Photo by Nihal Demirci Erenay via Uplash.

In 2025, Kendrick Lamar solidified his place as one of the most influential artists of the 21st century. With his unique blend of lyricism and cultural commentary, Kendrick Lamar has become a force to be reckoned with. This year, Lamar’s continued success at the Grammys, his role in the ongoing discussion about Black culture and social justice, and his culturally significant Super Bowl halftime performance have all further cemented his legacy.

Kendrick Lamar Dominates the Grammys 

2025 marked yet another historic year for Kendrick Lamar at the Grammys. This year, he not only added more trophies to his already impressive collection but also triumphed in some of the most prestigious and highly competitive categories.

Lamar’s critically acclaimed track “Not Like Us” emerged as a standout of the year, earning him an impressive five awards. The song took home Rap Song of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video, solidifying its cultural and artistic impact.

These Grammy wins in 2025 weren’t just personal victories for Lamar; they symbolized the increasing mainstream recognition of rap. As Kendrick said himself, “This is what it’s about man, because at the end of the day, nothing is more powerful than rap music. We are the culture, it’s gonna always stay here and live forever.”

 Black Artists and the Grammys – Is 2025 a Turning Point?

Kendrick Lamar’s triumph at the Grammys in 2025 also raises important questions about the relationship between Black artists and the Recording Academy. Historically, Black musicians, particularly in genres like rap and R&B, have faced systemic barriers to receiving proper recognition for their work. The controversy surrounding Beyoncé’s repeated losses in major categories, such as her 2023 “Renaissance” loss for Album of the Year, has fueled debates about the Grammys’ treatment of Black artists.

But 2025 seems to mark a shift in how Black artists are being recognized. With Lamar’s sweeping wins in major categories, especially in categories like Song and Record of the Year, traditionally dominated by pop and rock artists, there is a growing sense that the Grammys may be moving in a new direction.

This year Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Cater” also won Album of the Year, a win that was widely celebrated. Critics and fans alike are hopeful that 2025 represents a turning point, one where Black artists are no longer sidelined but celebrated for their contributions to music and culture at the highest level. While questions remain about whether this shift will be permanent, the success of artists like Lamar and Beyoncé in 2025 is a promising sign. It may mark the beginning of a more equitable future for Black musicians in the music industry’s most prestigious award show.

Kendrick Lamar’s Symbolic Super Bowl Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show was impactful. In a year where social justice continued to dominate conversations, Lamar used his platform to make a powerful statement about race, identity and resilience. 

Throughout the halftime show, Kendrick relied heavily on imagery and symbolism to make his point. The giant PlayStation controller that dominated the stage may have represented the idea of life as a game, with the American Dream being something that is “played” and often controlled by larger systems. At one point,  the dancers were arranged in formations of red, white, and blue, which at first seemed like just a standard patriotic gesture. However, the dancers often shifted in ways that fractured the imagery of the American flag, symbolizing a nation deeply divided by race, class and political tensions.
In addition, the decision to have Serena Williams perform the Crip Walk was laden with meaning. As Dr. Sequoia Maner, a professor at Spelman College in literature, explained. 

“A lot of people said, ‘Oh, you know, that’s a jab at Drake,’ right? Serena is Drake’s ex. But we forget in 2012, Serena was lambasted for doing the crip walk on the world stage at the London Olympics. And that was a moment in which we really saw this vitriol aimed at one of the most excellent top performers, saying that she was too loud and that she was too ghetto for a kind of respectable sport like tennis, right?” 

For a deeper dive into the symbolism in the half time show  you can read more in Halima Jibril’s article titled,  “America Has a Problem: Unpacking Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl symbolism.”

As 2025 continues, Kendrick Lamar’s influence on music, culture and social justice shows no signs of slowing down. His Grammy wins represent a new era for Black artists in the Recording Academy, while his Super Bowl halftime performance stands as one of the most significant cultural moments of the year. Lamar’s ability to use his platform to address difficult social issues while pushing the boundaries of his craft makes him one of the most important artists of our time. 

Fake nails and falsettos filled Peters Theater Nov. 9 at the second annual Broadway Backwards. QUILTBAG, the LGBTQ+ student organization of William Jewell College, put on the evening of Broadway tunes. Spencer Ruwe, senior music performance and ACT-In double major, was in charge of planning and hosting the event. 

The Hilltop Monitor spoke with Ruwe about the premise of Broadway Backwards.

“It is a genderbent and binary breaking musical theater cabaret where students, faculty and staff perform musical theater songs, solos, groups and duets traditionally done by somebody of a different gender orientation than their own,” Ruwe said.

The funds collected from $5 general admission tickets, $10 luxury seating tickets and donation buckets went to support Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids, an organization that gives resources and educational materials to support those suffering with HIV.

