Note : I'm only gonna give my reactions to category's that I'm interested and know more about it.
The Grammy 2013 Awards was good, much focus was about Frank Ocean just a week before the big night. The Odd Future singer had a bust up with Chris Brown (again, I know) and its pretty much sickening to see Chris Brown being involved in another case with another recording artiste. Rihanna, Drake, and now Mr. Ocean.
Frank here has been causing a lot of buzz ever since he blasted into the scene with his mixtape efforts, featured in Tyler, The Creator's songs and getting Hov and Ye's attention and collaborating with them on Watch The Throne album. Not to forget the Tumblr post about him coming out as a bisexual actually changed the hip-hop/r&b scene by a lot, and I was glad that many people stood by him.
This is Queen Beyonce's open letter to Frank Ocean. Beautiful.
I don't wanna lie, but I was rooting for Mr. Ocean in the 'Best Urban Contemporary Album' category. I don't see Brown's 'Fortune' even being better than Miguel's.
Speaking of Miguel, this fine American right here can make your girl's panties fall off A.S.A.P with his crooning and naughty lyrics. I mean, have you heard 'That Pussy is Mine'. I wouldn't call that the thirstiest song in the universe, but damn. Play that song and your girl will tell you that the P is yours, or his if she's losing her focus while getting the D.
But anyway, for that category, I fucks with Frank Ocean on this one. Runner up goes to Miguel and Chris Brown gets last place for sure. Sorry Breezy, just being real here.
Beyonce a.k.a Mrs. Carter a.k.a The One That Shut Down the Superbowl, Period.
I, along with millions of Beyonce fans, felt insulted that she didn't won the Grammy awards that she deserved for last year's edition. I felt that her album was overlooked by a mile. She was snubbed so bad, that she actually planned her revenge : Shutting down America's biggest sporting event.
She should win the 'Best Tradition R&B Performance' without any doubt. Love on top was great. I don't have much to say about this category, because if you look at the other nominees, and you pit them up against Beyonce Knowles, the rest are pretty much irrelevant.
Best Rap Performance
Oh lawwwd, this was tough. You have....
Ye and Hov a.k.a The Throne with Niggas in Paris.
(I don't censor that word because I know most of y'all should know when NOT to use it and USE IT when it is legit. Its all about the context)
I mean, I'm Asian and all but I still to this song whenever I'm riding through the KL traffic. Face it, I bet you people of whatever ethnic background did say out the N word loud and with full confidence, and still laugh about not getting caught, heh. Hit Boy fuckin' killed it with this beat and the bass was just sex, like pure sex. This was the anthem of 2012, for niggas with money to blow. Ye and Hov set the standard that they be spending and swagin' with class in high places like Paris.
How can you not like this song?
Aubrey Graham a.k.a Drake a.k.a Kitten Whisperer a.k.a Lotion Master a.k.a Soft Wipes of the Rap Game.
As much as I really like Big Ghost making fun of this Canadian fella by calling him soft and all, I ain't gonna lie when I say for 2012, Drizzy made shitloads of impact in the rap game. His 'Take Care' album has been rolling out good hits, be it mainstream ones or the unreleased ones that we all discover while poppin that album.
Drake's in this album with his mentor, Lil Wayne for Hell Yeah Fucking Right (HYFR). I admit that Drake started the song with a few good play or words, then it really went fast until his verse ends. I think whenever Lil Wayne is featured in a track with Drake, he brings the best out of Drake or vice versa. You have currently the hottest rap property today, with the other once that used to churn out great songs but fell out with shitty effort from his last album. Yes Wayne, am talking to you. Carter IV was awful.
Nas, the veteran of the rap game. If you do not know him, you need to start listening to 'Daughters'. I swear, that song just hits me on how fatherhood is still important in a child's life. You can have a kid raised by a single mother, but it meant nothing when you don't have a father figure to guide him/her about the harsh realities of life outside of the house. The music video was great, I just feel Nas' pain and struggle as a father trying to protect his daughter. If you do not know, Nas' daughter caught unwanted attention for an Instagram pic of a packet of condoms that she posted, which made the media and press question Nas' ability to even raise his daughter right.
And Nas answered us all with 'Daughters'. Embedded the video for y'all to see.
You listen to this, even when you're driving an economy car like a Vios or even a City, heck a Myvi would do the job. Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2Chainz delivered one of the best rap songs for 2012. The addictive hook, the weird Reggae for the bridge, and 2 Chainz delivering one of the best verses of 2012 (surprise, surprise)
I don't know what else to say about this song. Big Sean had the wittiest verse, Pusha T's was raw, Kanye's one was a switch up, 2 Chainz murdered it real good.
