Kendrick Lamar Analysis

Music holds an indescribable amount of power in our society. It has the power to move people emotionally, tell lost stories, and most importantly, spark social change. Hip-Hop music is notorious for sparking awareness, as many of its creators come from historically poor backgrounds. One of the most well know pioneers of the conscious hip hop movement is Kendrick Lamar. Lamar was born in 1987 in Compton, California, a notoriously impoverished neighborhood in the Los Angeles metro area. Lamar was raised in a community where he witnessed gang violence, drug trade, rape, murder, and poverty as a child. He witnessed so much of it, in fact, that he decided to dedicate his career to telling the truths of what communities like his are. His

Lamar uses phrases such as, “’I'm hungry, my body's antsy.’ ‘Granny said when I'm old enough, I'll be sure to be all I can be.’ ‘Not a cloud in sight, just the sh*t that I write, strong enough to stand in front of a travelin' freight train.’” At first glance, many may view the lines within this verse as stuck-up words from a rapper yet to be humbled; however, within the later context of the song, Lamar is expressing how his upbringings influenced his hunger and drive for power. Additionally, in the verse, Lamar has a fiery tone in his voice, which blends nicely with the aggressive nature of the lyrics to start off the song in a powerful way. He was one of the few Reagan era children in Compton who was fortunate to escape the tragic conditions of the city. The words of family members influenced him to grow as a person. Yet, even after he is met with success, Lamar does not forget about the other neglected black children of his generation, and goes on to describe what they still have to live through

Drug and alcohol abuse are a big problem in Compton, and within this line, Lamar is narrating a common irresponsible view of the people in his community. He delivers the line, “’Let's hit the county buildin', gotta cash my check.’ Spend it all on a 40-ounce to the neck.’” Lamar mentions the cashing of government issued welfare checks, and how they are little to no help to solve the communities’ issues. The overall message delivered in this line is that the federal government may think that their small checks are a service to cities like Compton, but in reality, they do nothing to aide the healing of a broken community that the same government created. This may not seem like he talking through the perspective of another person, as he uses the word ‘my,’ however at this point in his career, Lamar has made enough money that he does not need to receive welfare checks. This line is almost certainly through the eyes of another