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NIpsey Hussle

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Nipsey Hussle 2020 GRAMMY Tribute To Feature John Legend, Kirk Franklin, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill & More

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Live from STAPLES Center, and hosted by Alicia Keys, the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on CBS, Sunday, Jan. 26
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Jan 21, 2020 - 6:30 am

The Recording Academy has announced an all-star tribute to the late, GRAMMY-nominated Nipsey Hussle to take place on the 62nd GRAMMY Awards.

Set to pay posthumous honor to the current three-time GRAMMY nominee are Kirk Franklin, DJ Khaled, John Legend, Meek Mill, Roddy Ricch and YG.

"An activist, entrepreneur and rapper, Nipsey Hussle had a lasting impact on not just his community, but also the culture at large," said Ken Ehrlich, GRAMMY Awards executive producer. "There is no denying the influence he had and his legacy will be felt for generations to come. We are honored to bring together this amazing group of artists to celebrate Nipsey's life and pay tribute to his many contributions to music. It's sure to be a memorable performance."

Live from STAPLES Center, and hosted by Alicia Keys, the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on CBS, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. The artists announced today join previously announced performers Aerosmith; Camila Cabello; Billie Eilish; Ariana Grande; H.E.R.; Jonas Brothers; Lizzo; Demi Lovato; Rosalía; Run-D.M.C; Blake Shelton; Gwen Stefani; Tyler, The Creator and Charlie Wilson.

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DJ Khaled - Nipsey Hussle - John Legend - GRAMMYs 2020

DJ Khaled, Samantha Smith and John Legend

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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DJ Khaled, Nipsey Hussle And John Legend Win Best Rap/Sung Performance For "Higher" | 2020 GRAMMYs

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DJ Khaled, Nipsey Hussle and John Legend take home Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jan 26, 2020 - 8:05 pm

DJ Khaled, featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend, has won Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher" at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards. The single was featured on DJ Khaled's 2019 album Father of Asahd and featured Hussle's vocals and Legend on the piano. DJ Khaled predicted the track would win a GRAMMY.

"I even told him, 'We're going to win a GRAMMY.' Because that's how I feel about my album," DJ Khaled told Billboard. "I really feel like not only is this my biggest, this is very special."

After the release of the song and music video -- which was filmed before Hussle's death in March -- DJ Khaled announced all proceeds from "Higher" will go to Hussle's children.

"Higher" Wins Best Rap/Sung Performance

DJ Khaled and co. beat out fellow category nominees Lil Baby & Gunna ("Drip Too Hard"), Lil Nas X ("Panini"), Mustard featuring Roddy Ricch ("Ballin") and Young Thug featuring J. Cole & Travis Scott ("The London"). Hussle earned a second posthumous award at the 62nd GRAMMYs for Best Rap Performance for "Racks In The Middle." 

Along with Legend and DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Kirk Franklin, Roddy Ricch and YG paid tribute to Hussle during the telecast, which concluded with "Higher."

Check out the complete 62nd GRAMMY Awards nominees and winners list here.

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Hit-Boy

Hit-Boy

John Shearer/Getty Image

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Nipsey Hussle, Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy Win Best Rap Performance For "Racks In The Middle" | 2020 GRAMMYs

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The late L.A. legend earns his first GRAMMY win for Best Rap Performance at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 26, 2020 - 2:55 pm

Nipsey Hussle, Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy win Best Rap Performance for "Racks In The Middle" at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards. This marks both Hussle and Ricch's first GRAMMY wins, which Hussle earns posthumously. It is producer Hit-Boy's second career GRAMMY.

In a moving, tearful moment, Hussle's family accepted his gramophone.

"Racks In The Middle" bested fellow nominees J. Cole, DaBaby, Dreamville with J.I.D., Bas, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy and Offset with Cardi B.

Check out all the complete nominees and winners list here.

