Kendrick Lamar is no stranger to winning awards in the music space, but it looks like he could be in the running for an Oscar next year.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 35-year-old Compton rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner has qualified for consideration for the Academy Award’s Best Live Action Short category.
K Dot’s We Cry Together, a six-minute film starring him and Zola actress Taylour Paige, was shown earlier this year at the Lamelle Royal Theater in West Los Angeles, qualifying it to enter the Oscar race.
The film, which depicts Lamar and Paige as a couple on the break of a messy, verbally abusive breakup, takes its cues from the song of the same name from K. Dot’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album released in May.
pgLang, the creative collective founded by Lamar and his longtime manager and business parter Dave Free, ensured no cellphone footage of the film would be leaked on social media as special security detail collected the phones of all attendees.
Mostly friends and family associated with the project saw the film throughout its six-day run, but 20 members of the public were able to buy tickets to each showing.
Since its debut, “We Cry Together” has been one of the more hotly debated singles on Mr. Morale, even making Billboard history for all the wrong reasons. The single originally debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, only to plummet 81 spots in its second frame, enough to record the biggest downfall for a record in Hot 100 history, according to ChartData.
Nevertheless, it hasn’t kept Kendrick from making waves and bringing fans to tears across the country with his Mr. Morale tour.
Kendrick Lamar Tells 12-Year-Old Reporter How He Wants His Legacy To Be Remembered
A security guard in Houston was spotted getting emotional during the rapper’s performance of “LOVE,” prompting Lamar to not only call the moment genuine but also cite how music makes us feel over everything.
“It’s really just about the feeling of it at the end of the day,” Kendrick told Jazzy’s World TV about the moment. “Past all the politics, past all the numbers. It’s what music makes you feel, how it makes you feel. So to see that … And shout-out to him by the way because I seen him, bro. I was like, man, I wonder what he going through? But at the end of the day that’s how you want everybody to perceive your music.”
Meanwhile, Madonna recently revealed Kendrick Lamar is on the short list of artists she’d like to work with.
The Queen of Pop put her K. Dot collaboration dreams in the air during an appearance on The Tonight Show on Thursday (August 11), telling host Jimmy Fallon: “There’s one artist that I worship more than anything in life and I would love to collaborate with him, and that’s Kendrick Lamar.”
Madonna also heaped high praise on the Compton native’s latest album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, saying: “His new record is history-making. Mind-bogglingly brilliant. It’s insane.”
GOAT
Yeah. Kendrick is way better than Tupac, Jay, Nas, Big L, old Em, Big Pun, ans everyone else! Hell, Tupac WISHES he could make hiphop as amazing as “we cry together”! Wheb kendricks voice cracked in every verse constantly it was so amazing! He SOUNDED like a woman! Love love LOVVVEEEE IT, YASSS QUEEEN! And if Kendrick isn’t GOAT, then Lil Nas X HAS TO BE NEXT!
How can Kendrick be the greatest of all time when he only has 2 to 3 great albums? That’s like ppl who call Biggie the GOAT. Yeah, he was great, and kendrick used to be great years ago, but GOAT? Nah. Not even close. If Kendrick kept up that OD, Section 80, ans GKMC vibe…. then maybe he might get there, yes. No disrespect to TPAB, it’s a very nice album, but not digestible for most, and not replay value in situations aside from self reflecting situations.
You guys always use the same played out replay value argument as an excuse to shit on his music. It’s getting corny now. Plus, ain’t no way you think S80 or OD is better than TPAB, Damn or even MM&TBS
She heard him rapping about hitting white chicks on the road for the culture and now he on her radar
Cool for him ?. If you have the resources why not branch out. More rappers should start looking into doing similar things cuz that’s how you grow your name 1. and 2. the music biz doesn’t last forever
Don’t know why my smiley emoji turned to a question mark smh