Watch Kendrick Lamar's Powerful 2016 GRAMMYs Performance | GRAMMY Great Performances
The rapper made a statement with 'To Pimp a Butterfly' tracks "The Blacker the Berry" and "Alright," alluding to racial inequality and celebrating Black identity in a mind-blowing seven-minute performance. Lamar was a five-time GRAMMY winner that night, as 'To Pimp a Butterfly' swept the Rap Field and he took home another golden gramophone for Best Music Video for his Taylor Swift collaboration, "Bad Blood."
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#kendricklamar #alright #theblackertheberry #grammys
Drake can Never.
could***
Drake rent free in yo head. But yeah, he could never
Watch this day n night and cope with this 😂😂😂😂
Drake could Never, Drake can Never and Drake will Never.
@@dominikk1982 Drake could never ask for smoke and hide Drake can never disappoint his fans Drake will never loose to 5'5 midget boy
Should’ve won Album Of The Year that year. To Pimp A Butterfly was and still is a masterpiece
i consider it to be one of, if not, the greatest album of all time. the grammys never get anything right tho, so what did i expect? what actually “won” that year? didnt care enough to check because this didnt win haha
@@muffiefx1951 1989 by Taylor Swift won
The grammys are racist
@@J48038 He didn’t he only won in the rap categories. He lost album of the year to Taylor Swift
1989 is a masterpiece too. Its impact is so big. Many newer artists are inspired by 1989 in makin music.
Taylor Swift winning AOTY over him is a crime against humanity.
It’s okay, him wining a Pulitzer Prize is better lolol
where tf was Kanye at that night💀
taylor made
Taylor is the safe option that everyone listens to, Kendrick is only for the goats
@@-Cocoa- the glaze is crazy kendrick hasnt made a good album since 2015
unreal that the committee watched this and was like “yeah… still 1989”
@@Aamogh-gh6lnnever really got the full on hype of TPAB tbh, I love the album but 1989 had a bigger impact on me, it’s one of the greater pop albums to exist at that point
@@wefrenz you should definitely relisten to tpab because themes he brings up and the ways he brings them up is absolutely incredible. i agree with you when you say 1989 is a very influential album in the music industry, but i think tpab had an incredible impact on not only the industry, but society as a whole. its a rlly good album i think you should listen to it like i did and read the lyrics along with it to understand what he was saying.
@@frostiibtw496 it’s funny you say that, I’ve noticed the themes when relistening after making that comment, i enjoyed the album a lot more through and i do like the themes a lot
1989 was a veeeeery mid album. Lana released Ultraviolence of the same year in 2014, Florence released How Big How Blue in 2015 around the same time as TPAB. Adele released 25 in 2015 and, while it was too late to be submitted, is by far a better and mor complex alum than 1989. There are so many pop albums that are sooo much better. 1989 was very ubiquitous and just fucking basic comparatively to so many others.@@wefrenz
@@xoMALxoPINEAUxo 1989 is one of the most influential albums of our generation according to many, it inspired a wide variety of artists in todays age to become what their sound is, I can’t think off the top of my head but like if you think it didn’t influence an entire sound then I’m sorry but like you need to research into it, while it might be a “mid” it did its purpose and got into the mainstream, some of the biggest pop songs of our generation come from that era
They finally put it back on KZhead. An unforgettable performance.
Ikr? We aint forget lol
@@BluEx22329 I had to first watch this shi on apple music and was so shocked it wasn't on youtube when it came out. This performance was so good
Im sayin
Yeah don’t forget they tried to keep this spiritual expierence and message away from the people. Some of the most mindblowing and touching shit I’ve ever seen at 16 and been spent like 10 years or however many tryna just search KZhead for a video so I could just watch it a second time and feel that feeling bro they kept this away from the people that’s a major violation
@@SyntvxAP_613 i feel you bro and i am sorry as well, there are so many ppl that would have appreciated this performance especially in the light of the bullshit we had to endure over the last few years.
