The American rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar has the first non-classical or jazz musician to the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for music. The annual award is to musicians who have a "distinguished musical composition". Lamar it for his album "DAMN". The 30-year-old Lamar wrote and about the reality of life as a black man in the USA. He songs like "Alright" and "The Blacker the Berry". These have become very well since the police shootings of many black people in America. The Pulitzer board said the album was a "virtuosic song collection" that "the modern African-American life". Mr Lamar has not yet on his award.
The Pulitzer Prize an award for achievements in journalism, literature, and musical composition. It in 1917 to honour news reporting. The first prize for musical composition was in 1943. Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper to the award and the most commercially successful musician to it. The prize is usually to classical musicians. The Pulitzer committee said: "We very proud of this selection. It that...the best work was awarded a Pulitzer Prize." It added: "It a light on hip-hop in a completely different way." Sky News said: "Lamar has ...for his deep lyrical content...and his profound mix of hip hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds."