Today marks an historic event- rapper Kendrick Lamar just won a Pulitzer Prize for music. His album “DAMN.” winning the Prize marks the first time the award has ever been given to a non-classical or jazz artist, not to mention the first time it has ever been given to a rapper.
This isn’t the first instance in which “DAMN.” has received recognition; the album won the NAACP Outstanding Image Award for best album and a Grammy for Best Rap Album. It was number one on the Billboard 200 charts when it debuted, and it then spent 4 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the list. “DAMN.” is also multi-platinum and sold more than a million copies in traditional album sales, not to mention the additional “3.137 million equivalent album units” it sold.
The Pulitzer Prize Board raved about the album, which it called “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism,” and the Board praised it for “capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
Congratulations, Kendrick! We can’t wait to see what you do next.