Rapper Nipsey Hussle earned three Grammy nominations this year, but he won’t be there to celebrate when the awards are handed out on Sunday, January 26. He was the victim of a shocking murder in 2019, but the recording academy will honor his memory with the help of several guests who will pay tribute to him in a special performance: John Legend, DJ Khaled, Roddy Ricch, Kirk Franklin, Meek Mill and YG. Check out the complete list of Grammy performers above.
Hussle is nominated twice for his song “Racks in the Middle” (Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song) and once for “Higher” (Best Rap/Sung Performance). Ricch is a featured artist on “Racks” and is nominated alongside Hussle in both of those categories. Ricch is also up for Best Rap/Sung Performance for “Ballin” with Mustard.
Meanwhile, Legend and Khaled are nominated with Hussle for their collaboration on “Higher.” Legend, already a 10-time Grammy winner, is also up for Best Traditional Pop Album for “A Legendary Christmas.”
Gospel legend Franklin is a 14-time Grammy winner, and he’s got two more bids this year: Best Gospel Performance/Song for “Love Theory” and Best Gospel Album for “Long Live Love.”
Meek Mill received his first ever Grammy nomination this year: Best Rap Album for “Championships.” YG hasn’t yet been nominated by the recording academy, but he has released four top-10 studio albums in his career thus far, most recently “4Real 4Real” in 2019.
If Hussle wins any or all of his nominations this year, it wouldn’t be the first time the Grammys rewarded an artist posthumously. In fact, it would be the fourth year in a row with a major artist recognized after their death, following David Bowie (2017), Leonard Cohen (2018) and Chris Cornell (2019). The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan is also nominated posthumously this year.
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