Kendrick Lamar- Using Rap Music to Evoke Change in America

Kendrick Lamar has sparked both a personal and societal awakening in America. He is an iconic musician, and someone who recognizes the foundation of black art, using musical and lyrical artistry as a vehicle to shed light on his community. (Loughrey, 2018) In the politically charged climate we are living in today, many artists, especially in the rap and hip-hop genre, aim to deliver a message to their audience through their music, often this message is strengthened through musical and lyrical artistry. Kendrick Lamar is one of the best rappers producing this type of rap music in today’s era; he is a master storyteller, utilizing the tools of artistry and incorporating spiritual yearnings and moral dilemmas into his music against a backdrop of gang violence and police brutality. (Vaughn, 2014) Kendrick Lamar employs musical and lyrical artistry in his song, “Alright”, through the use of pitch, dynamics, allusions, repetition, and rhyme schemes in order to serve as strategies of resistance. Kendrick Lamar uses these tools for the purpose of being a voice for the black community and expressing the struggles he faced growing up, which illustrates and exemplifies the meaning of “Alright”; although many people are panicked and in fear of the racial injustice, police brutality, and discrimination that takes place in America, “we gon’ be alright.”

“Alright”, a song from Kendrick Lamar’s third album To Pimp a Butterfly, has come to be regarded as a protest anthem, fueled by Lamar’s charger performances of the song at the BET Awards and the Grammys, and by accolades from the press that cite its political importance (Manabe, 2019). This is a politically charged song that issues challenging questions about black identity and leadership, as well as alcoholism, depression, systemic racism, and police brutality. Kendrick Lamar, throughout the entirety of “Alright”, uses musical artistry to support the lyrics and message as a resistance song. The first instance of this can be observed even before the first bar of the song. When the song opens, you first hear a voice saying, “da da da da daaa.” This voice is in a minor key, creating a sad tone and a message of despair. In addition to being in minor rather than major, at the end of the phrase, the last “daaa” is held out longer than the ones preceding it and slides down in pitch, going lower. This also creates a sorrowful mood, one that is filled with unhappiness. This ties into the message of resistance in the song because Kendrick Lamar’s message for “Alright” is that although it seems as though we are not making much progress in the fight for racial equality, there is still hope to be had. This sorrowful, depressing mood will later be contrasted with the more upbeat mood and message of hope found in the chorus. Then, Kendrick Lamar begins rapping the first line of the song, “Alls my life I had to fight, n***a/Alls my life I.” (Lamar, 2015) When Kendrick Lamar starts rapping this line, we hear the introduction of a saxophone. The saxophone is heard playing intricate riffs and notes that are very short in duration, slurred together. To me, this almost resembles the sound of someone crying out for help in desperation. The sound of the saxophone is a symbol of the message for resistance in this song, panic and fear that the United States is not progressing as it should be toward racial equality. Again, like the first voice heard in “Alright”, both of these instances are evidence of Kendrick Lamar creating sadness in his work, which is soon to be juxtaposed by the chorus.

The chorus, sung by Pharrell Williams, is completely opposite of the introduction of “Alright.” Musically, there are changes in rhythm, dynamics, and the number of layers present, as well as a striking increase in pitch. Leading into the chorus, there is a big section of drums and percussion, raising the dynamics of the piece to louder and more intense, creating anticipation for the message of resistance present in the song. At the end of the percussion section, the listener can hear the addition of a new layer to the song, the electronic piano. During the chorus, the electronic piano is playing very staccato, short, separated, even notes. Several are played in a row at exactly the same time, and then the pitch slightly changes and several more are played, and then, it repeats itself. The sound of the music here mimics what Pharrell Williams is saying, he is repeating the same message over and over, and even asking the listener, “Do you hear me, do you feel me?” (Lamar, 2015) In this section of the chorus, Pharrell Williams is delivering the main message of resistance in the song “we gon’ be alright”, the song musically is enhancing this message of resistance by also having the sounds repeat during this section. While other verses of the song vary musically, this one is constant throughout the chorus. This allows the chorus to be predictable and have the listener chant along with Pharrell Williams. Overall, the tone and pitch of the chorus is much more upbeat and uplifting than in comparison to the intro and other verses within “Alright”. This is done purposefully so as to convey a message of hope and solidarity. The music of the chorus exemplifies the resistance message of “Alright” as a whole song and is what transformed the song into an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Another instance that I would like to touch on where the artistry of the music is used as a tool to support the lyrics and the message of “Alright” is in the poem at the end of the song. During this section, it is the absence of the music that actually propels the message. The poem included by Kendrick Lamar at the end of “Alright” is one that is continued throughout all his songs on To Pimp a Butterfly. During this section, all music is cut and we can only hear Kendrick Lamar’s voice. This is a section where it feels as though we are listening into a private conversation Kendrick Lamar is having with himself. In the poem, Kendrick Lamar talks about how he found himself when he was contemplating suicide in a hotel room. However, even though he decided suicide wasn’t the way out, Kendrick Lamar still says he isn’t completely okay, he still has Lucy (Lucifer) hot on his heels. This leaves the listener with the same message that we began with, there is hope for change in regards to police brutality and the current state of America. However, we do need to take in the seriousness of what the current political climate is here in the United States. The music of the poem, or the absence of music, allows the listener to have one final take on this message and gives Kendrick Lamar one last opportunity to paint this picture without any other distractions.

