Which rapper released the 2017 album DAMN., winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music?

The rapper who released the 2017 album DAMN., winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, was Kendrick Lamar.

DAMN. was Lamar’s fourth studio album and was released on April 14, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Its songs examine faith, violence, fame, identity, morality, and the pressures surrounding modern African-American life.

The Pulitzer recognized DAMN. in 2018 as a “virtuosic song collection” marked by vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism. The award was historically significant because it was the first Pulitzer Prize for Music given to a work outside the classical and jazz traditions. Lamar was also the first rapper to receive the music prize.

A common mix-up is confusing the Pulitzer with DAMN.’s Grammy achievements. At the 2018 Grammy Awards, the album won Best Rap Album, while “HUMBLE.” won several awards. The Pulitzer was a separate honor awarded by Columbia University’s Pulitzer organization, and it recognized the album as a complete musical work rather than a single track.