Eminem: Los Angeles Times Favors 'Relapse' As Best Rap Album At Grammys

The category: Best rap album

The field at a glance: Three of the last five years, the best rap album went to Kanye West. During the eligibility period for the 2010 awards, West drifted from his hip-hop past, offering up a collection of moody pop with "808s and Heartbreak," and thus opening up the rap album field.

But West isn't the only superstar absent from this category. Due to a one-month advance in the eligibility period from Sept. 31 to Aug. 31, Jay-Z's "The Blueprint 3" missed the window to be considered for the 2010 awards, having been released on Sept. 8. The omission of the 2010 Coachella headliner will be felt, as the album has sold more than 1.5 million copies in just four months, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

What's left, however, is a rather broad snapshot of hip-hop over 2009. Flo Rida maintained his dominance as a singles artist, as his "Right Round" featuring Ke$ha sold more than 4 million downloads throughout 2009. His album "R.O.O.T.S.," however, didn't make the same impact as its individual cuts.

Introspective rapper and perennial nominee Common went the party route with his more lighthearted "Universal Mind Control," and indie-minded artists such as Mos Def and Q-Tip are also represented in the field. Q-Tip's album, "The Renaissance," was released in late 2008 and featured him melding hip-hop and neo-soul, as well as working with an impressive group of collaborators including Norah Jones and Nelly Furtado. It should be the kind of easily approachable album Grammy voters love, but it's far from the biggest success in the category, as Eminem's first album in five years, "Relapse," rounds out the field.

And the Grammy goes to: Book it for Eminem. Though some of the rapper's outrageous attacks at times felt a bit dated or obvious (Jessica Simpson? Hannah Montana?), the album still achieved the kind of sales success that voters won't pass up. To date, the spring release has sold more than 1.75 million copies, and whether making borderline violent videos or lashing out at Mariah Carey, Eminem proved to still be adept at garnering headlines. Q-Tip deserves it, but Eminem will get his fourth best rap album Grammy on Jan. 31. (source)

BMI Urban Awards Honors Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Kanye West And Others

via press release:

U.S. music rights organization BMI saluted the world's premier R&B, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers tonight at its annual Urban Awards. BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Catherine Brewton, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta, hosted the ceremony at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street, New York City.

Hip-hop titans T-Pain and Lil Wayne shared the prestigious Songwriter of the Year prize, as trendsetters Polow Da Don and Kanye West both earned Producer of the Year titles. Song of the Year honors went to Jordin Sparks' "No Air," written by Erik Griggs, while Universal Music Publishing Group garnered yet another Publisher of the Year crown.

The capstone of the night's festivities was the presentation of the BMI Icon Award to George Clinton, whose achievements were celebrated with an all-star musical tribute, featuring performances by Cee-Lo Green, who delivered "One Nation Under a Groove"; Parliament/Funkadelic's Bootsy Collins, who performed "Atomic Dog"; Janelle Monáe who performed "Flashlight"; and Dallas Austin, Big Gipp and Outkast's Big Boi, whose medley of "(Not Just) Knee Deep," "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)" and "Up for the Down Store" was the jaw-dropping conclusion.

Photos:
BMI.com
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A complete list of nominees and winners here:
2009 BMI Urban Awards: BMI Award-Winning Songs

Gamble & Huff honored at the 57th Annual BMI Pop Awards

On May 19, the leading music rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) held its 57th Annual Pop Awards, honoring Gamble & Huff as BMI Icons.

Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, the invitation-only ceremony was hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President/General Manager, Los Angeles, Barbara Cane and also recognized the writers and publishers of the past year's 50 most-performed pop songs.

The evening's capstone was a musical tribute to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Gavin DeGraw sang "If You Don't Know Me By Now," Estelle performed "Don't Leave Me This Way," and Michael Bublé delivered his rendition of "Me and Mrs. Jones." Named BMI Icons in recognition of their "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers," Gamble & Huff join an elite list of previous BMI Icons that includes the Jacksons, Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana, Dolly Parton, and Hall & Oates.