Kendrick Lamar Day 4
Today's post is coming in a little bit late, that's my bad! But guess what? We are still on the Kendrick Lamar train. And I have to say, with all the hype surrounding the album, it is getting harder and harder to find the music on sources like YouTube. But thankfully, I think we can get a couple more songs out before we can't find anything else.
But with all the Kendrick Lamar buzz that is happening, it would be an absolute shame if we didn't take a look at the first release from the album. Now this song was the first single we got, the first taste of Kendrick Lamar's damn good album (sorry, the joke had to be made at least once). And personally, I think this song was a good choice as the first single. This song does a great job of summarizing the intent and purpose of the album, without going into detail about certain points which are heavily described in other songs. This song is more of an overview on what Kendrick Lamar sees wrong in society, and who he really attributes that to. Because at the end of the day, this album strips down into being a commentary on the power of media and popular culture, and how they drive perception. This song blatantly outlines the surface level issues, which is why this is such a good intro to the album. Disclaimer though, I don't recommend listening the album out of song order. The track listing sequence is VERY important to the full understanding of the album. But I digress.
Taking a look at this song, it is pretty clear that Kendrick Lamar has no filter and isn't holding back. The man cleverly starts to break things down, taking stabs at the general perceptions that have been created by different sources of media. In this song, he pays special attention to American beauty standards. In other words, slamming the self-perceived falseness of American beauty and ideals. Kendrick Lamar happily rips Photoshopped edits to shreds. He focuses on the natural beauty of women, and asks to see the signs of this natural beauty. Kendrick Lamar easily works in these thoughts on natural beauty and how America's obsession with Photoshop aesthetic perfection is anything but humble and misguided in every way. For those of you who have read The Catcher in the Rye, we have our own modern version of Holden Caulfield.
Now a lot of people find this song to be tainted with hubris when Kendrick Lamar starts discussing other rappers. However, that is the point. His braggadocios and pompous musings are coupled with descriptions of his humble beginnings. And isn't that what this song is all about? Kendrick Lamar is not only making conjectures about other rappers, but of himself as well. He acknowledges falling victim to ego, which is made even more clear in the music video. The canonical themes are a clear image of that ego boost. Dressing up as the Pope and emulating Jesus in Da Vinci's Last Supper are just visuals of this inflated ego issue. Kendrick Lamar even goes as far as emulating pop culture gods like Steve Jobs. We see the juxtaposition of these kingly visuals with the presence of Kendrick Lamar emulating a speaker for the streets. That iconic irony is what makes this song, and the accompanying visual, so perfect. This exploration into such primal thoughts and feelings gives us an even deeper look into Kendrick Lamar's mind journey of self-discovery. This is Kendrick Lamar's sermon, a sharp declaration of his cognitive dissonance. I know that some people disagree with they way I see this song. And I would love to hear what you all think! So I hope you enjoy this song and music video, and I would love to hear what you guys think of this lead single!
But with all the Kendrick Lamar buzz that is happening, it would be an absolute shame if we didn't take a look at the first release from the album. Now this song was the first single we got, the first taste of Kendrick Lamar's damn good album (sorry, the joke had to be made at least once). And personally, I think this song was a good choice as the first single. This song does a great job of summarizing the intent and purpose of the album, without going into detail about certain points which are heavily described in other songs. This song is more of an overview on what Kendrick Lamar sees wrong in society, and who he really attributes that to. Because at the end of the day, this album strips down into being a commentary on the power of media and popular culture, and how they drive perception. This song blatantly outlines the surface level issues, which is why this is such a good intro to the album. Disclaimer though, I don't recommend listening the album out of song order. The track listing sequence is VERY important to the full understanding of the album. But I digress.
Taking a look at this song, it is pretty clear that Kendrick Lamar has no filter and isn't holding back. The man cleverly starts to break things down, taking stabs at the general perceptions that have been created by different sources of media. In this song, he pays special attention to American beauty standards. In other words, slamming the self-perceived falseness of American beauty and ideals. Kendrick Lamar happily rips Photoshopped edits to shreds. He focuses on the natural beauty of women, and asks to see the signs of this natural beauty. Kendrick Lamar easily works in these thoughts on natural beauty and how America's obsession with Photoshop aesthetic perfection is anything but humble and misguided in every way. For those of you who have read The Catcher in the Rye, we have our own modern version of Holden Caulfield.
Now a lot of people find this song to be tainted with hubris when Kendrick Lamar starts discussing other rappers. However, that is the point. His braggadocios and pompous musings are coupled with descriptions of his humble beginnings. And isn't that what this song is all about? Kendrick Lamar is not only making conjectures about other rappers, but of himself as well. He acknowledges falling victim to ego, which is made even more clear in the music video. The canonical themes are a clear image of that ego boost. Dressing up as the Pope and emulating Jesus in Da Vinci's Last Supper are just visuals of this inflated ego issue. Kendrick Lamar even goes as far as emulating pop culture gods like Steve Jobs. We see the juxtaposition of these kingly visuals with the presence of Kendrick Lamar emulating a speaker for the streets. That iconic irony is what makes this song, and the accompanying visual, so perfect. This exploration into such primal thoughts and feelings gives us an even deeper look into Kendrick Lamar's mind journey of self-discovery. This is Kendrick Lamar's sermon, a sharp declaration of his cognitive dissonance. I know that some people disagree with they way I see this song. And I would love to hear what you all think! So I hope you enjoy this song and music video, and I would love to hear what you guys think of this lead single!
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