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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Rap Performance.

14 ceremonies, 2012–2025. 10 different winners. The longest run belongs to Jay-Z and Kanye West, with 2 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Kendrick Lamar in 2025 for Not Like Us.
Who has won the most?
Kendrick Lamar, 5 wins (2015, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2025).
  1. Not Like UsKendrick Lamar
  2. Scientists & EngineersKiller Mike featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane
  3. The Heart Part 5Kendrick Lamar
  4. Family TiesBaby Keem and Kendrick Lamar
  5. SavageMegan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
  6. Racks in the MiddleNipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy
Years explored
2012–2025
Different winners
10
Category leader
Kendrick Lamar · 5
About this record

Best Rap Performance was first awarded in 2012, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

An earlier award of the same name ran in 1989 and 1990, before the solo and duo or group split.

It took over from Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

2012–2025

14 ceremonies

20122025

01 / The reigns

Jay-Z and Kanye West set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 2012–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. Kendrick Lamar at the 2018 Pulitzer Prize ceremony01
    Kendrick Lamar5 wins
  2. 02
    Jay-Z and Kanye West2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Jay-Z and Kanye West'12–'13×2
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz'14
Kendrick Lamar'15–'16×2
Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz'17
Kendrick Lamar'18
Anderson .Paak'19
Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy'20
Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé'21
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar'22
Kendrick Lamar'23
Scientists & Engineers'24
Kendrick Lamar'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Independent leads the recorded label credits with 3 wins, 2012–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Independent3 wins
PGLang2 wins
Roc-A-Fella2 wins
Universal2 wins
All Money In1 win
Ivan Rosenburg1 win
Wins by label
  1. Independent323%
  2. PGLang215%
  3. Roc-A-Fella215%
  4. Universal215%
  5. All Money In18%
  6. Ivan Rosenburg18%
  7. Other215%

1 further win has no label on record and is not counted in the 13 above.

1 of these 14 wins has no label on record, so the chart covers the other 13.

03 / The near misses

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

Counting nominations in this category only, 2012–2025.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Cardi B
    4 noms
  2. 02
    Drake
    4 noms
  3. 03
    DaBaby
    2 noms
  4. 04
    Eminem
    2 noms
  5. 05
    J. Cole
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Jay-Z
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Cardi B
    4L · 0W
  2. 02
    Drake
    4L · 0W
  3. 03
    DaBaby
    2L · 0W
  4. 04
    Eminem
    2L · 0W
  5. 05
    J. Cole
    2L · 0W
  6. 06
    Jay-Z
    2L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2012–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2025Kendrick Lamar (Not Like Us)
beat 5 others
  • Cardi B (Enough (Miami))
  • Common and Pete Rock featuring Posdnuos (When the Sun Shines Again)
  • Doechii (Nissan Altima)
  • Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar (Like That)
  • GloRilla (Yeah Glo!)
Interscope
2024Killer Mike featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane (Scientists & Engineers)
beat 4 others
  • Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar (The Hillbillies)
  • Black Thought (Love Letter)
  • Drake and 21 Savage (Rich Flex)
  • Coi Leray (Players)
VLNS/Loma Vista
2023Kendrick Lamar (The Heart Part 5)
beat 4 others
  • DJ Khaled featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy (God Did)
  • Doja Cat (Vegas)
  • Gunna and Future featuring Young Thug (Pushin P)
  • Hitkidd and GloRilla (F.N.F. (Let's Go))
PGLang/TDE
2022Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar (Family Ties)
beat 4 others
  • Cardi B (Up)
  • J. Cole featuring 21 Savage and Morray (My Life)
  • Drake featuring Future and Young Thug (Way 2 Sexy)
  • Megan Thee Stallion (Thot Shit)
PGLang/Columbia
2021Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (Savage)
beat 5 others
  • Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hussle (Deep Reverence)
  • DaBaby (BOP)
  • Jack Harlow (Whats Poppin)
  • Lil Baby (The Bigger Picture)
  • Pop Smoke (Dior)
1501 Certified
2020Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy (Racks in the Middle)
beat 4 others
  • J. Cole (Middle Child)
  • DaBaby (Suge)
  • Dreamville featuring JID, Bas, J. Cole, EarthGang and Young Nudy (Down Bad)
  • Offset featuring Cardi B (Clout)
All Money In/Atlantic
2019Anderson .Paak (Bubblin')tieKendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake (King's Dead)
beat 3 others
  • Cardi B (Be Careful)
  • Drake (Nice for What)
  • Travis Scott, Drake, Swae Lee and Big Hawk (Sicko Mode)
Unknown
2018Kendrick Lamar (Humble.)
beat 4 others
  • Big Sean (Bounce Back)
  • Cardi B (Bodak Yellow)
  • Jay-Z (4:44)
  • Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert (Bad and Boujee)
Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath
2017Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz (No Problem)
beat 4 others
  • Desiigner (Panda)
  • Drake featuring The Throne (Pop Style)
  • Fat Joe and Remy Ma featuring French Montana and Infared (All the Way Up)
  • ScHoolboy Q featuring Kanye West (That Part)
Ivan Rosenburg/Conor Szymanski
2016Kendrick Lamar (Alright)repeat
beat 5 others
  • J. Cole (Apparently)
  • Drake (Back to Back)
  • Fetty Wap (Trap Queen)
  • Nicki Minaj featuring Drake and Lil Wayne (Truffle Butter)
  • Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney (All Day)
Top Dawg/Aftermath
2015Kendrick Lamar (I)
beat 4 others
  • Childish Gambino (3005)
  • Drake (0 to 100 / The Catch Up)
  • Eminem (Rap God)
  • Lecrae (All I Need Is You)
TDE/Aftermath
2014Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz (Thrift Shop)
beat 4 others
  • Drake (Started from the Bottom)
  • Eminem (Berzerk)
  • Jay-Z (Tom Ford)
  • Kendrick Lamar (Swimming Pools (Drank))
Macklemore LLC
2013Jay-Z and Kanye West (Niggas in Paris)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Drake featuring Lil Wayne (HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right))
  • Nas (Daughters)
  • Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz (Mercy)
  • Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z and André 3000 (I Do)
Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation
2012Jay-Z and Kanye West (Otis)
beat 4 others
  • Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes (Look at Me Now)
  • Lupe Fiasco (The Show Goes On)
  • Nicki Minaj featuring Drake (Moment 4 Life)
  • Wiz Khalifa (Black and Yellow)
Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation