The Grammy Award is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize "Outstanding Achievement in the music industry" of the United States. It was founded during the 1950s, its inaugural award ceremony held on May 4, 1959.
American rapper Lupe Fiasco has been nominated twelve times, winning one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance with "Daydreamin'".[1]
In 2007, Fiasco was nominated for the first time at the Grammy Awards, in three categories: Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Song ("Kick, Push"), and Best Rap Album (Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor). When asked if he was happy with the Grammys acknowledging "Kick, Push," he responded to Rolling Stone, "I was. A lot of people didn't believe in that record because it was a [hip-hop] record about skateboarding. But later, mothers would run up to me and be like, 'You got my son skating!'" He mentioned that he would want to see Mary J. Blige win awards, adding, "She was one of the first superstars that got behind me. Backstage at a show, she was like, 'I love 'Kick, Push.'"[2]
2008[]
In 2008, the song "Daydreamin'" with Jill Scott won a Grammy. However, Fiasco was unable to attend the ceremony that year, contracting pneumonia, so his lawyer accepted it on his behalf.[3][4] Years later, his assistant transported the award to New York, and he held it for the very first time. He made an impromptu acceptance speech at the Cincinnati show during his Tour for the Fans on April 18, 2016, stating, "In nine years, I've only seen this one time. My lawyer had it in her garage for nine years…" He thanked his fans and family before concluding with an anecdote of his late father:
"When I was a little kid, my father told me, we was driving through Chicago, and he used to say 'You see all these buildings? You can take all these buildings and if you put 'em together they'll turn into a robot.' From that point, that was the initial point where all of my creative energies and fascination with telling stories and putting things together and seeing the potential of the world and the potential of people become things fantastically beyond their wildest dreams. So I wrote a song about it and the song is this song right here."[5]
Afterwards, he launched into his song, "Daydreamin'".
The GRAMMYS also acknowledged this moment, tweeting: "Glad you finally got your GRAMMY back!"[6]
2009[]
In 2009, he was nominated in the following four categories: Best Rap Solo Performance ("Paris, Tokyo"), Best Rap Album (Lupe Fiasco's The Cool), Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and Best Rap Song ("Superstar").
Bonsu Thompson of XXL magazine shared to MTV News, "With this album, I think he shocked everyone because even his core fanbase expected the same intricate rhyme patterns, [but] he took it further. With concepts like 'Hip-Hop Saved My Life,' even his commercial records like 'Paris, Tokyo,' they were beautiful records. He focused more on instrumentation and [showed] that he really had an ear for music, just as sharp as ever."[7]
2011[]
In 2011, Fiasco performed at The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!: Countdown to Music's Biggest Night, which broadcasted live on November 30th.[8]
2012[]
In 2012, he was nominated in three categories: Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance ("The Show Goes On"), and Best Rap Album (Lasers).
MTV News reported, "Lupe Fiasco may be the dark horse of the group but considering the Recording Academy's knack for acknowledging hip-hop with a message, don't be surprised if the Chicago MC takes home the golden gramophone. Lasers was a commercial success thanks to its radio-friendly sound, but it didn't sit well with some die-hard fans because it was a departure from Fiasco's earlier work. Regardless of the LP's sound bed, Lupe's message remained potent. His criticism of President Obama on "Words I Never Said" was polarizing and opened up much political debate."[9]
2013[]
In 2013, his fourth studio album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, was nominated in the Best Rap Album category, but lost to Drake's Take Care.[10] During the GRAMMYS week, Fiasco also performed at the 15th annual Play It Forward: A Celebration of Music's Evolution and Influencers. The event featured live music performances and archived footage that commemorated the history of musical artists. Fiasco was the closing act of the night.[11]
