Nominated films: “Asteroids” (Marlanna Evans) “Carnival” (Jordan Carter, Raul Kubina, Grant Dickinson, Samuel Lindley, Nasir Pemberton, Dimitri Roger, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Kanye West, Mark Carl Strinsky Williams). “Like That” (Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Kobe Hood, Leland Wayne, Naivadius Wilburn). “Not like us” (Duckworth). “Yes, Gro!” (Ronnie Jackson, Jack Lowe, Timothy McKibbins, Kevin Andre Price, Julius Rivera III, Gloria Woods)
Analysis: Honestly, if Lamar’s “Not Like Us” didn’t bring home the best rap song and performance, it would probably be the most shocking moment of the night. “Not Like Us,” which transcended its beefy origins and became a cultural anthem after spending two weeks at the top of the Hot 100 chart, is now the subject of Drake’s explosive ongoing lawsuit against UMG. Nevertheless, he is by far the most likely candidate here.
Lamar also ranks here alongside Future, Metro Boomin, and Kobe “Bebe” Hood for writing “Like That,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart and kicked off his feud with Drake in earnest. has been nominated for. Future has been nominated in this category three times, but lost each time. A win for “Like That” would give Future and Metro their first wins here, and Kendrick would break a tie with Jay-Z, making him the rapper with the second-most wins in the category (5). It will be.
But what happens when votes are split between “likes” and “not like us”? Perhaps the Academy is the most nominated (17) and won (7) You’ll notice familiar faces like (ex-Kanye West). Ye’s nomination comes from “Carnival,” which was his first to top the Hot 100 chart as part of ¥$ (a duo with Ty Dolla $ign). With Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid in featured roles, a win for “Carnival” would reward hip-hop icons and new class members alike.
Rapsody and GloRilla aim to join Megan Thee Stallion as the only female rappers to win in this category. This is the first time Guro has been nominated in a songwriting category, and even though “Yes, Guro!” was definitely one of her defining hits last year, She won’t be able to beat the stiff competition here. Rapsody first earned her nomination here in 2018 for “Sassy.” This year, she will perform her masterpiece in “Asteroids”. This song is the only song in this category, other than “Not Like Us,” to feature only one credited writer. Although she was able to win the award for Best Melodic Rap Performance, she lost out on the award for Best Rap Album for “Please Don’t Cry,” which reflects her lack of support in the rap field. It shows.
Prediction: Kendrick Lamar: “Not like us”
Featured: Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That”
