Rap as a Political Platform: Kendrick Lamar, A Case Study
Rap music, a subset of hip hop music, has been a genre of great controversy since its birth in the late 1970’s. To many, rap music is associated with indecent language, violent themes, and the sexual objectification of women. Despite this, the history of the genre and its growth in popularity across the globe, has led to it being uniquely positioned to provide political commentary and a voice for resistance.
Background
Hip hop came about during a time of great destitution in the south Bronx. Following the civil rights era, large, urban African American communities experienced severe under investment and were neglected by the government. By no fault of their own, urban areas like the Bronx became riddled with crime, violence, unemployment, and substance abuse. A youth culture, inspired by these difficult times, attempted to claim its identity and to voice the struggles of marginalized populations. Hip hop is a product of both this time period in American history and racial segregation.
Kendrick Lamar
Today, rapper Kendrick Lamar is perhaps the most popular artist in America. In 2017, his widely successful album, DAMN, became the most listened to album in the country. According to Spotify, his hit track, “Humble,” earned the title of the most streamed song of 2017 (in the United States). Needless to say, Lamar has quite the platform to influence others, which he does not take for granted. In fact, he has faced extensive criticism for his highly political lyrics, contentious performances, and controversial statements in his work.
Kendrick Lamar emerged from the traditional adverse background that produced many hip hop singers. Born and raised in the city of Compton, California (known for its violent reputation), Lamar grew up in Section 8 housing with his mother and father. At times, they were living off of welfare and food stamps. His exposure to the Compton community and his father’s involvement with a gang, gave him much exposure to violence and misfortune, starting at a very young age.
Inspired by the foundations of the genre, a central theme in hip hop is the idea of struggle. Rappers commonly speak to the unique, day-to-day difficulties that plague minority groups. This gives them the opportunity to impact large numbers of lower class and minority Americans who feel unrepresented in the media. Perhaps even more importantly, these groups are neglected by the American government. It is through relatable hip hop icons that they can ultimately feel heard.
Other artists in the music industry may choose to speak out about political issues. But there is a certain authenticity that can only come from having lived through (and in some cases, continuing to live through) oppressive conditions, racial and socioeconomic discrimination, the harmful stereotypes caused by the war on drugs, and gun violence. Direct confrontation with these issues aids in legitimizing one’s voice as politically relevant and valid. Kendrick Lamar is a champion of calling on his lived experiences to engage with political movements of the moment.
Black Panther Partnership
Recently, Kendrick Lamar produced the soundtrack to the highly anticipated blockbuster film, Black Panther. Although it is a superhero movie, the film concerns itself with a variety of social and political issues dominating today’s conversation in America. It should be noted that many of the hip hop artists that collaborated on the soundtrack, like Lamar, came from similar underprivileged backgrounds. Some of these artists include: 2 Chainz, The Weeknd, and Schoolboy Q. It is through music and artistic performances that Lamar and his fellow artists are able to call attention to relevant political issues.
Already, the soundtrack has been widely recognized not only for its musical genius, but also for the political undertones of the music. Although the political issues addressed in the film are fictional, they mirror many of the problems America is confronting today. One of the most interesting examples to consider is the song “Pray for Me,” performed by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar. In Lamar’s emotional opening verse, he expresses his frustration with government corruption and the painful, widespread neglect of disadvantaged communities:
“I’m tryna fight back tears, flood on my doorsteps/ Life a livin’ hell, puddles of blood in the streets/ Shooters on top of the building, government aid ain’t relief.”
“Mass destruction and mass corruption/ The souls are sufferin’ men/ Clutchin’ on deaf ears again, rapture is comin’ “
In the title song, “Black Panther,” Lamar sings from the protagonist’s point of view while simultaneously invoking his feelings about the highly polarized political climate in America. His lyrics echo a philosophy of unity and peaceful discourse as opposed to the use of violence to resolve conflict:
Sisters and brother in unison, not because of me/ Because we don’t glue with the opposition, we glue with peace/ And I’m still gon’ f — — up your organization if any beef/ What do you stand for/ Are you an activist?/ What are your city plans for?
Grammy Performances
Kendrick Lamar was the opening act for the 60th annual Grammy Awards. His immensely creative six-minute performance garnered substantial attention for its satirical underpinnings. The physical performance alone was deeply powerful and complex. The show opened with projections of the American flag onto the stage and a faceless ensemble dressed in military uniforms. This initial setup highlights the increased militarization of the United States and Lamar’s interpretation of internal societal conflict. Further, the costumes worn by the dancers were designed to emphasize what many Americans see as a failure of the U.S. military to take responsibility for its actions. The song closes with a backup dancer quickly shooting Lamar in the head, followed by a dark stage. In the past, he has been outspoken about the increasing concern of gun violence and the injustices suffered by the African American community. This was an artistic and moving demonstration of his interpretation of the controversy.
Some of the creative choices in Kendrick Lamar’s performance were more explicit than others, potentially to clarify his message for his audience. For example, after the first segment of the performance, the words “This is a Satire by Kendrick Lamar” were projected in large print onto the stage. Between numbers, comedian Dave Chappelle appears briefly on stage to deliver the powerful line, “I just wanted to remind the audience that the only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America.”
In the final segment, Lamar’s backup dancers return to the stage clothed in hooded, bright red jumpsuits. Red was a symbolic and powerful choice for the closing number. In this context, red symbolized fear, fury, blood, violence, anger, fire and hate. As Lamar begins to sing about the subjective nature of society’s titles and groupings, gunshot sound effects can be heard along with the percussion. As they emulate being shot, his backup dancers systematically fall to the ground. Lamar’s feelings about these arbitrary titles are echoed by metaphorically “burning” or “shooting” the ensemble.
