Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance.

In 2003, this award was split into separate awards for Best Female Rap Solo Performance and Best Male Rap Solo Performance. In 2005, it was again presented as a single award.

The award will be permanently be discontinued in 2012 due to a major overhaul of Grammy categories. From 2012, all solo and duo/group rap performances will be shifted to the revived Best Rap Performance category.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released from October a year and a half prior to September the previous year.

1990s

• 1991 – MC Hammer for "U Can't Touch This"
  • Queen Latifah – "All Hail the Queen"
  • Big Daddy Kane – "I Get The Job Done"
  • Vanilla Ice – "Ice Ice Baby"
  • Monie Love – "Monie in the Middle"

• 1992 – LL Cool J for "Mama Said Knock You Out"
  • MC Hammer – "Here Comes The Hammer"
  • Monie Love – "It's a Shame (My Sister)"
  • Ice-T – "New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)"

• 1993 – Sir Mix-a-Lot for "Baby Got Back"
  • MC Hammer – "Addams Groove"
  • Queen Latifah – "Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here"
  • LL Cool J – "Strictly Business"
  • Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – "You Gotta Believe"

• 1994 – Dr. Dre for "Let Me Ride"
  • Paperboy – "Ditty"
  • Sir Mix-A-Lot – "Just da Pimpin' in Me"
  • MC Lyte – "Ruffneck"
  • LL Cool J – "Stand By Your Man"

• 1995 – Queen Latifah for "U.N.I.T.Y."
  • Coolio – "Fantastic Voyage"
  • Craig Mack – "Flava in Ya Ear"
  • Snoop Doggy Dogg – "Gin and Juice"
  • Warren G – "This D.J."

• 1996 – Coolio for "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • Notorious B.I.G. – "Big Poppa"
  • 2Pac – "Dear Mama"
  • Skee-Lo – "I Wish"
  • Busta Rhymes – "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check"

• 1997 – LL Cool J for "Hey Lover"
  • Coolio – "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"
  • Nas – "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)"
  • Heavy D – Rock with You

• 1998 – Will Smith for "Men in Black"
  • Busta Rhymes – "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"
  • LL Cool J – "Ain't Nobody"
  • Missy – "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
  • Notorious B.I.G. – "Hypnotize"

• 1999 – Will Smith for "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"
  • Busta Rhymes – "Dangerous"
  • Wyclef Jean – "Gone till November"
  • Jay-Z – "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"
  • Lauryn Hill – "Lost Ones"

2000s

• 2000 – Eminem for "My Name Is"
  • Busta Rhymes – "Gimme Some More"
  • Q-Tip – "Vivrant Thing"
  • 2Pac – "Changes"
  • Will Smith – "Wild Wild West"

• 2001 – Eminem for "The Real Slim Shady"
  • Common – "The Light"
  • DMX – "Party Up (Up in Here)"
  • Mystikal – "Shake Ya @#!*% "
  • Nelly – "Country Grammar"

• 2002 – Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott for "Get Ur Freak On"
  • Afroman – "Because I Got High"
  • DMX – "Who We Be"
  • Jay-Z – "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
  • Nelly – "Ride wit Me"

• 2003 The award was broken down into male and female categories:
  • Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance – Missy Elliott for "Scream a.k.a. Itchin'"
    • Charli Baltimore – "Diary"
    • Eve – "Satisfaction"
    • Foxy Brown – "Na Na Be Like"
    • Lauryn Hill – "Mystery Of Iniquity"
  • Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance – Nelly for "Hot In Herre"
    • Eminem – "Without Me"
    • Jay-Z – Song Cry
    • Ludacris – "Roll Out (My Business)" Lyrics
    • Mystikal – "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)"

• 2004 The award was broken down into male and female categories:
  • Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance – Missy Elliott for "Work It"
    • Da Brat – "Got It Poppin'"
    • Lil' Kim – "Came Back for You"
    • MC Lyte – "Ride Wit Me"
    • Queen Latifah – "Go Head"
  • Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance – Eminem for "Lose Yourself"
    • 50 Cent – "In Da Club"
    • Joe Budden – "Pump It Up"
    • Ludacris – "Stand Up" Lyrics
    • Sean Paul – "Get Busy"

• 2005 – Jay-Z for "99 Problems"
  • Eminem – "Just Lose It"
  • Kanye West – "Through the Wire"
  • Lloyd Banks – "On Fire"
  • Twista – "Overnight Celebrity"

• 2006 – Kanye West for "Gold Digger"
  • 50 Cent – "Disco Inferno"
  • Common – "Testify"
  • Eminem – "Mockingbird"
  • T.I. – "U Don't Know Me"
  • Ludacris - "Number One Spot"

• 2007 – T.I. for "What You Know"
  • Busta Rhymes – "Touch It"
  • Missy Elliott – "We Run This"
  • Lupe Fiasco – "Kick, Push"
  • Mos Def – "Undeniable"

• 2008 – Kanye West for "Stronger"
  • Common – "The People"
  • 50 Cent – "I Get Money"
  • Jay-Z – "Show Me What You Got"
  • T.I. – "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)"

• 2009 – Lil Wayne for "A Milli"
  • Jay-Z – "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..."
  • Lupe Fiasco – "Paris, Tokyo"
  • Nas – "N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)"
  • Snoop Dogg – "Sexual Eruption"

2010s

• 2010 – Jay-Z for "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
  • Eminem – "Beautiful"
  • Drake – "Best I Ever Had"
  • Kid Cudi – "Day 'N' Nite"
  • Mos Def – "Casa Bey"

• 2011 – Eminem for "Not Afraid"
  • "Over" – Drake
  • "How Low" – Ludacris
  • "I'm Back" – T.I.
  • "Power" – Kanye West

Category facts

• Most wins in this category (including male & female solo wins)
  • 1. Eminem – 4 wins
  • 2. Missy Elliott- 3 wins
  • 3. LL Cool J, Will Smith, Jay-Z, Kanye West- 2 wins

• Most nominations in this category (Including Male & Female Solo Nominations)
  • 1. Eminem- 8 nominations
  • 2. Jay-Z – 7 nominations
  • 3. LL Cool J, Missy Elliott & Busta Rhymes- 5 nominations
  • 4. Queen Latifah
    Kanye West
    T.I.- 4 nominations
  • 5. Nelly, Common, MC Hammer, Will Smith & Coolio- 3 nominations

• Most nominations without a win
  • 1. Busta Rhymes- 5 nominations
  • 2. Ludacris- 4 nominations
  • 3. Common
    50 Cent- 3 nominations
  • 4. Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def, Nas, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Drake, 2Pac, Monie Love & The Notorious B.I.G.- 2 nominations