Kendrick Lamar sent a powerful message to viewers of the Grammy Awards on Monday night with a provocative performance of “The Blacker the Berry.”
He approached the stage chained to a group of African-American men dressed as inmates while backed by a jazz band who performed in on-stage jail cells. Lamar and the men later broke free of the chains and joined African dancers and drummers as his set transitioned from glowing in the dark to a blazing firepit that lit up the center of the stage for Lamar to perform “Alright.” He ended his performance with a backdrop showing an illuminated map of Africa with the word “Compton” in the center, making a statement about his hometown in Los Angeles.
Lamar has a total of 11 Grammy nominations and already is a winner on the night for best rap album (To Pimp a Butterfly), best rap performance and best rap song for “Alright” and best rap/sung collaboration for “These Walls.”
LL Cool J hosted the 58th annual Grammy Awards, broadcast live on CBS from L.A.’s Staples Center.
