A Poet For Our Time
Many of us walk the same path every day and are comforted by the “safety bubble” we’ve placed ourselves in. The sterile lifestyle we lead is often filled with monotonous activities and dreary moments. Day after day, nothing changes.
Well, this just got depressing. Oh, but don’t worry, there’s hope.
Through the words of someone far more insightful, who is full of depth, there is an awareness we can all gain and a change for the better that can take place in our perceptions.
That being said, I’m sure Kendrick Lamar isn’t who most of you immediately jumped to. Yet, he was the first and only rapper to receive a literary award called the Pulitzer Prize, a feat that is no joke. He has more notoriety in poetry than you thought, right?
Now, what I’ve found so fascinating is how his lyrics are a type of poetry that guides readers into a trance as he destroys the concept of the American dream. Growing up in Compton, California, his viewpoint of life contrasts the perspective of most privileged white kids — like me. The epiphanies you will have when reading his poetry will leave your heart feeling a little guilty for the way you thought the world was.
An amazing poem to dive into right from the beginning is “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.” The poem wrenches the reader’s heart as it begins talking about the murder of a dear friend, saying, “But the type of bullet that stuck / Had went against his will, that’s blood spilled on your hands” (15–16). The poem then transfers to explicitly describing the life of a girl forced into a career of prostitution as he writes, “This is the life of another girl damaged by the system / These foster homes, I run away and never do miss ‘em” (52–53). These experiences are foreign to me, yet the shocking words of Lamar’s poetry have shifted my perspective.
For the sake of your comfort level, I’ve left out the most brutally graphic sections in this poem. Trust me, it gets far worse. This is an encouragement, however, to dive into this work of art and see for yourself the raw and scary life for his people that Kendrick portrays. Like who confronts these types of terrors that are swept under America’s proverbial rug on such a large platform? Kendrick does, and it will change you.
From the same collection of poetry, Kendrick writes “Good Kid”. He continually expresses his hatred for the everyday activities that lead to heartache and anger saying, “No better picture to paint than me walkin’ from bible study / And called his homies because he had said he noticed my face” (16–17). These lines make room for the punchline, “Step on my neck and get blood on your Nike checks / I don’t mind ’cause one day you’ll respect” (19–20). Does this sound familiar? George Floyd wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. It’s both ironic and scary that the problems he references foreshadow the issues society faced in the past year. When events such as the death of George Floyd did occur, turning to lyrics from this song, gave my mind — as well as countless others’ — a grasp on being placed in the shoes of someone struggling with the idiotic injustices people are still facing. Kendrick growing up being a good kid in the midst of it knows the pain that I, as a good kid as well, will never face because of the color of my skin. The heart behind his lyrics on these issues is what will move those who read his poetry the most.
When Kendrick shifts narratives from a “good kid”, he noticeably focuses on life as a struggling Black man. In his poem “Poe Man’s Dreams,” he discusses the poor example Black men give to younger children. When he says, “I used to want to see the penitentiary, way after elementary / Thought it was cool to look the judge in the face when he sentenced me” (5–6), we see the perspective of a man begging for the younger generations beneath him to change and pushing for a brighter future. It was viewed as a right of passage in Kendrick’s youthful mind to be an outcast and get caught up in Compton and stare down the judge and put on the “cool” face when facing charges. These thoughts never cross the mind of a middle-class white kid like me. But his poetry appeals to younger generations, giving it the power to change perspectives in the youth and open hearts to the unjust world many cultures face in a country boasting its freedom and opportunity.
Kendrick shifts gears once more as he later focuses on the viewpoint of a Black man before and after becoming successful. With circumstances thrown at Kendrick, like most Black men, the hard work and determination he had wouldn’t produce the same results as a white man. His poem “Black Boy Fly” emphasizes this point when he confesses the terror he faced saying, “I wasn’t jealous cause of the talents they got / I was terrified they’d be the last black boys to fly out of Compton” (83–84). Thankfully, he makes it out of poverty, yet, his conscience kills him knowing there are still those out there struggling. He almost regrets his fortune when writing, “‘What up? What up? Nigga, you made it’ / So I’m saying, ‘What up? What up? Nigga, I hate it’” (3–4). He literally hates it. It’s this perspective I would never have imagined without the poetic talent Kendrick displays.
While his poems drip with rhythm and life, the messages behind them convey ideas that people like myself need to hear. They tackle obstacles the Black community faces each day and tears at the consciousness within readers to better themselves for the future of cultural peace. As the issues are still prevalent today, diving into a poem from even 10 years ago that Kendrick has expressed will awaken something within readers and show a different outlook on how humanity has interacted with each other.
