Grammy Winners 2011: Arcade Fire engulfs Eminem

There may have been some intense special effect fire during Eminem's performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards Sunday night, but another type of fire spoiled his party. The Detroit rapper, nominated for ten awards, lost out to Arcade Fire for the highly-coveted Album of the Year award. Eminem had been nominated for "Recovery" for Album of the Year, and was competing against Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Lady Antebellum and Arcade Fire. In a major shocker or upset, it was Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" which rocked the decision makers enough to garner the win. Still, Eminem won several awards on the night including the consolation prize of Best Rap Album. He beat out Jay-Z, Drake and B.o.B for the trophy. Also, Eminem rocked the stage with Rihanna and Adam Levine for "Love the Way You Lie," then assisted his mentor, Dr. Dre, in the new track "I Need a Doctor." Other winners on the night included Jay-Z, Lady Antebellum, Muse, Miranda Lambert and Lady Gaga. Newcomer Justin Bieber saw himself shut out in two major categories, falling to Gaga for the Pop Album award and in a shocking loss, losing Best New Artist to Esperanza Spalding? (That's right, who?!) A complete list of the 2011 Grammy Winners can be seen here.

2010 Grammy Awards - Rap winners

The 2010 Grammy Awards featured a Triple threat contest between Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, with the teenage music star taking home some of the biggest awards of the night, including Album of the Year for "Fearless". Meanwhile, the Grammy show saw an interesting lineup of performances trying to stretch the limits of artistic creativity on stage. These included P!nk's cirque de soleil like performance with the superstar wearing very little and suspended from the ceiling dripping wet. Or there was the Green Day American Idiot musical performance of "21 Guns" by the band as well as their Broadway cast. Add to that a nice tribute to Michael Jackson done by Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Celine Dion, Usher and Carrie Underwood, complete with 3-D effects. There were also a few rap/hip-hop performances, with T-Pain & Jamie Foxx doing "Blame it on the Alcohol". They had Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash come out and play his solo from "November Rain" as the track got rowdier towards the end. One of the final performances of the night was introduced by Inglorious Basterd Quentin Tarentino, as Eminem, Lil' Wayne and Drake took the stage, minus K-West. The camera caught Taylor Swift dancing to "Forever" in the crowd several times, in a happy Grammy moment. Here's the big winners for the 2010 Grammy rap categories: Best Rap Album - Relapse by Eminem Best Rap Song - Run this Town by Jay-Z, Kanye West & Rihanna Best Rap Solo Performance - D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) by Jay-Z Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group - Crack a Bottle by Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - Run This Town by Jay-Z, Kanye West & Rihanna See more of the 2010 Grammy winners here.

Rap Music Lyrics - Lost Remix by Coldplay & Jay-Z

One of the many collaborative pieces performed at the Grammys was "Lost" by rock group Coldplay featuring rap star Jay-Z. The number featured Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin playing on piano while singing, then pounding the keys viciously for the melody as Jay-Z rapped his guest verse. Jay's verse discussing the harmful side effects of success has Jigga drop lines about everyone from Martin to Malcom, Biggie to Pac and Caesar to Jesus in this one. The track is currently available on Coldplay's Viva La Vida - Prospekt's March Edition. Lost by Coldplay feat. Jay-Z Official Lyrics Sung Vocals (Chris Martin): Just because I'm losing Doesn't mean I'm lost Doesn't mean I'll stop Doesn't mean I'm in a cross Just because I'm hurting Doesn't mean I'm hurt Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserve No better and no worse Chorus: I just got lost Every river that I tried to cross And every door I ever tried was locked Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting til' the shine wears off... You might be a big fish In a little pond Doesn't mean you've won 'Cause along may come A big-ger one Chorus: And you'll be lost Every river that you try to cross Every gun you ever held went off Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting til the firing stops Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off Rap Verse (Jay-Z): With the same sword they knight you they gonna good night you S--t it's only half if they like you That ain't even the half what they might do Don't believe me, ask Michael See Martin, See Malcolm See Biggie, See Pac, see success and it's outcome See Jesus see Judas See Caesar see Brutus See success is like suicide Suicide it's a suicide If you succeed prepare to be crucified Media mettles N----s sue you, you settle Every step you take, they remind you you ghetto So it's tough being Bobb-y Brown To be Bobby then, you have to be Bobby now Now the question "Is to have had and lost better than not havin at all?" because I'm - Chorus: Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting til' the shine wears off Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting til' the shine wears off Downlod Viva La Vida - Prospekt's March Edition at Amazon.com!

