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Back to Hip-Hop and R&B Albums: Grammy Wins vs. Losses

1997: Best Rap Album

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Won: ''The Score,' The Fugees

Should've Won: 'All Eyez On Me,' Tupac Shakur

We're going to have to put our foot down here. If you think of all the nominees -- The Fugees, Coolio, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest and Tupac Shakur -- in purist hip-hop terms, the latter was robbed. 'The Score' bridged the gap between hip-hop heads and soccer moms, who blasted 'Killing Me Softly' in their minivans, but when looking back on the West Coast rhymer’s lyrics, the Grammys missed the mark big time. Making things more bittersweet, while ‘Pac rapped 'Life Goes On' on the nine-times platinum 'All Eyez On Me' LP, things wouldn't be this literal in real life. Shakur would never have the chance to compete for another Best Rap Album; he was shot to death Sept. 13, 1996, three months shy of this nomination.