Multi-platinum selling rapper Kanye West scored three Grammys last night (Feb. 8), including the coveted Best Rap Album award at the 48th annual ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Fueled by the success of his sophomore album, Late Registration, the Chicago MC took home honors in three categories, including Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for "Gold Digger" and Best Rap Song for "Diamonds From Sierra Leone."
The super-producer's three Grammy's matched his total for last year.
West's label, G.O.O.D. Music, also enjoyed a successful night as his protégé John Legend won three awards: Best New Artist, Best R&B album for his debut, Get Lifted, and Best Male R&B Vocal for the piano ballad "Ordinary People."
In the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category, Jay-Z and Linkin Park won for "Numb/Encore," while the Black Eye Peas won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Don't Phunk With My Heart."
Performances rather than awards monopolized the majority of the more than three-hour televised ceremony, which opened with the cartoon band Gorillaz, featuring the real-life De La Soul, as they performed their Grammy Award winning hit "Feel Good Inc."
West, joined by Jamie Foxx, performed a medley of "Gold Digger" and "Touch the Sky" that was dubbed the "Grammy halftime show."
The performance featured West and Foxx dressed as bandleaders while leading their respective bands "KW State" and "JFU" in a step-show like routine.
Jay-Z and Linkin Park performed "Numb/Encore" and were later joined onstage by Paul McCartney for a rendition of The Beatles' "Yesterday." McCartney's performance was his first ever Grammy stage performance.
Aretha Franklin, Maroon 5, Damien Marley, Jay-Z and Missy Elliott also won awards.
