"The Queen of soul crowning the King of storytelling": Fans react as Diana Ross presents Kendrick Lamar with Grammy Song of The Year

Kendrick Lamar won the Song of the Year Grammy Award for his breakout hit diss track Not Like Us on Sunday, February 2, 2025. Singer Diana Ross presented him with the award at the ceremony held at the Crypto.com Arena Stage in Los Angeles.

Kendrick Lamar beat Taylor Swift and Post Maline’s Fortnight, Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather, Chappel Roan’s Good Luck Babe!, Sabrina Carpenter’s Please Please Please, Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy), Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ duet Die With a Smile and Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ’Em.

The rapper also won several other awards at the ceremony, including Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, and Record of the Year. Before Diana Ross presented Kendrick Lamar with the award, she offered a solemn speech on the current ongoings of the world.

“How can we have the balance between celebrating and being filled with sorrow? Even as we face trials and tributes with our soul, music brings us home. You are not alone, we stand with you, my heart reached out to you,” the Endless Love singer noted.

As Kendrick Lamar went on to accept the award, he said that he was awestruck about receiving the award at Diana Ross' hand. In his speech, he noted that he had a "starstruck" moment, adding that nothing was "more powerful than rap music."

“This for Compton, straight up… My mom and pop out their doing some flips on the couch right now. My son is six years old. Go to sleep it’s past your bedtime now. This is what it’s about because at the end of the day, nothing is more powerful than rap music,” Lamar said.

Netizens took to social media to react to the moment when Diana Ross presented Kendrick Lamar with the award, with many calling it "history in the making." Some also mentioned that Kendrick Lamar getting the award from Ross was their "favorite moment of the night."

“Diana and K Dot- history in the making,” an X user said.

“I think my favorite part of the whole night was watching Kendrick turn into a puddle and rendered speechless after hugging Diana Ross,” another platform user said.

“Not gonna lie. That sh*t was surreal,” a netizen commented.

Apart from winning multiple Grammy Awards, Kendrick Lamar was also nominated for his, Future and Metro Boomin’ collaboration Like That, which was up for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. Fans also responded to the rapper's multiple nominations and wins, claiming that it was "poetic AF."

“We is eating good this Black History Month,” an X user said.

“Poetic AF,” another internet user said.

“Must Be Illuminati,” a platform user commented.

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Kendrick Lamar pays tribute to his aunt while accepting the Record of the Year Grammy Award

The 37-year-old singer also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for Not Like Us. While accepting the award at the ceremony on Sunday, the singer thanked several people for supporting him, including his aunt, who he said had passed away the previous day.

“She’s probably watching it up there so make sure y’all got your smiles on right now make her feel right," Lamar said.

The rapper went on to give shoutouts to Dr Dre and Swizz Beatz, who have both produced music for him. He also dedicated the win to the city of Los Angeles, in light of the recent wildfires.

“We gonna dedicate this one to the city, Compton, Watts, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley. This is my neck of the woods that held me down since I was a young pup. I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rode around since high school," the rapper said.

The rapper addressed families based off of the Palisades and Altadena, assuring them that they could restore the city of Los Angeles.

Kendrick Lamar is next set to take the halftime show Super Bowl LIX stage as the headliner on February 9, 2025.