On Sunday, February 1, rapper Kendrick Lamar made history at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Lamar won Record of the Year, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Melodic Rap Performance — a sweep that officially pushed him past Jay‑Z for the most Grammy wins by a hip‑hop artist. Jay‑Z has earned 25 Grammys over his career. The Compton lyricist now holds 27 wins and 66 nominations.
During his acceptance speech, Lamar took a moment to honor the artist whose music helped shape his and St. Louis‑born SZA’s hit “Luther.” The track heavily samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 slow‑jam classic “If This World Were Mine.”
“He’s one of my favorite artists of all time,” Lamar said during his Record of the Year speech. “They granted us the privilege to do our version of the song. When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn near all dropped a tear, because we know how much he and Cheryl Lynn poured into that record.”