It’s one of the most egregious oversights of the Grammys that Nas only won his first award in 2021.

The legendary rapper has been nominated for 15 Grammys, stretching back to 1997 when he was up for Best Rap Solo Performance for ‘If I Ruled the World’ (he lost to LL Cool J for ‘Hey Lover’). He finally triumphed last year for Best Rap Album for King’s Disease, beating out the likes of Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (Alfredo) and Jay Electronica (A Written Testimony).

This year he was looking to make it back-to-back victories in the Best Rap Album category for King’s Disease II but lost out to Tyler, the Creator (Call Me If You Get Lost). He was also in the running for Best Rap Song due to his guest appearance on the posthumous DMX track ‘Bath Salts’ alongside Jay-Z, but lost out to Kanye West and Jay (‘Jail’).

Nas got his rightful moment in the spotlight though with a career-spanning medley performance. He powerfully performed ‘I Can’, ‘Made You Look’, ‘One Mic’, and ‘Rare’. Nas brought along a full band for the rousing set, including a brass section and Robert Glasper on piano.

It was a moment of history for the Illmatic icon: this was his first solo performance at the Grammys, although he had performed ‘Rodeo (Remix)’ alongside Lil Nas X in 2020. As the below tweet puts it so well, Nas “reminds you why he is your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper.”

King’s Disease II wasn’t the only album that Nas released last year. He also dropped Magic, his 15th studio album, in December. Featuring guest spots from A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier, it was his third album in a row to be produced by Hit-Boy. Magic reached number 27 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

For more on this topic, follow the Hip Hop Observer.

Love Hip Hop?

Get the latest Hip Hop news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine