NEW YORK, NY  [Monday Dec.12.2005]  /WMQT.com/ -- The "Rap" nominees for the 48th annual Grammys are in, and it looks like it will be a tough contest.

Common, Eminem, 50 Cent, Ludacris and T.I. will battle it out for Best Rap Solo Performance, while 50 Cent is nominated twice for Best Rap Song, an award given to the songwriter. To win, Fiddy must beat Kanye West, the Black Eyed Peas, and Missy Elliott.

The Black Eyed Peas also earned a nomination for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group and will face competition in this category from the Ying Yang Twins; Common and The Last Poets; Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent; and the Game and 50 Cent.

In the running for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration are Gwen Stefani and Eve; Ciara and Missy Elliott; Common, Kanye West and John Legend; Destiny's Child, T.I. and Lil Wayne; and Jay-Z and Linkin Park.

And it maybe be a close race for Best Rap Album. The nominees include Common's "Be," Missy Elliott's "The Cookbook," Eminem's "Encore," 50 Cent's "The Massacre," and Kanye West's "Late Registration."

The Grammys will be presented on February 8, 2006 during a live television broadcast on CBS.

To see the complete list of this year's Grammy nominees, visit www.Grammy.com.

Here are the Grammy nominations in the Rap Category:

Best Rap Solo Performance
• Testify - Common
• Mockingbird - Eminem
• Disco Inferno - 50 Cent
• Number One Spot - Ludacris
• U Don't Know Me - T.I.
• Gold Digger - Kanye West

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
• Don't Phunk With My Heart - The Black Eyed Peas
• The Corner - Common Featuring The Last Poets
• Encore - Eminem Featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
• Hate It Or Love It - The Game Featuring 50 Cent
• Wait (The Whisper Song) - Ying Yang Twins

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
• 1,2 Step - Ciara Featuring Missy Elliott
• They Say - Common Featuring Kanye West & John Legend
• Soldier - Destiny's Child Featuring T.I. & Lil Wayne
• Numb/Encore - Jay-Z Featuring Linkin Park
• Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani Featuring Eve

Best Rap Song (award given to songwriter):
• Candy Shop - Curtis Jackson & Scott Storch, songwriters (50 Cent Featuring Olivia)
• Diamonds From Sierra Leone - D. Harris & Kanye West, songwriters; (J. Barry & D. Black, songwriters) (Kanye West)
• Don't Phunk With My Heart - William Adams, Printz Board, Stacy Ferguson & George Pajon, Jr., songwriters; (Kalyanji Anandji, Full Force & Indeewar, songwriters) (The Black Eyed Peas)
• Hate It Or Love It - Curtis Jackson, A. Lyon, Jayceon Taylor & M. Valenzano, songwriters; (Baker, Felder & Harris, songwriters) (The Game Featuring 50 Cent)
• Lose Control - M. Elliott, C. Harris & G. Isaacs III, songwriters; (J. Atkins, R. Davis & C. Hudson, songwriters) (Missy Elliott Featuring Ciara & Fat Man Scoop)

Best Rap Album
• Be - Common
• The Cookbook - Missy Elliott
• Encore - Eminem
• The Massacre - 50 Cent
• Late Registration - Kanye West

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