12 UK Rap Albums That Could Have Won A Grammy

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and while UK rap isn’t quite as old as that we have had enough talented artist bless us with bodies of work capable of winning music’s biggest prize. The 66th annual Grammys saw the first time a UK rapper in Flowdan was awarded the coveted gramophone hardware which got us at Mixtape Madness thinking. What UK Rap albums could have won a grammy? We compiled a list of 12 such albums and detailed what makes them Grammy worthy and how they match up with their contemporaries that year!

Skepta – Konnichiwa (2016)

Standout tracks : That’s Not Me (feat. JME), Ladies Hit Squad (feat A$ap Nast & D Double E), Lyrics (feat Novelist)

When talking about grammy worthy UK rap artists Skepta is one of the foremost names that come to mind. Now when you talk grammy worthy UK rap albums Skepta’s Konnichiwa is an undeniable candidate. A testament to Skepta’s credibility I had a hard time picking between this and ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’. But it’s hard to argue when the former played a large part in the short lived but important Grime revitalisation of the mid-late 2010s. The best thing about Konnichiwa is that it doesn’t lack in either substance or style with songs like ‘Corn on the Curb’ and ‘Ladies Hit Squad’ showcasing the fine balancing act Skeppy pulled off on his return.

The album is a quintessential piece of UK music history, serving as the first real time UK Rap became a globally desired export. While there is a global scope to the project, the Grime influence is what make it so great. Konnichiwa was a cultural, commercial and critical success going gold and winning the 2016 Mercury Music Prize, beating David Bowie, Radiohead and Kano.

Jesse

Best Rap Album 2016:

• J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive
• Dr. Dre – Compton
• Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
• Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint
• Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly*

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

Ghetts – Conflict of Interest (2021)

Standout tracks : Fine Wine, Hop Out, IC3

In terms of artistry, it is difficult to think of a rapper in the UK who is more complete than Ghetts. The east Londoner’s wordplay, ferocious flows, and dominant performances on stage have made him a force to be reckoned with for the best part of two decades. A criticism that was levelled at him however was a lack of a classic album. Personally I think this was harsh given the quality of both of his ‘Ghetto Gospel’ projects, but ‘Conflict of Interest’ is the LP that cemented his legendary status.

Tracks such as ‘Fine Wine’ and ‘Autobiography’ show that this album was a full circle moment for the artist as he looks back on the path that guided him to the top of the UK Rap game. There are also cameos from some of Britain’s greatest, including the likes of Stormzy, Dave, Wretch 32, and Skepta. Ghetts more than holds his own against any of the features, and his ability to find pockets within the beat on ‘Crud’, featuring Giggs, proves that he is one of the most talented MC’s the UK has ever produced. ‘Conflict of Interest’ saw Ghetts perfect his craft, continuing to push his sound forward even after so long at the top.

Joe

Best Rap Album 2021:

• Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
• Royce Da 5’9″ – The Allegory
• Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
• D Smoke – Black Habits
• Nas – King’s Disease

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

Devlin – Bud, Sweat and Beers (2010)

Standout tracks: London City, Runaway, Community Outcast

One of the most well recognised projects of the last fifteen years, Devlin’s ‘bud, sweat and beers’ album in 2010 stood as a culturally understandable representation of inner City London and helped give a voice to the working class society in Britain. With a huge commercial track ‘Runaway (feat. Yasmin), Devlin gave himself the extra attention in the public eye to create music with substance; tracks such as ‘London City’ and ‘Community Outcast’ acted as cultural documentation of an often underrepresented community, whilst cementing his reputation as one of the greats in grime. As The Guardian said, “when he focuses on the grit and grind of council estate poverty, Devlin hits home hard” – the general lack of musicians achieving mainstream success from voicing such opinions during this time period, further concretes ‘bud, sweat and beers’ as one of the most pivotal albums to come out of this country.

Harvey

Best Rap Album 2010:

• Common – Universal Mind Control
• Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S.
• Mos Def – The Ecstatic
• Q-Tip – The Renaissance
• Eminem – Relapse

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

Loyle Carner – Hugo (2022)

Standout tracks : Blood On My Nikes (feat. Wesley Joseph, Athien Akec), Georgetown (feat. John Agard), HGU 

As British rap music since 2010 has evolved, so has the British society we live in today. Adaptable and current, Loyle Carner has been a great voice for those who may struggle to have one otherwise. Articulating on sensitive subjects such as knife crime, racism, fatherhood and heritage, his third album ‘hugo’ has been an incredibly important addition to the world of music. Nominated for the 2023 Mercury prize award but just falling short to Ezra Collective, Loyle Carner’s soundscape away from typical hip-hop music separates himself from the commercialised crowd, combining authentic hip-hop with elements of jazz.  Encapsulating the masses with his poetic lyricism and introspective approaches of narrating his journey in the world, ‘hugo’’s  documentation of self improvement, reflection of British society and articulation of fatherhood makes this album a heavily relatable and influential project. 

