Kendrick Lamar's lyrics annoted by Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Michael Chabon on Genius
- Thread starter Not Crodie
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BigL187
MOPAO
fukking idiots y'all are I swear. 
That's exactly what some of us have been saying. This is not pro-black commentary. Its simple bill o'reily narrative to a beat.
That's exactly what some of us have been saying. This is not pro-black commentary. Its simple bill o'reily narrative to a beat.
Now this should be interestingfukking idiots y'all are I swear.
That's exactly what some of us have been saying. This is not pro-black commentary. Its simple bill o'reily narrative to a beat.
Bellhop Lamar
Jack Don the G
What am I? A farmer?
fukking idiots y'all are I swear.
That's exactly what some of us have been saying. This is not pro-black commentary. Its simple bill o'reily narrative to a beat.
So the song is not pro black? You must be stuid to think the song is on some fukk blacks we stupid shyt.
Like the author said its not one person its directed at. Its is the whole community and that includes everyone, not only blacks. ITS A METAPHOR. dont take the line literate.
Its also directed towards white people that also is outraged by the trayvon murder but dont give a fukk about whats goes on in the ghetto.
The meaning of the song is not, I repeat, is not trying to say you cant complain about white killing blacks when blacks kill blacks.
He is just using a situation that generated a lot of awareness to try to shine lights on another big issue in how blacks have it worse.
He got us talking dont he? He knew what the fukk he was doing when he wrote that line. It generates attention.
You could argue that with that line whites can excuse them self and put the blame on blacks but that is even more stupid than to think the line was literate.
There is a reason why a large % of, for example dead prez fan base is white. They are socially aware and know their position.
One question, if you could chose between black people stop killing each other or white cops going to jail when they deserve to, what would you chose?
Just wondering since so many seem to be so fukking angry. It must mean you think justice is more important then black lives.
Last edited:
krulesweatshirt
All Star
the full stuff:
Michael Chabon
17h
In this final couplet, Kendrick Lamar employs a rhetorical move akin to—and in its way even more devastating than—Common’s move in the last line of “I Used to Love H.E.R.”: snapping an entire lyric into place with a surprise revelation of something hitherto left unspoken. In “H.E.R.”, Common reveals the identity of the song’s “her”—hip hop itself—forcing the listener to re-evaluate the entire meaning and intent of the song. Here, Kendrick Lamar reveals the nature of the enigmatic hypocrisy that the speaker has previously confessed to three times in the song without elaborating: that he grieved over the murder of Trayvon Martin when he himself has been responsible for the death of a young black man. Common’s “her” is not a woman but hip hop itself; Lamar’s “I” is not (or not only) Kendrick Lamar but his community as a whole. This revelation forces the listener to a deeper and broader understanding of the song’s “you”, and to consider the possibility that “hypocrisy” is, in certain situations, a much more complicated moral position than is generally allowed, and perhaps an inevitable one.
Michael Chabon
17h
In this final couplet, Kendrick Lamar employs a rhetorical move akin to—and in its way even more devastating than—Common’s move in the last line of “I Used to Love H.E.R.”: snapping an entire lyric into place with a surprise revelation of something hitherto left unspoken. In “H.E.R.”, Common reveals the identity of the song’s “her”—hip hop itself—forcing the listener to re-evaluate the entire meaning and intent of the song. Here, Kendrick Lamar reveals the nature of the enigmatic hypocrisy that the speaker has previously confessed to three times in the song without elaborating: that he grieved over the murder of Trayvon Martin when he himself has been responsible for the death of a young black man. Common’s “her” is not a woman but hip hop itself; Lamar’s “I” is not (or not only) Kendrick Lamar but his community as a whole. This revelation forces the listener to a deeper and broader understanding of the song’s “you”, and to consider the possibility that “hypocrisy” is, in certain situations, a much more complicated moral position than is generally allowed, and perhaps an inevitable one.
imma have to sit on this one for a minute before my opinion solidifiesfukking idiots y'all are I swear.
That's exactly what some of us have been saying. This is not pro-black commentary. Its simple bill o'reily narrative to a beat.
I'm sure his intentions were. The execution was misguided.
I never said that.
HIS community. Meaning black folks.
What specific lyric did you draw this conclusion from?
Generating awareness about black on black gang violence off the back of a dead innocent kid is not a good look, and is my primary issue with the song. He could have condemned gang violence without talking about Trovon.
Its not stupid to see it that way. That's exactly the way whites have seen it for centuries. We shouldn't be repeating the narrative.
And this is exactly the problem. The two issues aren't one in the same. A person shouldn't have to choose what matters more. And caring about one more than the other absolutely does not make one a hypocrite.
Piff Perkins
Veteran
Good point that I think some people here are not getting. Kendrick is not saying people are wrong or that you can't be pro-black and not talk about black violence. It's a contradiction. The track even starts with him battling himself - I'm black, I want everything black, I hate being black, etc. He says people will call him schizophrenic, then calls himself a hypocrite.
He then calls out institutional racism and dehumanizing stereotypes before calling out those who kill their fellow brothers and sisters yet weep for Trayvon.
Let's leave trolls like Bill O'Reilly out of this. O'Reilly's argument is that we can't discuss police brutality since no one cares about black on black violence; it's a straw man. Kendrick is saying we should discuss police brutality/institutional racism and black on black violence. If you can't see the difference I can't help you.
You are making that distinguishment cause you wanna give Kendrick the benefit of the doubt, but bill o'reily supporters would say the same thing. "He's not saying we can't discuss police brutality, he's just saying we should discuss black on black crime too"
And therein lies the problem. Even if that is what Kendrick is saying. Due to historical context and current rhetoric by our active oppressors, he should have found a better way to frame his argument. He didn't need to evoke trevon in order to condem gang violence.