Swagga Like Us Grammy Performance

Catch it now while it's still up, the rap collab performance which brought the house down at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards! Rappers Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne and T.I. teamed up for their hit remix song "Swagga Like Us", with a pregnant M.I.A. opening it singing her sampled vocals...The performance was done all in black and white, suits, ties, and B&W film style..M.I.A. was reportedly due to give birth the night before but as seen on stage was still packin' a little bundle of joy... 51st Annual Grammy Awards Winners & No Shows Swagga Like Us by T.I., Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne & Kanye West - Hip Hop Music Lyrics

51st Grammy Winners & No Shows

(Plant & Kraus score big at 51st Grammys) The 51st annual Grammy awards showcased a true melting pot of music, merging all sorts of genres and performers up on stage. This year's Grammy award show featured a slew of performers doing double duty, not just performing once but in collab mode with other artists. Justin Timberlake held his own as he went into a duet with Al Green on "Let's Stay Together", then joined rapper T.I. for their current single. Jay-Z lent a hand to Coldplay with his guest rap on "Lost", then joined a pregnant M.I.A., T.I., Lil' Wayne and Kanye West for "Swagga Like Us" which brought the house down. Kanye also joined Estelle on stage for her pop hit "American Boy". Wayne also performed his heartfelt tribute dedicated to the many homeless and displaced individuals affected by the New Orleans tragedy. Robin Thicke provided the singing, while Weezy also performed "Big Chief" and "Tie My Hands". Wayne picked up a total of 4 awards including Best Rap Song (Lollipop), Best Rap Solo Performance (A Milli), and Best Rap Collab (Swagga Like Us). He soon won the Grammy for Best Rap album, but then fell short in the Album of the Year category to Robert Plant and Allison Krauss who won a host of awards. Coldplay also picked up 3 awards despite 7 total nominations. Jennifer Hudson won the R&B Album of the Year award in a touching moment. The award was presented by longtime diva, Whitney Houston, who received a standing ovation. Hudson, who had recently been in the news due to the tragic murder of several of her family members, thanked all her family, both those in heaven and those still on earth. Hudson later went on to perform one of her soulful ballads, ending teary eyed. Other performers included Katy Perry, The Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl, and a duet between teen sensations Taylor Swift & Miley Cyrus. See full list of Grammy Award Winners Chris Brown Arrested (Brown & girlfriend Rihanna No Shows) An incident which has just been coming to many people's attention is the no-shows by both Chris Brown and Rihanna at the awards show. Both singers were expected to be performers and were also nominated for awards. Reportedly, Brown and Rihanna were involved in a car accident, and Brown was also charged for a domestic incident in which he struck an unidentified woman. Brown later turned himself in for the altercation and Los Angeles police are investigating. Read more about the incident here.

Roc Star Takes Time, Lil' Wayne Gonna Rock

Recent news has come up about Jay-Z's last release on the Def Jam label, "The Blueprint 3". According to news sources, Jigga plans to take his time on this release as he wants it on the same level of the scorching track, "Swagga Like Us". Swagga featured Jay on the track along with T.I., Lil' Wayne and the man who will be behind most of Blueprint 3, Kanye West. West originally told reporters that they layed down a bunch of tracks, but Jay wanted to go back in and do some more at a later date. This could make for another hip hop classic from Hov, with no current release date scheduled, but plans for an album in the first or second quarter of 09'. Jay-Z Works on New Album Blueprint 3 In another story, Jay's fellow guest rapper on Swagga, Lil' Wayne is looking to release a rock album. His next album, entitled "Rebirth" is scheduled for an April 7th release date. Lil' Wayne's official Myspace page has details for the release of the first single from the Rebirth album. Wayne will perform "Prom Queen" live Tuesday January 27th in San Diego, California at about 9:30 PM EST. You can catch the performance along with the world premiere of the song at Facebook Freeforall. Immediately following that performance, the studio version of the song will be released online. According to MTV.com the song has already found its way online and to the radio waves, and is definitely all rock with a singing Wayne aided by Autotune. Check hiphopmusicdotcom if you can't wait for the live performance. The rapper who's ready to rock is also scheduled to perform live February 8th for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards show. Visit Lil' Wayne's Myspace page or Facebook Freeforall with AT&T for more details on the performance Tuesday, January 27th, 2009. More about Lil' Wayne's Prom Queen song at MTV.com Lil Wayne's Rock LP, Rebirth, Due April 7 - MTV.com