Harvey

Best Rap Album 2022:

• J. Cole – The Off-Season
• Tyler, the Creator – Call Me If You Get Lost
• Drake – Certified Lover Boy 
• Nas – King’s Disease II
• Kanye West – Donda

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

Kano – Hoodies All Summer (2019)

Standout tracks : Trouble, Teardrops, Class of Deja

Kano pushed Grime forward in the early stages of his career and could easily have been recognised for his debut album, ‘Home Sweet Home’. We could also have selected ‘Made In The Manor’ – a seminal album that encapsulated Grime’s renaissance in the mid 2010’s.

‘Hoodies All Summer’ however is what I believe to be Kano’s best album to date. The energy he brings on the opening track ‘Free Years Later’ that contrasts with the sombre string sample on the instrumental is demonstrative of his evolution as an artist. Moreover, the assembly of Ghetts and D Double on ‘Class of Deja’ culminated in one of the best Grime songs to ever come out of the genre. We move from heartbreak on ‘Got My Brandy, Got My Beats’, to a thoughtful and powerful representation of knife crime on ‘Trouble’.  Who could also forget the iconic closer, ‘SYM’, which led to one of the greatest live performances in British TV history. If we never hear another Kano album, this is the perfect way to cap off a pioneering career.

Joe

Best Rap Album 2019:

• Mac Miller – Swimming
• Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
• Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy
• Pusha T – Daytona
• Travis Scott – Astroworld

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? Yes

Tinie Tempah – Disc-overy (2010)

Standout tracks : Miami 2 Ibiza (feat Swedish House Mafia), Pass Out, Written In The Stars (Eric Turner), Wonderman (feat Ellie Goulding)

The importance of Tinie Tempah’s Disc-overy cannot be understated. Tinie is often recognised for his role in truly breaking down the barrier for UK Rap in the mainstream and this is the album that did it. Disc-overy is him at his playful and dexterous best, managing to cut through with a smorgasbord of sounds. It also solidified the south-Londoner as a bonafide hit-maker with his catchy electro-pop No. 1 singles, “Pass Out” and “Frisky”, the piano driven “Written In The Stars” and the house anthem “Miami 2 Ibiza”.

Tempah’s lyrics still hold up to this day. Eloquent, humorous, and appealingly offbeat successfully blurring the lines between Pop and Rap. Disc-overy was the culmination of years and years of graft by not only Tinie but the UK Hip Hop scene en-mass.

Jesse

Best Rap Album 2010:

• Common – Universal Mind Control
• Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S.
• Eminem – Relapse
• Mos Def – The Ecstatic
• Q-Tip – The Renaissance

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

J Hus – Big Conspiracy (2020)

Standout tracks : Big Conspiracy, Reckless, Deeper Than Rap

After bursting onto the scene with ‘The 15th Day’ and ‘Common Sense’, J Hus defined the Afro-Swing genre that became the dominant sound of the late 2010’s. ‘Common Sense’ saw the production levels turned up a notch and gave us some quintessential UK classics including ‘Did You See’ and ‘Bouff Daddy’, but it was ‘Big Conspiracy’ where Hus took his musicality to the next step.

The use of live instrumentation gives the whole album a cohesiveness, as the production team of TSB and Jae5 bring the project to life. Hus himself brings enough variation to the tape thanks to his vocal ability and powerful, straight to the point lyricism. It is a rarity to not have at least one dud on a UK but every track on this 15 strong LP deserves to be there, culminating in one of Hus’s most moving performances to date on ‘Deeper Than Rap’. Even though there were some stand out moments on ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’, to me this is undoubtedly J Hus’s best album to date and one of the best ever from a UK artist.

Best Rap Album 2020:

• Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III
• Meek Mill – Championships
• Tyler, the Creator – Igor
• 21 Savage – I Am > I Was
• Cordae – The Lost Boy

Joe

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? Yes

Kwollem – C2C (2020)

Standout tracks : Basildon (feat. Joe James), Barking and Dagenham (feat Joe James & Devlin), Fenchurch Street (Joe James)

C2C is an album that literally takes listeners on a journey, traversing the various stops on the C2C train line that runs through East London and Essex. Kwollem’s 2016 effort is a masterclass in world building and storytelling. From the opening track “SSS” or “Shoeburyness/Southend-On-Sea” where we hear children playing at the beach to “Fenchurch Street” which perfectly sets the scene of entering the affluent centre of the capital with it’s rousingly rich soul sample.

Kwollem’s use of Essex native Joe James as his spokesperson/vessel was a brave choice which paid off with the pair sharing geographic common ground which in no small part informed the chemistry that served the music so well. While today we may see all types of fusions and blending of genres the Newham producers approach to the sound of Grime, leaning into the world of Jazz and utilising Soul samples, in a personal production style coined “Mellow Grime” was and still is a breath of fresh air seven years on.

