Rapper Kendrick Lamar is the latest artist to take a public stand against last week's controversial US Supreme court ruling (which saw the reversal of the abortion rights law) with his breathtaking closing set at the Glastonbury Festival.
In the finale to his set on Sunday evening, Lamar left concert-goers stunned when he ended his performance of “Saviour”, one of the stand-out cuts from his recent album "Mr Morale and the Big Steppers", with an impassioned chant expressing his support for women's right.
“Godspeed for women’s rights” - @kendricklamar pic.twitter.com/s4y9XeWbHG
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) June 27, 2022
Decked in a diamond-encrusted crown of thorns with blood dripping down his face and onto his shirt, Lamar ended the track by rapping acapella.
In his rap, he repeated the lines, “They judge you, they judged Christ. Godspeed for women’s rights”.
With his voice gradually growing more enraged, he continued to repeat this over and over again before he threw his microphone to the ground and stormed off stage.
The rapper’s performance marked his long awaited debut at the festival, which concluded the popular five-day festival. His 90-minute set was also packed with hits like “Humble”, “Swimming Pools”, “DNA”, “Alright” and “Money Trees”.
In a Tweet Sunday night, which Lamar's manager Dave Free Retweeted, British Vogue reported that the crown Lamar wore was made by Tiffany and Co and features 8 000 diamonds.
"Vogue can reveal Kendrick Lamar’s custom crown of thorns, which he emerged wearing onstage at #Glastonbury tonight, was made by @TiffanyAndCo and features 8,000 diamonds."
Vogue can reveal Kendrick Lamar’s custom crown of thorns, which he emerged wearing onstage at #Glastonbury tonight, was made by @TiffanyAndCo and features 8,000 diamonds. https://t.co/COw6nfMJJn
— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) June 26, 2022
Apart from Lamar, other artists like Lorde, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Idles and Phoebe Bridges used the festival as a platform to express their disapproval over the reversal of the landmark Roe v Wade ruling that had allowed abortions in America since 1973.