Kendrick Lamar's Powerful Political Pieces

gnx album cover art

Kendrick Lamar isn’t just any rapper, but one of the greatest rappers of the 21st century. His music involves deep introspection into his mind and its inner workings, his famous Hollywood lifestyle and how it affects him. Not only that, but he touches even more on the political state of America and how that too deeply affects him.

Politics is something that is vastly addressed by Lamar throughout his eight albums and something that countless people have praised him for. His authenticity and bluntness are traits not found in other rappers’ lyrics.

Lamar’s 2015 song “Alright” is deeply connected with the Black Lives Matter movement. In years after the songs release, protesters often would chant the chorus “We gon’ be alright.” In one line, Lamar sings “And we hate the po-po / Wanna kill us dead in the street for sure.” This line had a huge impact on Americans, as someone famous voiced what many already knew: police officers have been unlawfully murdering Black people. This line received hate from Fox News, with anchor Geraldo Rivera saying, “This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years.”

Clapback!

When I tell you Lamar got the last laugh, I’m not joking. He sampled this clip from Fox News on his 2017 song DNA,which ended up being named as the 31st best song of the year by Billboard and outplayed that clip by tenfold.

On his same 2017 album, DAMN., Lamar drops a song entitled XXX featuring U2 that explores politics on a deeper level. Lyrics including “The great American flag is wrapped and dragged in explosives” and

“Homicidal thoughts, Donald Trump’s in office / We lost Barack and promised to never doubt him again / But is America honest or do we bask in sin? … / You overnight the big rifles, then tell Fox to be scared of us / Gang members or terrorists, et cetera, et cetera / America’s reflections of me, that’s what a mirror does”

— Kendrick Lamar

It comments on how Black people are often villainized for speaking up about the racism they face. Instead of lending a helping hand, those in power dismiss and quiet the fears that Black people are subjected to at the hands of the government and agencies like Fox News.

Kendrick lamar and obama via dani marsland

Kendrick X POTUS

Beyond his music, Lamar met with then-President Barack Obama, whom he mentions multiple times in his lyrics. During the meeting, they discussed how best to help underprivileged neighborhoods of America and how support and mentorship of youth is undoubtably important. Lamar admitted having a mentor shaped him into the person he’s become.

To Pimp A Butterfly

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His most political work by far is his 2015 album entitled To Pimp A Butterfly. The album cover depicts him and a group of fellow black friends in front of the White House, standing in front of a dead White State Senator. This image speaks on the racial inequality that is rooted in America’s justice system. Political themes remain a strength on songs such as “The Blacker The Berry”, “Hood Politics” and “Mortal Man.”

In “Mortal Man”, Lamar references multiple prominent Black leaders like Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. In the outro, Lamar includes excerpts from a 1994 interview with Tupac Shakur where he discusses a multitude of things from wealth to racism. For example, Tupac says, “The ground is gonna open up and swallow the evil… / And the ground is the symbol for the poor people / The poor people is gonna open up this whole world / And swallow up the rich people.”

Lamar doesn’t only discuss racial issues, but wealth disparities as well. He often notes the crossover between these two, as Black people are in many parts of America set up for economic failure. Because of the systemic lack of care, Lamar is aware of the disadvantages he and other Black people face. As a now-famous rapper, he is dedicated to being a beacon of light for youth who don’t see improvement in sight. He knows how it feels, as he speaks openly about being from a disparaged neighborhood himself. He knows how important mentorship and spreading information is. Lamar uses his platform for the best— to spread important knowledge on meaningful political topics.

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Willow loves creativity. She can be very quiet sometimes. She can also get annoying with her weird tangents, but sometimes they’re interesting. She likes to relax, and play The Sims. She goes to Algonquin College currently in the Professional Writing program. She suffers part-time working hard at an unnamed restaurant. She enjoys crafts, artistic activities, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. She also loves therapy. That picture is not her.

