Queen Latifah

Earth, Wind & Fire

Missy Elliott

She’s a world-class songwriter, producer and developer of talent; her music is both innovative and popular; she’s a deeply savvy business person; she’s written and/or produced as many hits for other people as she has for herself. She’s also extremely upfront sexually in her lyrics, and her artistry is as visually oriented as it is sonically &ndash indeed, she may be the most influential major video artist of the past decade, apart from her labelmate Bjork.

Missy Elliott is enormously prolific: She has released an album, a handful of singles and many collaborations before she was nominated this year. At 33, Missy Elliott is one of the most important and influential musical artists working today. Missy Elliott won a Grammy for Best Female Rap Solo Performance for “Work It.”

Jay-Z

Brooklyn’s Shawn Carter -- entrepreneur, label head, talent developer and quite possibly the greatest MC in the world -- has said that he’s retiring from rapping after his last album, It’s a move that, more than a little, resembles Michael Jordan retiring from basketball to play baseball. If true, it will deprive the world of further feats of awe-inspiring talent.

His achievements have been phenomenal. Since the release of his classic debut, Reasonable Doubt in 1996, he’s released at least one million-selling album a year and created some of the most classic rap singles in history. He’s launched an enormously successful label (Roc-a-Fella) and clothing line (Roca Wear) and helped to further the careers of many great rappers (Ja Rule, Beanie Sigel, Cam’ron) and producers (Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Just Blaze) and essentially picked up the baton that landed at his feet when Notorious B.I.G. passed in 1997. His duet with Biggie, “Brooklyn’s Finest,” is a classic meeting of the mics. If he’s really going out, Jay-Z is going out on top. He won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Crazy In Love” (Beyoncé Featuring Jay-Z) and Best R&B Song “Crazy In Love.”

Brian McKnight

50 Cent

It’s one thing to court controversy in an effort to get attention. But it’s a whole different thing to prove yourself worthy of that attention once you get it.

50 Cent’s tough background might have grabbed the headlines, but his undeniable skills, and the undeniable quality and popularity of his debut album, are what really matter. Raised on the rough streets of Queens, New York, 50 (Curtis Jackson) endured two failed record deals (one of which resulted in the classic, although officially unreleased, 1999 album Power of a Dollar), but his music was all over the streets via his now-legendary mix tapes, which made him an icon in the world of underground hip hop. It wasn’t long before he caught Eminem’s ear, who, within days, was proclaiming to the press that 50 was his favorite MC—and although there was a major bidding war to sign him, 50 opted for the “dream team” of Eminem and Dr. Dre (and their respective labels, Shady and Aftermath/Interscope). “Wanksta,” from the “8 Mile” soundtrack, lit the fuse, and “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” has sold more than six million copies in the U.S. alone since its release in February of last year. Add 50’s work on the G-Unit’s double-platinum debut, and this nominee for “Best New Artist” is looking more like a franchise in the making. He was also nominated for Best Male Rap Solo Performance: “In Da Club,” Best Rap Song: “In Da Club” (M. Elizondo, C. Jackson & A. Young, songwriters), Best Rap Album: “Get Rich Or Die Tryin,” and Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group: “Magic Stick” (Lil' Kim Featuring 50 Cent).

LL COOL J

Born James Todd Smith in Bayshore, Long Island, LL’s 1984 debut single, “I Need a Beat,” was the first-ever release on Def Jam Records. Selling over 100,000 copies, the song lofted both LL and Def Jam into stardom and, nearly two decades from his debut, he’s an iconic public figure, an accomplished actor, the first rapper to cross over successfully into mainstream (with 1987’s “I Need Love”) and the only rapper to remain musically popular and relevant for so many years. A string of deeply infectious hits ensued throughout the ‘80s, including “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” “Rock the Bells” and “Going Back To Cali.” 1989’s “Walking With a Panther” pushed his pop aspect a into the forefront, but LL reclaimed his crown the following year with the hard-hitting “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

LL spent much of the early ‘90s focusing on his acting career, appearing in several films as well as NBC’s hit series “In the House.” But he snapped back in 1995 with the double-platinum Mr. Smith, which included the massive hits “Doin’ It” and his smash duet with Boyz II Men, “Hey Lover.” 2002 found him back on top with his biggest album in years, “10,” which spawned the smash “Luv U Better.” LL Cool J was nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration: “Luv U Better” (LL Cool J Featuring Marc Dorsey).

MC Lyte

No matter how much else she achieves in her long-running career, this Brooklyn-bred rapper will probably always be best known as the first female MC to rap about the sexism that was, and largely still is, rampant in the rap world.

The daughter of First Priority label head Nat Robinson, Lyte (Lana Moorer) began rhyming at the age of 12 and, not long after, released her first single, the memorable “I Cram to Understand U (Sam),” which dealt with a lying boyfriend’s true mistress: crack. She followed with two strong albums, Lyte As a Rock and Eyes on This. “Eyes” spawned the anti-violence song, “Cappucino.”

Lyte pursued a more R&B-oriented direction on her next two album. 93’s Ain’t No Other included the single “Ruffneck,” which earned her a Grammy nomination and became the first-ever gold single by a female rap artist.

The mid-‘90s found Lyte continuing to release albums while pursuing an acting career, appearing on “Moesha,” “In the House” and “New York Undercover.” She also collaborated with Atlanta R&B group Xscape on “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which earned her a second gold single. Last year’s Da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1,featuring “Ride Wit Me,” finds Lyte on the comeback trail, merging her old-school delivery with the contemporary sounds of production team Maad Phunk. MC Lyte was nominated for Best Female Rap Solo Performance: “Ride Wit Me.”

Luis Resto

A founding member of the outrageous 80’s funk/fusion band Was (Not Was), Luis co-authored and arranged the song “Lose Yourself” with Eminem and Jeff Bass for the film 8 Mile. A phenomenal hit, “Lose Yourself” spent 12 weeks at #1 on the pop music charts and earned Resto an Oscar.

Born in Ann Arbor, Mich., as the youngest son of Puerto Rican parents, Resto was influenced by the diverse musical tastes of his three older brothers, especially Mario, whose talent on guitar inspired Luis to take up piano at the age of 9 in order to accompany him. Luis further refined his talent at the famed Interlochen Center for the Arts where a former piano teacher introduced him to the ringleaders of Was (Not Was) while he was still in his teens.

Since the group disbanded in 1993, Resto has worked with Don Was, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Herbie Hancock, the Highwaymen, Iggy Pop, George Clinton, Anita Baker, Earl Klugh Gladys Knight, Paul Simon, and composed modern dance pieces with New York choreographer Susan Marshall. Luis’ current collaboration as writer and co-producer with Eminem for such breakthrough urban artists as 50-cent, Jay Z, Nas and Obie Trice, is solidifying his status. He won a Grammy for “Lose Yourself,” Best Rap song.

Tyrese