This was Kendrick Lamar’s year at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. The Compton artist was nominated for eleven awards and took home five Grammy’s, one of which was for Best Rap Album for To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy performance is, however, what really captivated the audience and viewers. It took me by total surprise. “The Blacker The Berry” performance started off with a chain gang, which made us all wake up to the realities of “Black” life. Kendrick was able to culminate the injustices and inequalities of America’s treatment of African-Americans on stage. With the same eloquence as his heavy jazz influence, the song transitioned artistically into “Alright” and visuals of African culture (i.e. a village bonfire, African dancers, and drums). At the end, Kendrick Lamar left us all amazed at the powerful message translated through his music. Hands down, his performance was the best of the evening. Although Taylor Swift took home Album of the Year and made a slick jab at Kanye West during her acceptance speech, nothing topped the impact that To Pimp a Butterfly had on the Grammys, the industry, the audience, and Kendrick himself.
