Kendrick Lamar closed his headlining set at Glastonbury on Sunday with a forceful rebuke of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and prevent women from access safe abortions.
At the conclusion of set closer “Savior,” Lamar repeatedly recited the phrase: “They judge you, they judge Christ! Godspeed for women’s rights!” Adding to the intensity of the moment, Lamar’s head was adorned with a crown of thorns, and blood dripped down his face — all as his group of male and female backing dancers stood silently next to him.
According to the Guardian, Lamar wore the crown of thorns throughout the 22-song performance, which leaned heavy in religious imagery. “I was locked up in LA during the pandemic. You feel like family… I see so many faces. Different creed, different colors,” the Compton rapper said at one point. “Imperfection is beautiful, no matter what they going through. I’m wearing this crown. They judge you, they judge Christ. We’re going to do our best to follow in his image.”
Vogue UK reports that crown was made of custom titanium and pavé diamond in collaboration between Lamar, his creative collaborator Dave Free, and Tiffany & Co. Four craftsman reportedly spent more than 1,300 hours assembling the crown. All told, the headpiece features 8,000 cobblestone micro pavé diamonds totaling more than 137 carats, and weighing around 200 grams.
In an interview with Vogue UK, Free said the crown was meant as a sign of respect to the artists who came before Lamar, explaining that it’s “a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens.”