Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance


The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate. 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".
The name and definition of the category were changed in June, 2020, with immediate effect, to represent the inclusivity of the growing hybrid performance trends within the rap genre. According to the Recording Academy, "This category is intended to recognize solo and collaborative performances containing elements of rap and melody over modern production. This performance requires a strong and clear presence of melody combined with rap cadence, and is inclusive of dialects, lyrics or performance elements from non-rap genres including R&B, rock, country, electronic or more. The production may include traditional elements of rap or elements characteristic of the aforementioned non-rap genres."
The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate
Americans Eve and Gwen Stefani won the first award in 2002 with "Let Me Blow Ya Mind". The pair were unsuccessfully nominated a second time in 2006 for "Rich Girl". American rapper Jay-Z has received seven Grammys in the category— four times as lead artist and three times as featured artist; he has also been nominated for three other songs. Rihanna is the female artist with the most wins in the category, with five wins out of nine total nominations.

Recipients

YearPerforming artistsWorkNomineesRef.
2002Eve featuring Gwen Stefani"Let Me Blow Ya Mind"
2003Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland"Dilemma"
  • Fat Joe featuring Ashanti – "What's Luv?"
  • Ja Rule featuring Ashanti – "Always on Time"
  • Nappy Roots featuring Anthony Hamilton – "Po' Folks"
  • Justin Timberlake featuring Clipse – "Like I Love You"
    • 2004Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z"Crazy in Love"
  • The Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake – "Where Is the Love?"
  • LL Cool J featuring Marc Dorsey – "Luv U Better"
  • Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell and Uncle Charlie Wilson – "Beautiful"
  • Pharrell featuring Jay-Z – "Frontin'"
    • 2005Usher featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon"Yeah!"
  • Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson – "All Falls Down"
  • Christina Milian featuring Fabolous – "Dip It Low"
  • Jadakiss featuring Anthony Hamilton – "Why"
  • Twista featuring Jamie Foxx and Kanye West – "Slow Jamz"
    • 2006Linkin Park and Jay-Z"Numb/Encore"
  • Gwen Stefani featuring Eve – "Rich Girl"
  • Destiny's Child featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne – "Soldier"
  • Common featuring John Legend and Kanye West – "They Say"
  • Ciara featuring Missy Elliott – "1, 2 Step"
    • 2007 featuring T.I."My Love"
  • Akon featuring Eminem – "Smack That"
  • Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z – "Déjà Vu"
  • Eminem featuring Nate Dogg – "Shake That"
  • Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris – "Unpredictable"
    • 2008Rihanna featuring Jay-Z"Umbrella"
  • Chris Brown featuring T-Pain – "Kiss Kiss"
  • Akon featuring Snoop Dogg – "I Wanna Love You"
  • Keyshia Cole featuring Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott – "Let It Go"
  • Kanye West featuring T-Pain – "Good Life"
    • 2009Estelle featuring Kanye West"American Boy"
  • Flo Rida featuring T-Pain – "Low"
  • John Legend featuring André 3000 – "Green Light"
  • Lil Wayne featuring T-Pain – "Got Money"
  • Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos – "Superstar"
    • 2010Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West"Run This Town"
  • Beyoncé featuring Kanye West – "Ego"
  • Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo – "Knock You Down"
  • The Lonely Island featuring T-Pain – "I'm on a Boat"
  • T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake – "Dead and Gone"
    • 2011Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys"Empire State of Mind"
  • B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars – "Nothin' on You"
  • Chris Brown featuring Tyga and Kevin McCall – "Deuces"
  • Eminem featuring Rihanna – "Love the Way You Lie"
  • John Legend featuring The Roots, Melanie Fiona and Common – "Wake Up Everybody"
    • 2012Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie"All of the Lights"
  • Beyoncé and André 3000 – "Party"
  • DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne – "I'm On One"
  • Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey – "I Need a Doctor"
  • Rihanna and Drake – "What's My Name?"
  • Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne – "Motivation"
    • 2013Jay-Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean and The-Dream"No Church in the Wild"
  • Flo Rida and Sia – "Wild Ones"
  • John Legend and Ludacris – "Tonight "
  • Nas and Amy Winehouse – "Cherry Wine"
  • Rihanna and Jay-Z – "Talk That Talk"
    • 2014Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake"Holy Grail"
  • J. Cole and Miguel – "Power Trip"
  • Jay-Z and Beyoncé – "Part II "
  • Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige – "Now or Never"
  • Wiz Khalifa and The Weeknd – "Remember You"
    • 2015Eminem featuring Rihanna"The Monster"
  • Common featuring Jhené Aiko – "Blak Majik"
  • ILoveMakonnen featuring Drake – "Tuesday"
  • Schoolboy Q featuring BJ the Chicago Kid – "Studio"
  • Kanye West featuring Charlie Wilson – "Bound 2"
    • 2016Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat"These Walls"
  • Big Sean featuring Kanye West & John Legend – "One Man Can Change the World"
  • Common & John Legend – "Glory"
  • Jidenna featuring Roman GianArthur – "Classic Man"
  • Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown – "Only"
    • 2017Drake"Hotline Bling"
  • Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar – "Freedom"
  • DRAM featuring Lil Yachty – "Broccoli"
  • Kanye West featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream – "Ultralight Beam"
  • Kanye West featuring Rihanna – "Famous"
    • 2018Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna"LOYALTY."
  • 6LACK – "Prblms"
  • GoldLink featuring Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy – "Crew"
  • Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé – "Family Feud"
  • SZA featuring Travis Scott – "Love Galore"
    • 2019Childish Gambino"This Is America"
  • Christina Aguilera featuring GoldLink – "Like I Do"
  • 6LACK featuring J. Cole – "Pretty Little Fears"
  • Kendrick Lamar and SZA – "All the Stars"
  • Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – "Rockstar"
    • 2020DJ Khaled featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend"Higher"
  • Lil Baby and Gunna – "Drip Too Hard"
  • Lil Nas X – "Panini"
  • Mustard featuring Roddy Ricch – "Ballin'"
  • Young Thug featuring J. Cole and Travis Scott – "The London"
    • Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

    Artists with multiple wins

    ;7 wins
    ;5 wins
    ;4 wins
    ;2 wins
    ;14 nominations
    ;12 nominations
    ;9 nominations
    ;8 nominations
    ;7 nominations
    ;5 nominations
    ;4 nominations
    ;3 nominations
    ;2 nominations