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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Rap Album.

30 ceremonies, 1996–2025. 18 different winners. The longest run belongs to Eminem, with 2 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Doechii in 2025 for Alligator Bites Never Heal.
Who has won the most?
Eminem, 6 wins (2000, 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2015).
  1. Alligator Bites Never HealDoechii
  2. MichaelKiller Mike
  3. Mr. Morale & the Big SteppersKendrick Lamar
  4. Call Me If You Get LostTyler, the Creator
  5. King's DiseaseNas
  6. IgorTyler, the Creator
Years explored
1996–2025
Different winners
18
Category leader
Eminem · 6
About this record

Best Rap Album was first awarded in 1996, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

2000–2025

26 ceremonies

19962025

01 / The reigns

Eminem set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 2000–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    Eminem6 wins
  2. 02
    Kanye West4 wins
  3. Kendrick Lamar at the 2018 Pulitzer Prize ceremony03
    Kendrick Lamar3 wins
  4. 04
    OutKast2 wins
  5. 05
    Tyler, the Creator2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Eminem'00–'01×2
OutKast'02
Eminem'03
OutKast'04
Kanye West'05–'06×2
Ludacris'07
Kanye West'08
Lil Wayne'09
Eminem'10–'11×2
Kanye West'12
Drake'13
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis'14
Eminem'15
Kendrick Lamar'16
Chance the Rapper'17
Kendrick Lamar'18
Cardi B'19
Tyler, the Creator'20
Nas'21
Tyler, the Creator'22
Kendrick Lamar'23
Killer Mike'24
Doechii'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Independent leads the recorded label credits with 7 wins, 2000–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Independent7 wins
Universal7 wins
Roc-A-Fella4 wins
Sony4 wins
DTP1 win
pgLang1 win
Wins by label
  1. Independent727%
  2. Universal727%
  3. Roc-A-Fella415%
  4. Sony415%
  5. DTP14%
  6. pgLang14%
  7. Other28%

