Kendrick Lamar Won A Pulitzer Prize And The Internet Could Not Be Happier
He won a Pulitzer before he won a Best Album Grammy.
In news that pretty much no one saw coming, Kendrick Lamar has taken out the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his 2017 album DAMN.
The Pulitzer board made the announcement this morning, calling DAMN. “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
Which is a roundabout way of saying it’s a bloody work of art.
Kendrick’s now written himself into the history books as the first ever non-jazz or classical artist to take out the prize, which has been awarded since 1943.
“They were considering a piece of music they felt had hip-hop influences and said, ‘Well if we’re considering a piece of music that has hip-hop influences, why aren’t we considering hip-hop?'” Pulitzer Adminstrator Dana Canedy told Billboard of the board’s debate around DAMN.
“Someone said, ‘That’s exactly what we should do.’ And then someone said, ‘We should be considering Kendrick Lamar’ and the group said ‘absolutely.’ So then, right then, they decided to listen to the entire album and decided ‘This is it.'”
Needless to say, the internet is very happy about Kendrick’s win:
Beychella and Kendrick winning the Pulitzer within 48 hours pic.twitter.com/V6jjsFAlpY
— Tananarive Due (@TananariveDue) April 16, 2018
No better phrase will be uttered today than “Pulitzer Prize-winning musician Kendrick Lamar”
— Dani Deahl (@danideahl) April 16, 2018
Drake dropping #Scorpion
Kendrick won a Pulitzer
Kanye’s back on Twitter
Beyoncé had a GOAT Coachella Performance
Rihanna continues to breathe air
Haven’t heard a Chainsmoker on the radio in monthsIf we weren’t about to have World War 3, I’d say 2018 was gonna be a good year
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) April 16, 2018
“Pulitzer Prize winning musician Kendrick Lamar” is my favorite thing since “Academy Award winning composer Trent Reznor”
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) April 16, 2018
i will absolutely never get over dana canedy’s face right before she announced kendrick lamar pic.twitter.com/i2RcRiu7Zp
— jaye hunt (@hayejunt) April 16, 2018
Me: Awards are dumb
Also me: I ask that everyone use the full title “Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar”— Leor Galil (@imLeor) April 16, 2018
It’s extremely funny that the Pulitzers gave out awards to classical composers and *occasionally* jazz musicians for 75 years and then just said, “Fuck it, it’s Kendrick, baby”
— Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt) April 16, 2018
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Lamar scored a Pulitzer Prize before winning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
It’s not like he hasn’t had the chance either, it’s just the Grammys generally cock these things up: at this year’s atrocious ceremony DAMN. lost out to Bruno Mars’ significantly worse 24K Magic, while in 2016 To Pimp A Butterfly lost to Taylor Swift’s 1989, and back in 2014 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was trumped by Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.
Kendrick Lamar won a Pulitzer before winning a Grammy for album of the year, that’s some shit.
— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) April 16, 2018
AND HE’S PUT OUT FOUR ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) April 16, 2018
Damn. Kendrick won a Pulitzer before an AOTY Grammy…Perfect example of how out of touch the Grammys have become
— Dan Wilder (@danwilder08) April 16, 2018
Kendrick’s Pulitzer win really solidifies his loss for Album of the Year as one of the biggest Grammy mistakes, ever.
— Trevor Anderson (@tanderson5569) April 16, 2018
Let’s be real, having a Pulitzer is way cooler.