In addition to using musical artistry to illustrate and express the meaning of “Alright”, Kendrick Lamar also uses lyrical artistry to demonstrate the message as well. The first way Kendrick Lamar exemplifies lyrical artistry is through the use of allusions. An allusion is an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. “Alright” is rich with allusions, one of the most important actually occurring within the first two lines of the song. Kendrick Lamar raps, “Alls my life I has to fight, n***a alls my life I…” (Lamar, 2015). These words are an allusion to Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple. By adding this allusion into the song, Kendrick Lamar incorporates another storyline, one other than his own that he details throughout the progression of the song, of fight and perseverance. This allusion adds depth to the message of the song, which is to fight back against oppression and fight for change. The allusion to The Color Purple is one that enhances the meaning of “Alright”, which is that although the United States is not in a place of racial equality and we are living with tremendous amounts of discrimination and injustice, we’re going to be alright. Another allusion that Kendrick Lamar uses quite early on in his song is the line, “Nazareth, I’m fucked up.” (Lamar, 2015) The reference here is to Nazareth, Israel, reputedly the location where Jesus grew up, studied and prayed. Nazareth, Israel is regarded as a low, foul city. This allusion adds to the message of resistance within “Alright” because Kendrick Lamar is drawing parallels to his own hometown of Compton, California. He is comparing his growing up in Compton to Jesus growing up in Nazareth. Through the inclusion of this allusion, it is Kendrick Lamar’s way of saying, “no matter where you come from, we’re going to be alright”. This lyrical artistry enhances the meaning of the song and serves as a strategy of resistance because many members of the black community are ashamed of where they come from and want to forget their past of where they were raised. Kendrick Lamar is showing them that you can come from a place of poverty and crime and still be very successful and contribute to society.

Another mode of lyrical artistry that Kendrick Lamar employs throughout “Alright” is through rhyme schemes. There is a plethora of rhymes within “Alright”, all adding depth and layers of meaning to the text and its message of resistance. Rhymes can be used to craft messages and connect meanings of separate words into one harmonious message. The most obvious, and in your face example of this, can be heard in the chorus of the song. Through the use of identical rhyme and the repetition of the phrase, “we gon’ be alright” (Lamar, 2015), the message of this song is not only enhanced, but it has quite literally catapulted this song into the anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement. Those four words have been screamed, yelled, and shouted countless numbers of times, as they encapsulate the whole message of the song into one catch phrase. The tag line has been used as an empowerment tool and expressed and enriched the meaning of the song more than Kendrick Lamar could have even fathomed at the release of ‘Alright’. This hook is rapped by Pharrell Williams, who repeats this same message over and over, drilling it into the listener’s head. He even asks the listener, “Do you hear me, do you feel me?” (Lamar, 2015). This use of rhyming is an example of lyrical artistry that is employed in order to strengthen the message of “Alright” through repetition. Another, less renowned, use of rhyme in ‘Alright’ to illustrate the meaning of resistance in the song is the rhyming of the words ‘po-po’ and ‘fo sho’’ by Kendrick Lamar in the lines, “N***a, and we hate po-po, wanna kill us dead in the streets fo sho” (Lamar, 2015) This rhyme is used to express the dire situation we have in America today with the treatment of African Americans by police. Police brutality is an issue that is a current topic and hot button issue in society, and Kendrick Lamar rhymes a slang term for police, po-po, and fo’ sho, to exemplify that police officers without a doubt aim to hurt blacks and don’t hesitate in their actions, wanting to kill them in the streets for unreasonable and outlandish reasons. This again strengthens the message of resistance evident in Kendrick Lamar’s song against black oppression and for black empowerment. This rhyme also ties into the message of hope Kendrick Lamar provides in “Alright” for the longing of change in society and a shift towards racial equality and an abolition of institutional racism and police brutality. Another rhyme that Kendrick Lamar uses to call attention to police brutality is the rhyming of “face down” and “bass down” in the lines, “ But homicide be looking at you from the face down, what MAC-11 even boom with the bass down?” (Lamar, 2015) Similar to the aforementioned rhyme, this one is also to call out police brutality and provide a message of resistance. Homicide is defined as the deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another, murder. Kendrick is referring to the countless killings of black people by the police. With increased awareness around this kind of police brutality, many people of color are in a constant state of fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. A Mac-11 is a fully or semi-automatic gun. Kendrick Lamar is cleverly relating the “boom” sound of a firing gun to the “boom” of a bass. Mac-11s are often equipped with a sound-suppressor to minimize the noise of the shot. Similar to how a Mac-11's gunfire is suppressed, the truth about police brutality and institutional racism is kept hushed by the media and the general public. This leaves citizens unaware and in the dark on this vital issue at the expense of the black community. This rhyme illustrates the message of resistance in “Alright” because the issue of police brutality has gotten completely out of hand in the United States and it is a fear that the black community has to live with. Kendrick Lamar’s message of “Alright” states that although we may not be where we need to be in the terms of racial justice, “we gon be alright.”

