Grammy Awards’ Rap Race: Can Anyone Best Kendrick Lamar?

For the first time in … well, maybe ever, hip-hop fans applauded the Recording Academy in 2021 for “getting it right.” Nominees in the rap album category included unconventional releases that weren’t necessarily expected to get the nod: Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist’s critically acclaimed “Alfredo,” D Smoke’s “Black Habits,” Royce Da 5’9’s “The Allegory,” Jay Electronica’s long-awaited debut, “A Written Testimony,” and the winner, Nas’ “King’s Disease,” which netted the mighty 25-year vet his first Grammy.

The following year’s noms followed suit, with mentions going to Tyler, the Creator’s “Call Me if You Get Lost,” Nas’ “King Disease II,” J. Cole’s “The Off-Season,” Kanye West’s “Donda” and Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” (although the famous Grammy skeptic decided to withdraw the project before the votes were cast). Now the question remains: Will the streak continue?

There’s no shortage of options. Kendrick Lamar’s challenging “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” the Compton king’s first full-length since 2017’s masterpiece “DAMN,” which not only won a rap album Grammy but also a Pulitzer prize, would seem to be a top contender, although it’s also likely to compete in the album of the year category, potentially alongside Adele, Silk Sonic, Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. But he’s likely to face equally stiff competition in the rap stakes.

If he doesn’t withdraw this nomination as well — or decline to submit altogether — Drake remains a strong contender with his polarizing change of direction, “Honestly, Nevermind.” However, its more dance-oriented grooves still lit up the charts, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with an impressive 204,000 album-equivalent units; it also spawned three top 20 singles, including “Jimmy Cooks,” his 11th No. 1.

The ever-prolific Atlanta rapper Future will undoubtedly pop up in a few categories for his “I Never Liked You,” which was his eighth chart-topper and was certified gold less than two months later.

Pusha T makes a strong bid with “It’s Almost Dry,” which many critics called the 20-year veteran’s best album to date (and features from Kanye West, Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams don’t hurt).

Also in the mix is DJ Khaled, whose “God Did” features a whopping 30 guests across its 18 tracks, most notably Jay-Z on the title number, which is a potential rap song contender thanks in no small part to Hov’s epic verse: The song was so well-received that MSNBC’s hip-hop-quoting anchor Ari Melber dedicated nearly 12 minutes of his show “The Beat” to dissecting Hov’s coveted bars about America’s failed drug war, discrimination, business and perseverance.

Another likely contender is Kentucky’s own Jack Harlow and his sophomore album “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” which spawned one of the year’s biggest hits with the Billboard Hot 100-topping “First Class,” which probably has a better chance at Grammy gold than the album.

A strong but outside chance goes to Black Thought and Danger Mouse’s collaboration “Cheat Codes,” which finds the Roots MC and co-founder joining forces with the musical mind behind Gnarls Barkley and producer of everything from Gorillaz and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to A$AP Rocky. The unusual album combines gorgeous arrangements, soaring hooks, top rhyming and stellar production.

Although the Grammy voters tend to go for the big names, don’t be shocked if albums including Gunna’s “DS4Ever” and Lil Durk’s “7220” (both of which topped the Billboard 200), Yeat’s “2 Alivë,” Kodak Black’s “Back for Everything,” the Game’s “Drillmatic: Mind Vs. Heart,” Rod Wave’s “Beautiful Mind” and Freddie Gibbs’ last-minute entry “$oul $old $eparately” shake things up.