Rhymes: Grammy Nominations Reaction

It's that time of year again. The Grammys are back. Everyone's favorite award show that they pretend to not care about (well okay no one really cares about them, except Kanye)is back for the 54th time. Adele looks to be this year's big winner, but Kanye leads the way with 7 nods (despite the Album of the Year snub).

Bon Iver looks to follow in the footsteps of 2010 indie darlings Arcade Fire. Despite having one of the year's best albums, the Fleet Foxes only got a single nomination in the oft-ignored Best Folk Album category. Good to see the Foo Fighters getting their share of Grammy nods (look for them to possibly upset Adele in AOTY category).

So as we do every year we're gonna take you through each (important) category, on who SHOULD win and who WILL win:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Who SHOULD Win: It's hard to imagine 21 not getting the Grammys most prestigious award, but how many times does this award go to the best album nominated (okay, Arcade Fire's win last year was like the first time this ever happened)? And just because the "Rolling in the Deep" songstress has sold the most albums in 2011, also doesn't mean this is a sure lock. But Adele should win this award because 21 is a phenomenal record, and has had the biggest impact in 2011.

Who WILL Win: With all that I said in the previous post, it still very well could be Adele who brings on the golden phonograph this year. But I am going to say that The Foo Fighter's Wasting Light album has a strong chance to pull the upset. It's no secret that the Grammys love a seasoned rock vet (which is why I'm surprised Paul Simon's critically acclaimed album didnt get a nod). I wouldn't be upset if either of these two deserving artists won this award.

RECORD OF THE YEAR:

Who SHOULD (and WILL) Win: Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" is a lock for this. I would even go as far to say that come 2019, "Rolling in the Deep" will find its way on the top of many best song of the decade list. It's "Hey Ya!" good. I also wouldn't be too upset if Mumford & Sons "The Cave"or Bon Iver's "Holocene" pulled an upset (which almost guaranteed won't happen).

SONG OF THE YEAR:

Who SHOULD (and WILL) Win: Again Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" will win this award, which is awarded to best songwriting for a song. I'd like it if Kanye won this award for "All of the Lights" but I think that should've gotten the Record of the Year nod, and Bon Iver got the Song of the Year nod.

BEST NEW ARTIST:

Who SHOULD Win: Bon Iver, even though Justin Vernon and crew have been releasing music under this name since 2007, the Grammys are late with everything. The very well might win this category but I have a feeling that...

Who WILL Win: The dubstepper Skrillex will win this. For folks who thought I was going to pick the obviously most popular Nicki Minaj, think again. Rappers never win this category (See: 50 Cent, Drake) even when they are the most popular new artist to come out. And for some reason music critics have this weird obsession with that noise people call dubstep.

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE:

Who SHOULD (and WILL) win: I think Dave Grohl and company will take this one home, but it could go to essentially anyone nominated. "Down By the Water" by The Decemberists was one of my favorite songs of 2011, and Radiohead's "Lotus Flower" was the only track on their new album I played after March.

BEST ROCK SONG:

Since I don't really know the difference between this and performance and all the nominees are exactly the same (See: BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE).

BEST ROCK ALBUM:

Who SHOULD (and WILL) Win: Foo Fighters will continue their big night with their genre's biggest award. I could maybe see indie superstars Wilco pulling off an upset here, but I doubt it.

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM:

Who SHOULD (and WILL) Win: It's another great year for this category. Bon Iver will most definitely take home the award that was given to The Black Keys last year. I think Death Cab's album is a close second (but definitely won't win) and My Morning Jacket was pretty great too (they might though). And you can never count out Radiohead, even though King of Limbs pretty much blew.

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE:

Who SHOULD Win: Kanye & Jay-Z's "Otis" is the only track on here that I wouldn't be upset if it were awarded. While "The Show Goes On" was a great single and one of the few tracks that got any burn on that coaster titled LASERS, he openly said that the labels forced him to write that song. And I think if we're going to start awarding labels for doing this, then they will continue to push bullshit music down our throats.

Who WILL Win: Oh, sweet Jesus. For as good of a job as the Grammys do with Rock and Alternative genres (which isn't great, but still pretty good), they still have no idea about rap music. I'm willing to bet Lupe Fiasco will win this award, and fans can kiss goodbye any hopes of him making another album like "Food & Liquor" or "The Cool" ever again.

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION:

Who SHOULD Win: This category is a little bit stronger. I'm going to go with Kanye's "All of the Lights," mainly because I hardly count "I'm On One" as a Rap/Sung track (I guess he sings, sort of, on the hook).

Who WILL Win: Dr. Dre and Marshall's bullshit single to that Detox album that will never be released will most likely win. But Kanye has a chance to win this, as does "I'm On One." I'd be happy if Drake or Kanye won this; anyone else will make me hurl my remote at my tv.

BEST RAP SONG:

Who SHOULD Win: Again, not sure what the difference between this and BEST RAP PERFORMANCE is, but I'm going with "Otis" to slight out "All of the Lights."

Who WILL Win: It will probably go to Lupe or that Dr. Dre/Eminem mess. Either way I will be upset.

