Grammy Award winners for rap music

Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and record executive. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is often credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and breaking down racial barriers for the acceptance of white rappers in the genre. While much of his transgressive art during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, Eminem has become a representation of popular angst of lower income America and is no

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Known for her vocal ability, artistic reinventions, and live performances, she is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 21st century. Credited with shaping popular music, Beyoncé is often deemed one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. An influential figure in popular culture, she is known for her multifaceted career, artistic reinventions, and eclectic fashion style. Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 250 million records.

Willard Carroll Smith II is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $10 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

American rock band

Justin Randall Timberlake is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Prince of Pop", he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard named him one of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century. His awards include ten Grammy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, three Brit Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, the Contemporary Icon Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and MTV's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive, and businessman. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, he recorded his debut album, Power of the Dollar, for Columbia Records. During a shooting in May 2000, he was struck by nine bullets, causing its release to be canceled and Jackson to be dropped from the label. His 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Detroit rapper Eminem, who signed Jackson to his label Shady Records that year.

Ye is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He has been listed among the greatest rappers of all time and referred to as one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop. His music, characterized by frequent stylistic shifts, has been credited with facilitating the emergence of rappers who did not conform to gangster rap conventions. He is also known for his controversial public persona, including his polarizing cultural and political commentary.

American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1981)

American record producer and rapper (born 1965)

Canadian-American rapper and singer (born 1986)

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. He was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio. His music is built on a rags to riches narrative. He is the wealthiest musical artist in history, worth US$2.8 billion as of 2026.

Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Born and raised in New York City, she is known for her energetic rap flow and outspoken lyrics. Since launching her music career in 2016 and releasing her two mixtapes, Cardi B has been cited for her part in helping elevate the relevance of female rappers in popular music.

American rapper (born 1982)

American singer, rapper and actress

American hip hop group from California

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, Lamar's music features conscious, introspective lyrics, with political criticism and social commentary concerning African-American culture. Journalists have referred to Lamar as one of the greatest rappers of all time. In 2018, he became the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Sean John Combs, also known professionally as Diddy, is an American former rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher, among others.

American rapper, singer and actress

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known by his stage name Coolio, was an American rapper. He was best known for his single "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995), which won a Grammy Award, and was credited for changing the course of hip-hop by bringing it to a wider audience. Other singles included "Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996), and "C U When U Get There" (1997). He released nine albums, the first three of which achieved mainstream success: It Takes a Thief (1994), ''Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul'' (1997). Coolio first achieved recognition

American record producer and songwriter (born 1973)

American hip hop group

American rapper (born 1971)

American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer (born 1975)

Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (), is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed the record label Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). After its single, "What's Your Fantasy" (featuring Shawnna), became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latte

William Adams (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as Will.i.am (pronounced "will I am" and stylized in all lowercase), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the frontman of the musical group Black Eyed Peas — which he formed with fellow rappers apl.de.ap and Taboo in 1995. The group has released nine studio albums, and saw their highest success with the pop rap albums Elephunk (2003), Monkey Business (2005), The E.N.D. (2009), and The Beginning (2010), during which he shared lead vocals with fellow singer Fergie.

American rapper and record producer (born 1991)

Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist releasing: Open Your Eyes (2000), The Language of My World (2005), and The Unplanned Mixtape (2009). He rose to international success collaborating with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2009–2016).

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and released two additional mixtapes: The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) to further critical acclaim as he garnered a wider following.

American neo-soul singer

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwestern hip-hop group St. Lunatics. He signed with Universal Records as a solo act in 1999 to release his debut studio album, Country Grammar (2000). Its two lead singles, "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" and "Ride wit Me" (featuring City Spud), both entered the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. The album peaked atop the Billboard 200 and received diamond certification by

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip-hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgia-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He met local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather in the late 1990s, joining his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment — an imprint of Arista and LaFace Records — by 1999. The lukewarm critical and commercial response of his debut studio album, ''I'm Serious'' (2001), led him to part ways the label. He then sign

Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), known professionally as T-Pain, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for pioneering the creative use of Auto-Tune pitch correction, often used with extreme parameter settings to create electronic-styled vocal performances. Blending its use with R&B and hip-hop sensibilities, T-Pain played a key role in defining rap-singing throughout the 2000s.

Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip-hop and heavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays. The following year, he founded the record label Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the "") and released another album, Power (1988), which is Ice-T's only album to be certified platinum by the RIAA. His next three albums, The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech..

American rapper and actor (born 1968)

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, also known by his stage name Kid Cudi, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition for his song "Day 'n' Nite". Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team up with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fanbase, catching the attention of rapper Kanye West—who signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label by late 2008.

Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) were an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop acts of all time, the duo achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, helping to popularize Southern hip-hop with their intricate lyricism, memorable melodies, and positive themes, while experimenting with a diverse range of genres such as funk, psychedelia, jazz, and techno.

American rapper and actor (born 1971)

American rapper and record producer (born 1971)

British rapper (born 1992)

Fugees () are an American hip-hop group formed in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1990. The trio of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill became known for their fusion of hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and funk, socially conscious lyrics, and use of live instrumentation. Their sound stood apart during the gangsta rap-dominated era, establishing them as one of the most significant alternative hip-hop acts. Their name, derived from "refugees", referenced Jean's immigrant background, Michel's Haitian heritage, and recurring themes of resilience.

American rapper (born 1983)

American rapper

American rapper and actor (born 1972)

American rapper

American rapper and actress

'''Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon (born August 14, 1998), known professionally as Doechii' ( ), is an American rapper and singer. After her songs went viral on TikTok in 2021, she signed recording contracts with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records in 2022. Her 2023 single, "What It Is (Block Boy)" (featuring Kodak Black), marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That same year, she made her acting debut with the drama film Earth Mama''.

English singer and record producer (born 1988)

American rapper, singer and record producer (born 1993)

Faith Renée Evans is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as a backing vocalist for R&B singers Al B. Sure! and Christopher Williams, and by the age of 20, signed with Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records as the label's first female artist in 1994. Following her uncredited appearance on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "One More Chance", she released her debut studio album, Faith (1995), to critical acclaim and moderate commercial reception. Evans then guest performed alongside 112 on Combs' 1997 single "I'll Be Missing You," which won Best Rap Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards and became the first hip hop song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Her second and third albums, Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001), peaked at numbers six and 14 on the Billboard 200, respectively, and saw further critical praise.

Ermias Joseph Asghedom, known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, songwriter, actor, activist, and entrepreneur. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle self-released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success, leading him to sign with Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records.

Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He began his career in Houston's hip hop scene in the late 1990s. He was briefly signed with the local record label Swishahouse until forming the hip hop duo Color Changin' Click with labelmate Paul Wall in 2002. The two signed with Houston's Paid in Full Entertainment to release the collaborative album Get Ya Mind Correct (2002), which entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

American record producer and rapper (born 1978)

American DJ and music producer

American rapper, singer, record producer and actor

Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant (né Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in R&B and hip hop, often in tandem with production partner Tricky Stewart. Beginning with I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), he has been credited on each of American singer Beyoncé's subsequent albums.

American hip hop group

American rapper

British musician

American rapper (born 1998)