Last updated on February 19, 2026
By: Vasily Stokes
Editor-In-Chief
Kendrick Lamar from Compton, California, Tyler the Creator from Hawthorne, California, GloRilla from Memphis, Tennessee, JID from Atlanta, Georgia and the rap duo “Clipse” (Pusha T and No Malice) from Virginia Beach were all up for the rap album of the year at the Grammys. For those who are active listeners of rap music, this was extremely encouraging for the rap scene and rap industry, as the nominations include both newer, more popular artists like GloRilla and JID, as well as older artists like Kendrick Lamar and Clipse. Each rapper brought something unique to the table that remains a proper representation of their regional and subgenre of rap.
While I do think GloRilla’s Glorious is an overall good album, to have a chance to win awards at the Grammys, it would have needed to come out in a different year, as it was too stacked against this Memphis rapper. But what her album’s nomination did mean was that the more traditional Grammys and the rap industry as a whole have become more widely accepting of Memphis rap. Memphis rap has always been more underground compared to former East Coast rap, even as Memphis’ music industry has been exploding over the past few decades. Memphis rap is highlighted through its use of self-made trap instrumentals and the thick southern Memphis accent during the lyricism, and while it is sad that Memphis rap will most likely not take a Grammy home, a nomination in this degree is an accomplishment for the genre and GloRilla’s community.
Tyler, the Creator had two albums nominated for the Grammys: his album Chromakopia from late 2024 and Don’t Tap the Glass from mid 2025. Tyler only won Best Album cover, even though he had 2 albums. Which, unfortunately, could also be seen as, although Chromakopia had several very great songs overall, the production on the album was weaker, with songs like “Hey Jane” and “I killed you.” I am not saying these songs weren’t good, but simply the fact that their production was a low point on the album. With Don’t Tap the Glass, we saw an album from Tyler that was not a concept album, a concept album being an album in which every song is part of a story or theme. So, while the album had great production and overall good singles, there was simply nothing that connected the album.
JID is one of the most promising and rising rappers of the current scene, a classic Atlanta Southern alt rapper. His album, The Forever Story from 2022, is waiting to be seen whether it’s the highlight of his career or not. The album also puts a spotlight on his personal growth as he became, how his family interacts with itself, and what he found in himself that turned him into a rapper. His album God Does Like Ugly displays his growth as a successful rapper and his starting of a family, and he announced that he had a son on the closing track “For Keeps.”
Now the two heavy hitters of the 68th Rap Grammys were Kendrick Lamar and the rap duo Clipse with Pusha T and Malice. Many rap enthusiasts believed that the rap album of the year should have gone to Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out over Kendrick’s GNX, yet the idea that the Grammy would choose GNX conscious hip-hop over modern Coke Rap was not something that went over their heads. GNX rode quickly off the flight of Kendrick’s rap battle with Drake, which created the song of the year from last year’s Grammys, “Not Like Us.” The intro to the “Not Like Us” music video featured the song “Squabble Up” from GNX, before the album was released. GNX was produced by Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, and Mustard, and features the amazing singer SZA. While all of these creators are great, and GNX itself was great, overall, it was not Kendrick Lamar’s best work.
On the other hand, Let God Sort Em Out was produced by Pharrell Williams and featured Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, and Nas, the greatest rap king of New York. What makes the biggest difference between GNX and Let God Sort Em Out is that GNX is a good representation of Kendrick Lamar at this point in his life, while Let God Sort Em Out is the best representation of the modern rap scene. The question going into the 68th Grammys was whether the Grammys would accept this. As we saw at the beginning of the month, the Grammys will only give Best Rap Performance to Clipse, while Kendrick won 5 becoming the Rapper with the most grammy wins. But many blame the Grammys for going with the ‘safe’ options over the options that best represent rap. As Clipse is coke rap, modern gangster rap mixed with conscious hip-hop is something the Grammys are afraid to endorse, which represents that even to this day, the Grammys are still too far behind for rap.
What makes rap such an interesting topic is the pure fact that it is the most politically conscious music genre to date. This is due to its origins in the conditions and culture of post-Civil Rights-era Afro-American communities. A time in which there was an overall high of class consciousness, black radicalism, and nationalism within these communities, but due to targeted efforts by the American government against minority communities and the worsening effects of provenly failed economic policies, led to the creation of music that was both similar to songs of civil rights movements through their lyrics while also being culturally rebellious with through instrumentals. And as anyone has noticed, activists’ movements and colleges play an important role in society, not just as places to receive an education, but also as places to formulate ideas that push society forward. For that, we need to listen to the underprivileged, especially to their artwork, which brings up the question of whether or not we are truly listening if the ‘safe’ option is chosen.
Be First to Comment