ipl-logo

Analyzing Kendrick Lamar's DNA: Identity, Legacy, And Cultural Evolution?

1916 Words8 Pages

Analyzing Kendrick Lamar's DNA: Identity, Legacy, and Cultural Evolution. Ryan McHenry, Department of Sociology, Coastline Community College. SOC 185: Analysis of Social Problems. Professor Sasha Montero. May 13, 2024. Analyzing Kendrick Lamar's DNA: Identity, Legacy, and Cultural Evolution DNA has had a major impact on the African American community in a good way; it highlights the way they are viewed in the media and how there are prejudices against them. Hip-hop as a genre has been frowned upon by many people who think it is bad, the genre itself teaches people to embrace sin because no one is perfect and everyone has the struggles they go through. DNA has also amazingly covered the BLM protest because it has helped the black community …show more content…

Through his words, Kendrick Lamar not only captures the complexity of the human identity but also pushes the limits and expectations placed upon individuals by society, which is the whole meaning of functionalism. This theory can relate to racial/ethnic groups because it is the main cause of racism since they are supposed to be held to societal norms and lack of representation in the media for other ethnic groups can have a severe impact on the culture. The lack of representation in media perpetuates stereotypes and reinforces the marginalization of racial and ethnic groups, exacerbating cultural dissonance and hindering social cohesion. Here is an example of where Kendrick Lamar denies functionalism and represents individuality, “Tell me somethin' You motherf*ckers can't tell me nothin' I'd rather die than to listen to you My DNA not for imitation Your DNA an abomination This how it is when you in the Matrix Dodgin' bullets, reapin' what you sow And stackin' up the footage, livin' on the go And sleepin' in a villa”. He expresses a sense of rejection, imitation, and a declaration of self-empowerment, suggesting a desire to break free from the constraints imposed by societal structures. His rejection of imitation and embrace of self-empowerment can be interpreted as a critique of functionalist

Show More
Related
558 Words | 3 Pages

“Fetal Tissue Fallout, R. Alta Charo, J.D., September 3, 2015” In this article R. Alta Charo states that we have a right to use fetal tissue for research and therapy (Fetal Tissue, 1) The article goes into how a lot of people find this to be a moral issue and a matter of the conscience and explains how the antiabortion activist that don’t agree with the research are actually benefitting from the fetal tissue. They argue that the research supports abortions but have taken part in receiving vaccines and therapy that comes from the research. R. Alta Charo begins by talking about the argument over the antiabortionist activist who pretended to be a research company representative and gave out false, edited information from a Planned Parenthood video that goes over the services they provide.

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

They also argue that hip-hop motivates people to end the racial crises surrounding their society. Throughout “Hip-Hop and Shakespeare”, Akala argues that hip-hop is dignifying because it informs its listeners that everyone has the ability to become an intellectual person. In “Hip-Hop Planet”, McBride illustrated that hip-hop is moving because it persuades people to eliminate racial conflicts. Both authors help the reader to reflect hip-hop’s genuine purpose and meaning. Hip-hop is a positive impact because it publicizes the dilemmas a nation faces and inclines people to make a difference .

Read More
1212 Words | 5 Pages

Benjamin Sendrey Professor Moreno English 1 21 April 2023 Socially Conscious Music: Kendrick Lamar For a long time, hip-hop as a genre has been controversial and the impact of rap music has been debated. This music has been criticized for many things such as its explicit language and its emphasis on drugs and violence. However, there is a side of rap with positive aspects including a focus on social change. Known for his poetic and thought-provoking lyrics, American rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar is an example of this side of hip-hop.

Read More
160 Words | 1 Pages

The article “Hip Hop Planet” by James McBride is about how hip hop is not his favorite type of music but, it needs to be heard. McBride shows us this by explaining that he avoided hip hop most of his life. In the article McBride says that he basically ignored “the most important cultural event in my lifetime.” James informs us that hip hop has influenced the world globally and that it has become a phenomenon. Furthermore, McBride made clear that he eventually realized that hip hop is much more than just music, it has a message.

Read More
392 Words | 2 Pages

“Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Summary This movie was a broad discussion about hip-hop music (or more specifically gangster rap) and what kind of social issues the music not only showcases but seems to promote. The producer of this film, Byron Hunt, interviewed people involved in all aspects of the hip-hop industry, including famous rappers, to try to get to the bottom of this. Some of the most prominent issues discussed in the film were the over-sexualization of women, gun violence, and anti- homophobic attitudes. Hunt would ask those involved in the industry about why they think these themes are so prevalent.

Read More
962 Words | 4 Pages

In the United States what has been a huge topic is the exposure of racism. Hip-hop artist and rappers have become the voice of many communities by expressing the everyday struggle people of color overcome at some point in their lives. Kendrick Lamar an artist from Compton has been the voice of the black community and of the youth. Kendrick has been known to touch on issues such as murder, financial issues, and racism. In his latest album “DAMN.”

