The Grammy Awards on Sunday definitely felt more somber than usual, not only with the passing of Kobe Bryant that same day, but also due to the hyperawareness of Nipsey Hussle's absence. Nipsey passed away just about a month-and-a-half after last year's Grammys, where he received his first nomination for his debut album, Victory Lap, in the Best Rap Album category. Though he ultimately lost, Nipsey was posthumously nominated this year in three different categories: Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher" with DJ Khaled and John Legend, as well as Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "Racks In The Middle" with Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy. Despite losing Best Rap Song to J. Cole and 21 Savage for "A Lot," Nip and his collaborators did nab the other two titles. While these awards are, of course, bittersweet, Roddy Ricch's latest Twitter share casts a brighter light on their win for "Racks In The Middle." The rap wunderkind posted a photo of himself hugging Nipsey's partner and the mother of his child, Lauren London, on the momentous evening.
In the tweet, Roddy wrote, "one of the greatest moments was seeing her smile cause hussle got one." Not only did Nipsey get recognized with multiple awards, but he was also honoured with a tribute performance by Roddy, John, and Khaled, along with YG, Meek Mill, and Kirk Franklin. These artists made sure to include Kobe's memory in the tribute as well, which made the performance all the more powerful and devastating.