Throughout history, the Pulitzer Prize has been given to distinguished individuals for their accomplishments. One of most coveted awards for a musician to receive is the Pulitzer Prize for Music. That being said, these musicians have all been outside of the realm of rap. However, this changed with the announcement of a surprising award winner at this year’s ceremonies. Today in entertainment, many are celebrating Kendrick Lamar’s latest album winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music
The Road to Recognition for Kendrick Lamar
It’s tough to deny that Kendrick Lamar is one of most respected artists in the rap industry. Kendrick Lamar broke onto the mainstream scene with the help of music videos garnering attention on BET. Many celeb gossip websites even began to take notice of Lamar’s immense talent. Statistics show that BET or Black Entertainment Television is seen in over 90 million homes around the world. Considering that, this exposure helped to continue Lamar’s rise to fame.
Since rising to stardom, each one of his albums has been acclaimed by both critics and fans. Many hip hop and celeb gossip websites would write praise for each new Kendrick Lamar album. Unfortunately, while Lamar has obtained 12 Grammy awards, the elusive Album of the Year title continues to unjustly elude him.
What Kendrick Lamar’s Win Means for the Future
Many within the celeb gossip community were stunned to hear of Lamar’s recent win. This isn’t due to a lack of talent from Kendrick Lamar but rather the addition of his chosen musical genre into the Pulitzer ceremonies. In many cases, the winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Music is often from opera, classical, and international music genres.
Therefore, Kendrick Lamar’s award hopefully opens the door to hip hop being considered along with other musical genres for the remaining future. Certain individuals feel that this genre should have been added to Pulitzer’s music list a long time ago. In fact, statistics from 2011 found that hip hop was the genre on Facebook that had received the most likes from college students. Perhaps, Lamar’s win is a sign that the younger generation is beginning to change how awards will be given out, especially to deserving black artists.
In closing, the world of current celebrity news is currently in shock after learning that Kendrick Lamar has won a Pulitzer Prize for Music. This shock stems from hip hop being seemingly snubbed by the Pulitzer Prize community for decades, not from a lack of talent on Lamar’s behalf. While Lamar has won many types of awards and recognition, many within the rap community felt that his albums were continually being snubbed for Album of the Year awards. That being said, Lamar’s win from the Pulitzer Prize committee is something that many people feel is much more significant for the rap community than another Grammy.