Young Jeezy's 'I Do', with Jay Z and Andre 3000 was good. Jeezy with his signature rap flow, Hov with the good play of words again. And how many times do I have to say that Andre 3000 really needs to release a SOLO ALBUM to back my argument that he's one of the handful of best rappers alive, today, right now, still relevant and still slaying it even being a featured artist since post-Outkast days? I'm done.
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
I'd be Frank, 'No Church In The Wild' was the best rap song for 2012 to include religion as a debate.
Human beings to a mob,
what's a mob to a king?
What's a king to a God?
What's a God to a non-believer,
who don't believe in anything?
When Mr. Ocean was singing to this chorus, it got me thinking a lot when I first heard it. Its been years since the last time a rap song actually got me into deep thinking. Like really, real deep thinking. The raw beats, the raw melodies, Hov and Ye delivering one of their best verses in Watch The Throne album, and The Dream's autotune bridge was perfect. It was a sure thing that this song would top the others.
Are you even fucking kidding me? 'Wild Ones' in the Best Rap Song category. Such an insult, I don't even wanna comment about it.
Sound track to 'Act Like A Woman, Think Like a Man', the John Legend and Ludacris effort was great, but the chances of them winning in this one was pretty slim tho. Honestly, there's nothing special about this one, at least its better than Flo Rida's one.
Nas' 'Cherry Wine', featuring the late Amy Winehouse was superb. I can't explain how much I love this song. The two of them just blends perfect for this one. A must in your playlist, please. Done justice to Amy's vocals. Amen.
'Talk That Talk' needs a video. Please. Rihanna and Jay Z, great combination. Not as epic as Jay and Beyonce though, no one can break that. The song isn't great as 'Umbrella' back in 2007, but its good enough for a Grammy nomination. Not bad Rihanna.
Alright for the 'Best Rap Song' category, the only changes in the nominee list is 'The Motto' replacing HYFR and 'Lotus Flower Bomb' replacing 'I Do'. Wiz Khalifa's 'Wild, Young & Free' makes a surprising entry to this one.
Refer to the 'Best Rap Performance' paragraph for 'Niggas in Paris', 'Daughters', 'Mercy'.
Because of 'The Motto', stupid kids be yelling out YOLO doing stupid ass stuff and using that damn motto as a 'legit' excuse. Like GTFO already. I swear, when YOLO went as one of the most overused shit in 2012, I wanted to book a ticket and fly to America and hunt down Drake's head and give him a pimp slap, and remind him of the parasite that he had created. I hate this song, I hated the video. I hated Drake and Lil Wayne's stylist for their choice of wardrobe. So here's a picture of Drake, duck face and wearing one of his grandma's leopard printed clothes. Can I live?
Before I comment any further, congrats to Wiz and Amber for their future bundle of happiness. Ok, back to business. 'Wild, Young & Free' wasn't worthy of a Grammy nominee for 'Best Rap Song'. Kendrick Lamar should have gotten that for Money Trees. That's all I have to say, don't wanna hurt his feelings.
Best Rap Album
I'm looking at the nominees, and I thought it was a joke. I wonder who are the ones responsible for even putting some of these albums on the list.
Ok, I'm surprised I didn't bother buying this album. Instead, thanks to Drake for introducing The Weeknd again, I had The Weeknd's Trilogy instead of this. I'm not gonna lie, this was a great rap album. Still have soft hits, but I still bump to that. 'Headlines', 'Crew Love', 'The Real Her', 'Marvin's Room', 'Over My Dead Body', 'Underground Kings', 'Take Care' were the standout ones. This gets my vote for one of the top 5 mainstream rap albums for 2012
Yeap, that's the album cover. I don't know why, but Lupe Fiasco ain't really impressing me much. Since Lupe went into mixing politics and whatever current world events into his music, a lot of mixed reviews about his current efforts, but I still think Food & Liquor 2 was good enough for a Grammy nomination. One song that answers your question about this album nominated? 'Lamborghini Angels', 'nuff said. Thanks for improving Lupe, prove me wrong alright?
A force still to be reckoned with. Still relevant. I am not worthy to comment much about their album.
When I first saw the nominees for this category, I literally needed a glass of water and some fresh air to accept the fact that such an awful mediocre rapper like Rick Ross can be nominated for a Grammy award.
Here's the fact, this fat mofo here is not a gangster. He is fake as Nicki's butt implants. What he does in his album is rapping about a character, a lifestyle that he boast living in, which is a huge lie. I don't understand, how a rap album like GFID can be nominated just shows you the standards of today's mainstream rap. He don't deserve it, and in future I hope he doesn't. Call me a hater, but I can't stand MMG. Wale is the only one that deserves it, Meek Millz got served by Cassidy.
*facepalm*