Which duo received the first Grammy Award given for rap music?

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince received the first Grammy Award given for rap music in 1989.

They won Best Rap Performance for “Parents Just Don’t Understand” at the 31st Grammy Awards. The duo consisted of DJ Jazzy Jeff, whose turntable work supplied the musical foundation, and the Fresh Prince, later known as actor Will Smith. Their victory came during rap’s rapid rise into mainstream popular culture.

The pair boycotted the ceremony because the newly created rap category was not televised. That decision is often mentioned alongside the win, since it highlighted tensions over how the Recording Academy treated hip-hop. The award itself nevertheless established rap as a recognized Grammy field.

Rap categories later expanded to distinguish solo artists, duos, groups, albums, and songs. The duo’s award remains an important milestone in Grammy and hip-hop history.