Kendrick Lamar celebrated his city of Los Angeles as he picked up the Record of the Year Grammy on Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old rapper won the prestigious accolade for his Drake diss track Not Like Us, and in keeping with the theme of the evening, he acknowledged his favorite places in the city and paid tribute to families affected by the recent devastating wildfires in his acceptance speech.
Speaking on stage, Lamar expressed gratitude and hometown pride:
“What’s up? First and foremost, praise to the most high, we woke up this morning. Dre, what’s up? Swizz, what’s up?
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“We gonna dedicate this one to this city: Compton, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, San Bernardino, all that. This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young pup, since I was in the studio scrapping to write the best raps and all that to write ones like these.
“I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school.
“Most importantly, the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can change and restore this city. Keep rocking. My boy Mustard, where you at?”
Lamar’s Grammy Night Dominance
To win his fourth Record of the Year prize in five nominations, Lamar beat strong competition from:
- The Beatles (Now and Then)
- Beyoncé (Texas Hold ‘Em)
- Sabrina Carpenter (Espresso)
- Charli XCX (360)
- Billie Eilish (Birds of a Feather)
- Chappell Roan (Good Luck, Babe!)
- Taylor Swift (Fortnight)
Following a musical performance by Shakira, Lamar returned to the stage to accept Song of the Year, an award honoring songwriters, for Not Like Us. He won over Birds of a Feather, Good Luck, Babe!, Fortnight, and Texas Hold ‘Em, along with Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy) and Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars’ Die with a Smile.
“This is what it’s about because at the end of the day, nothing is more powerful than rap music. I don’t care what it is, we are the culture.”
More Grammy Wins for Kendrick Lamar
Lamar’s triumphant night didn’t stop there—he also took home:
- Best Music Video
- Best Rap Song (Not Like Us)
- Best Rap Performance
With this latest Grammy sweep, Lamar reaffirms his place as one of the most influential artists in contemporary hip-hop, continuing to push the genre’s boundaries and elevate rap music on the global stage.