Music

Why Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Damn’ is worth a listen, even if you’re not into hip hop

Making his mark

17.04.2018

By Su Fen Tan

Why Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Damn’ is worth a listen, even if you’re not into hip hop

You’d think nabbing 11 Grammy nominations in a year (2016) would be a career high that is hard to beat, but Kendrick Lamar just keeps setting and smashing expectations. 2017 saw him release one of his greatest works yet, Damn, which scored a nomination for Best Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album at this year’s Grammys. But that’s not all—the album has just been awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, making history as the first non-jazz or classical work to receive the accolade.

 

The Pulitzer Committee recognised Damn for its “virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life”, cementing Lamar’s status as one of the most influential rappers of our time. It’s no overnight plight—the Compton-born hip hop virtuoso has been demonstrating deep lyricism on topics such as racism and social injustice since his career began. 

If you have been missing out, listen to Damn here: 

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