Without a doubt, Kendrick Lamar’s recent Pulitzer Prize made history. It was the first time the Prize’s music award has been won by a non-classical or jazz musician. So what does this mean for the future of rap? A music style central to Black American culture, rap has definitely experienced its fair share of bias and prejudice throughout the years.

Rap is known to be deliberately ‘rough around the edges’. But many ‘purists’ have labelled rap’s abrasiveness as a sign of inferior artistry. The reality is, behind the heavy beats and profanity, there’s a greater message speaking to thousands of thousands of listeners.

For Kendrick’s “DAMN.”, this is arguably, the very reason he won the award. Now a recognised anthem for the Black Lives Matter campaign, it’s only fitting that the album received the award for ‘great achievements in music’.

Tess spoke with renowned pianist and lecturer at Sydney University, Scott Davie, about how Kendrick’s Pulitzer win is blurring the lines between classical and rap.