Kendrick Lamar Breaks Record As First Rapper To Win Pulitzer Prize
Kendrick has indeed reached the peak of his career and his latest achievement is prove of that. The 30-year-old California Rapper won the Pulitzer Prize for music on Monday for his album “DAMN.,” making him the first rapper ever to win the prestigious award.
Recall that in January, Kendrick Lamar had bagged five Grammy awards for the same album. Previous Pulitzer music winners include jazz musicians Wynton Marsalis and Ornette Coleman.
Rap is now officially the biggest music genre in the United States after surpassing rock in 2017. Lamar’s fusion of jazz, poetry and blues with social themes and love songs has made him one of the most innovative rappers of his generation.
The Pulitzers, the most prestigious honors in American journalism and the arts, have been awarded since 1917. Lamar’s Pulitzer win marked a significant departure as previous honorees have been drawn from the worlds of classical music and jazz.
The Pulitzer board on Monday hailed “DAMN.”, which was released in April 2017, 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.”
“DAMN.,” Lamar’s third album, topped the Billboard 200 album charts for three weeks on its release last year.
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