Huffington Post’s Julia Craven came out with an article a little over a week ago discussing
the news that Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize. The
Pulitzer Prize Board called Lamar’s album “DAMN.” a virtuosic song collection unified by
its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignette capturing
the complexity of African American life. The conceptual conflicts he dissects throughout
the album like pride vs. humility, love vs. lust, fear vs. trust, individuality vs. conformity, and
me vs. me. The article goes on to explain how the album (and just about all of Kendrick’s
songs) paints a true picture of black life. Craven writes that “DAMN.” chronicles the black
struggle in real time, “which makes listening to a Lamar album as satisfying as reading the
works of Ida B. Wells or James Baldwin. His music, like the best journalism, is rooted in the
moment and grounded in historical significance.” She also goes on to even claim that the
album deserves to have a spot in the history books because what Kendrick is creating is a
musical documentary of the reality that black people live in. Not only does Lamar give an
oral history of today’s society, but he “speaks from the prerogative of black communities
facing oppression and directly attacks the institutions responsible for their pain.” Many
artists today are using their voices to tell of the various injustices that are still prevalent in
our society today. Even lower tier hip hop artists, which have been called “mumble
rappers,” have begun to speak their minds on issues. For example, in 21 Savage’s latest
album, he says how “shit gettin' outrageous, Treat us like slaves then they lock us up in
cages, Young, black, poor, ain't had a father since a baby, Why you think we skip school
and hang out on the pavement? Why you think we ridin' 'round with choppers off safety?
Streets cutthroat, so I'm cutthroat, I used to sell dope, now I can't vote, Poppin' Percocets
to kill the pain, I can't cope, Anger in my genes, they used to hang us up with ropes, Civil
rights came so they flood the hood with coke, Breakin' down my people, tryna kill our faith
and hope, They killed Martin Luther King and all he did was spoke.” Artists have started
a revolution against all oppressors, using their platform to incite a culture of change. These
artists are creating their own version of oral history. As Craven adequately puts it, “if you
play any Lamar album 40 years from now, it will give you the pulse of black struggle, of
black life as it exists at this moment. Its rawness. Its unglamorous bits. Its hope. Its joy.”
I have listened to Kendrick Lamar since his early works such as “Section. 80” and “Good
Kid, M.A.A.D City” and it makes my day to see that he is getting the recognition that he
deserves. The more people that listen to the words of these artists, the more they will
understand the breath of the struggle. In turn, they will work to help combat the problems
they are listening to, and fight against the powers at be.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-pulitzer-damn-journalism_us_5ad66e49e4b03c426da92b81
the news that Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize. The
Pulitzer Prize Board called Lamar’s album “DAMN.” a virtuosic song collection unified by
its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignette capturing
the complexity of African American life. The conceptual conflicts he dissects throughout
the album like pride vs. humility, love vs. lust, fear vs. trust, individuality vs. conformity, and
me vs. me. The article goes on to explain how the album (and just about all of Kendrick’s
songs) paints a true picture of black life. Craven writes that “DAMN.” chronicles the black
struggle in real time, “which makes listening to a Lamar album as satisfying as reading the
works of Ida B. Wells or James Baldwin. His music, like the best journalism, is rooted in the
moment and grounded in historical significance.” She also goes on to even claim that the
album deserves to have a spot in the history books because what Kendrick is creating is a
musical documentary of the reality that black people live in. Not only does Lamar give an
oral history of today’s society, but he “speaks from the prerogative of black communities
facing oppression and directly attacks the institutions responsible for their pain.” Many
artists today are using their voices to tell of the various injustices that are still prevalent in
our society today. Even lower tier hip hop artists, which have been called “mumble
rappers,” have begun to speak their minds on issues. For example, in 21 Savage’s latest
album, he says how “shit gettin' outrageous, Treat us like slaves then they lock us up in
cages, Young, black, poor, ain't had a father since a baby, Why you think we skip school
and hang out on the pavement? Why you think we ridin' 'round with choppers off safety?
Streets cutthroat, so I'm cutthroat, I used to sell dope, now I can't vote, Poppin' Percocets
to kill the pain, I can't cope, Anger in my genes, they used to hang us up with ropes, Civil
rights came so they flood the hood with coke, Breakin' down my people, tryna kill our faith
and hope, They killed Martin Luther King and all he did was spoke.” Artists have started
a revolution against all oppressors, using their platform to incite a culture of change. These
artists are creating their own version of oral history. As Craven adequately puts it, “if you
play any Lamar album 40 years from now, it will give you the pulse of black struggle, of
black life as it exists at this moment. Its rawness. Its unglamorous bits. Its hope. Its joy.”
I have listened to Kendrick Lamar since his early works such as “Section. 80” and “Good
Kid, M.A.A.D City” and it makes my day to see that he is getting the recognition that he
deserves. The more people that listen to the words of these artists, the more they will
understand the breath of the struggle. In turn, they will work to help combat the problems
they are listening to, and fight against the powers at be.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-pulitzer-damn-journalism_us_5ad66e49e4b03c426da92b81
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