The Many Layers of Slim Shady

Photo: intrld.com

MY NAME IS, WHAT? MY NAME IS, WHO? MY NAME IS…

Slim Shady, otherwise known as Eminem or Marshal Bruce Mathers, is one of the most influential and iconic names in the music industry. With over 220 million records sold worldwide and a career spanning more than two decades, Eminem has not only proven his prowess as a rapper but also revolutionized the hip-hop genre.

“I come from Detroit where it's rough, and I'm not a smooth talker.” - Eminem

Born on October 6th, 1972, Eminem grew up in the poor, dangerous neighborhoods of Detroit. His father left the family when Eminem was an infant. Eminem’s efforts to communicate with him by writing letters were futile, so he eventually gave up. He, his half-brother, Nathan, and his mother Debbie were barely getting by.

In his earlier songs, Eminem rapped about his mom being a drug addict and abusing her children. Eventually, Debbie sued him but only won $25,000. However, in 2014, Eminem confessed that he had wrongfully blamed his mom for his tough childhood. In his song, “Confession”, Eminem says:

“Now I know it’s not your fault, and I’m not making jokes. But ma, I forgive you, so does Nathan yo.”

Eminem dropped out of school when he was 17 after failing grade nine three times. In many of his tracks, Eminem mentions how brutally he was bullied, to the point where he once ended up in a coma.

photo: bing.com

Despite these hardships, Eminem often says that growing up in such conditions made him who he is today. In his song “Never Enough”, he says:

“I'm thankful for the talent in which God gave me

And I'm thankful for the environment that he placed me

Believe it or not, I thank my mom for how she raised me

In the neighborhood daily that jumped and chased me

It only made me what I am today, see…”

May I have Your Attention Please

When he was 14 years old, Eminem was introduced to hip-hop by his late uncle Ronnie Mathers. He instantly loved the genre and began performing in clubs around Detroit.

His first album, Infinite (1996), wasn’t a success. However, the Rap Olympics proved to be a turning point in his career. Not only did he win second place, he also caught the attention of D.R. Dre, who ended up signing him. With Dre, Eminem released his album The Slim Shady LP (1999), featuring the iconic track “My Name Is”, which sold millions of albums and won two Grammys.

After gaining attention in the music industry, Eminem started challenging its norms and pushing its boundaries. Hip-hop was dominated by men rapping about women, gangs, money, and often romanticized drugs. Eminem broke that “strong man” image and was not afraid to be vulnerable in his tracks. Eminem connected to people all around the world by rapping about the dark side of drug addiction, domestic violence, and mental health.

Lyrical Technician, An Electrician

Eminem’s rap was unlike any other’s. He rhymed words that were impossible to rhyme by manipulating their sounds or blending them with other words to create a rhythm. In fact, he often used the words themselves to create rhythm rather than simply depending on the end of bars.

With his song “Rap God”, Eminem broke records. In the 6.4-minute track, he packed 1,560 words, and in a 15-second segment, he spit 6.64 words per second.

Eminem’s music videos have been an event in their own right. They have always felt cinematic—an entire story unfolding while he rapped.
The videos were punchy and comical, with “Houdini” being his latest success.

“I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There's no in-between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it.” - Eminem

One of the biggest reasons I love Eminem is that he says whatever’s on his mind. While I tend to choose my words more carefully (she ain’t no rap god), I believe being authentic—no matter how blunt—is an admirable approach.

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Rana is a student of Professional Writing at Algonquin College, and an unapologetic science nerd who gets excited by the simplest facts. Music has been a constant companion in Rana’s life. She finds solace through the classic melodies of the piano, cello and violin; escapes the world’s chaos through a good Imagine Dragons song; and rages at life through an Eminem masterpiece.  

But above all, music is her tether to her heritage—Lebanon. Growing up, she was surrounded by her parents' music tastes. She holds these sounds proudly and revisits them whenever nostalgia hits. Through this blog, Rana hopes to weave together her passions for writing, science, and music. Tune in!