Hov & Dot show and prove
The Grammys, historically, have always proved to be a test of impact. In 2008, when Soulja Boy was up for “Rap Song of the Year” for his breakout hit “Crank Dat”, everybody was outraged, but no one was surprised. The Grammy’s have never always been about technical skill, or sales, but rather how one’s music has shifted the culture. Soulja Boy did just that, considering his ability to pull hits out of his hat is still on display today, and in much larger markets than just the Atlanta dance scene. In 12 months–the year the Grammy foundation considers begins on October 1st and stretches to September 30th of the following year–we’ve seen hip-hop produced songs, albums, singles and moment in an alarming rate, and at a pace that quickened as the year progressed and still hasn’t let up, and because of that there were some clear snubs, and certain artists that clearly took the game by storm. Last night, the Grammy foundation unleashed the full list of those nominees.
Jay Z leads the pack with 9 Grammy nominations, a strong showing thanks to his multi-platinum selling Magna Carta…Holy Grail album, and in his first ever nomination, Kendrick Lamar is sitting pretty with 7 opportunities to take away a Grammy. Drake, Kanye, and Macklemore/Ryan Lewis have also been nominated for multiple awards, but “Hold On, We’re Going Home”, one of the biggest songs of the year was left without a nomination and so was J. Cole’s Born Sinner album. Snub, or appropriate?
Record of the year
Get Lucky — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Radioactive — Imagine Dragons
Royals — Lorde
Locked Out Of Heaven — Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
Album of the Year
The Blessed Unrest — Sara Bareilles
Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar
The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Red — Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
Just Give Me A Reason — Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess, songwriters (Pink Featuring Nate Ruess)
Locked Out Of Heaven — Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Roar — Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)
Royals — Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
Same Love —- Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)
Best New Artist
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran
Best Pop Solo Performance
Brave —- Sara Bareilles
Royals — Lorde
When I Was Your Man — Bruno Mars
Roar —- Katy Perry
Mirrors —- Justin Timberlake
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Get Lucky — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Just Give Me A Reason — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
Stay — Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
Blurred Lines — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
Suit & Tie — Justin Timberlake & Jay Z
Best Pop Instrumental Album
Steppin’ Out — Herb Alpert
The Beat —- Boney James
Handpicked — Earl Klugh
Summer Horns — Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair & Richard Elliot
Hacienda — Jeff Lorber Fusion
Best Pop Vocal Album
Paradise — Lana Del Rey
Pure Heroine — Lorde
Unorthodox Jukebox — Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines — Robin Thicke
The 20/20 Experience — The Complete Experience — Justin Timberlake
Best Dance Recording
Need U (100%) — Duke Dumont Featuring A*M*E & MNEK
Sweet Nothing — Calvin Harris Featuring Florence Welch
Atmosphere — Kaskade
This Is What It Feels Like — Armin Van Buuren Featuring Trevor Guthrie
Clarity — Zedd Featuring Foxes
Best Dance/Electronica Album
Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
Settle — Disclosure
18 Months — Calvin Harris
Atmosphere — Kaskade
A Color Map of the Sun — Pretty Lights
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Viva Duets — Tony Bennett & Various Artists
To Be Loved — Michael Bublé
The Standards — Gloria Estefan
Cee Lo’s Magic Moment — Cee Lo Green
Now — Dionne Warwick
Best Rock Performance
Always Alright — Alabama Shakes
The Stars (Are Out Tonight) — David Bowie
Radioactive — Imagine Dragons
Kashmir — Led Zeppelin
My God Is the Sun — Queens Of The Stone Age
I’m Shakin’ — Jack White
Best Metal Performance
T.N.T. — Anthrax
God Is Dead? — Black Sabbath
The Enemy Inside — Dream Theater
In Due Time — Killswitch Engage
Room 24 — Volbeat Featuring King Diamond
Best Rock Song
Ain’t Messin ‘Round — Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)
Cut Me Some Slack — Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear)
Doom And Gloom — Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, songwriters (the Rolling Stones)
God Is Dead? — Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne, songwriters (Black Sabbath)
Panic Station — Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)
Best Rock Album
13 — Black Sabbath
The Next Day — David Bowie
Mechanical Bull — Kings Of Leon
Celebration Day — Led Zeppelin
…Like Clockwork — Queens Of The Stone Age
Psychedelic Pill — Neil Young With Crazy Horse
Best Alternative Music Album
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You — Neko Case
Trouble Will Find Me — The National
Hesitation Marks — Nine Inch Nails
Lonerism — Tame Impala
Modern Vampires Of The City — Vampire Weekend
Best R&B Performance
Love And War — Tamar Braxton
Best Of Me — Anthony Hamilton
Nakamarra — Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip
How Many Drinks? — Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Something — Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Please Come Home — Gary Clark Jr.
Get It Right — Fantasia
Quiet Fire — Maysa
Hey Laura — Gregory Porter
Yesterday — Ryan Shaw
Best R&B Song
Best Of Me – Anthony Hamilton & Jairus Mozee, songwriters (Anthony Hamilton)
Love And War – Tamar Braxton, Darhyl Camper, Jr., LaShawn Daniels & Makeba Riddick, songwriters (Tamar Braxton)
Only One – PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton Featuring Stevie Wonder)
Pusher Love Girl – James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
Without Me – Fantasia Barrino, Missy Elliott, Al Sherrod Lambert, Harmony Samuels & Kyle Stewart, songwriters (Fantasia Featuring Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliot)
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Love And War – Tamar Braxton
Side Effects Of You – Fantasia
One: In The Chamber – Salaam Remi
Unapologetic – Rihanna
New York: A Love Story – Mack Wilds
Best R&B Album
R&B Divas – Faith Evans
Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys
Love In The Future – John Legend
Better – Chrisette Michele
Three Kings – TGT
Best Rap Performance
Started From The Bottom – Drake
Berzerk – Eminem
Tom Ford – Jay Z
Swimming Pools (Drank) – Kendrick Lamar
Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Power Trip – J. Cole Featuring Miguel
Part II (On The Run) – Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé
Holy Grail – Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
Now Or Never – Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige
Remember You – Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd
Best Rap Song
…Problems – Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Kendrick Lamar, Rakim Mayers & Noah Shebib, songwriters (ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
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)
New Slaves – Christopher Breaux, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Louis Johnson, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Che Smith, Kanye West & Cydell Young, songwriters (Anna Adamis & Gabor Presser, songwriters) (Kanye West)
Started From The Bottom – W. Coleman, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Bruno Sanfilippo, songwriter) (Drake)
Thrift Shop – Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
Best Rap Album
Nothing Was The Same – Drake
Magna Carta…Holy Grail – Jay Z
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City – Kendrick Lamar
The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Yeezus – Kanye West
