Lamar’s Pulitzer big for music
The decision to award rapper Kendrick Lamar the Pulitzer Prize for music represents a historic moment for hip-hop and American music, according to the music jurors who picked the album “DAMN.” as a finalist.
“It’s big for hip-hop. I think it’s big for our country. It’s big for music. But it’s big for the Pulitzers, too. Institutions are not stuck in time, either. Institutions can change,” said Farah Jasmine Griffin, a Columbia professor.
Lamar’s win on Monday made history as the first non-classical or non-jazz artist to win the prestigious prize since the Pulitzers included music in 1943. Just having a rapper nominated for the prize is considered a stunning development for awards that usually honor musicians of European classical background.
“I knew that there would be some anger and some resentment and some people who wouldn’t like the idea, but surprisingly enough, I haven’t heard a lot of that,” Griffin said.
Another jury member was Grammy-nominated violinist Regina Carter, who linked the award to the recent waves of people speaking up, pushing boundaries and refusing to be told what and what is not worthy. “Great art has to be acknowledged,” she said. “If a work is great enough, you can’t deny it.”
The five-member music jury listened to about 180 pieces of music. “DAMN.” was a unanimous decision by all five.