Watch Kendrick Lamar’s powerful performance at 2016 Grammys

During the 2016 Grammy Awards, Kendrick Lamar put on one of the better performances of the night. After sweeping the rap categories at tonight’s awards and being introduced by Don Cheadle, the Compton rapper and his dancers stepped out on stage in chains from inside a prison set before launching into “The Blacker The Berry”. Lamar ended with an unreleased song and closed with an image of Compton marked on the continent of Africa.

The performance, which highlighted racism and police treatment, drew a strong response – some positive and some negative – on social media and in the Nokia Theatre.

Lamar then debuted a new verse about modern slavery which alluded to the death of Trayvon Martin, the tragic teenager shot by George Zimmerman in 2012. To say To Pimp a Butterfly was merely the year’s best rap album was like saying Stephen Curry was merely the Western Conference’s best point guard.

And the snatch of Commodores classics heard during the Grammy salute to Lionel Richie may pique your interest in hearing the band perform live on April 3 at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. To Pimp a Butterfly made that impact with songs like “Alright” being chanted at civil rights protests throughout the country. “About five seconds into Kendrick’s performance, I said “hold up… wait a second… what’s this?” He doesn’t need the Grammy’s to increase the prestige he already has.

Other Tortuga-bound acts with Grammy nominations included headliners Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley, as well as newcomer Cam for her performance of “Burning House”. He started by performing “The Blacker The Berry”, later transitioning into “Alright”, which has won him an award for Best Rap Performance.

Racial issues aside, the Grammys’ ongoing anti-hip-hop bias is even more stark.