2009 Grammy Nominees Announced

Wednesday night saw a special Grammy Nominations Concert held on CBS. During the show in Los Angeles several of the nominees for the 51st Grammy Awards scheduled for February 2009 were announced. The show also featured performances by Mariah Carey, the Foo Fighters, BB King and Celine Dion, and had Taylor Swift and LL Cool J as the hosts. Here's a look at several of the nominees for the 51st annual Grammy Awards.... 2009 Grammy Nominees Best New Artist (presented by Ne-Yo): - Adele - Duffy - Jonas Brothers - Lady Antebellum - Jazmine Sullivan Album of the Year (presented by Celine Dion): - Viva la Vida by Coldplay - The Carter III - Lil' Wayne - Year of the Gentleman - NeYo - Raise the Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - In Rainbow - Radiohead During the "Best Rap Performance by a duo or group" intro, it was discussed how rap has been honored since the Grammy show in 1991, and now artists of many other genres perform together with rappers. This wasn't the case in the award category this year, as it was rappers featuring rappers. Taylor Swift presented the nominees which included Jay-Z, Young Jeezy & Lil' Wayne. Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group: - Royal Flush - Big Boi feat. Raekwon & Andre 3000 - Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z & TI feat. Lil' Wayne & Kanye West - Mr. Carter - Lil' Wayne feat. Jay-Z - Wish You Would - Ludacris feat. TI - Put On - Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West Record of the Year (presented by John Mayer): - Chasing Pavements - Adele - Viva La Vida - Coldplay - Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis - Paper Planes - MIA - Please Read the Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Mariah Carey opened the show with one of her classic songs from her past Christmas album. The show also culminated with a classic duet performed by BB King and John Mayer for "Let the Good Times Roll". Also announced during the show was the news that a new Grammy museum will be opening later this week. While not every category was announced on air, most likely due to some of the titles in thebest rapp solo performance category, here's a look at what else is up for an award... Best Rap Solo Performance - Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... Jay-Z - A Milli Lil Wayne - Paris, Tokyo Lupe Fiasco - N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master) Nas - Sexual Eruption Snoop Dogg Best Rap Song: - Lollipop (Lil' Wayne) - Low (Flo Rida feat. T-Pain) - Superstar (Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos) - Sexual Eruption (Snoop Dogg) - Swagga Like Us (Jay & TI feat. Lil' Wayne & Kanye West) Best Rap Album: Best Rap Album: American Gangster Jay-Z Tha Carter III Lil Wayne The Cool Lupe Fiasco Nas Nas Paper Trail T.I. Lil Wayne may be cleaning up the awards this year, but it'll be interesting to see which album wins best rap album. Both The Carter III and Jay-Z's American Gangster have been given critical acclaim and are considered recent classics material. In terms of top nominee, Lil' Wayne took 8 nominations for his work this past year from The Carter III. Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kanye West each earned six nominations. View all of the 2009 Grammy nominees here. The 51st Grammy Award Show will be held February 8th, 2009 on CBS.

Get Your Stronger Shades On!

Over at Kanye West's University City blog is a section chock full of pictures submitted by fans tryin' to be as cool as 'Ye. The catch is all the Stronger Sighting photos involve the people in them wearing the Stronger Stunna shades.. as seen on the peeps here and the bear in Kanye's Stronger album art. You can order your own pair of shades for just $10, currently on backorder til March 3rd, 2008. Best of luck to Kanye tonight who surely deserves to walk with the Album of the Year award! His next single and video for Flashing Lights will be released on BET this coming week.

