
Kendrick Lamar swept the Grammys on Sunday with his diss track “Not Like Us,” which won each of the five categories it was nominated for: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video. Lamar released the scathing diss track against Drake back in May 2024 and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon, earning over a billion Spotify streams since.
After Miley Cyrus presented him with the award for Record of the Year, Lamar took to the stage in a Canadian tuxedo. “First and foremost, all praise to the most high,” he said. “We woke up this morning.” He then paid homage to his aunt Sharon, who passed away the day before.
Lamar, who is from Compton, went on to call out multiple L.A. neighborhoods by name.
“We’re gonna dedicate this one to the city,” said Lamar. “Compton, Watts, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, Pecoima, IE, 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 do records like these, so I can’t give enough thanks, you know, to these places that I rolled around since high school.
“And most importantly, the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can continue to restore this city. And we’re gonna keep rockin’.”
Los Angeles has embarked on a long road to rebuild after January’s unprecedented wildfire crisis, which destroyed tens of thousands of acres and thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The 67th Grammy Awards, which took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown L.A., was punctuated by numerous odes to the city’s recovery.
Local fundraisers were prominent throughout the award show’s commercial breaks and red carpet, and L.A. firefighters received a standing ovation when presenting the award for Album of the Year to Beyoncé. The city was also honored on stage with performances and words from Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank first responders who came from near and far to battle this wildfire siege,” said L.A. Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone during the ceremony. “…I am confident that we will recover and rebuild together because we are L.A. strong.”