More Than 18,000 Petition To Make Mixtapes Eligible For Grammy Awards

Artists ranging from Chance The Rapper to Frank Ocean, J. Cole to Jhene Aiko, De La Soul to Lil Wayne have used the mixtape format. The term of mixtape itself has evolved greatly over the last 15 years. What began as a DJ or host-driven compilation sold on the black market moved online into a free digital format for artists in all genres to release material directly to fans. Artists such as Drake, 50 Cent, and Big K.R.I.T. would later take tapes and release physical product sold online and in stores, further legitimizing the medium. In 2015, the top-selling first week sales of a Hip-Hop release were courtesy of Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. That project first began as a sanctioned mixtape online, before being officially released by Cash Money Records.

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A Change.org petition launched by Max Krasowitz is asking the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to treat mixtapes as eligible works for Grammy Awards. More than 18,000 have already signed the petition, which features Chance The Rapper as its image.

In 2013, the Chicago, Illinois native Chance released Acid Rap as a mixtape. Unsigned, Chance has never released a solo album. This week, it has been reported that he will release third tape, Chance 3.

50 Cent Reclaims His Power on The Kanan Tape (Mixtape)

While Drake won 2013’s “Best Rap Album” for Take Care, other Grammy-winning Hip-Hop artists who have released mixtapes include Ludacris, Wayne, and Naughty By Nature.