People may think that putting rap and rock together was a turn-of-millenium fad, but you don't have to look to Lil Wayne's upcoming rock album to see it's making a comeback. You can look at my predictions for hard rock, metal and hip-hop categories at this year's Grammy Awards coming up on two weeks.

Best Rap Album

Jay-Z - American Gangster

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

Nas - Nas

T.I. - Paper Trail

Who Will Win: Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

The Grammy nomination leader will take this category, if nothing else.

Who Should Win: Jay-Z - American Gangster

An effective concept album where Hova lays down thick narratives and untouchable rhymes. As long as he's around, he's the best rapper alive.

Best Rap Song

"Lollipop" - D. Carter, S. Garrett, D.Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major) "Low" - T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters (Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain)

"Sexual Eruption" - Calvin Broadus, S. Lovejoy & D. Stewart, songwriters (Snoop Dogg)

"Superstar" - Lupe Fiasco & Soundtrakk, songwriter (Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos)

"Swagga Like Us" - D. Carter, S. Carter, Clifford Harris, & Kanye West, songwriters (M. Arulpragasam, N. Headon, M. Jones, J. Mellor, T. Pentz, P. Simonon, songwriters) (Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne)

Who Will Win: "Lollipop" - D. Carter, S. Garrett, D.Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major) "Low" - T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters (Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain)

There hasn't been a bigger rap song all year, and that bigness will earn it the trophy.

Who Should Win: "Lollipop" - D. Carter, S. Garrett, D.Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major) "Low" - T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters (Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain)

No song bumped out of more cheap car stereos than this one. That's the best gauge.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Estelle Featuring Kanye West - "American Boy"

Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain - "Low"

John Legend & Andre 3000 - "Green Light"

Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain - "Got Money"

Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos - "Superstar"

Who Will Win: Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain - "Got Money"

If you read "Lil Wayne" under a "Rap" category, the outcome is in his favor.

Who Should Win: Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos - "Superstar"

The smoothest cut of the bunch that swaps a blue-eyed soul chorus for T-Pain. 'Nuff said.

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000 - "Royal Flush"

Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne - "Swagga Like Us"

Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z - "Mr. Carter"

Ludacris Featuring T.I. - "Wish You Would"

Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West - "Put On"

Who Will Win: Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z - "Mr. Carter"

Because it's a collaboration with the other "greatest rapper alive" and Lil Wayne's got more nominations than all other competitors

Who Should Win: Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne - "Swagga Like Us"

Talk about a dream team of the biggest MCs in the business. Not to mention that it's all built around an M.I.A. loop. By sheer numbers, this should be victorious. But it won't.

Best Hard Rock Performance

Disturbed - "Inside The Fire"

Judas Priest - "Visions"

The Mars Volta - "Wax Simulacra"

Mtley Crüe - "Saints Of Los Angeles"

Rob Zombie - "Lords Of Salem"

Who Will Win: Disturbed - "Inside The Fire"

The Grammys likes to pretend that it's not completely a popularity contest, but it pretty much is. And these guys were all over the radio with some of the most accessible hard rock in the bunch. That's good enough for voters.

Who Should Win: The Mars Volta - "Wax Simulacra"

Are these guys accessible? Depends on who you ask. But these proficient prog-rockers should win for flat-out musicianship. It's too bad they won't.

Best Metal Performance

DragonForce - "Heroes Of Our Time"

Judas Priest - "Nostradamus"

Metallica - "My Apocalypse"

Ministry - "Under My Thumb"

Slipknot - "Psychosocial"

Who Will Win: Metallica - "My Apocalypse"

Mega-selling comeback album from a megaforce in metal. Plus, the Grammys are still kicking themselves for not giving them the Grammy back in the 1980s instead of Jethro Friggin' Tull.

Who Should Win: Don't make me pick this one. It should either be Metallica or Slipknot, because the masked Iowans somehow manage to pound brutality and melody into a pop-structured single.