On Kendrick Lamar
I have no idea where I'm going to go with this one. But Twitter's 140 characters isn't enough. And essays can get lost in the midst of Instagram pictures (go figure). And I don't use Facebook too much. Anywho, with Kendrick's latest release, To Pimp A Butterfly, I find myself fascinated with him even more than before, almost to the point of obsession. So I guess this post will be a quick compilation of thoughts on my love-fest with Kendrick Lamar and his music.
Side note: I welcome any kind of discussion; I did not intend to go into too much depth because the album/his music is worth exploring for yourself.
Let's start with the album, since it is what inspired me to write this in the first place. As a big fan already, this was easily my most anticipated album of the year and it came much earlier than I expected (even after a release date was announced). It exceeded my expectations by far. It's beautiful. It's skillful. It's bold. It's dope. And it also caught me at the right time in my life. For the past few months, I've been doing a lot of introspection, wrestling with things and trying to reconcile different issues. Also, over the past few weeks I've been listening to so much music outside of my usual hip-hop, mainly jazz and soul. So when I gave this record a spin, the themes he explores and hearing those sounds along with funk was very pleasing to my ears. We all knew he could spit and this is a further display of his creativity. He pays homage to the genres that have influenced hip-hop throughout history. And in a genre that is so often bound by the time it is situated in, by incorporated these genres into his work he gives the album a timeless sound. When I first listened to the album, I knew the sound would throw people off but personally, I think it's genius. The juxtaposition of his aggressive flow against the lighter sounds is beautiful. He is also very poetic and his storytelling is still on point. The artistic direction he took with this work is a great representation of not only the messages in the album but Kendrick as a person, especially his maturation over the past two years dealing with his success and everything that came with it.
I believe Kendrick embodies many of our aspirations and fears at the same time. I'm not going to act like I know him, but from what I do know, he breaks so many molds and stereotypes. The depth of his music is a reflection of his depth as a person. In many ways, I believe Kendrick is prophetic and we have much to learn from him. He tackles so many topics. He speaks about faith. About success. About struggle. About doubt. About society. About culture. About race. About black love. About self love. What he gives is grounded on real life experiences. As one who came from the streets of Compton, he is one who "made it" but has his eyes on transformation rather than escape. He doesn't lose his identity and background in the midst of all the lights. And as complex of a person as he is, he's just real and I love it. He talks about real life stuff, both the highs and the lows. Do I agree with everything about Kendrick? No. But I appreciate the honesty and realness he brings because life ain't always as clean as we want it to be. And this is what I connect with. He addresses so many things that I think we're afraid to admit or talk about. In a culture where we often try to act as if everything is alright, he openly shares his heart and struggles. While doing so, he doesn't really leave us with an answer. I have found that to be much of life; I find myself wrestling with so much, wishing I had an answer for everything but I don't. As a Christian, I know the answer is found in Christ but what that looks like is certain situations, I'm often unsure. And I hate admitting that. But Kendrick shares his experiences with the world and although the way he expresses it might not sit well with some people, I find it to be worth engaging. His music does much more than entertain; it teaches and challenges.
To be honest, it took a while at first for me to really like Kendrick. But as I spent more time with his music, I realized its depth and his skill. I think similarly, this album will only get better with time; it's already growing on me with every listen. With this masterpiece, he only strengthens his solid body of work. I look forward to following his journey as a person and artist. What he brings is what hip-hop needs. His voice is definitely valuable in our culture.
Dear Kendrick, I promise we will sing about you.
Side note: I welcome any kind of discussion; I did not intend to go into too much depth because the album/his music is worth exploring for yourself.
Let's start with the album, since it is what inspired me to write this in the first place. As a big fan already, this was easily my most anticipated album of the year and it came much earlier than I expected (even after a release date was announced). It exceeded my expectations by far. It's beautiful. It's skillful. It's bold. It's dope. And it also caught me at the right time in my life. For the past few months, I've been doing a lot of introspection, wrestling with things and trying to reconcile different issues. Also, over the past few weeks I've been listening to so much music outside of my usual hip-hop, mainly jazz and soul. So when I gave this record a spin, the themes he explores and hearing those sounds along with funk was very pleasing to my ears. We all knew he could spit and this is a further display of his creativity. He pays homage to the genres that have influenced hip-hop throughout history. And in a genre that is so often bound by the time it is situated in, by incorporated these genres into his work he gives the album a timeless sound. When I first listened to the album, I knew the sound would throw people off but personally, I think it's genius. The juxtaposition of his aggressive flow against the lighter sounds is beautiful. He is also very poetic and his storytelling is still on point. The artistic direction he took with this work is a great representation of not only the messages in the album but Kendrick as a person, especially his maturation over the past two years dealing with his success and everything that came with it.
I believe Kendrick embodies many of our aspirations and fears at the same time. I'm not going to act like I know him, but from what I do know, he breaks so many molds and stereotypes. The depth of his music is a reflection of his depth as a person. In many ways, I believe Kendrick is prophetic and we have much to learn from him. He tackles so many topics. He speaks about faith. About success. About struggle. About doubt. About society. About culture. About race. About black love. About self love. What he gives is grounded on real life experiences. As one who came from the streets of Compton, he is one who "made it" but has his eyes on transformation rather than escape. He doesn't lose his identity and background in the midst of all the lights. And as complex of a person as he is, he's just real and I love it. He talks about real life stuff, both the highs and the lows. Do I agree with everything about Kendrick? No. But I appreciate the honesty and realness he brings because life ain't always as clean as we want it to be. And this is what I connect with. He addresses so many things that I think we're afraid to admit or talk about. In a culture where we often try to act as if everything is alright, he openly shares his heart and struggles. While doing so, he doesn't really leave us with an answer. I have found that to be much of life; I find myself wrestling with so much, wishing I had an answer for everything but I don't. As a Christian, I know the answer is found in Christ but what that looks like is certain situations, I'm often unsure. And I hate admitting that. But Kendrick shares his experiences with the world and although the way he expresses it might not sit well with some people, I find it to be worth engaging. His music does much more than entertain; it teaches and challenges.
To be honest, it took a while at first for me to really like Kendrick. But as I spent more time with his music, I realized its depth and his skill. I think similarly, this album will only get better with time; it's already growing on me with every listen. With this masterpiece, he only strengthens his solid body of work. I look forward to following his journey as a person and artist. What he brings is what hip-hop needs. His voice is definitely valuable in our culture.
Dear Kendrick, I promise we will sing about you.
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