Commercial and critical darling Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer

April 16, 2018 12:00 am • Last Updated: April 16, 2018 3:20 pm

By By MESFIN FEKADU, Associated Pres

FILE - In this July 7, 2017, file photo, Kendrick Lamar performs during the Festival d'ete de Quebec in Quebec City, Canada.On Monday, April 16, 2018, Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album "Damn." (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Kendrick Lamar's raw and powerful "DAMN." album has won the Pulitzer Prize for music. It's the first non-classical or jazz work to win the award.

The announcement was made Monday.

Lamar has been praised and lauded for his deep lyrical content, remarkable live performances, and his profound mix of hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds.

His major-label albums — "good kid, m.A.A.d city," ''To Pimp a Butterfly" and "DAMN." — became works of art, with Lamar writing songs about blackness, street life, police brutality, perseverance, survival and self-worth. His piercing raps helped him become the voice of the generation, and easily ascend as the leader in hip-hop and cross over to audiences outside of rap, from rock to pop to jazz.

FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2017 file photo, musician Kendrick Lamar arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif. On Monday, April 16, 2018, Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album "Damn." (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2018 file photo, rapper Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for best rap album for "Damn" at the 60th annual Grammy Awards in New York. On Monday, April 16, 2018, Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album "Damn." (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)

This cover image released by Interscope Records shows "Damn." by Kendrick Lamar. On Monday, April 16, 2018, Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album. (Interscope Records via AP)

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