It should be noted that this was far from Kendrick Lamar’s first controversial performance. In fact, his 2016 Grammy performance of “The Blacker the Berry” attracted substantial attention. Similarly, as noted in the journal Women and Language, Beyonce’s 2016 Super Bowl Performance of “Formation” also led to a fair amount of both praise and criticism. Despite both performances highlighting current political issues (race relations and police brutality) at around the same time, Lamar experienced a significantly briefer period of condemnation, as opposed to Beyonce. As Joanne Gottlieb and Gayle Wald note in their essay, *name essay, men and women have long been raised with different societal expectations — thus influencing the expression of female performers and subsequently the interpretation of their actions by the public. This provides an unfortunate, yet plausible explanation as to why Beyonce was met with considerably more backlash. It is important to recognize the systemic hypocrisy that punishes female artists for speaking out, one of the few barriers Kendrick Lamar was able to avoid.
To Pimp a Butterfly & “Alright”
In 2015, Kendrick Lamar released the critically acclaimed album, To Pimp a Butterfly. The album proved to be a hit with both music critics and fans alike. Lyrically sophisticated, socially conscious, and masterfully targeted to specific demographics, the album was highly successful. The album as a whole has become highly symbolic of the Black Lives Matter movement. But in particular, the song “Alright” truly embodies the spirit of the movement, and has become a sort of “unofficial anthem” to the cause.
Surprisingly, “Alright” incorporates several of Irving Berlin’s historic “Rules for Successful Songwriting,” which may explain the causes of its immense popularity. For instance, the tune is accessible enough to the general public that it can be easily emulated. This is evidenced in the reoccurring, impulsive outbursts of the chorus being chanted across the country at Black Lives Matter rallies. That being said, the song may also be particularly “catchy” because of the repetition of the title (“Alright”) throughout the song (another principle outlined by Berlin). Similar to Berlin’s eighth guideline, the construction of the song also remains simple. Writer Adam Blunt eloquently and accurately describes the song as constructed with “gliding harmonies and bouncing cadences.”
Clearly, Lamar’s message has transcended the boundaries of audio streaming into real-life situations. “Alright” simultaneously serves as both a message of optimism about the future and a rallying call. Kendrick Lamar was able to draw attention to basic violations of the constitutional rights of African Americans. Prior to the hook in the song, Lamar sings about the African American community’s rage towards the police, references the lack of socioeconomic mobility in the U.S., and alludes to the feeling of powerlessness in the community:
We been hurt, been down before
N — — , when our pride was low
Lookin’ at the world like, “Where do we go?”
N — — , and we hate po-po
Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho’
Works Cited and Pictures:
“Beyonce, Kendrick and Me.” The Uppity Negro, 24 Feb. 2016, uppitynegronetwork.com/2016/02/23/beyonce-kendrick-and-me/.
Blum, Adam. “Rhythm Nation.” Studies in Gender & Sexuality, vol. 17, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 141–149.
Davidson, Rachel D., and Catherine A. Dobris. “ Social activism in popular culture: A critical review of disparate responses to Beyoncé’s 2016 Super Bowl performance and Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 Grammy performance.” Women and Language, vol. 39.2, 1 Mar. 2017.
Eells, Josh. “The Trials of Kendrick Lamar.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2015, www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-trials-of-kendrick-lamar-cover-story-20150622.
Finley, Taryn. “Kendrick Lamar, U2, Dave Chappelle Send Powerful Message About Racism At Grammys.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Jan. 2018, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-u2-dave-chappelle-make-powerful-statement-on-race-at-2018-grammys_us_5a6e6b08e4b06e253268ab0e.
“Hip-Hop is politics.” Vox, Vox, 17 Sept. 2016, www.vox.com/2016/9/17/12945148/hip-hop-politics-kendrick-lamar.
Jamilah King. “The Improbable Story of How Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” Became a Protest Anthem.” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 11 Feb. 2016, mic.com/articles/134764/the-improbable-story-of-how-kendrick-lamar-s-alright-became-a-protest-anthem#.TjqbOvpxK.
Joanne Gottlieb and Gayle Wald, “Smells Like Teen Spirit: Riot Grrrls, Revolution and Women in Independent Rock,” in Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture, Andrew Ross and Tricia Rose, ed., (New York: Routledge, 1994), 262.
“Kendrick Lamar’s 6 Most Political Moments on ‘Black Panther: The Album’.” Billboard, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8098889/kendrick-lamar-black-panther-the-album-political-moments.
“Kendrick Lamar On Police Brutality, Fame In ‘XXL’ Magazine.” Okayplayer, 14 Dec. 2015, www.okayplayer.com/news/kendrick-lamar-talks-trayvon-martin-michael-brown-in-new-xxl-magazine-issue.html.
“Kendrick Lamar preps “very urgent” new album about “how wayward things have gone”.” FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music., 1 Mar. 2017, www.factmag.com/2017/03/01/kendrick-lamar-preps-urgent-new-album-wayward-things-gone/.
“Kendrick Lamar releases The Black Panther soundtrack: Stream.” Consequence of Sound, 9 Feb. 2018, consequenceofsound.net/2018/02/kendrick-lamar-releases-black-panther-soundtrack-stream/.
Suisman, David. Selling Sounds : The Commercial Revolution in American Music, Harvard University Press, 2009. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uva/detail.action?docID=3300866.