“Now people with HIV live very happy and full lives and get to still perform on Broadway, so it’s good that we get to give back,” said Ruwe.

In New York City, actors on Broadway put on Broadway Backwards, which is where Ruwe got the idea for the event. The original Broadway Backwards has raised millions of dollars for HIV awareness and education through Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids. 

Ruwe and Cara Ellman, a 2018 graduate of Jewell, decided to put on a smaller Jewell-version for the first time last year.

“We were really unsure of how it was going to go but then we raised over $300 and we had I think 75 percent of the seats sold in the theater, it was a better event than we had ever thought it was going to be,” said Ruwe. 

Ruwe recalls that he performed “Candy Store” from the musical “Heathers” last year. 

“One of my favorite ones was Alex May, Larry Dahlsten and Reid Spencer performed ‘The Schuyler Sisters’ from ‘Hamilton,’” said Ruwe.

This year’s show included songs from hit musicals such as “Wicked,” “Waitress,” “West Side Story” and “Aladdin.” Nineteen performers volunteered their talents to make the night a success. 

“A large amount of the people performing are QUILTBAG members who also do theater or choir outside of it,” Ruwe said. “We also have some staff participation and an alumni member who is on faculty now, and then there is a good amount of theater students who are heavily involved in theater productions.” 

Reid Spencer, senior music major, performed “Dead Girl Walking” from “Heathers” alongside Jaimeson Satterfield, sophomore theater and psychology double major. The song, traditionally about a high school girl who breaks into her boyfriend’s bedroom to seduce him, was reimagined with two male voices. In the most comedic moment of the night, Satterfield and Spencer alluded to the seduction by throwing clothing items onto the stage from behind the curtain.

RJ Daniels, sophomore Oxbridge Music major, sang “I’m Changing My Major” from “Fun Home.” Daniels brought smiles to the audience through their giddy, earnest performance of a piece about Allison, a girl so in love with Joan that she wants to “change her major” to Joan.

Sequoia Crissman, sophomore theater major, took on “Hellfire” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in addition to a duet from “Anything Goes” with Faith Harris, first-year musical theater major. Crissman demonstrated her versatility, first with the bubbly, energetic “Anything Goes,” and then with a dramatic, darker performance to suit the villainous “Hellfire.” 

Whether it be a duet or solo piece, heteronormative in nature or binary-breaking, all numbers performed at the event encouraged audience members to imagine the relationships and gender identities portrayed in Broadway and the media in new ways. 

“I think it’s really cool to get to see students and faculty members express their gender in a different way that we wouldn’t get to see normally, especially since we have some non binary students who are performing songs that traditionally people might not think that they would do well at,” said Ruwe.

Attendees of the event agreed. Ingrid Weaver, first-year Oxbridge Literature and Theory major, enjoyed Broadway Backwards with a group of friends.

“I really enjoyed Broadway Backwards because I got to see a variety of performances that were put on by a super talented group of Jewell students,” said Weaver. “I think it’s also great that all the money for the event went to a good cause.” 

This year’s event raised over $500 for Broadway Cares: Equity Fights AIDS – more than Ruwe’s goal. 

Visibility is a key part of the mission of the event. Ruwe remarked on wanting to emphasize the fluidity of gender. 

“We get kind of caught up in this really strict binary of male and female,” said Ruwe. “As a gender nonconforming male I don’t really dress the same way that a lot of men would dress, I have my nails painted, I’m kind of more feminine in my actions, and I think that it’s a cool opportunity to show people that gender is a spectrum and that it’s very fluid in its construction.”

The results of this study can help Kansas Citians choose the most reliable phone plan based on which provider best serves their specific needs.

This study holds the four major network providers—AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon—accountable for the reliability of their services, both nationally and in Kansas City. It is interesting to note that Sprint, whose headquarters is in Kansas City, has the lowest score of the four major providers in the city.

The study compares the networks in overall performance, reliability, data, speed, call and text performance in 125 major U.S. markets. The scores were weighted according to the estimated national percentage of each network’s subscribers. Networks with more customers are weighted heavier than smaller networks.

Kansas City had mixed national performance rankings. The city received first for network reliability and data performance. Its network speeds ranked second, call performance fourth and text performance 14th.

Lansing, Mich., received first for overall performance in Rootmetrics’ 2017 rankings.

The four major networks were then ranked based on their performance within Kansas City. AT&T and Verizon were Kansas City’s top network performers, tying for first in overall performance, network reliability, data and call performance.

T-Mobile joined the other two carriers with top scores in both network speed and text performance. Sprint received top rankings only in text performance.

The rankings of the four major providers in Kansas City emulate the national scores. Rootmetrics ranked Verizon first in national overall performance with AT&T placing a close second.

Photo Courtesy of Visit KC.