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As part of the SKPop Grammys roundup 2022, here is a glance at the category of Best Rap Performance.
Rap has risen from the streets and block parties of the 80s, the garages of the 90s and the clubs of 00s into mainstream chart dominance in the 2010s and the present.
Thus, the nominees for the category of Best Rap Performance are some of the music industry's heftiest names.
An important distinction between the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song is that the former is awarded to the artist, along with the songwriter and producer, while the latter is awarded solely to the songwriter.
Note: This article reflects the opinion of the writer.
A brief glance at the nominees for this year's Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance
1) Baby Keem Ft. Kendrick Lamar - 'Family Ties'
Baby Keem has had a sweltering start to his career, thanks in part to ties to cousin and rap poet extraordinaire Kendrick Lamar, but also due to his own distinctive flow inspired by his idol and hip-hop icon Kid Cudi.
On Family Ties, Baby Keem holds his own against KDot and promises a bright future. But Kendrick, who has been AWOL for four years since his last release, spits in oddball rhythms and steals the show.
2) Cardi B - 'Up'
Up continued Cardi B's chart dominance, being only the second song by a solo female rapper to reach #1 on the Hot 100. The first was Cardi's own Bodak Yellow.
It is a characteristic Cardi tune, with instantly quotable one-liners and her self-assured delivery carrying the bars she spits more than the lyrics. Like her or not, she is surely relentless in her flow, making the song's three-minute runtime pass by in a frenzy.
3) J. Cole Ft. 21 Savage and Morray - 'My Life'
J. Cole is a new-age hip-hop pioneer. On his sixth album The Off-Season, he continues to rise to new heights with the help of multiple guest features and slick production.
Cole and 21 Savage form an interesting dichotomy of styles, with Cole's rapid lyricism and Savage's adlibs playing off perfectly against each other. Morray's chorus, an interpolation of the hook of The Life (2002) by American rapper Styles P, is an earworm.
4) Drake Ft. Future and Young Thug - 'Way 2 Sexy' (withdrawn)
Drake's Grammy nominations for his album Certified Lover Boy and the aforementioned song have been overshadowed by his withdrawal from the ceremony, due to non-recognition in the main categories.
And if one was to be honest, the song won't be missed. While it is quite upbeat, (and one of the better tracks off CLB) the continuous chorus refrain and half-baked lyrics make this song an almost cringeworthy fiasco.
5) Megan Thee Stallion - 'Thot Sh*t'
After her Grammy triumphs last year, Megan Thee Stallion kept her hot streak going. This is the first track she released after her debut album Good News (2020).
Thot Sh*t has Megan trying to reclaim the term 'thot', which is usually used by men in a sexist manner. It has a bass-heavy, uptempo energy which is infectious enough to garner her the Grammy trophy. In her own words, "I'm the s**t per the Recording Academy."
