In a historical moment for Hip-Hop, Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer
Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer Prize for music.
Usually, when thinking of the Pulitzer Prize, one’s mind doesn’t automatically jump to hip-hop, but times are a changin’.
In a historical moment, Kendrick Lamar has become not only the first rapper, but also the first non-classical or jazz musician to take home the prestigious honour- The Pulitzer Prize for music- for his album DAMN.
The New York Times reported on administrator of the prize, Dana Canedy’s delight over the win:
“We are very proud of this selection. It means that the jury and the board judging system worked as it’s supposed to — the best work was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.”
She added: “It shines a light on hip-hop in a completely different way. This is a big moment for hip-hop music and a big moment for the Pulitzers.”
a DAMN fine work of art
According to Ms, Canedy, the decision to award Kendrick Lamar was unanimous, with the board calling the album “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
It was not until 1997 that the Pulitzer even expanded past classical music to include jazz work, and those behind the Pulitzers have sought to “assertively think and listen more expansively, with more open ears,” said juror David Hajdu.
DAMN is one of the most acclaimed and streamed albums of 2017, with Lamar poetically tackling theories both personal and political, including race, faith and the burdens of commercial success.
This is a DAMN fine moment for hip-hop, as Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer Prize for music.
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