The first Grammy Award for rap was introduced in 1989. The category was called Best Rap Performance and debuted at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards, honoring recordings released during the preceding eligibility period.
The inaugural winner was DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” The duo included DJ Jazzy Jeff, whose real name is Jeffrey Townes, and Will Smith. Their win marked the Recording Academy’s formal recognition of rap as a Grammy category.
The award’s early history is slightly complicated. It was presented again in 1990, but beginning in 1991 the category was divided into Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Those categories were later recombined as Best Rap Performance in 2012.
A common mix-up is confusing the first rap Grammy with Best Rap Album. Best Rap Album was introduced later, in 1996, and was first won by Naughty by Nature for Poverty’s Paradise.