Grammy Award for Best Rap Song

Grammy Award for Best Rap Songs
Awarded for	Quality rap songs
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First awarded	2004
Last awarded	2016
Official website	grammy.com

The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,^[1] to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".^[2]

The award was first presented to Eminem along with Jeff Bass and Luis Resto for the song "Lose Yourself" from the soundtrack 8 Mile in 2004. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide, the award honors the songwriter(s) of new songs (containing both music and lyrics) or songs "first achieving prominence during the period of eligibility". Songs containing prominent samples may be eligible.^[3]

Kanye West holds the records for the most wins and nominations in this category, having won six times out of nine nominations. He is followed by Jay-Z with three wins and six nominations. No further songwriters have won this category more than once. T.I. (aka Clifford Harris) holds the record for most nominations without a win with four.

Recipients

The first winner Eminem, performing in 2009

Kanye West the most awarded performer with six wins

Three-time winner Jay-Z

Two-time winner Kendrick Lamar

Year^[I]	Songwriter(s)	Work	Performing artist(s)^[II]	Nominees^[III]	Ref.
2004	Bass, JeffJeff Bass Eminem Luis Resto	"Lose Yourself"	Eminem	Calvin Broadus, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams – "Beautiful" (Snoop Dogg and Pharrell) Shawn Carter, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams – "Excuse Me Miss" (Jay-Z and Pharrell) Mike Elizondo, C. Jackson and A. Young – "In da Club" (50 Cent) Missy Elliott and Tim Mosley – "Work It" (Missy Elliott)	[4]
2005	Ben-Ari, MiriMiri Ben-Ari Che Smith Kanye West	"Jesus Walks"	West, KanyeKanye West	Snoop Dogg, Chad Hugo, Scott Thomas and Pharrell Williams – "Drop It Like It's Hot" (Snoop Dogg and Pharrell) Will Adams and Anthony Henry – "Hey Mama" (The Black Eyed Peas) Will Adams, Mike Fratantuno, Jaime Gomez, George Pajon, Jr., Allan Pineda and Terence Yoshiaki – "Let's Get It Started" (The Black Eyed Peas) Jay-Z – "99 Problems" (Shawn Carter and Rick Rubin)	[5]
2006	Harris, DevonDevon Harris Kanye West	"Diamonds from Sierra Leone"	West, KanyeKanye West	50 Cent and Scott Storch – "Candy Shop" (50 Cent featuring Olivia) William Adams, Printz Board, Stacy Ferguson and George Pajon, Jr. – "Don't Phunk With My Heart" (The Black Eyed Peas) Jayceon Taylor and 50 Cent – "Hate It Or Love It" (The Game featuring 50 Cent) Missy Elliott, Ciara Harris and Isaac Freeman – "Lose Control" (Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop)	[6]
2007	Ludacris Pharrell Williams	"Money Maker"	Ludacris featuring Pharrell	Chadron Moore and Jasiel Robinson – "It's Goin' Down" (Yung Joc) Wasalu Muhammad Jaco – "Kick, Push" (Lupe Fiasco) Jakeem Seriki, Juan Salinas, Oscar Salinas, Anthony Henderson – "Ridin'" (Chamillionaire) Adrian Davis and Clifford Harris – "What You Know" (T.I.)	[7]
2008	Davis, AldrinAldrin Davis Faheem Najm Kanye West	"Good Life"	West, KanyeKanye West featuring T-Pain	Curtis Jackson, Nathaniel Hills, Timothy Mosley and Justin Timberlake – "Ayo Technology" (50 Cent featuring Justin Timberlake) Clifford Harris and Byron Thomas – "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" (T.I.) Aldrin Davis and Kanye West – "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Kanye West) Soulja Boy – "Crank That" (Soulja Boy)	[8]
2009	Carter, DwayneDwayne Carter Stephen Garrett Darius Harrison Jim Jonsin Rex Zamor	"Lollipop"	Lil Wayne featuring Static Major	Tramar Dillard and Faheem Najm – "Low" (Flo Rida featuring T-Pain) C. Broadus, S. Lovejoy and D. Stewart – "Sexual Eruption" (Snoop Dogg) Wasalu Muhammad Jaco – "Superstar" (Lupe Fiasco featuring Soundtrak) Mathangi Arulpragasam, Dwayne Carter, Shawn Carter, Clifford Harris, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Wesley Pentz, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer and Kanye West – "Swagga Like Us" (Lil Wayne featuring Jay-Z, T.I., Kanye West & M.I.A.)	[9]
2010	Shawn Carter R. Fenty M. Riddick Kanye West E. Wilson	"Run This Town"	Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West	Dwayne Carter, Aubrey Drake Graham & Matthew Samuels – "Best I Ever Had" (Drake) S. Mescudi and O. Omishore – "Day 'n' Nite" (Kid Cudi) Clifford Harris and Justin Timberlake – "Dead and Gone" (T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake) Shawn Carter and Ernest Wilson – "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" (Jay-Z)	[10]
2011	Carter, ShawnShawn Carter Angela Hunter Alicia Keys Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic Alexander Shuckburgh	"Empire State of Mind"	Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys	Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey and Marshall Mathers – "Love the Way You Lie" (Eminem featuring Rihanna) Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, Marshall Mathers, Luis Resto & Matthew Samuels – "Not Afraid" (Eminem) Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars and Bobby Simmons Jr. – "Nothin' On You" (B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars) Shawn Carter, J. Chaton and K. Dean – "On to the Next One" (Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)	[11]
2012	Jeff Bhasker Stacy Ferguson Malik Jones Warren Trotter Kanye West	"All of the Lights"	Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie	Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Cameron Thomaz – "Black and Yellow" (Wiz Khalifa) Andre Young, Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey and Marshall Mathers – "I Need a Doctor" (Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey) Chris Brown, Wesley Pentz, Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Dwayne Carter, Trevor Smith, Nick van de Wall (Afrojack) – "Look at Me Now" (Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne) Shawn Carter and Kanye West – "Otis" – (Jay-Z and Kanye West) Dustin William Brower, Jonathon Keith Brown, Daniel Johnson, Kane and Wasalu Muhammad Jaco – "The Show Goes On" (Lupe Fiasco)	[12]
2013	Shawn Carter Mike Dean Chauncey Hollis Kanye West	"Niggas in Paris"	Jay-Z and Kanye West	Nasir Jones and Ernest Wilson – "Daughters" (Nas) Olubowale Akintimehin, S. Joseph Dew, Jerrin Howard, Walker Johnson and Miguel Jontel Pimentel – "Lotus Flower Bomb" (Wale featuring Miguel) Sean Anderson, Tauheed Epps, Stephan Taft, James Thomas, Terrence Thornton and Kanye West – "Mercy" (Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz) Dwayne Carter, Aubrey Graham and Michael Stevenson – "The Motto" (Drake featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga) Calvin Broadus, Chris Brody Brown, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Peter Hernandez and Cameron Thomaz – "Young, Wild & Free" (Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars)	[13]
2014	Ben Haggerty Ryan Lewis	"Thrift Shop"	Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz	Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Kendrick Lamar, Rakim Mayers and Noah Shebib – "Fuckin' Problems" (ASAP Rocky featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar) Shawn Carter, Terius Nash, J. Harmon, Timothy Mosley, Justin Timberlake and Ernest Wilson – "Holy Grail" (Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake) Christopher Breaux, Benjamin Bronfman, Mike Dean, Louis Johnson, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Che Smith, Kanye West and Cydel Young – "New Slaves" (Kanye West) William Coleman, Aubrey Graham and Noah Shebib – "Started from the Bottom" (Drake)	[14]
2015	Kendrick Duckworth Columbus Smith Ronald Isley	"i"	Kendrick Lamar	Ernest Clark, Jamal Jones, Onika Maraj, Marcos Palacios and J. Solone Myvett – "Anaconda" (Nicki Minaj) Mike Dean, Malik Jones, Che Pope, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, John Stephens, Kanye West, Charlie Wilson and Cydel Young – "Bound 2" (Kanye West featuring Charlie Wilson) Noel Fisher and Cameron Thomaz – "We Dem Boyz" (Wiz Khalifa) A. Feeney, Aubrey Graham, A. Hernandez, P. Jefferies, Noah Shebib and M. Samuels – "0 to 100 / The Catch Up" (Drake)	[15]
2016	Kendrick Duckworth Kawan Prather Mark Anthony Spears Pharrell Williams	"Alright"	Kendrick Lamar	Ernest Brown, Tyler Bryant, Sean Combs, Mike Dean, Rennard East, Noah Goldstein, Malik Yusef Jones, Karim Kharbouch, Allan Kyariga, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Victor Mensah, Charles Njapa, Che Pope, Patrick Reynolds, Allen Ritter, Kanye West, Mario Winans and Cydel Young – "All Day" (Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney) Richard Dorfmeister, A. Graham, Markus Kienzl, M. O'Brien, M. Samuels and Phillip Thomas – "Energy" (Drake) Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith and John Stephens – "Glory" (Common and John Legend) Tony Fadd and Willie J. Maxwell – "Trap Queen" (Fetty Wap)	[16]

