Kendrick Lamar Just Slayed The Grammys With This Powerful Performance

Lamar also debuted a new freestyle, “Untitled 3”, that alludes to the shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Later on during Lamar’s performance, he freestyled, “February 26th, I lost my life too / 2012 set us back 400 years”.

He followed the “To Pimp a Butterfly” song with “Alright”, rapping in front of a towering bonfire surrounded by dancers and drummers in tribal costumes.

No, Kendrick Lamar didn’t walk away from the 58th Grammy Awards with Album of the Year, but he let his influence linger in may ways, by winning best Rap Album, giving a stunning performance, and bringing Compton High School students to the ceremony. As it came to a close, a backdrop came up of an outline of Africa with “Compton” in the center. The Daily Show host and comedian, Trevor Noah took to Twitter to praise Lamar, and shade West in the below tweet.

Celebrities in attendance at the 2016 Grammys like actress Anna Kendrick and those watching at home like singer Justin Timberlake and comedian Trevor Noah added in their two cents online about K. Dot’s show stopper. After the performance, fans wondered if that was it an artistic decision, or if he was asked not to perform the song’s most potentially controversial lines for the Grammys’ television audience.

It’s been a huge night for Lamar so far.

Then the night’s leading nominee moved on to act 2, where a giant fire roared behind him as he gave a charged up performance of “Alright”, an anthem of sorts for the Black Lives Matter movement. Nominated for 11 GRAMMYs, he’s already won five.