Kendrick Lamar
**When I posted this, YouTube had been kind enough to leave the song, FEAR. online. Sadly, they pulled it down yesterday, but for reference, the song being discussed is indeed FEAR.**
Today is the last day in the Kendrick Lamar saga. I have to say, it has been pretty awesome being able to write about his music and how impactful the album is. And so to wrap up this chapter of music, I wanted to start off by thanking YouTube for not taking this down. Everywhere I look, Kendrick Lamar's latest material is being taken down left and right. But we do have this one final song, so here we go!
Okay, so this song is a standout piece for a few reasons. For starters, it is one of the longest, if not the longest song on the album. And while this is all great and dandy, the real uniqueness comes from the autobiographical nature of the song. Kendrick Lamar uses this as a way to create a biopic kind of piece, which I thought was pretty darn interesting. We get an inside look at the life of Kendrick Lamar, and are made privy to the most impactful phases and moments in his life. That being, I think this is the song which most closely ties in and makes a bridge back to the previous album To Pimp A Butterfly. Now this song is all about Kendrick Lamar growing up. From seven years old to twenty years later, we get to see the evolution and culmination of the man we hear today. The topics such as parental voices, teenage distractions, and police involvement are all mentioned both in this song and the album previous. Using this song as the bridge, we get to explore more about the damaged points in Kendrick Lamar's life when he felt the strongest amount of dread. We get a more detailed and longer explanation on stories we heard on TPAB. Everything seems to tie in more so with this lengthy song.
There are a plethora of feelings we get from this album. But this song particularly doesn't give Kendrick Lamar the opportunity to break down societal norms and perceptions. This song is all about walking in Kendrick Lamar's shoes. This song is all about Kendrick Lamar's personal state of being. This song goes beyond anti-political and social manifestos. This song's purpose lies with exposing the reality of the Kendrick Lamar actually feels. Throughout the song, we see how the rapper felt fear as a child, growing up, and even today. While in most cases, we see Kendrick Lamar as a strong individual, this song portrays him as an artist who is terrified of failure. This song beautifully paints a picture of a musician who is afraid of letting his friends, community, and self down. The emotion which serves as a namesake is an encompassing summary the underlying self-doubt which seems to affect him. I will say, this song is a bit easier to process than some of the other songs on the album. But despite that, the song has a huge presence. Peering into the lifestyle and reality of Kendrick Lamar's world is unique and eye opening.
So why spend five days talking about a single album? What makes this so incredible that it deserved this much dedicated time? Kendrick Lamar does something which hasn't been heard in a long time. Instead of focusing on who he must become or be perceived to be, Kendrick Lamar focuses on the primal nerves we all feel. The songs are so aptly titled, describing feelings and items which anchor us to humanity and mortality. The forces which are titled in these songs are what drives so much of how we act, react, and live our lives daily. They are the forces that shape so much of who we are and how we perceive the world around us. In this album, Kendrick Lamar speaks less for a community, city, and generation. He speaks and expresses for his own sake, his personal thoughts and emotions driving the power fo the album home for listeners. The lack of inhibition and unhindered honesty we receive from this album creates an entirely different kind of expression. Kendrick Lamar utilizes the limits of his own perspective in order to create an entirely new kind of message. Kendrick Lamar's priorities have shifted. No longer is he trying to emulate a primordial force or rise above the idea of living. Instead, he reaches an epiphany and dedicates himself to living life. Being in the moment and present. The self-indulgence we see from this album serves as a portrait of a man who feels the same emotions as the rest of us, the same forces which shape modern life and bind us all together. It gives us a snapshot into the mind and soul of a man who has experienced so much and has lost so much. And at the end of it all, it tells us the story of a man who is just as human as the rest of us. This album speaks such volumes because of this introspective view. This complete shift in thinking and feeling is what makes this album impassioned and utterly human. So, here is to you, Kendrick Lamar. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!
Today is the last day in the Kendrick Lamar saga. I have to say, it has been pretty awesome being able to write about his music and how impactful the album is. And so to wrap up this chapter of music, I wanted to start off by thanking YouTube for not taking this down. Everywhere I look, Kendrick Lamar's latest material is being taken down left and right. But we do have this one final song, so here we go!
Okay, so this song is a standout piece for a few reasons. For starters, it is one of the longest, if not the longest song on the album. And while this is all great and dandy, the real uniqueness comes from the autobiographical nature of the song. Kendrick Lamar uses this as a way to create a biopic kind of piece, which I thought was pretty darn interesting. We get an inside look at the life of Kendrick Lamar, and are made privy to the most impactful phases and moments in his life. That being, I think this is the song which most closely ties in and makes a bridge back to the previous album To Pimp A Butterfly. Now this song is all about Kendrick Lamar growing up. From seven years old to twenty years later, we get to see the evolution and culmination of the man we hear today. The topics such as parental voices, teenage distractions, and police involvement are all mentioned both in this song and the album previous. Using this song as the bridge, we get to explore more about the damaged points in Kendrick Lamar's life when he felt the strongest amount of dread. We get a more detailed and longer explanation on stories we heard on TPAB. Everything seems to tie in more so with this lengthy song.
There are a plethora of feelings we get from this album. But this song particularly doesn't give Kendrick Lamar the opportunity to break down societal norms and perceptions. This song is all about walking in Kendrick Lamar's shoes. This song is all about Kendrick Lamar's personal state of being. This song goes beyond anti-political and social manifestos. This song's purpose lies with exposing the reality of the Kendrick Lamar actually feels. Throughout the song, we see how the rapper felt fear as a child, growing up, and even today. While in most cases, we see Kendrick Lamar as a strong individual, this song portrays him as an artist who is terrified of failure. This song beautifully paints a picture of a musician who is afraid of letting his friends, community, and self down. The emotion which serves as a namesake is an encompassing summary the underlying self-doubt which seems to affect him. I will say, this song is a bit easier to process than some of the other songs on the album. But despite that, the song has a huge presence. Peering into the lifestyle and reality of Kendrick Lamar's world is unique and eye opening.
So why spend five days talking about a single album? What makes this so incredible that it deserved this much dedicated time? Kendrick Lamar does something which hasn't been heard in a long time. Instead of focusing on who he must become or be perceived to be, Kendrick Lamar focuses on the primal nerves we all feel. The songs are so aptly titled, describing feelings and items which anchor us to humanity and mortality. The forces which are titled in these songs are what drives so much of how we act, react, and live our lives daily. They are the forces that shape so much of who we are and how we perceive the world around us. In this album, Kendrick Lamar speaks less for a community, city, and generation. He speaks and expresses for his own sake, his personal thoughts and emotions driving the power fo the album home for listeners. The lack of inhibition and unhindered honesty we receive from this album creates an entirely different kind of expression. Kendrick Lamar utilizes the limits of his own perspective in order to create an entirely new kind of message. Kendrick Lamar's priorities have shifted. No longer is he trying to emulate a primordial force or rise above the idea of living. Instead, he reaches an epiphany and dedicates himself to living life. Being in the moment and present. The self-indulgence we see from this album serves as a portrait of a man who feels the same emotions as the rest of us, the same forces which shape modern life and bind us all together. It gives us a snapshot into the mind and soul of a man who has experienced so much and has lost so much. And at the end of it all, it tells us the story of a man who is just as human as the rest of us. This album speaks such volumes because of this introspective view. This complete shift in thinking and feeling is what makes this album impassioned and utterly human. So, here is to you, Kendrick Lamar. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!
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