On Sunday, we'll find out who the Academy believes deserves the recognition for their efforts over the course of the past year. The Best Rap Album category includes Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist, D Smoke, Nas, Royce Da 5'9", and Jay Electronica are nominated for their respective releases in 2020. Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist's Alfredo, which topped HotNewHipHop's best albums of 2020 list, seems like it could be a strong contender to take home the award.
During a recent profile on Freddie Gibbs for The Ringer, Nets star and close friend to Gangsta Gibbs, Kevin Durant, offered praise for the rapper and the progression he's made. KD added that Gibbs is only getting started right now. "It just feels like he’s only hitting his prime now," said Durant. "He can make records with anyone, but still has that versatility and killer mentality in the booth. You can tell how much he cares about his art and no one is more authentic. In his music, you can see both the humor and the pain.”
Durant and Gibbs have spoken highly of each other in the past. Following the release of Bandana, Durant appeared on Hot 97 where he seemingly challenged Ebro on why artists like Freddie Gibbs couldn't get airplay during primetime slots. Ultimately, Ebro said there was an exception to be made because Durant made the request but admitted that people probably wouldn't want to have Gibbs and Push discussing coke transactions on "Palmolive" with their kids in the car.
Do you think Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist will be winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album? Sound off in the comments.