After 12 Grammy nominations without a win, Busta Rhymes is back in the awards conversation as his J Dilla collaboration Dillagence II draws praise — and the timing of the 2027 Grammys adds an emotional twist.
Busta Rhymes has spent more than three decades building one of hip-hop’s most recognizable careers, but there is still one major achievement missing from his résumé: a Grammy win.
Despite receiving 12 Grammy nominations, Busta has never taken home the trophy. The Recording Academy itself lists him among prominent rappers with numerous nominations but no victories, alongside artists including Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj.
Now, following the release of his long-awaited collaboration with the late producer J Dilla, Dillagence II, fans across social media are wondering whether 2027 could finally change that.
There is one important distinction, however: Busta Rhymes and Dillagence II have not yet been nominated for the 2027 Grammys. As of September 22, the nominations have not been announced. The Recording Academy is scheduled to reveal them on November 16, 2026, so the current discussion about Best Rap Album is fan speculation and early awards-season conversation rather than an official nomination.
Dillagence II brings Busta Rhymes and J Dilla together again
Released on August 25, 2026, Dillagence II contains 19 tracks and is built around previously unreleased production from J Dilla, the legendary Detroit producer who died in 2006. It follows the pair’s 2007 Dillagence mixtape and turns a creative partnership stretching back decades into a full-length album.
According to the Associated Press, Dilla sent Busta upward of 300 beats during their friendship and working relationship. Dillagence II draws from that archive while pairing the late producer’s work with newly recorded Busta Rhymes performances.
The record also brings in an impressive collection of collaborators. Lil Wayne appears on “Talk Ya Shit,” while Common, Talib Kweli, Big Sean and others contribute to the project. J Dilla’s mother, Ma Dukes, and Busta’s children also appear. The album includes “This Woman,” featuring a posthumous D’Angelo performance.
Critics have taken notice. AP described the record as bringing together two giants of hip-hop and praised the way Busta’s delivery works alongside Dilla’s famously unconventional rhythms. Pitchfork, meanwhile, wrote that the album still contains plenty of the pair’s “vintage magic,” highlighting songs including “SPAZZZ” and “Talk Ya Shit.”
That reception has helped fuel the online conversation seen in recent days, with hip-hop accounts and fans putting Dillagence II into their unofficial Best Rap Album discussions.
Busta has been here before — 12 times
His 12 career nominations have stretched across categories including Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, Best Rap Album and Album of the Year. Yet none has resulted in a win.
Busta recently discussed that history during an interview with Angie Martinez. He explained that awards have never been the main motivation behind his career, saying recognition for his contribution to hip-hop means more to him than simply collecting trophies. Still, he acknowledged how remarkable it would be if Dillagence II became the project that finally ended his Grammy drought.
And there is an extraordinary coincidence surrounding the ceremony.
The 2027 Grammys fall on J Dilla’s birthday
The 69th Annual Grammy Awards will take place February 7, 2027, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That date is also J Dilla’s birthday. The Recording Academy has confirmed the February 7 ceremony date, with the show set to air on ABC and stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
That connection wasn’t lost on Busta.
Speaking with Angie Martinez about the possibility of receiving his first Grammy for an album built around his late friend’s music, Busta called the timing a “divine alignment.” He added that if a Grammy were ever going to happen for him, there could hardly be a more remarkable moment than winning with Dilla on Dilla’s birthday.
The album also comfortably falls inside the Recording Academy’s eligibility window. For the 2027 Grammys, eligible recordings had to be released between August 31, 2025 and August 28, 2026. Dillagence II arrived August 25, just three days before that period closed.
But the Best Rap Album field could be crowded
Best Rap Album remains one of the ceremony’s major hip-hop categories, and the Recording Academy defines it as recognizing artistic excellence in rap albums. Kendrick Lamar won the award in 2026 for GNX, defeating a field that included Clipse, GloRilla, J.I.D and Tyler, the Creator.
Early media predictions for 2027 are already pointing toward a competitive field. A September 18 Pitchfork feature discussing possible nominees mentioned projects from artists including Drake, Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, Don Toliver, Isaiah Rashad and the Earl Sweatshirt/MIKE/Surf Gang collaboration. Notably, its proposed Best Rap Album lineup did not include Dillagence II, illustrating just how unsettled the race remains before official nominations.
Nearly 20 years after the original Dillagence, Busta Rhymes has returned to one of the most important musical partnerships of his career. The resulting album has generated critical coverage, enthusiastic fan discussion and an unusual awards-season storyline involving an artist who has been nominated 12 times without winning and a legendary producer whose birthday happens to fall on Grammy night.
The first answer arrives November 16, when the nominations are announced.