In summary, Kendrick Lamar is one of the most exciting rappers of his generation, possessing both impressive agility and the capacity for tremendous force. In “Alright”, Kendrick Lamar ponders the question, How can you fight for love on behalf of your people when you can barely find a reason to love yourself? (Cox, 2015) Kendrick Lamar uses his platform to evoke positive change in society, something that is not as common as it should be in the rap industry. Through his music, Lamar communicates messages of hope, and touches on themes of discrimination, injustice, systemic racism, and police brutality. Through the use of musical and lyrical artistry, in the forms of dynamics, pitch, allusion, rhyme schemes, and many more, Lamar crafts a convincing and impactful message for his listeners. As an artist, he is fearless, a quality that frequently manifests itself in the sound and effect of his voice. It cracks and spits, carries feeble melodies, and bears the weight of rich stories. As a narrative sculptor, Kendrick Lamar is fearsome, stitching together fully realized characters, lived-in locations, and generational angst into snapshots of the young, black community who are are questioning their future. (Cox, 2015) What Kendrick Lamar has done for the rap industry, and societal change in general, is indisputable. He is outspoken about his own ambitions, and what he sees as the lamentably “soft” stats of current hip-hop acts. (Hagan, 2014) It is unmeasurable, the impact Kendrick Lamar will have in the future, if he continues to hold such great power over current rap music.

References

Cox, J. (2015). Review: Kendrick lamar’s to pimp a butterfly is an angst-filled anthem for blackness. Time. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=101621242&site=ehost-live

Hagan, M. (2014). Kendrick lamar. Current Biography, 75(55). https://hoover2.mcdaniel.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1628861268?accountid=12333

Lamar, K. (2015). Alright. On To Pimp a Butterfly [CD] Top Dawg.

Loughrey, C. (2018). Kendrick Lamar biography to be published. The Independent. https://advance.lexis.com/document/?pdmfid=1516831&crid=749bab05-288d-4ec4-b62d-d88134d8e566&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5RY3-XPW1-JCJY-G1TY-00000-00&pddocid=urn%3AcontentItem%3A5RY3-XPW1-JCJY-G1TY-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=382507&pdteaserkey=sr1&pditab=allpods&ecomp=xp79k&earg=sr1&prid=c5a73dc9-5d68-4d38-a8ca-3b6467a300f3

Manabe, N. (2019). We gon’ be alright? The ambiguities of kendrick lamar’s protest anthem. Music Theory Online, 25(1), 57–80. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=136604997&site=ehost-live

Vaughn, V. E. (2014). Kendrick lamar. Contemporary Musicians, 78, 96–98. https://link-gale-com.hoover2.mcdaniel.edu:2443/apps/doc/CX2500800035/GVRL?u=west41605&sid=GVRL&xid=68375349