Behind The Board: Hit-Boy On Working With Beyoncé & How He Was Born Into Music

How Nipsey Hussle Transcended Hip-Hop, Starting In The Los Angeles Streets

Lil Nas X performs at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Lil Nas X performs at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

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Go Behind The Scenes Of Lil Nas X's 2020 GRAMMY Performance With Stage Designer Jed Skrzypczak

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The New York-based stage designer reveals how the set for Lil Nas X's groundbreaking performance was created
Onaje McDowelle
GRAMMYs
Jan 30, 2020 - 11:18 am

At the 62nd GRAMMY Awards last week (Sunday, Jan. 26), Lil Nas X's performance began with a close-up shot of the artist on a living room couch. The 20-year-old Atlanta native was dressed from head to toe in a metallic two-piece and an equally sparkly black cowboy hat to match. Above him on the room's walls sat framed 2019 issues of Billboard, Variety and Time, respectively, each with Lil Nas X on their covers. The classic animated series "Chowder" and the inspiration behind the hook of the singer's 2019 hit, "Panini," played inaudibly on a TV set behind the artist. To his left was a chair with a purple and gold #24 jersey draped over it, in memory of late NBA hero Kobe Bryant who died earlier that day. As he strummed his guitar and belted out the opening chorus of his GRAMMY-winning single "Old Town Road," the stage began to revolve.

Lil Nas X, BTS & More Perform "Old Town Road"

Jed Skrzypczak is a visual artist and stage designer who has worked alongside artists like A$AP Rocky, Charli XCX and FENTY, among others, leading creative direction on overall brand identity, live show design, experiential and interior design. After being recruited to produce a futuristic "Panini" set for Lil Nas X's appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last September, Skrzypczak was asked to join the artist once again for his star-studded performance on Music's Biggest Night. 

As the stage turned and Lil Nas X entered each new room along its circumference, the set revealed fresh dystopias. K-pop supergroup BTS gathered in a futuristic cityscape while Diplo and viral sensation Mason Ramsey joined Lil Nas X in a barn decked out with glittery-pink walls, cattle skulls and "dead or alive" Diplo posters.

"I presented a few performance ideas to Lil Nas, and he liked the diorama room concept, which was the most theatrical and unique," Skrzypczak tells The Recording Academy. "The challenge was creating multiple distinct spaces onstage, while taking both live and broadcast audiences on a journey through them. We then came up with the idea of using a rotating set, which ended up working perfectly." 

"Lil Nas is a very online persona," Skrzypczak explained about the vision behind the show's hidden motifs. "He's all about memes and with his young fans that's part of their lives. So from the beginning when we started working on the performance, we were kind of thinking about how we can sort of translate that into stage performance. That's why throughout the show, there are lots of small bits like this."

Read: Lil Nas X, BTS & Billy Ray Cyrus Enter The "Old Town Road" Multiverse At The 2020 GRAMMYs

Skrzypczak says that working with Lil Nas X to bring the story of his meteoric rise to life was a treat within itself, and that ideas for creating each room on the revolving stage came about organically between the two. The idea of having a gigantic green skull wearing a cowboy hat in one room, for example, came from Lil Nas X's desire to have a moment in the show that was cool and artistic while also true to rap music. The Kobe Bryant jersey sitting just to the left of Lil Nas X in the show's opening shot? That was a last-minute addition that Skrzypczak and Lil Nas X agreed to put onstage as a small gesture paying homage to the NBA star.

"Working with Lil Nas was a really amazing experience because he is really hands-on and he has so many great ideas," Skrzypczak said. "Even though he is so young, he is a really clever guy and he knows what he wants… He also wants to make sure that every artist gets their own part and is involved and [gets] credit for it. He created a really amazing atmosphere, so it was a pleasure to work with him and everybody involved."

Lil Nas X performs at 2020 GRAMMYs

In his approach to the show, Skrzypczak was heavy on the details. The team built a special mini tractor for Ramsey so that he could have his own moment within the performance. The stage's revolutions lead to appearances by Billy Ray Cyrus and legendary rapper Nas, who joined Lil Nas X for "Rodeo," concluding the performance with surprise fireworks. 

