Kendrick Lamar wins 2018 Pulitzer Prize in music

Much more impressive than an Album of the Year Grammy.

Fun fact: Lamar is the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the award.

The Pulitzer Prizes on Twitter

 

Just WOW

Well done Kenny

 

Well deserved. DAMN. was incredible, though I still prefer Butterfly

 

Man that's so great to see, I'm glad he's getting legit recognition on top of superficial mainstream recognition. He's a once-in-a-lifetime type artist. GOAT hip hop artist afaic.

 

Beautiful! As with many unorthodox artists out there, it might take a while for some people to understand the breadth of this music and why it has received this award. But I'm thrilled for Kendrick.

Top album of 2017 for me and one I know like the back of my hand.

 

No Moody Blues win- no Peace!!

 

He's one of a kind, and this is well deserved. Good for him.

 

Congrats to him! He earned it

 

Pretty, pretty cool.

 

Fantastic album and well-deserved.

 

I was mad he didn't get the album of the year Grammy but I am happy to see him get this. He is great, one of the GOATs. DAMN is great too

 

Believe the hype, we're truly in a golden age of hip hop.

 

I’m on record as someone who, at best, doesn’t get it.

At worst, thinks his work is unimpressive.

 

Though not a fan of rap or hip hop I must admit that's impressive.

 

Good to see out cultural gatekeepers opening up the gates a bit, with Dylan's Nobel recognition and now Lamar's Pulitzer.

I haven't spent a lot of time with DAMN, but I like To Pimp a Butterfly and untitled unmastered a lot.

 

Curious that they gave it to him for Damn, which I feel is probably his most superficial album. I actually think untitled unmastered is his most interesting work, with Good Kid, M.A.A.D City as his true masterpiece (so far). Always found Butterfly a bit bloated.

 

That's fair but I disagree, I don't find it superficial at all. Overall, I think I'd rate DAMN. higher than Good Kid, though Sing About Me the Art of Peer Pressure are two of his greatest achievements.

 

Genuinely curious, do you like any hip hop at all?

 

As Kendrick grows in musical and cultural relevance I can't help but wonder how long before Govt/CIA considers him a "threat to social order" or something like that, as he predicts in "Mortal Man"

 

If you're beyond reflexive not-liking hip-hop and interested in the push-and-pull discussion of elation and misgivings about this award — the first ever Pulitzer to a non-classical, non-jazz artist — here's a cool exchange about it:

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up the Pulitzer Game: Let’s Discuss

 

Well "his most superficial album" needs to be put into the context of an artist that releases albums with crazy depth to them. So yeah, it's not thaaaat superficial, but I consider it pretty superficial in comparison to what he's released before it. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

 

Listen I'm just gonna say it and I suspect this may be controversial but I'm going to go about it with as much civility and reason as I possibly can.

Let's just expose the elephant in the room. This forum is full of white males who listen to Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Dire Straits. There are a lot of people here who just discount hip hop altogether because it's not part of their culture and frankly, it scares them. I know, I used to be one of them.

I would implore you to just try and approach it with an open mind. I'm not exaggerating when I say I believe that Kendrick is the 2010 hip hop version of Miles Davis. He is an insane talent. He is deeper than the stereotypical "gang banger in the streets" rapper I strongly suspect many people here think of when you see him. He is extremely socially aware, he's alpha and not afraid to flaunt it (much like any number of classic rock band front men), he's artistically forward-thinking, he's poetic, he's a visionary.

I'm telling you guys who are dismissing him that you are missing out big time if you just let this guy pass by without giving him an honest chance. And to those of you who have and still don't get it, respect for at least trying.

I'm ecstatic that Kendrick is getting this kind of recognition. He truly deserves it.

 

Not controversial at all, it's an excellent post.
Am I the only one who hears a big Curtis Mayfield influence in his music?

 

Sure & I totally get you, but it seemed to have about as much depth as his last two efforts to me especially upon further replays

 

You're not wrong about that. One thing I've noticed about this forum, is that some folks tend to discredit or disown a genre that they don't understand. Then they flock in with "its not music" or "it's all noise without rthym"

Like you said, I approach music with an open mind as as possible.