“A virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.” According to Pulitzer Prize administrators, hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar’s new album, “DAMN” has more than just a good beat, but rather it tells a story.

Lamar is one of those artists that is not afraid to be bold. Among the nominations for the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Lamar was the only hip-hop artist, as the other two contestants were nominated for work in classical music genres. The lyrics found in most of Lamar’s tracks feature unapologetically honest statements about life, racism, gender roles and politics, among others. While bringing up taboo topics for discussion, he also combines several musical genres to create his own unique style. Within his popular songs, Lamar included genres such as jazz, funk, soul, rock and roll and pop as a medium of telling a story through the verses. Lamar’s lyrical gems are also more visionary than the modern hip-hop music of today’s age.

In his song “DNA,” Lamar talks about how the world views race versus his own view of race. His narrative also explores how rap music has been misinterpreted, as he states, “I got, I got, I got, I got Loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA, cocaine quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA, I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA, I got hustle though, ambition, flow, inside my DNA, I was born like this, since one like this.”

In 2018, the Pulitzer-Prize winning artist also worked on several tracks for the new film “Black Panther”, featuring a predominately African American cast and crew. Much of the music that Lamar wrote and produced for the movie was largely based on and inspired by African culture. Among other projects and awards, Lamar also was nominated for two Grammy Awards this year, featuring the award for Best Album.  

It was a perfectly harmonious combination of culture and poetry that Lamar forms into hip-hop is exactly why he won the prestigious Pulitzer award. Because of his creativity and inspiring music, Lamar is sure to go down in history as one of the defining artists of our time.