Eminem could give rap a much-needed shot in the arm at the Grammys

There are a few rappers that the Grammys especially love, and one of those is undoubtedly Eminem. He has won 15 times, a tally that makes him the fourth most honored rapper in the awards’ history, only behind Kendrick Lamar (17), Jay-Z and Kanye West (24 for both). Interestingly, as Eminem has been between albums since 2020, rap music has also seen a general decline in marketability, with 2023 being a particularly dry year for the genre. That said, 2024 has been stronger already, especially with hip-hop beefs attracting a lot of attention again. And with hip-hop finally back on the rise, Eminem’s newest album, the upcoming “The Death of Slim Shady,” might become the biggest rap event of the year and bring with it another chance at awards success.

There are a few reasons why Eminem will likely be a big contender. As said previously, hip-hop has been a little quiet in the past few years, but with this apparent resurgence, a lot of academy members might be inclined to support it again. Granted, Grammy voters aren’t supposed to take commercial success into consideration, but the truth is that bigger songs, albums and genres logically have more exposure to voters. So while a voter might not necessarily vote for a hit because it is a hit, they might because it is one of the songs that year that thoroughly got their attention. With Eminem, the fact that it’s a comeback album will surely attract some eyes and ears too. His last album, “Music to Be Murdered By,” came more than four years ago, enough time for audiences in general to be eager for a true comeback from one of the most prominent rappers alive.

Another factor in Eminem’s favor is the competition this year so far. While there have been some major moments in hip-hop, some of the big contenders this year have disadvantages. For example, Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hiss” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” are both Hot 100 chart-toppers, but they’re diss tracks, so a lot of voters might not take them as seriously as other songs with deeper themes, especially considering how much voters like political and/or insightful rap.

Likewise, hits like Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me” and Flo Milli’s “Never Lose Me” might be perceived as too insubstantial. Additionally, those two songs are poppier than most rap winners are; voters seem to be more drawn to old-school rapping (see Killer Mike upsetting Travis Scott and Drake this year). Eminem might be the answer to all of this, usually bringing serious topics into his songs (especially the older he gets), and being much more of a traditional rapper than today’s crop of mumbly or sung-style rappers.

We know Em will do well in the rap field, then. But what about the big leagues? It is possible for Eminem to crack the general field this time around, which would be his first time doing so since 2011 for his “Recovery” era. In Album of the Year, he might be a name many voters, regardless of genre, feel comfortable checking off. While rap hasn’t been especially strong in that category recently, aforementioned rap darlings Lamar and West have both managed to get nominations this decade, demonstrating that voters will go for rap albums as long as they are by artists of such a high stature.

Additionally, like West and Lamar, Eminem is a rapper who many enjoy regardless of their general music preferences. So we might expect support for Em from many branches of the Recording Academy, especially in a year like this one, where there aren’t that many big R&B contenders and the big pop albums of the year aren’t necessarily that monumental either.

Of course, a lot can change after the album is actually out — as of this writing it has no specific release date. But while we patiently wait for Eminem’s return, you should try to keep him in mind for your predictions, especially in the rap field.

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