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Watch Kendrick Lamar's Show-Stopping, Politically Charged Grammy Performance
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage at the 2016 Grammys (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)
Kendrick Lamar didn't win Album of the Year, but he dazzled with a show-stopping performance that shook the normally-staid Grammy Awards.
Entering onto a prison stage set, Lamar performed "The Blacker the Berry" while shackled in chains. The stage then transformed into an African-themed set with a large bonfire to which the Compton rapper performed "Alright," which last year became a rallying anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. He closed out the set with the debut of a new track and the whole production comes to a halt with the final image being the word "Compton" written on a map of the African continent.
Last year at the BET Awards Lamar performed "Alright" on top of a cop car and in front of an American flag, which drew outrage from none other than Geraldo Rivera. Shocking, I know.
Lamar led the Grammy field with 11 nominations, and took home five, but To Pimp A Butterfly lost the coveted Album of the Year trophy to Taytay. What's a Grammy anyway when you know the President probably thinks it's Album of the Year?
Related: Watch Kendrick Lamar Receive The Key To The City Of Compton
Video: Compton Raps To Kendrick Lamar's "Alright"
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