Will Kendrick Lamar Win An Oscar Before A Major Grammy?
America is being swept with Black Panther fever at the moment. The latest Marvel release has been hotly anticipated for months now, thanks to a cast loaded with talent, one of the best up-and-coming directors in Hollywood, and a groundbreaking focus on black artists and African culture. Combined with the big-budget and mass appeal that have always accompanied superhero films, it's no surprise that Black Panther is smashing box office records on this, its opening weekend.
As if the film needed any more cultural relevance, it was announced in January that the score would be produced by the biggest current rapper in the game, Kendrick Lamar. A rapper producing a film score was an extremely untraditional choice (at least for a film that has nothing to do with rap music), but then again, this is a film and a production company that delights in breaking new ground. Besides, if the brass of Black Panther wanted its soundtrack produced by a contemporary black artist, they could not have chosen better. Lamar is one of the most respected artists in all of music's younger generation, and has absolutely owned the last year with his acclaimed album (and ensuing arena tour) DAMN.
Of course, the announcement came just a few weeks before DAMN. and its hit track "Humble" were upset in the major Grammy awards, losing Song, Record and Album of the Year to Bruno Mars, a result that rendered all of Kendrick's Rap genre Grammys less meaningful. The Grammys disappointment spawned another iteration of an annual discussion of how the awards shut out and under-appreciate black artists, particularly the representatives of Rap and Hip-hop.
The Grammy shun caused me to jokingly begin saying "Maybe with Black Panther, Kendrick will at least win an Oscar for Best Song if he can't win a Grammy for it." After all, as evidenced by last year (the number of racial minority nominees, Moonlight's triumph), the Oscars are at least trying to get better about recognizing their diversity problem. However, the more time I've spent thinking about it, the more I'm beginning to think an Oscar victory for Kendrick is entirely feasible.
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For starters, there is a good chance Black Panther will get awards notice. I know it may seem absurd for a Marvel movie to be in Oscar contention, but as the superhero flicks become increasingly original, diverse and creative, we're moving towards that possibility. Wonder Woman paved the way this last year with a genuine push in the awards circuit; even though they struck out on Oscar nominations, the hype, as well as the nominations for the X-Men film Logan made it feel not too far off. From early returns, it appears Black Panther is on track to be even bigger and even better than Wonder Woman. With a known and respected director and cast, do not be shocked to see it amidst several Academy Award categories next year.
What's more, the recent trajectories of the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories lend themselves to great possibilities for Lamar. The former category has increasingly rewarded the less traditional movie scores; think the Eastern European music-box feel of The Grand Budapest Hotel, or the unabashed Musical feel of last year's winner, La La Land. A score revolving around the beats and rhythm of Rap and Hip-Hop would be yet another bold choice for the award. Somewhat conversely, Best Original Song has gotten increasingly mainstream in its nominees. Films have employed more noted stars like John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, and U2 in recent years to write and perform their hit songs. This likely helps the movies themselves find another angle for promotion, and it certainly helps Oscar viewership. Since the film awards don't have the musical star power of the Grammys, ratings are inherently lower; one way to boost those is to have big-name artists perform live. And if we learned anything from a high-energy halftime show and jaw-dropping Grammys performance, it's that Kendrick Lamar knows how to put on a made-for-TV set.
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But let's not forget the final piece of a puzzle: there are some marvelous options for nominees. Black Panther: The Album has been released to critical acclaim, and though nearly every song features at least one guest artist, Kendrick's fingerprints are all over the tracklist. The 3 singles that have been released, are all, to put it eloquently, flame-emoji.
"All The Stars", which very quickly followed the announcement of Lamar's role in Black Panther, is the closest thing to a traditional 'movie song' of the bunch, thanks to SZA's soaring vocals and an evocative orchestral background. The lyricism in this one, as is the case with most of the album, flawlessly ties together imagery relevant to the film with assertions that appear relevant to the rapper's everyday life.
"King's Dead" was released next, and is a rip-roaring rap battle that doubly serves as an anthem of sorts for villain Erik Killmonger. Jay Rock sets the energetic tone, Future stumbles through an instantly-infamous verse, and Kendrick sets the whole track aflame with his outro (also seen at the end of the Grammy performance). The bridge by savant musical experimentalist James Blake doesn't hurt, either. This song would be a long shot for an Oscar nod, no question, but if 3-6 Mafia can win one, why can't Kendrick, Future and Jay Rock?
Finally, "Pray For Me", with Lamar and pop singer The Weeknd, is already getting lots of radio play and could be a genuine contender for the prize next year. It's catchy, its lyrics come at a perfect time in the film, and the infusion of African influence render it an intriguing listen both within and outside of the context of the movie. In addition, The Weeknd is just 2 years removed from being an Oscar nominee for Fifty Shades Of Grey's "Earned It" (yes, really, Fifty Shades was nominated for an Academy Award. I told you they'd started to pander in this category), so he's no stranger to this race.
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So yes, it's still a year before this would even be pertinent and it's probably wishful thinking to assume the Academy would have Black Panther's score fresh on their mind. But, both fortunately and sadly, it has gotten to the point where it's as safe to imagine Kendrick Lamar as a contender for an Oscar as it is a contender for a general award Grammy. With or without recognition, the Black Panther score is a terrific achievement that such a monumental film deserves.