Even if audience members or viewers at home may not notice, Skrzypczak says that creating layered meaning behind what you see onstage is key to helping create the stories that artists want to tell through their performances. 

"For me, that's one of the most important parts for the artist and their fans because that's where they get to experience it in person," he said. "I always try to make sure their experience exceeds their expectations and also shows how amazing the artist is. That's when the artist gives the most to their fans."

Lil Nas X and BTS perform at 2020 GRAMMYs

There are rarely moving stages that can also cater to as many artists at once the way that Skrzypczak's dynamic set did.

Read: 10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

"This project [was] the most challenging and amazing at the same time," he said, "the amount of people involved with it and also how different the idea originally was. When we were first presenting the idea to the GRAMMYs, I thought they would say no because of the intricate design and multiple moving elements." 

Diplo, Lil Nas X and Mason Ramsey perform 2020 GRAMMYs

Making an already-complex stage design fit his and Lil Nas X's standards as a live broadcast was not an easy task, but the risk paid off in the end. 

"It's always important to know how the show and all of its elements are going to translate on camera," Skrzypczak explained. "If it's going to be visible, if it's going to be nicely shot, what kind of background there is—that was one of the big challenges because the set had so many different elements, so many different artists at the same time, and it was all revolving as well. My thinking the whole time was, 'Is this going to translate well for the cameras?'"

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Winners List

Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Photo: Rachel Luna/FilmMagic/Getty Images

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Meet Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish & More GRAMMY 2020 Winners Backstage

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Watch 2020 GRAMMY winners FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello and Cage The Elephant talk about their big moments backstage at Staples Center
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 30, 2020 - 8:30 am

The 62nd GRAMMY Awards officially wrapped last Sunday (Jan. 26) after an evening filled with powerhouse performances and exciting first-time GRAMMY winner moments. Let's revisit Music's Biggest Night from a new location by going backstage at Staples Center to talk with some of the freshly crowned GRAMMY winners.

2020 GRAMMY winners Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Cage The Elephant all spoke to the ever-upbeat backstage interview host Ted Stryker after their big moments. Read on to watch each of the conversations and learn more about their wins.

Watch: Rosalia 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Shortly after taking three more Latin GRAMMYs (for a total of five to date) back home to Barcelona in November, Spanish nu-flamenco queen Rosalía earned her first GRAMMY nominations: Best New Artist and Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album. On Sunday during the GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony, she won the latter category for her epic sophomore album, 2018's El Mal Querer.

"I can't believe that this happened, I can't believe that the people here are receiving my music with so much love. I'm so shocked and still processing," the Barcelonan star said backstage.

Read More: How Rosalía Is Reinventing What It Means To Be A Global Pop Star

She also made her GRAMMY stage debut last week, stunning viewers with her powerful vocals and choreography during a mind-blowing performance featuring her newest song, "Juro Que," and the EMQ favorite, "Malamente." When asked if she was nervous before her performance, she revealed she was, but was also thrilled about sharing her flamenco-inspired music on the acclaimed GRAMMY stage in Los Angeles. "The excitement was bigger than anything else."

Watch: Lil Nas X 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

2019 was a wild ride for genre-dancing cowboy Lil Nas X, who took us all to the "Old Town Road" multiverse. From a viral sensation on TikTok to a record-breaking No. 1 run in a matter of months, the 20-year-old now has two GRAMMYs to his name: Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, both for the megahit. He also made his shimmering GRAMMY stage musical debut with a trippy, star-studded performance of the GRAMMY-winning bop and "Rodeo."

"A year ago, I was somewhere online, promoting this song called 'Old Town Road' with barely a nickel to my name," the "Panini" artist said, rocking a fierce hot pink cowboy getup. "Now I'm here at the GRAMMYs, [with] two GRAMMY Awards."

More: 10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Reflecting on his rapid rise toward fame and global acclaim, he revealed, "The journey has been very spiritually and mentally challenging, but it helped so much. I've completely turned, and I'm going to continue to turn, into a better version of myself."