BEST RAP ALBUM:

Who SHOULD (and WILL) Win: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Period. This album was awarded PERFECT scores from MANY music publications. It somehow got snubbed in the AOTY category (but Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Gaga got nods?), but there's no way in hell people choose any of the other garbage (not including WTT) albums over Kanye's.

Rhymes: #8 Greatest Album of All Time: Radiohead "In Rainbows"

This album was released out of nowhere on October 10, 2007 digitally. Thom and the boys didn't inform the public that they had finished their first album in 4 years until a week before its release. And after that the internet went NUTS. Everywhere I looked I saw nothing but Radiohead this and Radiohead that. Up until that all I knew about Radiohead was that Kanye,Lupe,&Pharell rapped over a song by the lead singer of the band and they did a cameo on South Park.

But on October 12 (My birthday), that all changed. Curiousity got the best of me, I donwloaded the album for free, and it was...different. It was so unlike any music I had ever heard, it was short so I listened to it again, then again, then I finally got it. In Rainbows is the most beautiful album I've ever heard. It is a Pablo Picasso painting in form of a ten track album.

After loving In Rainbows, I went out and bought 2 other Radiohead albums that also appear on this list (Ok Computer and Kid A), and Thom and the boys became my favorite band.

Here's footage of my first ever concert...

Rhymes: #20-11 Greatest Albums of All Time

#20) Common - Resurrection
What this album means to me: I bought this album in Tower Records during my freshman trip to Chicago. This album includes one of the best songs I've ever heard, "I Used to Love H.E.R." With excellent production from No I.D., Com gave 1994 the second best album of that year.
Best 3 consecutive Songs: Resurrection, I Used to Love H.E.R., Watermellon

#19) Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
What this album means to me: Raekwon,Ghostface,and RZA all come together to deliever the best album from the WU with Cuban Linx. A perfect summer vibe album which occupied most of my summer 2006, when I first got this album.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Wu Gambinos, Heaven & Hell, North Star

#18) Outkast - Aquemini
What this album means to me: Arguably 'Kast's best album, and the peak of Andre 3000's lyrical ability. It took me a while to appriciate this album because it was so much different than ATLiens, but during the fall 2008, it finally grew on me.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Skew it on the Bar-B, Aquemini, Synthesizer

#17) Radiohead - OK Computer
What this album means to me: Critically acclaimed, and considered one of the 90s best offerings, there is little to be said about OK Computer that hasn't already been said. I bought this album in the height of my Radiohead obsession which took part from the fall of 07 to the summer 08. I bought this a couple months after I had gotten Kid A, which I didnt like much at the time.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Exit Music (For a Film), Let Down, Karma Police

#16) Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens
What this album means to me: Two no names put together one of the best debut albums in the decade. After being constantly praised on Okayplayer.com, I decided to give it a chance, I downloaded the Advance version of the album. Initially I thought the album was ok, but was overrated. Then I realized the version of the album I had was not the retail version, so I downloaded it again, and the sequencing and removal of two songs turned a good album into a classic. Blu is witty, funny, clever, personal, and insightful in his 2007 debut. Many of his songs helped me through my senior year in high school.
Best 3 consecutive Songs: First Things First, No Greater Love, Show Me the Good Life

#15) Common - Be
What this album means to me: This is the quitesential summer album. Summer 2005 this album did not leave my CD player. I've played this album front to back so many times, the vibes are incredible. Kanye and J Dilla laid the perfect landscape for the summer and Common knocked it out the park from the intro to Its Your World.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Love Is..., Chi-City, The Food (Live)

#14) Nas - Stillmatic
What this album means to me: This album, known to many as his come back album,was my introduction to Nas. I didnt actually get this album until 2005, but One Mic was the first song I've ever heard from Mr. Jones, and he is definitely in my top 5 emcees.
Best 3 consecutive songs: My Country, What Goes Around (Poison), Every Ghetto

#13) Outkast - ATLiens
What this album means to me: I got this album during the final days of my junior year, and played it constantly throughout the summer. One of my favorite intros ever "You May Die" is as beautiful as the first day of summer and the last song on the album, "13th Floor/ Growing Old" Feels like the last day of summer.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Millenium, E.T., 13th Floor/Growing Old

#12) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
What this album means to me: This 5 track album is easily the most coheisive album on this list, where the 5 tracks feel more like one. This is my favorite album from Pink Floyd, who is my favorite band from the 70s. Also the title track is probably one of my favorite rock songs of all time.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts iv-ix)

#11) Royce Da 5'9" - Death is Certain
What this album means to me: This album dominated my freshman year of high school, which I guess you call the height of my teen age aingst. This album is so dark and personal, Detroit's best emcee was severly depressed during the writing of this album, which he recorded in the very late nights, which kind of sets the dark mood for the record. With most of the production handled by 6 July, who worked with Biggie during his Life After Death album, its evident Royce was almost channelling Big and Pac during this ominous album. This also is one of the best sequenced and coheisive albums I have ever heard.
Best 3 consecutive songs: Everybody Goes, Death is Certain Pt 2 (It Hurts), Somethings Wrong With Him