Kendrick Lamar didn’t just own the night at the Grammys on stage, but off of it, as well. The winner of five Grammys last night and the Internet in the hours that followed, thanks to his Earth-shattering performance of “Alright,” and “The Blacker the Berry,” Lamar also managed to make a group of high school students’ dreams come true. Not bad for a Monday night.
Teaming up with Reebok, Lamar brought a group of students from his old high school, Centennial in Compton, with him to Monday night’s show. According to the company, each of the students selected to go on arguably the coolest field trip imaginable “exemplifies the attributes that shone in a young Kendrick and embodies the characteristics that Reebok Classic encourage; having the courage to express who they are and a willingness to stand out from the crowd.” Lamar hung out with the students, answering their questions and listening to their stories. And if that weren’t enough, the students then walked the red carpet, going to the show to watch Lamar perform.
Lamar, who was recently given to the key to Compton by the city’s mayor, has a history of hanging out with and inspiring high school students. In June, he visited a high school in New Jersey, where a teacher was using Lamar’s Grammy-winning album To Pimp a Butterfly in class. Lamar has also worked with Reebok in the past, developing shoes that the rapper hoped would help ease violence between gangs.
