After falling short for the album of the year Grammy Award to Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar recently received another more unexpected award for his work: the Pulitzer Prize for music. Not only is this the first time in history that a Pulitzer was awarded to a rapper, it is also the first time the award was received by someone other than a classical or jazz musician.
In an interview with the New York Times, Ms. Dana Canedy, the administrator of the prizes, said the decision to award Mr. Lamar for his album, “DAMN.,” was unanimous. In a statement from the Pulitzer Board, the album was described as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
The fact that this accolade deviated from the norm in terms of genre, and more specifically, the fact that Mr. Lamar won the award is what makes this moment so pivotal. The album quickly rose to the top of the charts and became one of last year’s most-streamed albums. With lyrical mastery and prose and an equally powerful lineup (including Rihanna and U2), it was no surprise as to why the album found near-instant fame among the masses.
The album also pulled the feat of wrestling with personal and political issues, among those being faith, race and the burdens of commercial success. The bestowment of the Pulitzer Prize to Mr. Lamar for this album signifies that the Pulitzer Board recognizes the popularity of the genre, and it is also acknowledging Mr. Lamar’s attempts in tackling controversial issues through his music, something that the Grammy’s failed to do to an impactful degree. The fact that a major journalism organization is taking the time to pause for a moment and notice the somewhat unconventional practice of discussing social and political issues in music is a huge step in recognizing and directing public attention towards said issues, and one can only hope for similar actions in the future.
TCHS School Newspaper