The Grammys are considering adding an Afrobeats category.
And they are considering also adding a Rap category for the first time.
Hip-hop will be the first sub-category
The Grammy Awards committee said in a statement on Tuesday that it is considering two categories: “Hip-Hop Song” and “Hip-Hop Album”.
The “Hip-Hop Song” category will include everything by rap acts, and is expected to include performances by Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West and many more. The “Hip-Hop Album” category, meanwhile, will be for releases produced outside of the rap genre, and will include performances by acts such as Alicia Keys and Pharrell Williams’ album “Elder”.
The committee also said it will consider adding a “Rap Albums” category.
“The committee is contemplating adding a category for rap albums. The issue has come up from a wide variety of artists. The Rap category would take into account the variety of rap artists from hip hop artists as well as the number of albums,” said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.
“The issue of genres is also on the table. We will see where we are after this year’s ceremony,” addedPortnow.
Other nominees for the 2016 Grammys include Destiny’s Child, Adele and Celine Dion.
What does ‘Hip-Hop Song’ mean?
There is no set definition for “Hip Hop Song”.
However, rapper Kanye West has said he thought it could mean anything.
A Grammy website says a Hip Hop Song is: “a song that has an impact on society, or on the fabric of a culture, and serves an important part of its culture”.
Will rappers be nominated?
Well … there is no doubt that this is an exciting new category to include.
There is, though, a fear that the rapper nominated for the category could be overlooked.