Kendrick Lamar recently won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in music for his album "DAMN." because "it's a song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life," according to Dana Canedy, the Pulitzer Prize Administrator.

Over the years the only music genre that was regularly recognized was classical and, at times, jazz. However, these were not commercially successful songs/genres. At least, not like hip-hop.

Bob Dylan received a "special award" in 2008 for his “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” Dylan's award emphasized the effort Pulitzer was making to reach beyond the classical and jazz music genres.

While hip-hop has changed over the years from Tupac and Biggie to Drake and Future, we can argue that the style of music is more recognized than before. It's still a platform for Black people to speak about their life experiences and that is what Rappers like Kendrick Lamar have been doing for years from "To Pimp A Butterfly" to "DAMN."

So, what does that mean for hip-hop artists?

It is the moment where Pulitzer recognizes that there is a lot of effort and creativity that goes into the genre and that hip-hop can be just as beautiful as other genres like classical and jazz.

Other hip-hop artists would now be more likely to have their work considered for a Pulitzer, and this would stop people from over-looking the style of music.