Rap legend Nas won his first ever trophy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Nas, born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, finally won a Grammy Award for his hard work and dedication to his craft. The 47-year-old rapper took home the Best Rap Album trophy for King’s Disease, which dropped in 2020.
Nas’ rap career began in 1991, as a featured artist on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque”. His debut album Illmatic (1994) is still considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. He was nominated for a Grammy 14 times.
Beyonce made history as the winningest woman in Grammy history after she won the Best R&B Performance award for her much-criticized single “Black Parade.”
The “Crazy in Love” singer picked up four trophies, including Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for her “Savage” collaboration with fellow Texan Megan Thee Stallion, taking her career Grammy wins to 28.
Legendary music producer Jimmy Jam presented the award to Beyonce, stating, “History has just been made. Breaking the all-time record for the most Grammy wins ever by any female artist or any singer, male or female, the Grammy goes to Beyonce.”
The stunned star, pictured with Jay Z, took the mic and said, “As an artist, I believe it’s my job – and all of our jobs – to reflect the times. It’s been such a difficult time, so I wanted to uplift, encourage and celebrate all of the beautiful black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world.
“This is so overwhelming. I’ve been working my whole life, since nine years old and I can’t believe this happened. It’s such a magical night.”
Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy, won her first Grammy award for her mother’s single “Brown Skin Girl”, which was named Best Music Video.
Kanye Omari West won his 22nd Grammy Award to tie with Beyonce’s husband, Jay Z, for most Grammy Awards won by a rapper.
Kanye, 43, won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Jesus is King, which he released to much fanfare in 2019.
Kanye is just one win away from a setting a record for most Grammys won by a hip-hop artist. The father-of-four, who is in the midst of a divorce from Kim Kardashian, wasn’t present to pick up his award.
The 2021 Grammy Awards was hosted by Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show,” who was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 37-year-old TV personality said he hoped the Grammy Awards could signify “new beginnings” as he joked that the show “celebrated the music that got us through the last 10 years of coronavirus”.
He also joked about coronavirus vaccines, saying, the music is “about bringing us all together as only music can. Well, I mean, music and vaccines.”
In fact, the “Woke” Grammys was all about diversity, inclusion, coronavirus and vaccines. Celebrities preached about vaccines, social distancing and mask wearing — although few stars wore masks onstage or behind the scenes.
The 2021 Grammy Awards was marred by controversy, days before the show aired, as singers The Weeknd and Justin Bieber declined to attend for personal and political reasons.
See the full coverage of the Grammy Awards here.
