Hip Hop Awards ‘20: Albums That Went From CD Of The Year To Grammy Wins
Since the Hip Hop Awards were created, the annual award show has remained one of the few spaces where the most trailblazing rappers and promising stars who carry the culture forward are recognized. It’s a moment for the community to come together, celebrate and uplift one another all while still having a good time. Besides the legendary cyphers, the audience loves to see that moment when their favorite MC takes home the big awards of the night.
Awards have always been regarded as a testament of one’s impact on the culture for both the old and new guard. The ones who take home the gold are usually those artists who continue to rewrite the rules while pushing the culture forward and receiving an honor from BET only leads to additional greatness. Here are three artists who won BET’s Hip Hop Awards’ CD of the Year who then went on to consecutively win Grammy Awards.
Lil Wayne for Tha Carter III in 2008
Back in 2008, Lil Wayne released one of the third installment of his Carter album series, Tha Carter III. Selling more than a million copies in its first week, the record was the best-selling album of the year and eventually went triple platinum. It was definitely a landmark moment for not only Weezy but the culture. At the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards, the New Orleans icon swept the night, taking home the CD of the Year, MVP of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, Track of the Year and more, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. A few months later, Weezy dominated at the 2009 Grammy Awards where he took home four awards, including Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song.
Kanye West for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2011
Despite his recent polarizing public outbursts, no one can deny Kanye West’s impact on rap. The Chicago native has been the mastermind behind some of the culture’s most acclaimed records. Look no further than his own My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Released nearly a decade ago, West successfully mounted hip-hop's greatest comeback stories after the Taylor Swift debacle at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and shifted the culture yet again. Upon its release, the album was met with near-universal acclaim and has continued to be held up as one of his most definitive creative works. It won CD of the Year at the 2011 Hip Hop Awards. When the 54st annual Grammys rolled around, West took home awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
Kendrick Lamar for DAMN in 2017
In 2012, Kendrick Lamar launched himself into the mainstream’s consciousness with his major label debut, Good Kid M.A.A.D City. In the years following, the Compton MC has continued to release one critically acclaimed project after another. In less than a decade since the release, Kendrick Lamar cemented his legacy as one of hip hop’s most revered lyricists. If he wasn’t considered one already, Lamar was rendered an icon with the release of his universally-acclaimed DAMN. And its title pretty aptly sums up the magnitude of its 2017 arrival. It won CD of the Year at the 2017 Hip Hop Awards which was a precursor for even more success to come at the 2018 Grammys where he took home Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and more. He solidified his spot in history after his fourth studio opus received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Music award that same year. It marked the first time a non-jazz or classical work was honored with that accolade.
The 2020 Hip Hop Awards will air on BET October 27 at 8/9c.