• ^{^[I]} Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
• ^{^[II]} The performing artist is only listed but does not receive the award.
• ^{^[III]} Showing the name of the songwriter(s), the nominated song and in parentheses the performer's name(s).

See also

• Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance
• List of Grammy Award categories

References

1. "Grammy Awards at a Glance". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). Retrieved April 24, 2010.
2. "Overview". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
3. "Category Mapper: Best Rap Song (S/T)". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
4. "Complete list of Grammy nominations". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. December 5, 2003. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
5. "Grammy Award nominees in top categories". USA Today (Gannett Company). February 7, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
6. "Complete list of Grammy Award nominations". USA Today (Gannett Company). December 8, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
7. Kaufman, Gil (December 7, 2006). "Mary J. Blige, Chili Peppers Top Grammy Nominations List". MTV. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
8. "2008 Grammy Award Winners and Nominees". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). February 9, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
9. "Complete List of Nominees for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards". E! Online. December 3, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
10. Partridge, Kenneth (December 2, 2009). "Nominees for 2010 Grammy Awards Announced -- Full List". Spinner.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
11. "Nominees And Winners – GRAMMY.com". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
12. "2011 - 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners: Rap Field". The Recording Academy. November 30, 2011.
13. List of 2013 nominees
14. 2014 Nominees
15. "57th Grammy Nominees". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
16. "Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.

External links

• Official site of the Grammy Awards