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The Best Rap Performance category was first presented at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989.

NARAS President Mike Green said in Billboard that the music genre has " matured into several kinds of music, with several kinds of artists doing it ".

Diane Theriot, a representative of the awards department for the Academy, recalled being " inundated with eligible rap entries during the first few years of having the category ".

In 1991, the category was split into the categories Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Recognizing that both categories were continuing to receive numerous entries, the Best Rap Album recognition was established for the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996 — the inaugural award was presented to Naughty by Nature for Poverty's Paradise.

In 2003, the Best Rap Solo Performance category was divided into separate recognitions for Female and Male Rap Solo Performances.

The categories remained separated by gender until 2005 when they were combined into the genderless category originally known as Best Rap Solo Performance.

Additional rap categories include Best Rap / Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song, established in 2002 and 2004, respectively.