March 2015

Kendrick Lamar's third major album, a sprawling fusion of jazz, funk, and hip-hop, was hailed as one of the greatest albums in any genre. Its themes of systemic racism, Black identity, and survivor's guilt arrived in the midst of the Ferguson aftermath and BLM movement, making it both an artistic and political landmark.

Jay-Z purchased the streaming service Aspiro and relaunched it as TIDAL at a press event with sixteen co-owner artists. The venture was an early attempt by Black entertainers to own their distribution infrastructure and introduced the concept of artist-owned streaming to mainstream attention, influencing debates about music industry equity.