No way they actually put this up. I thought they were gonna delete this from the Internet forever. Rare recording academy W
My exact thoughts
How is it a W when they never should’ve taken it down
Y was it banned?
@@masterflexgaming for telling the truth
@@clyvelawrence8820now they be coming what they hated tryna black wash everything
Calling Kendrick a fake activist like music isn’t protest and freedom and activism in itself is so fkin ignorant
What did you expect from a white Jewish Canadian.
Bob Marley. Fela Kuti. Billie Holiday.
Imagine commenting under this performance bc ur a salty Drake fan and trying to call this proof he’s a fake activist is hilarious my god you about as transparent at glass my g you really shakin mad huh
@@tack3411 WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING? Are you attacking the OP? Bro refresh on your reading comprehension YOU ARE FIGHTING GHOST
i dont care about the "rap goat" debate anymore. kendrick is an artist. rap just isn't just a game of numbers to win for him. its his medium to deliver his art.
This is what I want ppl who are stuck on GKMC or even Section.80 to understand
❤
It’s called hip hop art delivered in the form of rap nowadays rap that you hear isn’t hip hop anymore cause it’s just rap trash rap at that
Ty! KDot has the ability to elevate your conscious if you're in a state to receive it! His music touches my soul in ways that no other artists can! He puts his everything into his music. It's far deeper than lyricism with him!
@@DiamondEubanks true, no one does rap like him out there. no one builds characters, writes storylines, paint a picture in a song the way that he does. he'll even utilize the different textures/tones of his voice to deliver his characters/story better.
I’ll never forget seeing this on tv, completely blown then and now
Same
yo?
Such an amazing performance. I remember seeing this on tv as well and just being taken by the level of rawness. 💯
What African country are you from
Yeah, 100% agree, this is an all-time great performance, live arrangement, and stage show. And I’ve seen a lot in all types of music.
The Recording Academy's greatest crime has to be denying this masterpiece the Album of the Year accolade. Very few albums within the Hip Hop/Rap genre and every other genre can be named in the same breath as To Pimp a Butterfly. This is the kind of album you compare to Michael Jackson's Thriller! Kendrick Lamar. The greatest of our time.
It's crazy that they've always not given him album of the year and he's clearly deserved all of them. He's the greatest
You can’t compare TPAB to thriller. One was for the radio and one was for civilization.
I agree and J. Cole not winning Rap album of the year in 2014 with 2014 FHD it’s a crime too.
@plicool only one you can argue shouldn't won aoty was mm&tbs because of the forever story which is another case of the gramys dismissing a talented rapper
@@user-cj3mc1xm9jthe difference was that jid was snubbbed from a nomination not from winning. Morale was the best album nominated so nothing can say that it got an underserved win, only that jid got snubbed from a nomination.
Kendrick's live instrumentation alone has to be Top 3 of all time in hip-hop. The tracks be HITTIN live with live instruments.
Surprisingly, look up Roddy Ricch with orchestra; it hits so different with live musicians
@@Tonyhouse1168Yeah, but Kendrick is speaking on deep issues that are relatable. Not his new AP watch, not that there isn't a time for that kind of rap. But this is different different
Yes. I love his shows.
the Austin city limits set tho FLAMES
DAMN. DEFINITELY...
People thinking there's a rapper out better than Kendrick is crazy
The disrespect 😤😡
bahahaha cause there is
Who? Drake? Please. @@eayoui
@@victornwamana5371Kanye
@@eayouihope you ain’t talking about J Fold
To Pimp a Butterfly not winning AOTY is more criminal than those jail cells.
😂😂
Facts
This comment 🐐
Yep and them removing it proved the point of the message lol
Still not as bad as Macklemore over Kendrick for best rap album.
I know this is under appreciated and very nerdy to talk about, but the camera direction at the end is insane. There’s something so beautiful with the constant camera changes of the close up shots at the end then showing a long still shot of Africa as Compton after the line “Conversation for the entire nation this is bigger than us.” Incredible artistry. Edit: wow, I’m surprised that a bunch of music heads are interested in the show’s direction. Really appreciate the likes!