Read More
290 Words | 2 Pages

Some may argue that there is a winning side to all this corruption and fraud that is occurring in sports today. Stanley Bing, author for Forbes Magazine, states in his article, "Thriving in the Age of Fraudulence," that there are several benefits of cheating and fraud. Bing says these type of people, "seem to be doing very, very well" (Bing, 112), and that is actually correct. Athletes who use illegal banned substances tend to be winning every medal they compete for. These type of athletes, "Run Faster.

Read More
1186 Words | 5 Pages

In James McBride's essay Hip Hop Planet, he argues that hip hop has a negative influence on American Culture despite people thinking of it as inspirational and how people live through different experiences in life despite of your race. The significance of this is to understand how people live through different experiences in life and if we don't come together and see the truth violence will be the only thing left that will bring us all

Read More
1882 Words | 8 Pages

Hip-hop culture has been the topic of various academic, social, and political discourses. Rap music, in particular, has made its way to mainstream media which is evident in the numerous films and movies that centers on what was once a part of an underground culture. Scholars explain that the popularity of hip-hop in both music and films are partly due to its potential to disseminate information, address an issue, and promote social change. Tinson and McBride (2013), for example, note that hip-hop is a “…form of critical education at the intersection of, and inseparable from political engagement” (1). Scholars further note that hip-hop’s current state “…requires frequent accounting of its engagement with the social, political, and cultural climate

Read More
664 Words | 3 Pages

Not only does it address these issues, but it seeks to change society for the better. As a whole, the album has become an influence on society and had a major impact on the new civil rights movement currently occurring in the United States. Although Kendrick has multiple effective protest songs, “Blacker the Berry”, is arguably the most influential of all. It is a political statement, and it specifically focuses on police brutality and the emotional turmoil that comes with being an African American. It’s aggressive and unapologetic, but effective because it makes us see this topic from a different angle.

Read More
1770 Words | 8 Pages

Kendrick Lamar: Societal Genius Imagine growing up in one of the most violent towns in all of America: Compton. Imagine being exposed to gang violence, drugs, and racism in the form of police brutality daily. Imagine living in a neighborhood where one out of every four people are living in poverty. Now, imagine being one of the most successful figures in hip-hop, yet using this power for a good cause.

Read More
1449 Words | 6 Pages

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an american hip hop artist/rapper that has become one of the most successful artists in today’s pop culture, and is loved by both casual and hardcore rap fans. Kendrick is known for his lyrics, as unlike most rap artists today, he likes to talk about his personal problems both in the past and the present. Being african-american born in Compton, California, Kendrick was exposed to gang and gun violence at a young age. Kendrick has opened up in his struggle with gang violence and drugs in both numerous songs and interviews. Kendrick lamar has also opened up in his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts in his interview with MTV.

Read More
946 Words | 4 Pages

Nowadays, everyone wears the identity with pride. The genre was a testament to triumphing over hardships, to having enough confidence in oneself not to let the world drag you down, and to rising above the struggle, even when things seem hopeless. Violence in rap did not begin as an affective agent that threatened to harm America 's youth; rather, it was the outcry of an already-existing problem from youth whose world views have been shaped by the inequalities and prejudice they have experienced. The relentless wave of heroic new rappers arriving on the scene formed the golden age of hip hop in the 1980s, a newfound voice which rose from the impoverished ghettos during the 1980s and inspiring a generation of black youth to fight the police brutality they faced on a daily basis.

Read More
921 Words | 4 Pages

Hip Hop was the wildfire that started in the South Bronx and whose flames leapt up around the world crying out for change. James McBride’s Hip Hop Planet focuses on his personal interactions with the development of Hip Hop culture and his changing interpretations of the world wide movement. Many of his encounters and mentions in the text concern young black males and his writing follows an evolution in the representation of this specific social group. He initially portrays them as arrogant, poor, and uneducated but eventually develops their image to include the positive effects of their culture in an attempt to negate their historical misrepresentation.

Read More
1006 Words | 5 Pages

The Impact of Hip-Hop Ever since its birth in the 1970s in West Bronx, Hip Hop has been known as “Gangsta” music and most commonly associated with black culture. Since its creation it has become a fast growing genre of music and has growing fame all over the world. The popularity of it has increased to all races, age and gender. However the growing popularity of hip hop has come with several controversies among scholars. Some scholars argue that the growing popularity of the genre is very helpful to low income families who can use this as their outlet into going to Universities, on the other side some believe associating the genre to black culture is bad for the culture as a whole and they should not be associated together.

Read More

More about Analyzing Kendrick Lamar's DNA: Identity, Legacy, And Cultural Evolution?

Open Document