Nipsey Hussle, the rapper who was shot and killed outside his own clothing store earlier this year, has been posthumously nominated for three Grammys.
Hussle was recognized this morning in the Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance categories.
“Racks in the Middle” got Hussle two of his three nods this year. DJ Khaled’s “Higher,” which Hussle was featured on alongside John Legend, made for the third.
Below is the competition Hussle faces.
Best Rap Performance
For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.
- “Middle Child” — J. Cole
- “Suge” — DaBaby
- “Down Bad” — Dreamville Featuring J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG & Young Nudy
- “Racks in the Middle” — Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
- “Clout” — Offset Featuring Cardi B
Best Rap/Sung Performance
For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.
- “Higher” — DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend
- “Drip Too Hard” — Lil Baby & Gunna
- “Panini” — Lil Nas X
- “Ballin” — Mustard Featuring Roddy Ricch
- “The London” — Young Thug Featuring J. Cole & Travis Scott
Best Rap Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
- “Bad Idea” — Chancelor Bennett, Cordae Dunston, Uforo Ebong & Daniel Hackett, songwriters (YBN Cordae Featuring Chance The Rapper)
- “Gold Roses” — Noel Cadastre, Aubrey Graham, Anderson Hernandez, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, William Leonard Roberts II, Joshua Quinton Scruggs, Leon Thomas III & Ozan Yildirim, songwriters (Rick Ross Featuring Drake)
- “A Lot” — Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage Featuring J. Cole)
- “Racks in the Middle” — Ermias Asghedom, Dustin James Corbett, Greg Allen Davis, Chauncey Hollis, Jr. & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy)
- “Suge” — DaBaby, Jetsonmade & Pooh Beatz, songwriters (DaBaby)
See all of Wednesday’s nominees here.
Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Asghedom, died March 31, 2019. He was 33 years old.
In a 2010 interview with Complex magazine, Hussle acknowledged that he was associated with one of Los Angeles’ largest street gangs, Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips.
“It was an actual conflict over land, over the border. A generational, decades old conflict,” Hussle said of gang life. “That was more or less the culture of the young people. It was like, ‘I’mma go to war, fight, and go to the frontlines for my country.’ But it was a good experience. It put me in touch with my roots. If you don’t know your full-throttle history, the whole story of how you came to where you are, it’s kind of hard to put things together. That filled in a blank spot for me, as far as understanding myself.”