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A rap battle at the Grammys: Jay-Z vs. Eminem
A rap battle at the Grammys: Jay-Z vs. Eminem
Superstar rappers Jay-Z and Eminem have snagged a fresh round of Grammy Award nominations for their latest multiplatinum albums: Eminem leads all contenders with 10 nods, bringing his career total to 36 (11 wins), while Jay-Z's six nominations give him 42 (seven wins). The two artists face off in four categories. USA TODAY breaks them down
COLLABORATION
Jay-Z
Empire State of Mind, featuring Alicia Keys
Brooklyn native Jay-Z chronicles his rise from poverty to being the "new Sinatra," while fellow New Yorker Keys sings of how the city inspires greatness. The song enjoyed an extended run at No. 1 (5 weeks) on Billboard's Hot 100.
Worth noting: Jay-Z was up for record of the year in 2004 as featured artist on Beyoncé's Crazy in Love and in 2008 on Rihanna's Umbrella.
Eminem
Love the Way You Lie, featuring Rihanna
Eminem presents a grim take on Love as a man dealing with a violent breakup-to-makeup relationship; Rihanna, herself a victim of domestic abuse, sings about enduring the bad while trying to hold on to the good. The song enjoyed an extended run at No. 1 (7 weeks) on the Hot 100 chart.
Worth noting: Eminem was up for record of the year in 2003 for Without Me and in 2004 for Lose Yourself.
Likely winner: The cautionary Love shines a light on a dark social issue, but the brighter Empire is shaping up as an enduring anthem.
RAP ALBUM
Both are previous winners in this category.
Jay-Z
The Blueprint 3
On The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z basks in the success that he was still fighting to attain a decade ago on the original Blueprint.
Worth noting: This is Jay-Z's eighth rap-album nomination; he won in 1999 with Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life.
Eminem
Recovery
Eminem originally planned to follow 2009's Relapse with Relapse 2 but changed directions as he began working with a variety of producers. He wound up with his most introspective and emotional album yet, one that gets by nicely without gratuitous shock antics and skits.
Worth noting: Eminem has won this category four times, with The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show and Relapse.
Likely winner: An army of star producers and guest performers make Blueprint 3 easier on the ears, but Eminem gets slightly bigger props for going out on a limb. Recovery is up for album of the year, so it's hard to see him losing here.
RAP SONG
The rappers earned two slots in this songwriting category. The other artist nominated is B.o.B, for Nothin' on You.
Jay-Z
On to the Next One and Empire State of Mind
With the help of Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z smoothly holds forth about how he stays ahead of the cultural curve and keeps getting better with age on Next One.
Eminem
Not Afraid and Love the Way You Lie
Eminem's anger at critics and doubters is palpable as he rhymes over moody, operatic beats on Not Afraid.
Likely winner: With two records apiece in this category, Eminem and Jay-Z could have their votes split, thus opening the door for Nothin' on You. But Empire State of Mind is still the strongest song.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/n...s-eminem_N.htm
I think Eminem will take it all!
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