Very appreciated and nothing nerdy about that at all
Was thinking the same thing. To go from an entire dance squad to essentially standing still with mic... but still building in intensity with camera cuts and lights was masterful.
I found it a little annoying the constant shifting angle but to each their own
Nothing nerdy AT ALL. It’s what makes the ending sooo heady & guttural. The production, the musicianship, the choreo- all of it was all so perfectly executed. 🔥
i rly enjoyed that aspect of the video as well🥶
Epic!!!!! 2016!!!I was incarcerated at Stanley Correction and this Kendrick performance shook up the entire prison, I'm talking divided the prison in half & race divided inmates, brought us back together against the Institution!!! Such a pivotal young Black King!!! Man drake could never amount to the Substance that Kendrick alone provides Life period!!! Such Fuel & Nurturing Food for the imprisonment minds that's locked up or Free!!! Pure knowledge.....for what ever time his performance was on Air!!! I was free that day!
That’s so beautiful!!
this lost to 1989 by taylor swift💀💀💀seriously gotta fire them voters fr
like huh.... 2 fucking taylor swift
Grammys are racist bro
@@user-x3cctjsforks are found in kitchen
She put effort into her music too. I think this is better but honestly it’s hard to think the grass is greener on the other side. Especially with such different music: pop and pure hip hop
@@user-x3cctjskendrick is a known racist lmaooo
Feels so weird actually watching this on KZhead and not off someone’s google drive file 😂
Ong
It's the Grammys, they don't like artists being "controversial" @@ImMe-dh6yd
@freevbucksinbio380 not sure but a lot of live performances from grammys and snls dont have them officially uploaded on youtube and would usually get copyrighted if uploaded by other people
@freevbucksinbio380i remember looking for this for like a day and i couldn't find it on KZhead... I only saw it on tiktok 😂... They had the guts to put it back on yt
Yeah
The To Pimp a Butterfly era of Kendrick Lamar ended the debate of who is the Leader of the next generation. Talk about Lyricism, the jazz and the ability to express vital topics in a manner that makes you think about what he is saying. He gave the best example of what Rap music should be with this album. A rapper showing the world his intellect through rap surpassing the sexualized videos and curse words that rap is perceived as. All respect to the 2Pac, Rakim and them but not until someone is able to top this expression of art as a rapper will he seize from being the Greatest of All time in my book. Critical thinkers will understand what I mean.
music isn't only for critical thinkers though. I agree with a lot of what you say, Kendrik is amazing, I bought the album physical copy. Music however, even hip pop/rap , is much more nuanced. So he may have ended the debate for you, but there were times I genuinely felt J Cole was better, sometimes I think Future is the GOAT, I think Meek is underrated from that generation as well; I listen more Meek nowadays than I do Cole or Kdot. Lil Wayne is still my favorite rapper. In terms of career, albums, and talent, I even think Nicki is better than a lot of these top 5 guys always being mentioned. Just my 2 cents.
Well the topic of who wins the debate may be quite complex because music is based of different things and when I said critical thinkers I meant people that are able to openly asses what I was talking about in the comment above not being a critical thinker from a listening stand point. I mean I still listen to some of the most "not conceptual" (24 playboy carti) songs that may have a good hook or are just catchy and still find them hard but I have not let that cloud my judgment on what's most valuable. So my point is To pimp A Butterfly on paper is the greatest representation of how "valuable" rap music can be from a "mainstream" artist @@kingakim11
💯....K.Dot too deep and Jazzy. He is not in any category cuz he is an art form of his own. He is the 🐐
@@kalas_zm I see what you mean, fair point. You're right, the modern tracks are catchy and fun, but when you hear some real rap it hits you different.
