Superstar rappers Jay-Z and
Eminem have snagged a fresh
round of Grammy Award
nominations for their latest
multiplatinum albums: Eminem
leads all contenders with 10 nods,
bringing his career total to 36 (11
wins), while Jay-Z's six nominations
give him 42 (seven wins). The two
artists face off in four categories.
USA TODAY breaks them down.
RECORD OF THE YEAR and RAP/
SUNG COLLABORATION
This is the third try for both artists
in record of the year.
Jay-Z
Empire State of Mind, featuring
Alicia Keys
Brooklyn native Jay-Z chronicles his
rise from poverty to being the
"new Sinatra," while fellow New
Yorker Keys sings of how the city
inspires greatness. The song
enjoyed an extended run at No. 1
(5 weeks) on Billboard's Hot 100.
Worth noting: Jay-Z was up for
record of the year in 2004 as
featured artist on Beyoncé's Crazy
in Love and in 2008 on Rihanna's
Umbrella.
Eminem
Love the Way You Lie, featuring
Rihanna
Eminem presents a grim take on
Love as a man dealing with a
violent breakup-to-makeup
relationship; Rihanna, herself a
victim of domestic abuse, sings
about enduring the bad while
trying to hold on to the good. The
song enjoyed an extended run at
No. 1 (7 weeks) on the Hot 100
chart.
Worth noting: Eminem was up for
record of the year in 2003 for
Without Me and in 2004 for Lose
Yourself.
Likely winner: The cautionary
Love shines a light on a dark social
issue, but the brighter Empire is
shaping up as an enduring anthem.
RAP ALBUM
Both are previous winners in this
category.
Jay-Z
The Blueprint 3
On The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z basks in
the success that he was still fighting
to attain a decade ago on the
original Blueprint.
Worth noting: This is Jay-Z's
eighth rap-album nomination; he
won in 1999 with Vol. 2 … Hard
Knock Life.
Eminem
Recovery
Eminem originally planned to follow
2009's Relapse with Relapse 2 but
changed directions as he began
working with a variety of
producers. He wound up with his
most introspective and emotional
album yet, one that gets by nicely
without gratuitous shock antics and
skits.
Worth noting: Eminem has won
this category four times, with The
Slim Shady LP, The Marshall
Mathers LP, The Eminem Show and
Relapse.
Likely winner: An army of star
producers and guest performers
make Blueprint 3 easier on the
ears, but Eminem gets slightly
bigger props for going out on a
limb. Recovery is up for album of
the year, so it's hard to see him
losing here.
RAP SONG
The rappers earned two slots in this
songwriting category. The other
artist nominated is B.o.B, for Nothin'
on You.
Jay-Z
On to the Next One and Empire
State of Mind
With the help of Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z
smoothly holds forth about how he
stays ahead of the cultural curve
and keeps getting better with age
on Next One.
Eminem
Not Afraid and Love the Way
You Lie
Eminem's anger at critics and
doubters is palpable as he rhymes
over moody, operatic beats on Not
Afraid.
Likely winner: With two records
apiece in this category, Eminem
and Jay-Z could have their votes
split, thus opening the door for
Nothin' on You. But Empire State of
Mind is still the strongest song.
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