Essence_USA__February_2018

2018
SOUND OFF
SEE OUR
EXPERTS’ PICKS!
There’s been an increase in
diversity among Grammy
nominees. We asked these
bawse women in music
for their opinion on who
will take home
the statue.
Record of the Year
“Redbone” (Childish
Gambino); “Despacito” (Luis
Fonsi & Daddy Yankee);
“The Story of O.J.” (Jay-Z);
“Humble.” (Kendrick Lamar);
“24K Magic” (Bruno Mars)
Album of the Year
Awaken, My Love! (Childish
Gambino); 4:44 (Jay-Z);
DAMN. (Kendrick Lamar);
Melodrama (Lorde); 24K
Magic (Bruno Mars)
Best New Artist
Alessia Cara
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA
Best R&B Album
Freudian (Daniel Caesar);
Let Love Rule (Ledisi);
24K Magic (Bruno Mars);
Gumbo (PJ Morton); Feel
the Real (Musiq Soulchild)
Best Rap Album
4:44 (Jay-Z); DAMN.
(Kendrick Lamar); Culture
(Migos); Laila’s Wisdom
(Rapsody); Flower Boy
(Tyler, The Creator)
Missy
Elliott
Manushka
Magloire,
director of
community
affairs at
Afropunk
24K MAGIC
“He’s an amazing
performer and I’m
a big fan.”
MELODRAMA
“They’ll give it to
Lorde—she has a
great voice—but
Kendrick’s DAMN.
should win.”
Mjeema
Pickett,
global head
of R&B and
soul at
Spotify
KHALID
“He just burst onto
the scene. His
voice is so textured.
I literally feel him
as he sings.”
LET LOVE RULE
“Bruno Mars has
such crossover
appeal, but I hope
Ledisi wins.”
CULTURE
“Migos dominated
pop culture. To the
industry, ‘Bad and
Boujee’ is what rap
represents.”
Forever Supa Dupa Fly:
Missy Elliott BY ALIYA S. KING
ack in 1997, women in hip-hop were either
B eye candy or too-cool-for-school ciphers. But
when she released her debut album, Supa Dupa
Fly, Missy Elliott refused to follow the rules. On
January 25, in recognition of her game-changing g
creativity, ESSENCE honors Elliott at 2018’s
Black Women in Music event with performances
by Grammy-nominated artist Rapsody and Leikeli47.
For more on Missy Elliott, go to ESSENCE.com.
24K MAGIC
“The musicianship
and
artistry are
impeccable.”
24K MAGIC
“The album is
an amazing
moment in
music.”
SZA and
KHALID
“It’s a toss-up for
me. They both
had a wonderful
year.”
24K MAGIC
“Bruno’s album is
a monster, from
front to back.”
DAMN.
“I’m going with
Kendrick: The
production, the
lyrics—it’s an
incredible album.”
Thea Mitchem,
EVP of
programming
at iHeart Radio,
Northeast,
and program
director at
NYC’s Power
105.1 FM
DESPACITO
“Everyone
played it—it
was the song of
the summer.”
DAMN.
“Hands down
he had one
of the best
albums of
2017.”
LIL UZI VERT
“It should go to
Uzi, but he may
be too underground
for the
academy.”
24K MAGIC
“It was retro;
it was Prince,
Shai.... Bruno
should get it.”
DAMN.
“I’m going
with Kendrick,
but Migos
is a huge
runner-up.”
ICON TO
ICON
Before music’s big night,
Clive Davis will present
the 2018 Grammy Salute
to Industry Icons
award to Jay-Z
at the storied
Pre–Grammy
Shawn “Jay-Z”
Carter and
Clive Davis
Gala, cohosted
by the
Recording
Academy.
EXPERTS COURTESY OF SUBJECTS. RECORD OF THE YEAR FROM LEFT: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES FOR NARAS; KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES; GILBERT CARRASQUILLO/FILMMAGIC.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: COURTESY OF LABEL. BEST NEW ARTIST FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF LABEL; DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES FOR FENTY PUMA; JUSTIN LLOYD/NEWSPIX/GETTY IMAGES;
PRINCE WILLIAMS/WIREIMAGE. BEST R&B ALBUM: GILBERT CARRASQUILLO/FILMMAGIC; PARAS GRIFFIN/GETTY IMAGES; COURTESY OF LABEL. BEST RAP ALBUM: BENNETT RAGLIN/GETTY IMAGES
FOR BET; COURTESY OF LABEL; STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE. MISSY ELLIOTT: JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES FOR KITTY PURRY, INC. JAY-Z AND CLIVE DAVIS, KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE.
54 ESSENCE.COM FEBRUARY 2018