Rap music including Kendricks music has lots of curse words and sexualised videos (these walls, for free, backseat freestyle), however if that's all you perceive it to be then the issue isn't hip-hop it's you and your perceptive skills
Cole is out of his f**n mind
Bruh😂😂😂 on god
facts
I swear I'm still shocked 😂😂😂😂😂😂
he realized it too. Also, as a rule, I'm riding with whoever George Clinton endorses. from Outkast to Kendrick.
he fell off real good
Musically Perfect Visually Perfect Lyrically Perfect Conceptually Perfect This is one of the best performances of visual art I've seen showcased on a stage.
censorship was kinda annoying
Except for the censorship I agree.
sonics were beautiful
Only problem with the grammys @@tuffcookie456
I could almost forgive GKMC losing to Macklemore. But TPAB losing to Taylor Swift is damn near criminal!
they're equivalently absurd lmao
facts
I actually like Tyler Swift but you are 100% right
I think about it every damn year lol
@@BasilHumke-ru3bbexactly
Im suprised they put this back up. Best thing the grammys ever did.
I was just saying the same thing.... I SEARCHED AND SEARCHED FOR THIS FOR JESUS WAY TOO LONG.... I NOT SATISFIED COS all those times I went back to searched for it, I could've watched it again.... Idk why they hid it
The ripped versions of this performance always had an audible break in the middle of the second act. So stoked to see it in it's full entirety (don't know why they kept that one split second crowd shot though)
They need up his other grammy performance too they are both masterpieces
Why are Drake and Cole even in the convo? Kendricks artistry is once in a millennia 🙌🏾💚✊🏾
Kanye joined and cole quit, its over for drake
💯💯💯💯
Can yall enjoy anything without tryna argue. All three artist are great what happened to “music is subjective”
cuz kids who were too young to get it in 2016 are adults now and having opinions lmao
This man STILL does not get enough praise but the thing is it probably won’t ever happen in his lifetime bc of the content of his work. They don’t want to accept the levels to this shit. Truly goated.
🐐🐐
💯💯💯💯💯🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
And this is why you can't put Kendrick against people like Drake and Cole regardless or your attachment to either. There were protesters in the street singing "We gonna be alright!" Around this time.
Nothing changed from people singing it 😅
@@deadboltzz5199 The people felt something, which is what the song is about. No song is ever going to change anything, but it may inspire individuals to make a change.
maybe not in the usa @@deadboltzz5199
No way…
Aint no way
I love how y'all are officially posting this after damn near a decade 🤦🏿♂️
Anyone here after euphoria?
yup
He was 26 doing this and I’m 26 now, working in the deli at Walmart lol!!! Man I gotta get my life together 🤦🏾♂️💯
🎶🎶Do ya hear me ,do ya hear me , everythings gon be aright🎶🎶😁😁😁😁💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Everyday is a chance to change your narrative. Don't give in, get out and get it!
That beat drop at The Blacker the Berry is fucking amazing
I got hype then, and I got hype now listening to it. Kendrick is all heart and I love it
Facts
And y'all gave Taylor the win... 🤦♂️
Lmfaoooooo
She got up and went flying on the stage for shure
White 🍞 taste better
Ya her music doesn’t hurt their feelingz.
She’s gonna win album of the year again it looks like ….
why did it take 8 years to finally have the full version of this be put up?
you know why 🙄
@@jimsonweedsadly 😭
At an artistic level, this raises the bar so high for other Hip Hop artists.
For many musical artists, not just hip hop
thats why kendrick revived hip hop, he set the bar for others. Him and kanye
So glad this is being released properly. Genuinely one of the best performances of all time
biggest snub in Grammys history
they were so embarrassed by the snub they pulled on kendrick it took them 8 years to finally upload the best performance the grammys have ever seen
"Why you wanna see a good man with a broken heart?!" This line makes me glassy-eyed every time
So glad that the Recording Academy stopped playing around and put this on KZhead. Kendrick went crazy that night.
The most brilliant performance I've seen ... Kendrick Lamar is goated .
It’s crazy how an album on 1st listen you don’t really like but after giving it more listens you realize just how great the album is. That’s what happened with me with this album. Didn’t like it at first but as I listened more, it’s one of the greatest albums in music history
they finally unblocked this performance 8 years later? are the grammys going to explain their decision for never releasing this?
