Last Monday (Feb. 15), Kendrick Lamar delivered a politically charged performance at the Grammys. The critically acclaimed live rendition of “Blacker The Berry,” “Alright” and a previously unreleased cut reportedly gave the rapper’s sophomore album, To Pimp A Butterfly, a major boost in sales.
According to HitsDailyDouble, TPAB album sales are up a whopping 411 percent since the Grammys.
This year, Kendrick Lamar led the Grammy nominations with 11 nods. He was up for awards including Album of the Year for TPAB and Song of the Year for "Alright." He also received nominations for Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Bad Blood" with Taylor Swift and Dance Recording "Never Catch Me" with Flying Lotus.
He won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for "Alright" as well as Best Rap Album for TPAB. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last March.
Upon its release, TPAB received positive reviews. NY Daily News gave the album five stars calling it an "instant classic."
On "To Pimp A Butterfly," Lamar expands from regional concerns to address general issues of race, power, madness and desire.
It's an album meant to be lived with for a long time, making it one of the few recent hip-hop that's built to last.
USA Today predicted the album's content would be taught in college courses, presumably similar to the one based on his major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d city taught at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, Georgia.
As noted by HotNewHipHop, virtually every album received a boost in sales in the week after the Grammys. Only two albums received a bigger boost than TPAB. Alabama Shakes' Sound & Color, which was nominated for Album of the Year, is up 494 percent. Tori Kelly, who was nominated for Best New Artist, saw a 418 percent increase in sales for her Unbreakable Smile.
