Kendrick Lamar opened the 60th Grammy Awards with a performance of XXX from his album DAMN. An image of an American flag flickered behind him and an army of dancers accompanied him onstage.
Host James Corden said on the red carpet before the show that viewers could expect “the most unique and bold opening you could ever imagine.”
U2‘s Bono and The Edge joined Lamar on stage before the rapper transitioned into DNA.
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The screen flashed “This is a satire by Kendrick Lamar” before Dave Chappelle appeared. “Hi, I’m Dave Chappelle,” the comedian said. “And I just wanted to remind the audience that the only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America. Sorry for the interruption.”
A dramatic sequence followed, with Lamar’s dancers dressed in red, each figuratively shot down by the Blow My High rapper.
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Many celebrities and fans took to Twitter to discuss Lamar’s powerful performance.
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Lamar was nominated for seven awards this year.
He won best rap album for DAMN. and best rap/sung performance for Loyalty, with Rihanna.
“This is special man. I got a lot of guys in this building that I still idolize today,” said Lamar, naming Jay-Z, Nas and Diddy as inspirations.
At the end, Lamar closed with: “Jay for president.”
In the pre-telecast, Lamar won best rap song, best rap performance and best music video for HUMBLE.
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Lamar won five Grammy awards, bringing his lifetime total to 11.
Lamar has delivered outstanding performances on the Grammy stage before. He stunned in 2016 with a medley from his celebrated album To Pimp a Butterfly. He performed The Blacker the Berry as he led what looked like a chain gang, his band members performing from jail cells. He finished with the rallying Alright, standing in front of a map of Africa emblazoned with the word Compton.
Lamar also shared the Grammy stage with Imagine Dragons in 2014.
Watch part of Lamar’s performance in the video above.
—With files from the Associated Press