A Record written in Gold by Kendrick Lamar at the Grammys

The Compton-born rapper overtakes Jay-Z as the Grammys’ most-awarded rapper.

3 min readFeb 2, 2026 10:54 PM IST

Lamar kept his acceptance speech true to his long-held belief that his music speaks louder than public appearances. (File image)

Kendrick Lamar rounded off a landmark night at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles by becoming the most-awarded rapper in the history of the Grammys. With nine nominations, the Compton-born rapper walked away with five trophies, including Best Rap Album for GNX and Record of the Year for Luther, his collaboration with R&B star SZA. The wins took his total career Grammy tally to 27, breaking Jay-Z’s record of 25 Grammy awards.

He also took home the awards for Best Rap Performance in Chains & Whips (by the hip-hop duo Clipse), Best Melodic Rap performance for Luther and Best Rap song – TV Off from GNX.

Born as Kendrick Lamar Duckworth in 1987 in Compton, California, Lamar grew up amid gang violence and systemic neglect alongside deep community ties and artistic curiosity. These contradictions would later go on to define his music and works. He began rapping as a teenager under the name K.Dot, releasing a series of mixtapes. This caught the attention of Top Dawg Entertainment in 2005. In 2011, he came out with his independent album Section.80, referencing his childhood in section 8 housing and how he was born in the 1980s. With good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012), Lamar translated his coming-of-age years in Compton into a cinematic narrative. Each subsequent release expanded his music. His album DAMN. that came out in 2017, not only got him the Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy awards, it earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018 – an unprecedented honour for a hip-hop artist.

The importance of Lamar’s victory goes beyond mere numbers. Surpassing one of hip hop’s most iconic figures for most Grammy wins underscores how a genre born on the margins has become central to global culture. His continued success signals not only personal achievement but also a milestone for the broader recognition of rap as an art form worthy of the highest honors in music.

Lamar kept his acceptance speech true to his long-held belief that his music speaks louder than public appearances. “I’m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music,” he told the audience, before turning his attention to the genre that shaped him. “Hip-hop is gonna always be right here. We gonna be in these suits, we gonna be having our folks with us, we gonna be having the culture with us.” he said

He closed by thanking his collaborators, his family and his faith, adding simply, “God is the glory. I appreciate y’all.”

Lamar earned his first career Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist and Album Of The Year for good kid, m.A.A.d city, in 2013. He won his first Grammy for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “I” in 2014.