Today marks an incredible moment in hip-hop: Kendrick Lamar has won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music. The distinguished honor was given for last year’s critically-acclaimed album DAMN., where Pulitzer Prize described it as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.” Kendrick’s DAMN. saw universal praise from its release, nabbing multiple Grammy nominations including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, which he won. This is big news for the hip-hop industry as a whole because it marks the first time a non-jazz or classical artist taking the prestigious award. It was just last weekend where Kendrick showed up as a surprise guest at Coachella, performing alongside Vince Staples and fellow TDE signee SZA. The Pulitzer Prizes tweeted the announcement earlier today:

Congratulations to @kendricklamar, @dangerookipawaa and @Interscope! #Pulitzer pic.twitter.com/fFQBYnoW9F

— The Pulitzer Prizes (@PulitzerPrizes) April 16, 2018

From all of us at here Drai’s, we want to congratulate Kendrick Lamar on winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music for DAMN.!