The project is a real call back to a previous era of UK rap where representing your area was a foundational part of our rap scene. Offering nostalgic regionality, high quality production and a superbly executed concept, C2C is 100% a Grammy worthy effort.

Jesse

Best Rap Album 2020:

• Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III
• Meek Mill – Championships
• 21 Savage – I Am > I Was
• Tyler, the Creator – Igor
• Cordae – The Lost Boy

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

Little Simz – No Thank You (2022)

Standout tracks : Gorilla, Heart On Fire, Sideways

Little Simz is an artist who is much maligned by (predominantly male) UK listeners for not being at the same level as her male counterparts. Every few weeks there seems to be a new discourse around the artist and how people ‘only rate her music because she is a woman’. To me, this couldn’t be further from the truth, and ‘No Thank You’ is demonstrative of her talents as a lyricist and musician. 

Simz could have been picked for a GRAMMY for any of her previous three projects. ‘GREY Area’ was one of the best Rap albums to come out in 2019, while ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ is arguably her most ambitious project to date. ‘No Thank You’ however sees the artist in her element as she presents a concise album that plays to her strengths. There is a soothing, anthemic quality to the opener, ‘Angel’, featuring regular collaborator Cleo Sol, while the Gospel influence on the hook of ‘Heart On Fire’ makes the track a standout. This LP also features ‘Gorilla’ – a song that could be a defining moment in Simz’s career as she combines elaborate production with one of her best performances to date. This is an artist in the true sense of the word and to me ‘No Thank You’ is the perfect encapsulation of what makes her such a special talent.

Joe

Best Rap Album 2022:

• J. Cole – The Off-Season
• Tyler, the Creator – Call Me If You Get Lost
• Drake – Certified Lover Boy 
• Nas – King’s Disease II
• Kanye West – Donda

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

Lancey Foux – Friend or Foux (2019)

Standout tracks : Ghetto Yout (feat Bakar & Monkey 67), So Pysked, Dream, India

Lancey Foux’s 2019 album ‘Friend or Foux’ is one of the most ambitious takes on modern trap rap glued together by his unapologetically British demeanour.

A pioneer of the UK’s bubbling underground this album to me serves as the official coming out party of that scene. While Lancey was already building momentum in that direction, FOF marked the first time a UK underground artist crossed over to the US. Having built a reputation to that point as sonically wild and experimental there is control to that experimentation that is truly appreciated. He also steps outside of his content comfort zone on songs like “Better Alone” covering topics like losing faith in God and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This project also saw him start to perfect the formula that would lead to his breakthrough hits “Lancey or Lancey” and “Mhmm”.

Thematically impeccable, the storytelling, the sequencing and the journey the album takes you on is on point and deserving of critical recognition.

Jesse

Best Rap Album 2019:

• Mac Miller – Swimming
• Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
• Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
• Pusha T – Daytona
• Travis Scott – Astroworld

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? Yes

Dave – Psychodrama (2019)

Standout tracks : Location (feat. Burna Boy), Black, Lesley (feat. Ruelle) 

One of the best lyricists of our generation, Dave is no stranger to album accolades and praise, and debut album Psychodrama is another selection worthy of winning a Grammy. Released in 2019, the album had major commercial success with tracks such as Location (feat. Burna Boy) and Disaster (feat. J Hus), a window of opportunity to create an artistic and documentary body of work. Taking the creative form of a long therapy session, the project from start to finish hones in on subjects such as mental health, racism and domestic abuse; ‘Black’ provides strong insight into the ever-present white privilege in British society, ‘Streatham’ provides a look into culture and society within London whilst ‘Lesley’ takes form of a storytelling narrative that sensitively talks on the impacts of domestic abuse. This combination of commercial hits and articulate introspective tracks cements ‘Psychodrama’ as one of the best albums of recent years.

Harvey

Best Rap Album 2019:

• Mac Miller – Swimming
• Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
• Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
• Pusha T – Daytona
• Travis Scott – Astroworld

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? Yes

Stormzy – Gang Signs and Prayers (2017)

Standout tracks : Shut Up, Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 (feat. MNEK), Big For Your Boots

A great representative album of Stormzy during his grime-dominant phase, Gang Signs & Prayer stands as one of the great British albums to date. Released in 2017, GS&P is an extremely important body of work, with huge anthems such as ‘Shut Up’ and ‘Big For Your Boots’ assisting grime being acknowledged by the mainstream. Ultimately contributing to the Croydon natives history-making Glastonbury headliner in 2019 with Stormzy being the first black solo artist to headline the festival, this hugely important milestone within the world of music broke down barriers and has influenced a whole new generation of people. Including gospel influenced track Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 (feat. MNEK), Gang Signs and Prayer is a beautiful representation of Black-British culture – another great body of art to come out of the country. 

Harvey

Best Rap Album 2017:

• De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody…
• DJ Khaled – Major Key
• Drake – Views
• Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book
• ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
• Kanye West – The Life of Pablo

Good enough the beat that year’s winner? No

* The album that won that year’s Grammy award