Lamar and much of the hip hop world swim in social backwardness and represent the antithesis of opposition to big business and capitalism. Hip hop is big business.

Prior to the ascension of Donald Trump, rappers and America’s political right wing were not friends. They enjoyed — and often profited from — a mutual enmity. For nearly 30 years, from the perch of his eponymous and often top-rated Fox News show,

Fresh off a clean sweep at last weekend's Grammys, the 37-year-old Compton rapper elicited a slew of theories and interpretations, from both fans and peers, about his performance, which celebrated Black culture.