3 Rap Grammy Award Winners From 2003 Who We Still Stan

While the first rap category was created for the Grammy Awards in 1989, both the genre and the pageant’s coverage of it grew rather quickly. By 2003, nearly 15 years later, there was a slew of artists taking home trophies during music’s glitziest night.

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Below, we wanted to highlight three of those big-name songwriters and performers. As rap was entering its fourth decade on the planet, these stars were doing it the best. Indeed, these are three rap Grammy Award-winners from 2003 we still stan.

Missy Elliott

The Portsmouth, Virginia-born rapper Missy Elliott has been a part of many firsts. But perhaps the most significant in her career was being the first-ever female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, just a few years ago. Elliott earned that recognition, in part, for her many trophies, including the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, which she received for her track, “Scream A.K.A. Itchin’”. Missy, who has changed the way people view rappers through her eye-popping videos and creative lyrics, deserves all the flowers.

Nelly

Some people just have it, and Nelly has always been one of those people. At the turn of the 21st century, Nelly was as successful as any rapper in the game. There was just something about him that was so appealing to mass audiences. Maybe it was his southern drawl, maybe it was the fact that he rapped over acoustic guitars and often brought in relatable schoolyard rhymes to his lyrics. Or maybe he was just a generational talent. Either way, in 2003, Nelly took home the Grammy for Best Male Rap Solo Performance for the track, “Hot In Herre”. He also won the trophy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for his song “Dilemma” featuring Kelly Rowland

OutKast

The winners of the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2003 show went to the Atlanta-born rap duo OutKast for their song, “The Whole World”, featuring Killer Mike. OutKast was the first group that made rap fans consider the South as a viable mainstream hotbed for hip-hop—indeed, they paved the way for the other artists on this list. And in 2003, they added to their overflowing bouquet of accolades for their efforts.

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