Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance.

In 2003, this award was split into separate awards for Best Female Rap Solo Performance and Best Male Rap Solo Performance. In 2005, it was again presented as a single award.

As of 2012, The award was permanently discontinued due to a major overhaul of Grammy categories. Since 2012, all solo and duo/group rap performances has been shifted to the revived Best Rap Performance category.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released from October a year and a half prior to September the previous year.

Recipients

Year^[I]	Performing artists	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1991	MC Hammer	"U Can't Touch This"	Queen Latifah – All Hail the Queen Big Daddy Kane – "I Get The Job Done" Vanilla Ice – "Ice Ice Baby" Monie Love – "Monie In The Middle"
1992	LL Cool J	"Mama Said Knock You Out"	MC Hammer – "Here Comes The Hammer" Monie Love – "It's a Shame (My Sister)" Ice-T – "New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)"
1993	Sir Mix-a-Lot	"Baby Got Back"	MC Hammer – "Addams Groove" Queen Latifah – "Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here" LL Cool J – "Strictly Business" Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – "You Gotta Believe"
1994	Dr. Dre	"Let Me Ride"	Paperboy – "Ditty" Sir Mix-a-Lot – "Just Da Pimpin' In Me" MC Lyte – "Ruffneck" LL Cool J – "Stand by Your Man"
1995	Queen Latifah	"U.N.I.T.Y."	Coolio – "Fantastic Voyage" Craig Mack – "Flava in Ya Ear" Snoop Doggy Dogg – "Gin and Juice" Warren G – "This D.J."
1996	Coolio featuring L.V.	"Gangsta's Paradise"	The Notorious B.I.G. – "Big Poppa" 2Pac – "Dear Mama" Skee-Lo – "I Wish" Dr. Dre – "Keep Their Heads Ringin'"
1997	LL Cool J	"Hey Lover"	Coolio – "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" Nas – "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" Heavy D – "Rock With You" Busta Rhymes – "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check"
1998	Will Smith	"Men in Black"	Busta Rhymes – "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" LL Cool J – "Ain't Nobody" Missy Elliott – "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" The Notorious B.I.G. – "Hypnotize"
1999	Will Smith	"Gettin' Jiggy wit It"	Busta Rhymes – "Dangerous" Wyclef Jean – "Gone till November" Jay-Z – "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" Lauryn Hill – "Lost Ones"
2000	Eminem	"My Name Is"	Busta Rhymes – "Gimme Some More" Q-Tip – "Vivrant Thing" 2Pac – "Changes" Will Smith – "Wild Wild West"
2001	Eminem	"The Real Slim Shady"	Common – "The Light" DMX – "Party Up (Up in Here)" Mystikal – "Shake Ya Ass" Nelly – "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)"
2002	Missy Elliott	"Get Ur Freak On"	Afroman – "Because I Got High" DMX – "Who We Be" Jay-Z – "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" Nelly – "Ride wit Me"
2003	Missy Elliott	"Scream a.k.a. Itchin'"	Charli Baltimore – "Diary" Eve – "Satisfaction" Foxy Brown – "Na Na Be Like" Lauryn Hill – "Mystery of Iniquity"
	Nelly	"Hot in Herre"	Eminem – "Without Me" Jay-Z – "Song Cry" Ludacris – "Rollout (My Business)" Mystikal – "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)"
2004	Missy Elliott	"Work It'"	Da Brat – "Got It Poppin'" Lil' Kim – "Came Back For You" MC Lyte – "Ride Wit' Me" Queen Latifah – "Go Head"
	Eminem	"Lose Yourself"	50 Cent – "In da Club" Joe Budden – "Pump It Up" Ludacris – "Stand Up" Sean Paul – "Get Busy"
2005	Jay-Z	"99 Problems"	Eminem – "Just Lose It" Kanye West – "Through the Wire" Lloyd Banks – "On Fire" Twista – "Overnight Celebrity"
2006	Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx	"Gold Digger"	50 Cent – "Disco Inferno" Common – "Testify" Eminem – "Mockingbird" T.I. – "U Don't Know Me" Ludacris – "Number One Spot"
2007	T.I.	"What You Know"	Busta Rhymes – "Touch It" Missy Elliott – "We Run This" Lupe Fiasco – "Kick, Push" Mos Def – "Undeniable"
2008	Kanye West	"Stronger"	Common – "The People" 50 Cent – "I Get Money" Jay-Z – "Show Me What You Got" T.I. – "Big Shit Poppin' (Do It)"
2009	Lil Wayne	"A Milli"	Jay-Z – "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..." Lupe Fiasco – "Paris, Tokyo" Nas – "N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)" Snoop Dogg – "Sexual Eruption"
2010	Jay-Z	"D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"	Eminem – "Beautiful" Drake – "Best I Ever Had" Kid Cudi – "Day 'n' Nite" Mos Def – "Casa Bey"
2011	Eminem	"Not Afraid"	Drake – "Over" Ludacris – "How Low" T.I. – "I'm Back" Kanye West – "Power"

^{^[I]} Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

Category facts

• Most wins in this category (including male & female solo wins)
  • 1. Eminem – 4 wins
  • 2. Missy Elliott- 3 wins
  • 3. LL Cool J, Will Smith, Jay-Z & Kanye West- 2 wins
• Most nominations in this category (Including Male & Female Solo Nominations)
  • 1. Eminem- 8 nominations
  • 2. Jay-Z – 7 nominations
  • 3. LL Cool J, Missy Elliott & Busta Rhymes- 5 nominations
  • 4. Queen Latifah, Kanye West & T.I.- 4 nominations
  • 5. Nelly, Common, MC Hammer, Will Smith & Coolio- 3 nominations
• Most nominations without a win
  • 1. Busta Rhymes- 5 nominations
  • 2. Ludacris- 4 nominations
  • 3. Common & 50 Cent- 3 nominations
  • 4. Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def, Nas, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Drake, 2Pac, Monie Love & The Notorious B.I.G.- 2 nominations

References