year and Best New Artist as well. We made it. —XXL Staff

Best Rap Performance | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Best Rap Song
Best Rap Album | Album Of The Year | Best New Artist 

CATEGORY: BEST RAP PERFORMANCE

"Started From The Bottom"
Drake
Track from: Nothing Was The Same
Label: Young Money/Cash Money

"Berzerk"
Eminem
Track from: Marshall Mathers LP 2
Label: Aftermath/Interscope/Shady Records

"Tom Ford"
Jay Z
Track from: Magna Carta...Holy Grail
Label: Roc Nation

"Swimming Pools (Drank)"
Kendrick Lamar
Track from: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope Records

"Thrift Shop"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
Track from: The Heist
Label: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis LLC

THE PICKS
Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief: "Tom Ford"
Christine Werthman, Managing Editor: 
"Thrift Shop"
Eric Diep, Associate Editor:
"Tom Ford"
Miranda Johnson, Assistant Editor:
"Started From The Bottom"
Manny Maduakolam, Assistant Editor:
"Started From The Bottom"
Dan Rys, Senior Editor:
"Started From The Bottom"
Luke Tedaldi, Video Director:
"Berzerk"
Total: "Started From The Bottom": 3
"Berzerk": 1
"Thrift Shop": 1
"Tom Ford": 2

CATEGORY: BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION

"Power Trip"
J. Cole Featuring Miguel
Track from: Born Sinner
Label: Roc Nation/Columbia Records

"Part II (On The Run)"
Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé
Track from: Magna Carta...Holy Grail
Label: Roc Nation

"Holy Grail"
Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
Track from: Magna Carta...Holy Grail
Label: Roc Nation

"Now Or Never"
Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige
Track from: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope Records

"Remember You"
Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd
Track from: O.N.I.F.C.
Label: Rostrum/Atlantic

THE PICKS
Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief: "Holy Grail"
Christine Werthman, Managing Editor: 
"Power Trip"
Eric Diep, Associate Editor:
"Power Trip"
Miranda Johnson, Assistant Editor:
"Power Trip"
Manny Maduakolam, Assistant Editor:
"Holy Grail"
Dan Rys, Senior Editor:
"Holy Grail"
Luke Tedaldi, Video Director:
"Holy Grail"
Total: "Holy Grail": 4
"Power Trip": 3

CATEGORY: BEST RAP SONG

"Fuckin' Problems"
Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Kendrick Lamar, Rakim Mayers & Noah Shebib, songwriters (ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
Track from: Long.Live.ASAP
Label: RCA Records / Polo Grounds Music

"Holy Grail"
Shawn Carter, Terius Nash, J. Harmon, Timothy Mosley, Justin Timberlake & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic, songwriters) (Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake)
Track from: Magna Carta...Holy Grail
Label: Roc Nation

"New Slaves"
Christopher Breaux, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Louis Johnson, Malik Jones, Sham Joseph, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Travis Scott, Che Smith, Kanye West & Cydell Young, songwriters (Anna Adamis & Gabor Presser, songwriters) (Kanye West)
Track from: Yeezus
Label: Def Jam

"Started From The Bottom"
W. Coleman, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Bruno Sanfilippo, songwriter) (Drake)
Track from: Nothing Was The Same
Label: Young Money/Cash Money

"Thrift Shop"
Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
Track from: The Heist
Label: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis LLC

THE PICKS
Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief: "New Slaves"
Christine Werthman, Managing Editor:
"Started From The Bottom"
Eric Diep, Associate Editor:
"Started From The Bottom"
Miranda Johnson, Assistant Editor:
"Started From The Bottom"
Manny Maduakolam, Assistant Editor:
"Thrift Shop"
Dan Rys, Senior Editor:
"Thrift Shop"
Luke Tedaldi, Video Director:
"Fuckin' Problems"
Total: "Thrift Shop": 2
"Started From The Bottom": 3
"Fuckin' Problems": 1
"New Slaves": 1

CATEGORY: BEST RAP ALBUM

Nothing Was The Same
Drake
Label: Young Money/Cash Money

Magna Carta...Holy Grail
Jay Z
Label: Roc Nation

good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope Records

The Heist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Label: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis LLC

Yeezus
Kanye West
Label: Def Jam

THE PICKS
Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Christine Werthman, Managing Editor:
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Eric Diep, Associate Editor:
Nothing Was The Same
Miranda Johnson, Assistant Editor:
good kid, m.A.A.d. city
Manny Maduakolam, Assistant Editor:
Yeezus
Dan Rys, Senior Editor:
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Luke Tedaldi, Video Director:
The Heist
Total: good kid, m.A.A.d city: 4
The Heist: 1
Yeezus: 1
Nothing Was The Same: 1

CATEGORY: ALBUM OF THE YEAR

The Blessed Unrest
Sara Bareilles
Label: Epic Records

Random Access Memories
Daft Punk
Label: Columbia Records

good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope Records

The Heist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Label: Macklemore LLC

Red
Taylor Swift
Label: Big Machine Records

THE PICKS
Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief: Random Access Memories
Christine Werthman, Managing Editor:
The Heist
Eric Diep, Associate Editor:
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Miranda Johnson, Assistant Editor:
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Manny Maduakolam, Assistant Editor:
Random Access Memories
Dan Rys, Senior Editor:
The Heist
Luke Tedaldi, Video Director:
Random Access Memories
Total: good kid, m.A.A.d city: 2
The Heist:
2
Random Access Memories: 3

CATEGORY: BEST NEW ARTIST

James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

THE PICKS
Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief: Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
Christine Werthman, Managing Editor:
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
Eric Diep, Associate Editor:
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
Miranda Johnson, Assistant Editor:
Kendrick Lamar
Manny Maduakolam, Assistant Editor: 
Kendrick Lamar
Dan Rys, Senior Editor:
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
Luke Tedaldi, Video Director:
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
Total: 
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis: 5
Kendrick Lamar: 2

FINAL

Best Rap Performance: "Started From The Bottom"
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
"Holy Grail"
Best Rap Song:
"Started From The Bottom"
Best Rap Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Album Of The Year: Random Access Memories
Best New Artist: Macklemore And Ryan Lewis

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