Winehouse, Live Via Satellite...

She tried to make it out of rehab, but they said no, no no..Well they said yes, but not quite in time. Amy Winehouse won't be there in person for Sunday night's 50th Annual Grammy's but she will be there in spirit as she performs via satellite from London. It's great to see that the Grammy Awards show is trying to 1-Up MTV's controversial Britney performance that we all have tried so hard to forget. However, Winehouse deserves some credit and deserves to perform despite her recent troubles, as she's nominated for "Album of the Year" with Back to Black. From Billboard.com: The artist, who has recently spent time in rehab, was initially denied a visa to travel to the Los Angeles ceremony by the American Embassy in London. Late today, the visa was granted, but logistics will prevent Winehouse from appearing at the ceremony in person. "I'm raring to go and really excited to be performing at my first Grammy Awards," Winehouse says in a statement. "I'd like to thank everyone for their support over the last couple of weeks. I'm really sorry I can't be there but I appreciate that I'm being given a second chance via satellite. " Also new to the Grammy performance roster is Kanye West, who leads the field with eight nominations, John Mayer and BeBe Winans. Dierks Bentley, Cuba Gooding Jr., Carole King, Roselyn Sanchez, Usher and will.i.am are new to the roster of presenters.(SOURCE) It could be a Graduation Grammy party for Kanye, and the road to recovery for Winehouse. Other performers look to be Beyonce with Tina Turner, John Legend, Rihanna, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Foo Fighters and more. The Grammys will air Sunday night at 8 PM EST on CBS. See Grammy.com which is the official site of the Grammy Awards. Billboard also presents a Jaded Insider blog look at the Grammy's.

Thank You & You're Welcome Mr. West!

Kanye's upcoming book is a bit of the rapper's form of Chicken soup for the soul called "Thank You and You're Welcome". The $10 book available for pre-order on his kanyeuniversitycity.com blog will offer humor, insight and wit from the rapper. It's done in poetic, short story fashion, with large block titles on one side of the page and the insight or text offering by Kanye on the adjacent page. Some of the items Kanye teases with on his blog are "Get Use to Getting Used", "The Missing Bannister Theory" and the book's title piece "Thank You and You're Welcome". In that excerpt, Kanye discusses the concept that some artists will agree to work with him in exchange for 'Ye doing work or production on their album. Kanye tells them he will pay them for their work with him and will discuss doing work for them when the time arrives. In essence, it's him saying "Thank you, and you're welcome". Check out more from Kanye's book at kanyeunviersitycity blog. The question is will Kanye be saying "Thank You" to the Grammy judges on this coming weekend? Kanye is once again nominated for album of the year with his 2007 release, Graduation. USA Today has a writeup saying this should be Kanye's year. Every critic of the five shown on the article predicts it will be a Kanye victory party, finally. Unfortunately, they claim it will be due more to a "sympathy party" and the issues of Amy Winehouse with her tabloid splattered image. Read the full USA Today article here. You can also view "Stronger Sightings" or submit your own pics of you in Stronger glasses similar to Kanye's bear logo for the smash single. Billboard also reports that Kanye will take part in the 7th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. which also includes Pearl Jam, Metallica & Willie Nelson.

Kanye's Grammy Graduation

Congrats go out to Kanye West for his recent Grammy nomination for Graduation as Album of the Year. West also leads in number of nominations this year with 8 total which include several song nominations form the album. Rap stars Jay-Z, Timbaland and T-Pain also received 5 nods for various awards at the show. The Beastie Boys received a couple nominations and not even for rapping. Their The Mix-Up instrumental album received a nomination as did a song from it. Here's a look at the always interesting, Best Rap Album category: Best Rap Album * Finding Forever Common [Geffen] * Kingdom Come Jay-Z [Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Recordings] * Hip Hop Is Dead Nas [Def Jam/Columbia/The Jones Experience] * T.I. vs T.I.P. T.I. [Grand Hustle/Atlantic] * Graduation Kanye West [Roc-A-Fella Records] See the entire list of nominees here. The 50th annual Grammys show will be on TV Sunday Feb. 10th at 8 p.m. on CBS.