The Future of Our Generation As Predicted By Kendrick Lamar
A random text can cause an impact on the rest of your day, for better or for worse. This particular text was met with self-reflection: “what person, dead or alive, do you wish you could be more like?” I felt it natural to mention my grandfather, a well-respected janitor, and how I’d adopt his care-free lifestyle. He always seemed so at peace with himself in his arm chair and a small glass of chocolate milk on his table. He made a great living to support himself, wife and one of his sons in a two-story house. Many might think a janitor is the worst job you could have, and it might be, but he did it with pride and a positive attitude. Everybody knew who he was, and it was heart-breaking when he passed away.
From that one text, it got me thinking about what’s going on in our world currently. The police brutality and racism flaring up among communities across the United States. Where my grandpa, in his older years, lived with ease, I wonder what issues he dealt with being my age. He was in the Air Force, stationed at Mountain Home base, and was one of the first members of the first special forces squad they ever had. There’s so much that we can’t talk about now. What affected him? Or was he like me who prefers not to go too in-depth on the issues going on in the world? (I do pay attention, I’m just not sharing much of my opinion). None of this stuff was a concern for me when I was younger.
Our generation is in a weird position. Every aspect of our lives seems to be different from past generations. We don’t court women like our grandpas did. Our consumption of music is vastly different from the ’80s and ’90s. The reliance on technology has increased. Still, there’s plenty of hope. So much that Kendrick Lamar said something in his Mass Appeal cover story that stuck with me. “I think the future of my generation is entrepreneurs times a hundred,” he says. “We’ll probably be one of the most prosperous generations in history.” He goes on to salute our independence and work ethic.
While I agree with Kendrick Lamar mostly, he’s looking at just a positive aspect, at least with this quote. Remember when Tupac said he’d spark the brain that will change the world? That’s what Kendrick is trying to do. As a favorite to many fans currently, his words hold value. From a personal standpoint, I’ve noticed a lot of individuals with the skills to make something out of their life but don’t follow through. Our climate is hard to live in. I had opportunities that someone in, say, Chicago or Baltimore didn’t have. Even then, it’s difficult to pursue your passion as a career.
That’s the thing that resonates with Kendrick Lamar’s answer to the future of our generation. He realizes that this generation is setting up for a greater future. It’s not going to be easy. With all the negativity will come change, and with change presents new opportunities to win. There will always be a need for a common worker, but Kendrick aims to trigger a switch in our minds that says we can do better than this. Work will need to be done to reach this point.
Part of the problem is work. Our generation, myself included, are so focused on being able to create said opportunities for ourselves. Working ourselves to the bone to escape that normal 9 to 5 lifestyle. We make up excuses that we’re “too busy” for a chance at love, which is ridiculous. We forget to truly be social sometimes. Tweets can’t replace a phone call or lunch with a friend. My grandpa and his generation seemed more set on living life outside of work. He was never pushing himself too much to live the life he wanted. Maybe it was just because those days were much simpler, not to mention less in population. They lived with a belief system that we don’t have, and Kendrick acknowledges this.
“But, on the other hand, our belief system is gonna play a major part in it. Our belief system is not the way how my parents were, how my grandparents were, and the more and more time goes on, we lose that thought or idea of God and energy. So what happens is we stop caring for people and we stop honoring and respecting people, you feel me? So I think once we grab that aspect back into my generation we’re gonna be alright.”
The rest of his answer is spreading awareness. I know exactly what Kendrick means when he talks about people not caring, respecting or honoring one another. It’s a lower ratio than the generation my grandpa lived in. The most important part is that his statement doesn’t come off as bashing or singling out anybody in particular. Kendrick is looking at our entire generation to unite and uplift everyone together. We could get into To Pimp A Butterfly, but it’s been analyzed to death already.
Just like Tupac before him, Kendrick Lamar might not singlehandedly change the world, but he’ll spark more minds in a similar fashion. One day, someone will continue the work that Kendrick has continued from Tupac. There’s no telling if such a cycle will ever end. Future generations will have their own issues with each other, the environment deteriorating, and more. Utopia is a concept generally only possible in movies, TV and comics. We, as a society, can do little things in our day-to-day lives to restore this belief system that Kendrick believes is missing. Show some care for someone. If you see someone expressing a bad day or going through things, reach out just to offer your ear. It’s simple, yet still time efficient. There’s so much more to do. Talk to your grandparents if they’re still alive. Learn about how they lived and try to emulate a few aspects you found interesting in your own life.
If people like Kendrick and Tupac, and many more for that matter, utilized their time, gifts and art to help better our world, the least we can do is honor it by making some positive change.
(Originally published in May 2015)
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