Compton’s Kendrick Lamar Awarded With Key To The City Before His 2016 Grammy Performance

Kendrick Lamar has already won big in 2016, since the Compton rapper has just been given the key to his city. The special ceremony took place this past Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Monument at Civic Center Plaza.

“Kendrick Lamar is a phenomenal artist whose work has served as a catalyst to raise a new level of consciousness for this generation,” said Compton Mayor Aja Brown in a statement via The Los Angeles Times. “His message challenges the status quo and motivates listeners to rethink our society’s institutions.”

“Kendrick Lamar is one of Compton’s greatest ambassadors,” said City Councilwoman Janna Zurita. “We in Compton are proud of him because he is a symbol of what our city really is — a place where dreams can come true.”

Kendrick Lamar is also expected to deliver a pretty controversial and memorable performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards, taking place tonight.

“I know how to maneuver through the bleeps by now,” Kendrick said in an interview with Vanity Fair.

Kendrick sweeping tonight @TheGRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/xoCBd5mIJE

— maine (@Mvinestream) February 15, 2016

Tonight.. Kendrick Lamar @ The Grammys pic.twitter.com/7yMLSpgcqX

— maine (@Mvinestream) February 15, 2016

The rapper has also been nominated for a slew of awards this year and has stated that he hopes to win every single one of them.

“I want all of them,” Lamar said. “Because it’s not only a statement for myself, but it’s a statement for the culture. They’re all important, because of the foundation the forefathers laid before me. Nas didn’t get a chance to be in that position. Pac. So to be acknowledged and to actually win, it’s for all of them.”

Kendrick Lamar has been nominated for Album of the Year and if he were to win, he would be the second artist in hip-hop to receive the award, with Outkast being the only hip-hop group/artist to win Album of the Year. Lamar is nominated the following Grammy Awards:

Album Of The Year

• Sound & Color
  Alabama Shakes
  Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers; Shawn Everett, engineer/mixer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer
• To Pimp A Butterfly
  Kendrick Lamar
  Bilal, George Clinton, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Thundercat & Anna Wise, featured artists; Taz Arnold, Boi-1Da, Ronald Colson, Larrance Dopson, Flying Lotus, Fredrik “Tommy Black” Halldin, Knxwledge, Koz, Lovedragon, Terrace Martin, Rahki, Sounwave, Tae Beast, Thundercat, Whoarei & Pharrell Williams, producers; Derek “Mixedbyali” Ali, Thomas Burns, James “The White Black Man” Hunt, 9th Wonder & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
• Traveller
  Chris Stapleton
  Dave Cobb & Chris Stapleton, producers; Vance Powell, engineer/mixer; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
  [Mercury Nashville]
• 1989
  Taylor Swift
  Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Imogen Heap, Max Martin, Mattman & Robin, Ali Payami, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff, Mattias Bylund, Smith Carlson, Nathan Chapman, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Imogen Heap, Sam Holland, Michael Ilbert, Brendan Morawski, Laura Sisk & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
  [Big Machine Records]
• Beauty Behind The Madness
  The Weeknd
  Lana Del Rey, Labrinth & Ed Sheeran, featured artists; Dannyboystyles, Ben Diehl, Labrinth, Mano, Max Martin, Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese, Ali Payami, The Pope, Jason Quenneville, Peter Svensson, Abel Tesfaye & Kanye West, producers; Jay Paul Bicknell, Mattias Bylund, Serban Ghenea, Noah Goldstein, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jean Marie Horvat, Carlo Montagnese, Jason Quenneville & Dave Reitzas, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers
  [Republic]

Song Of The Year

• Alright
  Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
  Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
  [TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV]
• Blank Space
  Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
  Track from: 1989
  [Big Machine Records; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Taylor Swift Music/MXM admin. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Inc.]
• Girl Crush
  Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
  Track from: Pain Killer
  [Capitol Records Nashville; Publisher(s): Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Songs Of Crazy Girl Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Hoodie Songs, HillarodyRathbone Music admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC]
• See You Again
  Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
  Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  [Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing]
• Thinking Out Loud
  Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
  Track from: X
  [Atlantic; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Music Publishing/BDi Music Limited]

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• Ship To Wreck
  Florence + The Machine
  Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
  [Republic]
• Sugar
  Maroon 5
  Track from: V
  [222 Records/Interscope]
• Uptown Funk
  Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
  Track from: Uptown Special
  [RCA Records]
• Bad Blood
  Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
  [Big Machine Records]
• See You Again
  Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
  Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  [Atlantic]

Best Dance Recording

• We’re All We Need
  Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston
  Andrew Bayer, Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, producers; Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, mixers
  [Ultra/Anjunabeats]
• Go
  The Chemical Brothers
  Tom Rowlands & Ed Simons, producers; Steve Dub Jones & Tom Rowlands, mixers
  [Astralwerks]
• Never Catch Me
  Flying Lotus Featuring Kendrick Lamar
  Steven Ellison, producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mixer
  Track from: You’re Dead!
  [Warp Records]
• Runaway (U & I)
  Galantis
  Linus Eklöw, Christian Karlsson & Svidden, producers; Linus Eklöw, Niklas Flyckt & Christian Karlsson, mixers
  Track from: Pharmacy
  [Big Beat/Atlantic]
• Where Are Ü Now
  Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber
  Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, producers; Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, mixers
  Track from: Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü
  [Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic]

