Kendrick Lamar and how he won five Grammy Awards
- Published
Kendrick Lamar: Rap's new superstar
Kendrick Lamar was the big winner at the Grammy Awards this year in Los Angeles.
He won best rap album, rap performance, rap/sung collaboration, rap song and music video for Bad Blood with Taylor Swift.
Kendrick Lamar's backing dancers appeared in prison chains
Taking home five gramophones was just one great in a fantastic year for Kendrick Lamar.
That year includes a nod from President Obama who said his album To Pimp a Butterfly was "outstanding".
So the president of the United States believed Kendrick had the best album last year but the Grammys felt that accolade belonged to Taylor Swift.
This is why 2015 was Kendrick's year
He performed for free on the back of a lorry driving through Los Angeles.
And only gave fans one hour notice.
But they came out in their thousands.
He released an album eight days earlier than advertised.
Take note Frank Ocean.
It was because it was accidently put on iTunes before it should have been.
And even Taylor Swift wanted him to be part of her squad.
She tweeted: KENDRICK PUT HIS ALBUM OUT EARLY. NO ONE TOUCH ME., external
He then featured in her video for Bad Blood.
Kendrick starred as Welvin Da Great., external
Kendrick went against the message of most record labels and rap artists, releasing what real people wanted to hear.
"You know the songs that are out, we all love these songs. They sell a lot of singles and make these record labels a lot of money," he said.
But those "really living" in the streets don't want those singles, he added.
"They want to get away from that".
He also broke a Spotify record.
Kendrick took the crown from Drake who got 6.8m streams of If You're Reading This It's Too Late in a day.
He was awarded with a generational icon award from the California state senate.
It was for his willingness to give back to the community of Compton.
Watch the ceremony from the California state senate., external
He said: "Being from the City of Compton and knowing the parks that I played at and the neighbourhoods, I always thought how great the opportunity would be to give back to my community off of what I do in music."
Oh and he has the first ever American number one album with the word pimp in the title.
Previous entrants were Pimp C's Pimpalation in 2006 which got to number three, as well as Dirty's Keep It Pimp & Gangsta which got to number 63 in 2003.
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