There isn’t enough words in the book to describe what took place just a few short minutes ago on that Grammy stage. But what Kendrick Lamar pulled off on the Staples Center stage tonight (February 15), other than a number of Grammy honors, may very well sit between the words historic and powerful.
Artistically pulling the Grammy Awards into his world, Kendrick provided some visual depth to the “Alright” line of “Let me tell you about my life,” as he stood out and blacked out with a To Pimp A Butterfly medley that featured “The Blacker the Berry,” the aforementioned “Alright,” and a brand new untiled verse.
Passionate, politically charged, intense, brash, and vulnerable, the performance is sure to earn a flood of thinkpieces and conversations this week. But more importantly, it’s undoubtedly (and already) earned its place in the hall of legendary Grammy performances.