Kanye West Wins Best Melodic Rap Performance at 2022 Grammys

Kanye West is the big winner for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

West received the honor for his song “Hurricane” featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby at the 64th annual awards on Sunday night (April 3) at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Ye and company beat out songs by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow (“Industry Baby”), J. Cole and Lil Baby (“Pride Is the Devil”), Tyler, the Creator, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Ty Dolla $ign (“Wusyaname”), Kanye West, The Weeknd and Lil Baby (“Hurricane”) and Doja Cat (“Need to Know”).

Although the award was announced before the televised ceremony kicked off, this is Ye’s second win of the day. The renowned producer-rapper also took home the Grammy for Best Rap Song with “Jail,” which features Jay Z, marking the first time the longtime collaborators have worked together since falling out in 2016. Like “Hurricane,” “Jail” also appeared on Ye’s album Donda, which was named after Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West.

Last year, Anderson .Paak won the honor for his 2020 anti-police brutality track “Lockdown.” The Oxnard, Calif. rhymer bested DaBaby and Roddy Ricch (“Rockstar”),” Drake and Lil Durk (“Laugh Now Cry Later”), Roddy Ricch (“The Box”) and Travis Scott (“Highest in the Room”).

Anderson dropped the song in response to the global protests and social unrest following the death of George Floyd by a former Minneapolis police officer. The drummer, who is also one-half of the soulful duo Silk Sonic, released a remix to “Lockdown” featuring Top Dawg Entertainment’s Jay Rock, Dreamville rapper J.I.D and lyricist Noname.

The song was also nominated in the Best Music Video category but lost to Beyoncé and her daughter, Blue Ivy, who won for “Brown Skin Girl.”

The 2022 Grammy Awards was originally set for Jan. 31 at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in Los Angeles but was rescheduled and moved to Las Vegas after COVID-19 Omicron rules were implemented in California. Comedian Trevor Noah returned to host the awards ceremony for the second year in a row.

The win marks the renowned producer/rapper/mogul’s 24th Grammy win among an impressive 80 nominations. Past wins include Best Rap Album for The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, as well as Best Rap Song for “Jesus Walks,” “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” “Good Life,” “Run This Town,” “All of the Lights,” and “N****s in Paris.”

Congrats to Kanye, The Weeknd and Lil Baby for winning Best Melodic Rap Performance.

See Every XXL Freshman Who’s Been Nominated For a Grammy