Today, the 2021 Grammy Nominations were officially unveiled, and for every snub-related controversy came an equal moment of celebration. For many, the biggest pleasant surprise arrived by way of the Best Rap Album nominations, a category that saw D Smoke, Royce Da 5'9", Freddie Gibbs (and The Alchemist), Jay Electronica, and Nas receiving nods for their most recent projects. And while Eminem's Music To Be Murdered By did not end up making the board, Slim was more than happy to see his longtime friends and collaborators receive their flowers at long last.
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"So happy for @Royceda59 and @Alchemist on their Grammy rap album of the year noms!" writes Em, in a rare post on Twitter. "Seems like @RecordingAcad might be starting to get it right." Of course, it goes without saying that Eminem has long harbored a contentious relationship with The Grammys in general, having essentially written them off entirely following the release of 2018's Kamikaze. In fact, he spoke at length about his dislike for The Grammy Awards during an extensive interview with Sway: “Don’t fucking get us all here, to use as your selling point for your fucking show, and stiff everybody every single fucking time."
This time, however, it seems as if Eminem can see a silver lining, a fact he makes sure to acknowledge in his message. Whether or not we'll see him softening on the Grammys is another story, but it stands to reason that he'll be rooting for either Royce or Alchemist to take home the prize. On that note, be sure to sound off with your own predictions in the comments below -- do you think Royce Da 5'9's The Allegory or Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist's Alfredo has a chance at winning Rap Album Of The Year?