You could say rapper Kendrick Lamar is having a good night. NBC News wondered earlier today if the president’s favorite rapper’s new album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” could take the top prize at the Grammys.
Can Obama's favorite rapper @KendrickLamar win the top award at the #GRAMMYs? https://t.co/7fJzU6vnGF pic.twitter.com/nEFLdw2wEE
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 16, 2016
@NBCNews @kendricklamar Can anyone actually care about this?
— boringfileclerk (@boringfileclerk) February 16, 2016
@NBCNews @kendricklamar Who the freak cares
— dan #Always Trump (@Fr360dDan) February 16, 2016
@NBCNews You really hit send on this? Maybe you can mix in a question to Obama about why he hasn't acknowledged the recent deaths of 8 cops?
— Sabertooth (@Pawservative) February 16, 2016
@NBCNews Not sure. Can you get your heads out of Obama's ass?
— Rob (@robmillertime) February 16, 2016
Not sure. But Lamar did indeed win an armful of awards, including the coveted Best Rap Album.
Congrats Best Rap Album winner @kendricklamar – ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/pVkLCWzPkV
— The GRAMMYs (@TheGRAMMYs) February 16, 2016
He also gave quite the performance, marching onstage at the head of a chain gang inside of a prison set.
Kendrick just came out in shackles. YES, powerful visual. #GRAMMYs
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) February 16, 2016
"You hate me, don't you?You hate my people, don't you?" ? #GRAMMYs
— Erica Bennett (@EricaANjax) February 16, 2016
Those white people in the audience looked terrified. Right now they wish Beyonce was on stage. #GRAMMYs #KingKendrick
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) February 16, 2016
I'm still stuck on @kendricklamar's performance. Powerful is an understatement. #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/MhldFY03Q4
— Erica Bennett (@EricaANjax) February 16, 2016
What could be better than winning a Grammy? Getting a shoutout from the White House for winning a Grammy, of course.
Shoutout to @KendrickLamar and all the artists at the #Grammys working to build a brighter future. #MyBrothersKeeper https://t.co/XM0KwV3jNB
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 16, 2016
“My Brother’s Keeper” is President Obama’s mentoring program “to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.” Lamar was invited to the White House to appear in a PSA to support the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.
Congratulations to Kendrick Lamar, but if we’re going to mentor young people to reach their full potential, could we include some people from those STEM fields that are so important? Not to slight Lamar; that’s the Grammys’ job.
@TheGRAMMYs @kendricklamar does no one remember Kendrick got robbed by Macklemore of EVERYTHING a few years ago? He deserves it
— ISupportKilla (@Parker_CoD) February 16, 2016
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.