in ,

Young MC was the first solo rapper to win a Grammy

Rapper Young MC attends 32nd Annual Grammy Awards on February 21, 1990 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)
Share

A year after DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince won the first Rap Grammy in 1989, Young MC became the first solo rapper to win a Grammy. Young MC won Best Rap Performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990 for “Bust a Move” from his debut album Stone Cold Rhymin.

De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I”, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson”, Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”, and Tone Lōc’s “Funky Cold Medina” were all nominated in the 1990 Best Rap Performance category but Young MC’s “Bust a Move” won. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 after spending 39 weeks on the charts. Young MC has writing credits on Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” (1989), the first hip-hop single to go platinum.

Young MC was the first solo rapper to win a Grammy
Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

Young MC was the first rapper to have ‘Young’ in his stage name.

Purchase our 100 Hip-Hop Facts (1973-2000) Book

Read: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were the first rappers to win a Grammy

Read: Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” was the first hip-hop single to go platinum

Read: Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was the first hip-hop album to win Album Of The Year at the Grammys

Although the Kitchen Tour was the first U.S. Hip-Hop Tour, the Fresh Fest Tour was the first major U.S. Hip-Hop tour

Although the Kitchen Tour was the first U.S. Hip-Hop Tour, the Fresh Fest Tour was the first major U.S. Hip-Hop tour

Nike founder Phil Knight's son Travis Knight was a rapper and went by Chilly Tee

The rapper Chilly Tee is the son of Nike co-founder Phil Knight