Billie Eilish & FINNEAS: One-On-One Interview

A few minutes after taking home their final GRAMMY wins (they each earned five!), sibling wunderkinds Billie Eilish and FINNEAS caught up with Stryker backstage. When he asked where all the emotion was coming from, a teary-eyed Eilish laughingly responded, "Dawg, everywhere! Where is the emotion? It's everything… It's coming from the fact that we just won a bunch of GRAMMYs."

He also asked what their biggest hopes for the album were. Their answers make their GRAMMY triumph even more powerful. "I wasn't expecting anything," Eilish answered.

WATCH: Billie Eilish Performs "When The Party's Over" | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

"We just made this album that we liked. I can't stress it enough. We didn't mean for it to win a GRAMMY, you know? We made an album that we loved and that we wanted to make. That was kind of our only goal, to enjoy making it, enjoy it once it was out and enjoy performing it, so this is just unreal."

"One of the only goals we had with it was that we wanted to make an album that we love playing live because we tour so much," FINNEAS added.

Watch: DJ Khaled 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

DJ/producer DJ Khaled also took home his first GRAMMY win on Sunday for Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." The uplifting track features late L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle—the song was recorded before his death and released less than two months afterward—along with EGOT king John Legend. Hussle won two posthumous GRAMMYs, also taking home Best Rap Performance for the last single he released, "Racks In The Middle," featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy.

Watch: Behind The Board: DJ Khaled Reflects On His Early Days, Working With Music's Biggest Artists & More

"The day it started off—it was tough, it was real tough," Khaled shared, referring to NBA hero Kobe Bryant's shocking death earlier that day. "[During sound check], John Legend was playing the piano and started singing 'Higher.' It touched my soul. It made me like, 'We gonna go out here, we gonna do it for our brothers.'"

"We come to show love and spread love, for the families," he added, also sharing his excitement for the recent birth of his second son, Aalam.

Watch: Elvis Costello 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

1979 Best New Artist nominee Elvis Costello has been doing things his own way within the pop space since before 2020 Best New Artist Billie Eilish was even born, and he's still in it. On Sunday, he took home Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Look Now, his 2018 album with his band, The Imposters. It is the group's first GRAMMY win together and Costello's second—his first was in 1999 for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for "I Still Have That Other Girl," featuring Burt Bacharach.

Dive In: 2020 GRAMMYs Red Carpet: Go 'Behind The Seams' With Kéla Walker, Nikita Dragun, Tess Holliday, Shaun Ross And Ty Hunter

Introducing his bandmates, including GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Sebastian Krys, Costello said, smiling, "We are our own tradition. Being traditional ain't a bad thing… I guess people were surprised because they think of us in terms of one kind of music from 40 years ago, but we play every kind of music."

He also talked about collaborating with Bacharach again on some of the GRAMMY-winning album's tracks and how one of the songs was one he'd written with Carole King 25 years ago. Now, they're ready to share more surprises in 2020.

Watch: Cage The Elephant 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Alt-rock favorites Cage The Elephant, who broke through the dense alt-rock landscape of the late-'00s/early-'10s with "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" in 2009, just earned their second golden gramophone. They won Best Rock Album for Social Cues, the Kentucky group's fifth studio album. The amazingly eclectic-dressed squad, with bassist Daniel Tichenor and drummer Jared Champion both wearing Helen Anthony threads, caught up with Stryker backstage to share in the excitement.

More: 2020 GRAMMYs: Usher, Sheila E. & FKA Twigs Honor The Purple One With A Prince-Themed Medley

"I think all [albums] have their own journey, but this one took longer. I think it was exactly what it needed to be," guitarist Brad Shultz said. They also joked about how they felt their acceptance speech went ("second worst" compared to 2017). Lead vocalist Matt Shultz explains how he had typed up a speech with who to thank, along with a poem, but left it on his seat in the surprise moment of the win.

"It's just such a blessing to be able to share something with people and to bring people together, and I think that's the most gratifying thing that you can get out of any of this," Brad added. "It's such a blessing to be recognized by the Academy, and it's kind of confirmation that we're connecting with people."

Grammys Newsletter

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