HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Kanye West has been added to the list of performers for Sunday's Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy announced Friday.
It is widely believed that West will honor his mother, the late Donda West, at Sunday's ceremony. Donda West died of a heart attack related to pre-existing health conditions and complications from plastic surgery last November.
According to reports, the 30-year-old rapper has been busy in rehearsals, where has been performing the hit track "Stronger" from his album, "Graduation." West has also been working on "Hey Mama," which was a tribute song to his mom off his sophomore album, "Late Registration."
A week after his mother's death, a visibly shaken West took the stage while on tour in Paris and attempted to perform "Hey Mama," but he was overcome with emotion and couldn't complete the song.
At his next performance in Belgium, however, West did manage to complete the tribute song, also giving a touching speech to adoring fans.
"[These songs are for] problems that we're going through ... hard times," West told the crowd. "Who would ever have thought that these same songs would have to help me?"
West was the leading nominee for this weekend's 50th Annual Grammy Awards, earning the following eight nods: Best Rap Solo Performance for "Stronger"; two nods in Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group ("Southside" with Common and "Better Than I've Ever Been" with Nas and KRS-One); Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Good Life" with T-Pain); two nods in Best Rap Song ("Can't Tell Me Nothing" with Aldrin Davis and "Good Life" with Aldrin Davis, Mike Dean, and Faheem Najm); and Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album for "Graduation."
Fellow nominees John Mayer and BeBe Winans were also announced as performers today by the Recording Academy.
The Grammys will be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.
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