Best Rap Performance

• Apparently
  J. Cole
  Track from: 2014 Forest Hills Drive
  [Roc Nation/Columbia Records]
• Back To Back
  Drake
  [Cash Money Records]
• Trap Queen
  Fetty Wap
  Track from: Fetty Wap
  [300 Entertainment/RGF Productions]
• Alright
  Kendrick Lamar
  Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
  [Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records/Interscope Records]
• Truffle Butter
  Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake & Lil Wayne
  Track from: The Pinkprint
  [Young Money/Cash Money]
• All Day
  Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney
  [Def Jam Recordings]

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

• One Man Can Change The World
  Big Sean Featuring Kanye West & John Legend
  Track from: Dark Sky Paradise
  [Universal/Def Jam]
• Glory
  Common & John Legend
  [Def Jam Recordings]
• Classic Man
  Jidenna Featuring Roman GianArthur
  [Epic Records]
• These Walls
  Kendrick Lamar Featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
  Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
  [Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records/Interscope Records]
• Only
  Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown
  Track from: The Pinkprint
  [Young Money/Cash Money]

Best Rap Song

• All Day
  Ernest Brown, Tyler Bryant, Sean Combs, Mike Dean, Rennard East, Noah Goldstein, Malik Yusef Jones, Karim Kharbouch, Allan Kyariga, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Victor Mensah, Charles Njapa, Che Pope, Patrick Reynolds, Allen Ritter, Kanye West, Mario Winans & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney)
  [Def Jam Recordings; Publisher(s): Please Gimme My Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music Inc./MPL Communications Inc./TYLER BRANT PUBLISHING/WB Music Corp./ Hard Working Black Folks Inc./Top Dawg Music/Excuse My French Music/EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Monarch Music/Abou Thiam Publishing/Victor Kwesi Mensah Publishing Designee/ALLEN KYARIGA/EMI Blackwood Music o/b/o Papa George Publishing/Kaya and Ethan Music/Primary Wave Brian/Noah Goldstein admin. by Reach Music Publishing/Ritter Boy LLC/Mario Winans Publishing Designee/Broken Locks/Songs of Universal Inc./Jabriel Iz Myne /Universal Music/Patrick Reynolds Publishing Designee/Smooth Thug Music/Noel Ellis Publishing Designee/Justin Combs Music Publishing administered by EMI April Music]
• Alright
  Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
  Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
  [TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV]
• Energy
  Richard Dorfmeister, A. Graham, Markus Kienzl, M. O’Brien, M. Samuels & Phillip Thomas, songwriters (Drake)
  Track from: If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
  [Young Money/Cash Money; Publisher(s): Sandra Gale/EMI Music Publishing, 1damentional publishing LLC/Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC, Matthew O’Brien/otek north/WB Music Corp./Jack Russell Music Ltd./Notting Hill Music Ltd.]
• Glory
  Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
  Track from: Selma (Music From The Motion Picture)
  [Universal/Def Jam; Publisher(s): Paramount Pictures/Pathe Productions Limited]
• Trap Queen
  Tony Fadd & Willie J. Maxwell, songwriters (Fetty Wap)
  Track from: Fetty Wap
  [300 Entertainment/RGF Productions; Publisher(s): RGF Publishing, Zoovier, BMG Gold Songs, Tony Fadd Beats]

Best Rap Album

• 2014 Forest Hills Drive
  J. Cole
  [Roc Nation/Columbia Records]
• Compton
  Dr. Dre
  [Aftermath/Interscope]
• If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
  Drake
  [Cash Money/Young Money]
• To Pimp A Butterfly
  Kendrick Lamar
  [Aftermath/Interscope]
• The Pinkprint
  Nicki Minaj
  [Young Money/Cash Money]

Best Music Video

• LSD
  ASAP Rocky
  Dexter Navy, video director; Shin Nishigaki, video producer
  [RCA Records/A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds Music]
• I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)
  The Dead Weather
  Cooper Roberts & Ian Schwartz, video directors; Candice Dragonas & Nathan Scherrer, video producers
  [Third Man Records]
• Alright
  Kendrick Lamar
  The Little Homies & Colin Tilley, video directors; Brandon Bonfiglio, Dave Free, Andrew Lerios & Luga Podesta, video producers
  [Aftermath Records/Interscope Records]
• Bad Blood
  Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
  Joseph Kahn, video director; Ron Morhoff, video producer
  [Big Machine Records]
• Freedom
  Pharrell Williams
  Paul Hunter, video director; Candice Dragonas & Nathan Scherrer, video producers
  [Columbia]

[Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2015]