This weekend, some of the biggest celebrity statements for abortion rights were happening at Glastonbury, by American artists performing at the music festival. Megan Thee Stallion and Olivia Rodrigo both spoke on stage about the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe. Kendrick Lamar was one of Glastonbury’s headliners and he chose to incorporate his pro-choice message into his performance. He waited until the last song he performed, “Savior.” He wore a custom-made diamond-encrusted titanium crown of thorns from Tiffany’s, which sliced his skin as he rapped. Blood streamed down his face and down his white shirt as he rapped: “Godspeed for women’s rights. They judge you, they judge Christ.” After the crescendo, he dropped his mic and walked off stage. In the video, he looks as if he was already crying as he left the stage.
That was really powerful. The descriptions of the performance don’t even do it justice. If you’d like to know more about the crown of thorns and Kendrick’s Louis Vuitton outfit, go here. His relatively simple attire was designed by the late Virgil Abloh, and Kendrick apparently wanted a white shirt to show the blood from the crown of thorns.
Photos courtesy of Instar.
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- North America Rights Only – Somerset, UK -20220626- Glastonbury Festival 2022 -PICTURED: Kendrick Lamar -PHOTO by: Yui Mok/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Somerset, UK -20220626- Glastonbury Festival 2022 -PICTURED: Kendrick Lamar -PHOTO by: Yui Mok/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
Kendric is everything. My appreciation grows for him with every appearance and statement.
To everything you said.
Ditto.
He’s such an impressive person and role model. I hope other men pick up the banner. We desperately need men at all levels to speak out.
Jasmine Sullivan made a plea to me at BET awards yesterday for men in audience to support women. We need this.
He’s a real one. I’m sitting here with tears running down my face at how powerful it is to see a man stand up for us.
I would like to give you the humble opinion of an outsider (Scottish, British and an unabashed Americaphile) looking in. Yes, there is this insanity/idiocracy in what seems to be a significant amount of your population but the majority come across as thoughtful, innovative, intellectual, progressive who will fight back against social injustice. These particular idiots are not reflective of the whole of the United States but they are more often than not – rich, politically powerful and vocal. You guys went to the moon, you are the most powerful and influential country on earth, you fought a war to get rid of a monarchy, another that ended up freeing slaves (and bringing a huge land mass together) and you have had some of the greatest political leaders EVER! This is hopefully a temporary setback but only if the majority fight back with votes, protests and social solidarity. I have been surprised by how much I’ve cried and raged over this in the last few days. It’s not in my geographical or political “back yard” but my empathy for other women has hit me hard. This won’t end with abortion. I think contraception and gay rights will be next in the firing line but hopefully that just brings new allies?
Vote as if your life depends on it………………it does.
I vote like my fellow women depend on me, as I’ll bet you do too!
I am not negating the importance of voting…but the system is broken. 4 of the last 6 SCOTUS judges were picked by presidents that LOST the popular vote! Unfortunately not every vote counts the same – F* the Electoral College and gerrymandering. WE need to expand the court and set term limits because these people are making/enforcing laws and they are NOT elected by US and they blatantly lie during their congressional hearings.
I don’t think I can vote any harder than I already have. There a number of things the government can do now to deal with this, but they aren’t. Biden’s response telling us to vote was lazy and insulting.
Your comment is thoughtful, kind, and supportive, and I thank you. The end of your statement is what I am placing my hope on; the hope that what they are doing will bring us new allies. My hope is that this horrible Supreme Court will end up creating a wave of protest that will affect the November election. We have to channel this anger and disbelief and use our vote!
There’s a spare room, a warm welcome and a temporary bed in Glasgow, for any woman that becomes ‘war weary’ over this x
You said what I waned to say, buy much better @Ellejay. I’m also watching from the sideline (Scandinavia), and this maked me sick to my stomac. So much progress washed down the drain because a bunch of conservative rich people have managed to brain wash so many. Using the religion many of them clearly don’t bother with, to control the masses. I’m not religious myself, but I’ve learned enough about Jesus’ work and speaches to know they don’t follow his learning. If the second christ were to come they’d called him a liberal leftie and turn their backs against him. I hope the good people in the US (and you are the majority) stand up and fight against this. As Ellejay said, this is just the beginning, they’re going after other human rights next.
if they’re coming after contraception (and I’m sure they are) they better take away viagra along with it.
I appreciate your kind words, ElleJay. <3
Yup! If women are going to be restricted regarding BC, men had better be strapped up as well. No more viagra, more vasectomies should be executed a well if they refuse to care for the children they have as well. It’s a choice right? Women will be carry the child full term, so men must to forced to financially raise them. If not, vasectomies all around for dead beat dads too!!!
ElleJay, thank you for the kind words. I feel like we are back living in the Twilight Zone….
ElleJay – Thank you for this. A lot of us are in a very dark place right now, and to know that people outside the States still see the people who are fighting is really impactful. It feels like we’re being drowned out, and it helps to have someone remind us who we are.
I’m not a fan of rap as a genre or rappers in general, but this is a very powerful statement that is much appreciated.
ClaireB you should give rappers more of a chance! There are huge numbers of rappers doing excellent work, especially around civil rights.
So its to be interpreted as “they judge you, + they judge christ” meaning, the most “vocal” christians are really just the most judgemental, concerned abut whos going to hell or nor rather than atually helping anyone.
All the things that christ would do, the republicans would laugh at and call it hand outs, weakness, laziness, and sympathy for the undeserving.
They judge both women, and christ himself.
(I first heard it as “they judge you = they judge christ” but that isnt sensical.)
He is one of the most fascinating and deeply sensitive artists I have ever had the privilege of listening to.
My favorite truth teller
My eight year old watched this with me and I got to teach them about performance art, abortion, and how babies are made and why people have sex. For an example I said that if I got pregnant right now and they stopped me and said “No!” then shook their head. An eight year old knows that a single 43 year old mother of three shouldn’t have a kid. It’s that basic.
Chills. Every time.
A complete and total mockery of Christ’s sacrifice.
That is all.
Orrrrrr maybe you completely misunderstood what he was saying. And maybe you don’t know him or his background/culture that well. And maybe you missed the conclusion of the video where he was quite clearly not mocking anything, but very much emotionally invested in that performance.
Maybe you just need a stronger education in language arts.
Maybe!
Ban Viagara. If pregnancy is gods will, so is your limp d!çk