To qualify as a rap album for the Best Rap Album Grammy, a release must have five or more tracks and a total playing time of 15+ minutes. Alternatively, if the total playing time is 30+ minutes, it can have any number of tracks. Not surprisingly, at least 51% of playing time should be rapped performance. More than 75% of it must be newly recorded (no older than five years) or unreleased.
The members of the Recording Academy will vote and determine the winner, while you can bet on who will win the Grammy in this category. To do this you’ll need a gambling operator. You can browse $10 deposit casinos with bonuses, and play some music-themed slots or other games. More importantly, see if they have a sportsbook section that covers Grammy awards. Even if you don’t plan on betting it’s great to see how bookmakers have evaluated the odds of each contender. To that end, let’s see who has the best chance of winning a Grammy in 2025.
Top Contenders for the 2025 Grammy Award
Before we can talk about contenders we need to shed some light on how an artist becomes a nominee in any category. In essence members and record companies submit entries for consideration. Then those entries are screened for eligibility and reviewed by experts from different music fields. The goal is to figure out who meets the criteria and to place each artist in a corresponding category.
Since this committee of experts includes artists who specialize in different genres, the members are advised to only vote for those entries that are within their area of expertise. As a result, they are allowed to vote in up to 10 categories, and within 3 music genres.
With all this in mind, we feel there are a few artists that can possibly snag this trophy. So let’s elaborate on why they are the top choice.
Future & Metro Boomin
Future & Metro Boomin, with their album ‘‘We Don’t Trust You’’, may be the top contenders in this category for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is the most popular rap album of the year. In addition to topping the Billboard 200, three songs ranked among the top 10 singles on the Hot 100. Moreover, the song “Like That” peaked at number one for several weeks.
It’s important to note that neither artist has won this category previously. The Recording Academy may consider them overdue, as both Metro Boomin and Future have had a major impact on shaping modern rap music.
Eminem
Eminem’s “The Death of Slim Shady” could be the winning album at the 67th Grammy Awards for this category. Even though this is not his most successful album, it still topped the Billboard 200, with “Houdini’’ ranked number two. The rap icon is known to have won the category on multiple occasions despite mixed reviews, so this could happen again. Besides, Em hasn’t been nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy in nearly a decade, which makes him long overdue.
Schoolboy Q
Schoolboy Q’s ‘‘Blue Lips’’ also has a decent chance of winning, with ‘‘Blueslides’’ being the most popular song on the album. This artist has already been nominated for Best Rap Album and is nominated for ‘‘That Part’’ and ‘‘Studio’’ along with Kendrick Lamar.
Megan Thee Stallion
Last but not least, ‘‘Megan’’ by Megan Thee Stallion has a good shot at winning. This album appealed to anime fans for the song ‘‘Otaku Hot Girl’’, which samples music from ‘‘Jujutsu Kaisen’’. Every song reveals part of her identity, which is quite interesting, as you get to know the artist better. Megan Thee Stallion has already won three Grammy awards, and her albums are usually well-received.
Analysis of the Leading Albums: Strengths and Weaknesses
Source: Unsplash
‘‘Claustrophobic’’ and ‘‘Runnin Outta Time’’ are definitely stand-out songs in ‘‘We Don’t Trust You’’ and perfectly depict the album’s theme. Metro once again proves his great producing skills. However, their performance is overshadowed by Kendrick Lamar and reviews are mixed.
Eminem’s album has a good concept and production is excellent, but his performance is not the best. While there are some songs that stand out like ‘‘Brand New Dance’’, the general feeling is that the album is inconsistent, and it wasn’t even that impactful.
Schoolboy Q’s new album tackles different themes and tones, making it very diverse. ‘‘Blue Lips’’ also boasts intricate art installations. On the other hand, it feels that the album ends abruptly. It could use more length and development. As the name suggests, ‘‘Megan’’ is highly personal, emotional, and empowering. However, the rapper’s latest album is criticized by some for being uneven and crowdsourced at times.
Fan Predictions vs. Industry Expectations
Most fans predict that Vince Staples’ ‘‘Dark Times’’, Eminem’s ‘‘The Death of Slim Shady’’, Future & Metro Boomin’s ‘‘We Don’t Trust You’’, or Schoolboy Q’s album will win. Indeed, industry experts believe that ‘‘We Don’t Trust You’’ has the highest chance of winning the category. But it wouldn’t be surprising if ‘‘Blue Lips’’ or ‘‘The Death of Slim Shady’’ took that title. Even Ye’s and Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘‘Vultures 1’’ could win, though it’s more likely for the others.
Who Will and Who Should Win?
Future & Metro Boomin will most likely win the Best Rap Album Grammy this year for ‘‘We Don’t Trust You’’. Future has been nominated 11 times and won three Grammys, but this would be his biggest achievement. Metro has three nominations but hasn’t won yet. On the other hand, we would like to see Schoolboy Q taking the Grammy home. The album boasts vivid lyricism and great production, with highlight songs like ‘‘Blueslides’’ and ‘‘THank god 4 me’’. ‘‘Oxymoron’’ and ‘‘Blankface’’ have been nominated for this category in previous Grammys, so it would be nice to see Schoolboy Q finally winning it.
