How did Killer Mike sweep the rap Grammys against superstars like Drake and Travis Scott?

The rap categories at the Grammys always seem to generate some controversy, and this year was no exception. The big news at the 2024 awards was Killer Mike sweeping the field, taking home the Grammys for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song (“Scientists and Engineers”), as well as Best Rap Album (“Michael”). While Mike is a rap legend, his win came at the expense of more commercially successful, younger acts like Travis Scott, Drake and 21 Savage. However, his wins weren’t too surprising if you were paying attention.

For the awards “Scientists and Engineers” won, a couple of factors were heavily in its favor. First, the competition was relatively weak. For starters, only Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex” was also nominated for both Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Getting both nominations is crucial to winning, because it shows how much voters care about your work. But as successful as “Rich Flex” was, it wasn’t really a year-defining song, and it isn’t necessarily a career highlight for Drake either. The Grammys have already shown that they don’t revere Drake enough to give him wins for just any song; he has to deliver massive hits like “Hotline Bling” and “God’s Plan.” Meanwhile, “Scientists and Engineers” featured Grammy favorite André 3000, as well as popular rapper Future and prolific industry collaborator Eryn Allen Kane. Since it was also way more of a rap showcase, with more impressive technicalities and flows, it’s no surprise it was able to get a lot of voters on its side.

For Best Rap Album, winners tend to be critically acclaimed. While “Michael’s” reception was not necessarily rapturous, it got far better reviews than Scott’s “Utopia” and Drake and 21 Savage’s “Her Loss,” which were stuck in the 60s on Metacritic. “Michael” is also similar to past winners, being more of an introspective album rather than just delivering hip-hop bops. Also, considering that the one truly universally acclaimed album in the lineup (Nas’s “King’s Disease III”) was by an artist who won very recently (2021) and rap voters seem to be picky about repeat winners (only five artists have multiple wins in the category), it makes sense that they would go for a different rap icon this time.

Killer Mike’s narrative also played a part. He did extensive Grammy campaigning for the album and song, mostly focused on how many think his brand of hip-hop is dead when it’s quite alive. During his campaign he made many important stops, like “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and “The Breakfast Club,” and he promoted his nominations on his personal social media accounts. “Michael” stood out in its lineup because it is a personal, in-depth record about Mike’s family, in particular his upbringing and his relationship with his mother. So a lot of that promotion might’ve been moving to voters, especially paired with an overdue-legend narrative that has worked for artists like Nas in the past.

Ultimately, “Michael” was a great choice, and “Scientists and Engineers” was easily deserving of both of its accolades too. It is refreshing to see the Grammys pick winners not based on commercial success, but on the merits of a good but underrated record. So the next time you’re predicting in the rap field, just consider that voters may not care so much about what topped the Billboard 200 or Hot 100. They want material that feels important and carefully crafted more than anything.

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