Tonight (January 26), J. Cole took home his first Grammy Award. The accomplished MC/producer has been nominated seven times ahead of the 2020 ceremonies, having never won. That changed with a win alongside 21 Savage in the “Best Rap Song” category. The two artists scored the victory for 2018 video collaboration “a lot” from 21’s i am > i was LP.

The win bested Cole’s fellow North Carolina artist DaBaby for “Suge (Yea Yea),” Rick Ross and Drake’s Grammy-inspired “Gold Roses,” YBN Cordae and Chance The Rapper’s “Bad Idea,” as well as Nipsey Hussle and Roddy Ricch’s “Racks In The Middle.”

J. Cole Says Losing A Grammy Was A Win For His Career

Cole was nominated for “Best Rap Album” for Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III. From that album, Cole, JID, Bas, EarthGang, and Young Nudy’s “Down Bad” was nominated for “Best Rap Performance.” Those trophies went to Tyler, The Creator and Nipsey Hussle, respectively. Cole is also nominated for “Best Rap/Sung Performance” alongside Young Thug and Travis Scott. That winner has not yet been broadcast.

In a 2019 interview with GQ‘s Allison P. Davis, J. Cole described why losing “Best Rap Album” for 2014 Forest Hills Drive was a good thing. “[A win] would’ve been disastrous for me, because subconsciously it would’ve been sending me a signal of like ‘Okay, I am supposed to be this guy,’” he said. “But I would’ve been the dude that had that one great album and then fizzled out.” “I’m not supposed to have a Grammy, you know what I mean?…At least not right now, and maybe never. And if that happens, then that’s just how it was supposed to be.”

21 Savage Speaks About Having A British Accent & The Memes Mocking Him

“a lot” is produced by DJ Dahi and J. White Did It. Notably, 21 Savage was detained during 2019’s Grammy Awards, following an arrest surrounding his expired visa. Cole’s 2018 album, KOD, was not nominated for an award in the 2019 ceremony.