Kendrick Lamar Aims for Rap Domination With Seven Grammy Nods & More Hip-Hop Grammy Subplots
Earlier this morning (Nov. 8), the Grammys unveiled the nominations for their 2025 awards ceremony. With Beyoncé exuding her prowess once again as music’s immovable force with 11 nominations, Kendrick Lamar came in just behind her, sharing the runner-up spot with Post Malone, Billie Eilish and Charli XCX with their seven nominations each.
“Not Like Us” was Lamar’s searing dagger against Drake in their hotly contested battle this past spring and became a cultural phenomenon when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in June. The committee rewarded the track for its ubiquity, as it’ll compete in the song and record of the year categories after reigning supreme on the rap charts for a historic 21 weeks, ousting Lil Nas X’s 2019 champion “Old Town Road” from the all-time leaderboard. Lamar’s successful coup against Drake first began when he partnered on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” last April. Similarly to “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s strategic jabs at the 6 God on “Like That” marked a significant moment, kickstarting the heavyweight feud and now also securing nominations for best rap song and best rap performance.
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With Kendrick having a strong hold on the rap side of things, his former TDE compatriot, Doechii, is arguably the shining star in this year’s nominations, earning four nominations, most notably for best new artist. Alligator Bites Never Heal garnered critical acclaim and established Doechii as a formidable contender in the rap scene. The most impressive feat of Doechii’s inclusion at next year’s ceremonies is that Alligator Bites Never Heal has made her the first female rapper to land in the best rap album category since Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy in 2020.
In addition to Doechii’s triumph, female rappers Latto, GloRilla, Rapsody and Cardi B all earned nominations this year. The speaker-rattling “Yeah Glo!” anchored GloRilla’s explosive 2024 and earned the Memphis superstar two Grammy nominations for best rap song and best rap performance, matching Rapsody’s total. Rapsody, a previous Grammy nominee with 2017’s Laila’s Wisdom and 2019’s Eve, caught the attention of the committee this year with her lyrical masterwork Please Don’t Cry. As proven in the past, Rap’s affinity for storytelling and chilling candor makes her a consistent presence when Grammy season rolls around.
Some notable omissions of female rappers did still stand out, particularly the absence of Sexxy Red. The St. Louis darling enjoyed a torrid run with her streak of hit singles, including “Get It Sexxy” and the Drake-featuring “U My Everything.” A best new artist look would have benefited Sexxy, who has been at the forefront of rap for the last two years.
Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj, the leaders of the female rap scene, both released new chart-topping albums — with the latter debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 228,000 album equivalent units in its opening week in 2023 — but neither are anywhere to be found in this year’s nominations. For Megan, her June self-titled album is arguably the pinnacle of her career, showcasing her at her most comfortable as an MC. Though she finally found her footing there, unlike within her Grammy-nominated run in 2020, Megan didn’t have a grand-slam single like “Savage” to give her an extra push in the race.
Tommy Richman, one of music’s brightest rookies this year with his hit “Million Dollar Baby,”also received zero nominations, despite the song’s resounding success — which included a No. 2 peak on the Hot 100. Richman dealt with controversy online several months ago, when he scoffed at the notion of him making a rap song with “Baby.” Reports emerged shortly after Richman’s tweets that his team placed “Baby” for consideration in the best melodic rap performance category, leaving fans bemused by the decision after his initial comments.
Lastly, it’s important to highlight Eminem and Common’s nominations, as they debunked the theory that rap is a young man’s sport. The two lyrical wordsmiths will each be competing in the best rap album and best rap performance categories. Eminem made his grand return this year with his 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), while Common reconnected with revered producer Pete Rock for their joint album The Auditorium, Vol. 1.
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