History was made at Columbia University on Wednesday night.
In a grand ceremony, the Pulitzer Prize for Music was awarded to Kendrick Lamar for his album DAMN. The album is the first non-classical or jazz piece to receive the accolade. Previous recipients of the award have included Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and Duke Ellington.
During the ceremony, the rapper’s fourth LP was described as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life.”
Award time! @kendricklamar #PulitzerKenny #Pulitzer pic.twitter.com/HN6sP9fGuS
— The Pulitzer Prizes (@PulitzerPrizes) May 30, 2018
The 30-year-old — whose real name is Kendrick Lamar Duckworth — attended the event with his mother, and stated on the Pulitzer’s Facebook Live video, “It’s an honor… I’ve been writing my whole life, so to get this type of recognition — it’s beautiful.”
All we can say in admiration is: DAMN.
