Female artists are constantly pitted against each other in the genre. Double-Grammy nominee Rapsody explains why rap needs a change and performs an exclusive performance off her sophomore album, "Laila's Wisdom."

The twin nods are the first such nominations in the North Carolina native's career, topping off a year that has very much marked her arrival on the larger pop-music scene - though that should all come as little surprise to those who have listened to her work.

On "Laila's Wisdom," Rapsody expertly spins out stories of love, resilience, female empowerment and gun violence over production both arresting and layered. When it first dropped, I said it was a no-brainer contender for Best Rap Album, even during a season crowded by releases from artists like Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and others. It was easy to be right about that.