Kendrick Lamar's crown of thorns: price, meaning & more revealed
27 June 2022, 11:47 | Updated: 28 June 2022, 10:27
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Kendrick Lamar was seen wearing the crown on his latest album cover and at his headline set at Glastonbury
Kendrick Lamar's crown has been a topic of contention since he was seen wearing it on the cover of his latest album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
The crown, made bespoke for him by creative collaborator Dave Free and jeweller Tiffany & Co, features 50 thorns in total, with a mixture of straight, thick and rose thorns.
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Find out all the information about the rappers crown below.
What is the story behind the crown?
The crown was a collaboration between Dave Free and Tiffany and Co. according to Vogue.
Free, who co-founded the media company pgLang with the rapper, says that “the crown is a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens."
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The crown of thorns is also alluding to religious iconography, where according to the new testament, a crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus leading up to his crucifixion.
According to the jeweller, the crown is a metaphor for artistic prowess, humility and perseverance.
Kendrick Lamar's custom crown of thorns is made by Tiffany & Co and includes 8000 diamonds.
— Hiiipower - TDE News (@hiiipowers) June 27, 2022
"The crown is a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens,” says longtime Friend and business partner Dave Free pic.twitter.com/pnjx46XO3V
The 35-year-old rapper also referenced this meaning in his headline Glastonbury set, saying that he wears the crown as a reminder of 'imperfection', whilst also revealing that his favourite song from his new album is indeed Imperfection.
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What is the crown made of?
The crown took 10 months to design and features 8000 cobblestone micro pavé diamonds totalling more than 137 carats, according to Vogue.
Despite being encrusted in diamonds, the crown only weighs 200g.
Kendrick's headpiece required more than 1300 hours of work by four craftsmen to construct the crown.
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How much did the crown cost?
There are no official figures as to how much the crown cost, however the level of work and craftsmanship render it priceless.
The crown, made up of 50 thorns, was cast in 14 components in Tiffany’s New York workshop, before the final piece was assembled in the northern region of Italy and then custom fit to Kendrick.
Where has Kendrick worn the crown?
Kendrick Lamar was first spotted with the crown on his latest album cover, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers last month.
He also made a high-profile visit to Paris Fashion Week, where he wore the crown on the front row of the Louis Vuitton menswear show on 23rd June.
Kendrick wore the crown as he performed a live ode to the late Virgil Abloh whilst sitting next to supermodel Naomi Campbell.
The latest appearance of the crown was at yesterday's Glastonbury festival, where Kendrick performed a 90-minute set of songs such as Money Trees, Swimming Pools, HUMBLE and more.
The now iconic symbol of the crown was projected behind Kendrick as he opened his set with United In Grief.
He made his Glastonbury debut after two years of delays due to the pandemic.
What happened during Kendrick's Glastonbury set?
Kendrick Lamar performed last night at Glastonbury, making his debut performance at the festival.
In the finale of his performance, he made a statement of support for women after the US supreme court shut down the constitutional right to abortion care.
As blood trickled down his face from the thorns, the rapper repeated: “They judge you, they judge Christ. Godspeed for women’s rights!”
Was the blood real?
Chanting “They judge you, they judge Christ, Godspeed for women’s rights” over and over is one hell of a way for Kendrick Lamar to end this festival, as blood pours from his crown of thorns pic.twitter.com/78DjmnM24X
— Jonathan Dean (@JonathanDean_) June 26, 2022
According to sources, the blood was not real in Kendrick's Glastonbury performance.
At the end of the performance and during his rendition of new song Saviour, fake blood poured down his face from a crown of thorns.