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Jay-Z
    9 noms
  2. 02
    The Roots
    5 noms
  3. 03
    Common
    4 noms
  4. 04
    Lupe Fiasco
    4 noms
  5. 05
    J. Cole
    3 noms
  6. 06
    Missy Elliott
    3 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Jay-Z
    9L · 0W
  2. 02
    Nas
    6L · 1W
  3. 03
    Drake
    5L · 1W
  4. 04
    The Roots
    5L · 0W
  5. 05
    Common
    4L · 0W
  6. 06
    Lupe Fiasco
    4L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2025Doechii (Alligator Bites Never Heal)
beat 4 others
  • Common and Pete Rock (The Auditorium Vol. 1)
  • Eminem (The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce))
  • J. Cole (Might Delete Later)
  • Future and Metro Boomin (We Don't Trust You)
Top Dawg/Capitol
2024Killer Mike (Michael)
beat 4 others
  • Drake and 21 Savage (Her Loss)
  • Metro Boomin (Heroes & Villains)
  • Nas (King's Disease III)
  • Travis Scott (Utopia)
Loma Vista
2023Kendrick Lamar (Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers)
beat 4 others
  • Jack Harlow (Come Home the Kids Miss You)
  • DJ Khaled (God Did)
  • Future (I Never Liked You)
  • Pusha T (It's Almost Dry)
pgLang/Top Dawg/Interscope
2022Tyler, the Creator (Call Me If You Get Lost)
beat 4 others
  • Drake (Certified Lover Boy)
  • Kanye West (Donda)
  • Nas (King's Disease II)
  • J. Cole (The Off-Season)
Columbia
2021Nas (King's Disease)
beat 4 others
  • Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist (Alfredo)
  • Royce Da 5'9" (The Allegory)
  • D Smoke (Black Habits)
  • Jay Electronica (A Written Testimony)
Mass Appeal
2020Tyler, the Creator (Igor)
beat 4 others
  • Meek Mill (Championships)
  • 21 Savage (I Am > I Was)
  • Cordae (The Lost Boy)
  • Dreamville (Revenge of the Dreamers III)
Columbia
2019Cardi B (Invasion of Privacy)
beat 4 others
  • Travis Scott (Astroworld)
  • Pusha T (Daytona)
  • Mac Miller (Swimming)
  • Nipsey Hussle (Victory Lap)
Atlantic
2018Kendrick Lamar (DAMN.)
beat 4 others
  • Jay-Z (4:44)
  • Migos (Culture)
  • Tyler, the Creator (Flower Boy)
  • Rapsody (Laila's Wisdom)
Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope
2017Chance the Rapper (Coloring Book)
beat 5 others
  • De La Soul (And the Anonymous Nobody...)
  • ScHoolboy Q (Blank Face LP)
  • Kanye West (The Life of Pablo)
  • DJ Khaled (Major Key)
  • Drake (Views)
Independent
2016Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp a Butterfly)
beat 4 others
  • J. Cole (2014 Forest Hills Drive)
  • Dr. Dre (Compton)
  • Drake (If You're Reading This It's Too Late)
  • Nicki Minaj (The Pinkprint)
Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope
2015Eminem (The Marshall Mathers LP 2)
beat 5 others
  • Childish Gambino (Because the Internet)
  • Wiz Khalifa (Blacc Hollywood)
  • Iggy Azalea (The New Classic)
  • Common (Nobody's Smiling)
  • ScHoolboy Q (Oxymoron)
Aftermath/Shady/Interscope
2014Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (The Heist)
beat 4 others
  • Kendrick Lamar (Good Kid, M.A.A.D City)
  • Jay-Z (Magna Carta Holy Grail)
  • Drake (Nothing Was the Same)
  • Kanye West (Yeezus)
Macklemore LLC
2013Drake (Take Care)
beat 5 others
  • 2 Chainz (Based on a T.R.U. Story)
  • Lupe Fiasco (Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1)
  • Rick Ross (God Forgives, I Don't)
  • Nas (Life Is Good)
  • The Roots (Undun)
Young Money/Cash Money/Republic
2012Kanye West (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)
beat 4 others
  • Lupe Fiasco (Lasers)
  • Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday)
  • Lil Wayne (Tha Carter IV)
  • Jay-Z and Kanye West (Watch the Throne)
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
2011Eminem (Recovery)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Jay-Z (The Blueprint 3)
  • B.o.B (B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray)
  • The Roots (How I Got Over)
  • Drake (Thank Me Later)
Aftermath/Shady/Interscope
2010Eminem (Relapse)
beat 4 others
  • Mos Def (The Ecstatic)
  • Q-Tip (The Renaissance)
  • Flo Rida (R.O.O.T.S.)
  • Common (Universal Mind Control)
Aftermath/Shady/Interscope
2009Lil Wayne (Tha Carter III)
beat 4 others
  • Jay-Z (American Gangster)
  • Lupe Fiasco (Lupe Fiasco's The Cool)
  • T.I. (Paper Trail)
  • Nas (Untitled)
Cash Money/Universal Motown
2008Kanye West (Graduation)
beat 4 others
  • Common (Finding Forever)
  • Nas (Hip-Hop Is Dead)
  • Jay-Z (Kingdom Come)
  • T.I. (T.I. vs. T.I.P.)
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
2007Ludacris (Release Therapy)
beat 4 others
  • The Roots (Game Theory)
  • Pharrell (In My Mind)
  • T.I. (King)
  • Lupe Fiasco (Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor)
DTP/Def Jam
2006Kanye West (Late Registration)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Common (Be)
  • Missy Elliott (The Cookbook)
  • Eminem (Encore)
  • 50 Cent (The Massacre)
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
2005Kanye West (The College Dropout)
beat 4 others
  • Jay-Z (The Black Album)
  • LL Cool J (The DEFinition)
  • Nelly (Suit)
  • Beastie Boys (To the 5 Boroughs)
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
2004OutKast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below)
beat 4 others
  • Jay-Z (The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse)
  • 50 Cent (Get Rich or Die Tryin')
  • The Roots (Phrenology)
  • Missy Elliott (Under Construction)
LaFace/Arista
2003Eminem (The Eminem Show)
beat 4 others
  • Petey Pablo (Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry)
  • Nelly (Nellyville)
  • Mystikal (Tarantula)
  • Ludacris (Word of Mouf)
Aftermath/Shady/Interscope
2002OutKast (Stankonia)
beat 4 others
  • Ludacris (Back for the First Time)
  • Jay-Z (The Blueprint)
  • Ja Rule (Pain Is Love)
  • Eve (Scorpion)
LaFace/Arista
2001Eminem (The Marshall Mathers LP)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Dr. Dre (2001)
  • Nelly (Country Grammar)
  • DMX (...And Then There Was X)
  • Jay-Z (Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter)
Aftermath/Interscope
2000Eminem (The Slim Shady LP)
beat 4 others
  • Missy Elliott (Da Real World)
  • Busta Rhymes (E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front)
  • Nas (I Am...)
  • The Roots (Things Fall Apart)
Aftermath/Interscope