Grammys, Step it Up: Female Rappers Excluded Once Again
Despite the fact that women dominated the rap scene in 2019, female rappers received no nominations in any of the rap categories for the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Written by Delaney Davis
Photo courtesy of LAPP the Brand
2019 was the year of women in rap. The rap industry had finally rid itself of its Nicki vs. Cardi obsession, allowing a diverse range of female emcees into the fray. No matter where you turned, you couldn’t escape Megan thee Stallion’s “Hot Girl Summer,” Rico Nasty’s high-energy, punk-infused bars, or Doja Cat’s camp-based approach to the genre.
The nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards were released on Nov. 20 and seemed to go as fans expected, considering the year’s commercially-successful standouts. Lizzo racked up eight nominations after the most successful year of her career, and Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish both snatched up six nominations after two record-breaking years. But when it came to the four rap categories — Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Song Performance, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Best Rap Song — fans were perplexed. Where were the women?
In 2018, Cardi B made history by becoming the first female solo artist to take home the Grammy for Best Rap Album, competing as the only female nominee among a pack of men. This year’s nominations are a huge step back for the biggest night in music, which finally seemed to be making some progress in terms of gender equality.
It may be easy to blame eligibility requirements for the lack of female nominees, but many women in rap made the cut. According to the official Grammy website, the eligibility period for the 62nd Grammy awards was Oct. 1, 2018 through Aug. 31, 2019. Several dynamic, highly successful works were released by women during this period. Leikeli47’s masterfully-produced sophomore album Acrylic? Released in Nov. 2018. Legendary rapper Missy Elliot’s comeback EP Iconology? August 23, 2019. Tierra Whack’s fun, quirky 2019 singles “Only Child,” “Clones,” and “Wasteland?” All released in the spring.
Even radio favorites City Girls and Saweetie were snubbed by the Grammys, despite having albums released during the eligibility period. Some of the year’s most talked about rap albums, Megan thee Stallion’s Fever and Rico Nasty’s Anger Management, were strangely nowhere to be seen.
If the contributions women made to rap were insignificant, their lack of presence at the Grammys wouldn’t be news. The absurdity of their exclusion is rooted in the fact that the work these women put out the past year, particularly the work of Rico Nasty and Tierra Whack, pushed the genre and changed its course. Rico Nasty’s repetoire has shown that rap and punk are not only compatible, but are also the pairing we never knew we needed. Whack has combined out-of-the-box visuals and lyrics to prove that rap can be avant garde.
Several artists — including Chicago rapper Noname — have voiced their opposition to the Grammys, saying that the nominations aren’t truly representative of an artist’s talent or skill. While this may be a true statement, the Grammys are more than just an awards show — it’s a celebration and reflection on the last year of music, and female rappers should be given a seat at that table. Excluding female rappers from the conversation, despite their widespread success in 2019, denies them recognition for their significant contributions to the genre.
If artists spanning across the industry have the opportunity to compete for the titular “best” in their respective genres, that opportunity should be afforded to everyone, no matter their gender identity.
And again, it’s a step back. Not only did Cardi B win Album of the Year last year, but the XXL 2019 Freshman class included the most female inductees ever — Megan thee Stallion, Rico Nasty, and Tierra Whack. While the number of females inducted was a measly three, it showed that the genre was changing, and the industry was finally ready to recognize the wide array of female talent instead of pitting women against each other.
The rap industry is finally taking steps to recognize female emcees as talented musicians in their own right. It’s time for the Recording Academy to catch up.
The 62nd Grammy Awards will air on Jan. 26 at 7 PM CST.