At the Grammy Awards, the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is given to honor outstanding rap albums. First instituted as the Gramophone Award in 1958, this honor has developed into a highly esteemed recognition granted by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States.

The Academy declared in 1995 that the Best Rap Album category would be added. Naughty by Nature received the first prize in this category at the 38th Grammy Awards. The 52nd Grammy Awards category description states that albums with "at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings" are eligible for this award.


With six wins, Eminem will continue to hold the record for most victories in this category until 2023. In 1997, Lauryn Hill and the Fugees made history by becoming the first female artist to win in this category. Rapper Tyler, The Creator, and group OutKast have each taken home the trophy twice. With 21 nominations overall, Jay-Z leads and holds the record for most nominations in this category.


The Roots have the most nominations but have not yet won, while Drake was the first non-American winner in 2013. The only artists to win this prize two times, Eminem and Kanye West, are the only ones who have done so. Drake's "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" became the first mixtape to win the Best Rap Album award in 2016 after receiving a nomination. In 2017, Chance the Rapper's "Coloring Book" did likewise.

As the first solo female rapper to be awarded for invasion of privacy in 2019, Cardi B created history. All things considered, the Best Rap Album category still honors the dynamic contributions made by musicians, producers, engineers, and mixers to the constantly changing rap music landscape.

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