We all know the reason 👁👁
@demetriusean what was the reason to not release this masterpiece?
@@7Mushrooms7 racism
@7Mushrooms7 most likely racism or to "maintain an image"
Greatest artist of the century
2000 onward??
goes to kanye imo
@@apocrypha3926agrees
@@apocrypha3926Why Kanye? I am honestly interested in the reasons? He's someone who is been out of my radar always. What should I listen to from his discography?
@@SamuPuuronen simply cuz hes a genius in production and creating music, a good lyricist, one if not the best in sampling, and very versatile with the projects he releases. u should definitely start with his first album the college dropout u will instantly see just how good he is and then work your way up with his more latest ones and his albums are so unique from each other that its crazy how almost all of it is top tier. if u decide to listen to him u defo won't regret it.
For the fact that he performed this song at the grammys is what makes it a power performance
Then J.Cole say this album is trash😂😂😂😂
the way he pauses at the "motherf*cker* and comes back with "you could live at the mall" is SO SATISFYING
Oh now y'all wanna put this up
Right! Cuz I remember this being on YT 4 a short time & then taken off 4 some strange reason. Somebody must've been scared!😂😂😂
Removed it for so long cause they’re embarrassed they chose a Taylor Swift album over this amazing performance🤦♂️
nice profile pic
nice pfp
I've never seen this performance. When it was over, I realized I shed some tears. I don't know what it is but I do know Kendrick is truly gifted. Looking through the comments I see thisvwas taken down before? Wow! I'm glad it was posted again....
The fact that he had to change up some lyrics in the song Alright just shows how intense this time in history was for us
Great that it's back up, but don't forget why it wasn't available in the first place: it offended the sensibilities of some powerful people at a time before MeToo, before George Floyd, before the richest and most powerful people pretended to care about issues like these. Hopefully it stays up this time.
People literally comparing this man to Drake? This generation is worse.
that untitled 05 preformance was crazy how have i never seen this before
I love 05 so much
easily his most underrated song@@qdoba207
lmaoo cuz they ain’t want us to remember this even happened🤣😭they tried to scrub this performance from the internet lmao you could not find a full length, decent quality video of this damn near anywhere. i was on youtube maybe two three months go tryna show this to my mom, cuz we were talking about it and even then i couldn’t find a decent vid
@aliciaa4859 why did they delete it?
@@7Mushrooms7 not deleted just buried. i don’t think it was ever posted until this video. I remember there being a lottt of outcry after the grammys, people weren’t trying to hear what he had to say, probably because kendrick was basically calling out the entire country in 2016- so yeah no one really knows the exact reason it was never posted but that’s my logical guess
Canadian bacon wishes he had this Man's talent and artistic creativity. his ghost writers and AI couldn't match it.
Almost cried, glad they FINALLY put this out! wanted to see this a while ago but it wasn't out, YES!
No other rapper man. The things Kendirck has done for the culture. His message. It will be held and studied for generations. G.O.A.T>
Yup hands down!
Took the Grammys almost an entire decade to officially post this performance but finally glad they did.
I've listened to the Kool G Raps, the Rakims and the Ice Cubes of this world but I've never seen anything like Kendrick Lamar. His pen game and the way he embodies his art is what made me consider Kendrick as the GOAT. In each and every album he puts out he changes his aura and his appearance with the theme of the albums, the TPAB era was probably his darkest and most introspective phase in which I truly enjoyed witnessing back in 2014 to 2015, I'm glad he passed through this phase but it was a once in a lifetime experience musically in which I truly miss. I'm looking at the newer generation of modern rap and I'm still awaiting a talent as close to Kendrick but in all honesty Kendrick Lamar is my favorite rapper of all time and interestingly TPAB came out in the same year when students from South Africa were protesting in Universities nationwide and it was real for youngsters like me at that time, and the album made the whole ordeal memorable. What an era, what an album 🔥🔥🇿🇦
4:55 is probably my personal favorite out of this whole performance, though I love EVERYTHING about this preformance. I just have an addiction to Untitled Unmastered every since I first listened to it.
