Kendrick Lamar Lights Up Stage at the Grammys

11-times nominated rapper, Kendrick Lamar, lit the stage on fire at the Grammy’s on Monday night in Los Angeles. If you already thought his lyrics were dense and confrontational, Kendrick Lamar’s powerful performance took those lyrics and illustrated the issues of racial inequality, the prison-industrial complex and black identity. With such strong illusions, his politically stimulated performance drove the audience to their feet and became the highlight of the night.

Introduced by actor Don Cheadle, the “hip-hop masterpiece” delivered an alluring medley that included "The Blacker the Berry" and "Alright," his two songs about black identity from his Grammy award winning album.

After already winning 5 Grammys, Lamar walked onstage while shackled in chains with a prison-set performance of The Blacker the Berry, a celebration of black identity - “Everything black, I don’t want black / I want everything black, I ain’t need black / Some white some black, I ain’t mean black / I want everything black”, Lamar shifted to an African motif for a well-applauded rendition of Alright, joined by drummers and dancers in front of a bonfire the size of a house. Lamar then ended his performance by debuting a new verse shedding light on Trayvon Martin.

To Pimp A Butterfly, won critical acclaim and praise from his musical peers. The album is a touchstone of the Black Lives Matter movement. When listening to this album you hear the struggles this young, black teenager faced on his path to fame and wealth. The 29 year old rapper disappears, while this young black boy living on the streets of Compton, California resurfaces when writing this album. Kendrick Lamar was nominated 11 times and took home five Grammys, including Rap Album of the Year, which was well deserved.

Lamar took his several uninterrupted minutes of spotlight and did not disappoint. This performance was so powerful and gut-wrenching that the message was forced to be heard by the crowd. As indeed, this performance and album speaks volumes about the Black community. This performance, just like Beyonce’s Super bowl performance, will be memorable and will be the most talked about performance as the others fade to the back.

Briana Bell