Untitled 05 is easily the most underrated Kendrick song. I really wish it would have made it on TPAB, but the vibe was very different from the rest of the album so it makes sense.
Honestly might be my favorite Kendrick project
@@HotStrange you sir have my respect
@5:15 when he said "Do you wanna see a good man with a broken heart", you FELT THAT! It was RAW emotion!!
Who’s here after his 4 diss tracks in 2024? His talent is truly unmatched
Who is here after Not Like Us?!?!
They finally put this legendary performance back up.
Anybody here after Meet the Grahams? Kendrick's genius is different.
Kendrick is an artist through and through on all fronts
Who here after kendrick dropped 2 diss tracks in a week #1 me
Me!🙋🏽🤣
My favorite performance from The Grammys 2016!!!
I think this is the best performance from the Grammys of all time!
This was deep hidden message idk why they would even compare someone like Drake to this man 🤷🏿♂️
Kdot fans know his live performance series is something special too beside the music. Truly next level.
"A difference between accomplishments and astonishments"
The best Grammy perfomance of all time. BY FAR.
Kendrick Lamar is a legend
This man has always been operating on a different level than anyone else
the greatest artist of our generation, hands down. hope he doesn’t soil his legacy with this feud. he is, legitimately, what black culture is feeling
This guy is like 2planets away from cole and drake
why are you including cole and drake in the same group as if cole isnt also better than drake
I remember they had removed this from youtube. His message struck a nerve
One of the best and memorable performances in Grammys history. I was shook back then! And yes, "To Pimp A Butterfly" should've won AOTY!!!
“I make music to electrify em, you(Drake) make music to pacify em”
🔥🔥🔥🔥 His message has been consistent! This man makes me proud ✊🏾
I've been looking for this! Thank you Recording Academy for the effn reupload
They weren't ready for this at all. I argue this is when the shift back to conscious hip-hop happened. This definitely sparked something in me when I was a kid.
Kendrick's live performances are always everything you expect and more. Artistic to the core.
This will forever be his greatest performance. 2015 Kendrick was something else.
Apparently this is a sleeper to j cole like wtf😂
May i remind y'all that the biggest crime the scrammy's have commited was denying this masterpiece an album of the year award & giving it to a TS album 💀 One of the greatest projects to ever be released,if not my personal favourite (& i prefer Cole)
The biggest crime was giving the Heist rap AOTY over Good kid mad city.
This is the ONLY thing I remember from the 2016 Grammys!! I've waited so long for it to be on YT!!! One of the greatest performances in the history of the Grammys!!!! 🙌🏿 🔥🔥🔥🔥
This performance was tell a story of a black man✊️✊️✊️
“On February 26 I lost my life too” that part always gets me. Rip Trayvon Martin.
Thank you sooo much. I've been looking for this video for years, I hope it stays up.
just a reminder that K will go down in history as one of the greatest artists to ever lived.
Finally uploaded one of the greatest Grammy Performances Of All Time! Not just Hip Hop but any genre this performance from Kendrick is so soul grabbing and triumphant, and yet so beautiful in a sense.✊🏽🐐🔥💯
"To Pimp A Butterfly" - Kendrick Lamar painted the picture so clear to us & others and We still turn a blind eye every day.
Masterpiece!! Finally available on a video , that sax at the end it’s pure art
thank goodness it’s finally back on KZhead with full quality too
Thank you for finally uploading this.
Kinda of sad they didn't release it with reactions from the crowd at the end. Common standing and clapping powerfully like a proud uncle etc
Too powerful. Doubt we have an Emcee this hard again.
Finally they put the full performance on here, this is truly a classic never will forget seeing this live
Top 3 Grammy performance of alltime.
His mix of jazz and rock into rap is absolutely genius production. you’d never really think this genre’s could mix so well together
The world knows to pimp a butterfly was the album of the year,and a lot of the world knows it was the album of the decade,genuinely a society changing album
Finally its here Best Grammy peformance easily
Kendrick is Goat 🐐