Journal 11
Thursday Review
To Pimp Antiquities
Overview
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987. He is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He has been regarded as one of the most influential artists of our generation as well as one of the greatest rappers and lyricists of all times. He was raised in Compton, California. His overlooked debut album Section.80 is named after the welfare housing he grew up in. When Lamar was 8, he witnessed Tupac and Dr. Dre filming a music video for their heads single “California Love” which ignited his passion for music.
Kendrick Lamar‘s third album To Pimp a Butterfly was released on March 15, 2015. Lamar uses traditional African American music such as jazz, funk, soul, spoken word, and avant-garde to accentuate his lyrical political commentary and personal themes. His ingenious wordplay with homonyms and alliterations create upbeat and catchy lyrics that still connect to his themes throughout the songs.
To Pimp a Butterfly sold 324,000 copies in the US in the first week of release, debuted as number one on US billboard 200, and was eventually certified Platinum. By 2017, the album has sold 1 million copies. Lamar won two Grammys for best rap album and album of the year and multiple publications named To Pimp a Butterfly one of the best albums of the decade. In 2020 the album was ranked 19th on Rolling Stones the 500 Greatest Album of All Time.
Title
Tu Pimp A Caterpillar
This was the original name of the album which spells out Tupac who is an important figure in Lamar’s life and can be seen as the person who sparked his music career.
Kendrick Lamar uses his story of growing up in poverty in Compton in his first two albums and transitions to gaining his fame and money in his third.
He decided to change Caterpillar to Butterfly to signify the brightness of life while Pimp contrasts with a lot of aggression to depict how the music industry uses artists.
Lamar is saying he will not “get pimped out by the system”
I
The song's plot goes off as followed: Lamar is performing in front of a large crowd in Crompton presumably a charity for kids. As he continues to perform the song, a fight begins to break out. Lamar stops his song to get everyone to stop fighting and explain that they are better than this. Although the fight stops everyone is still riled up and there is a lot of commotion. The music stops as Lamar goes “acapella” to try to explain to everyone that they don’t have enough time or people to lose. He goes on to say that everyone needs to appreciate life and love each other and the word “nigga” does not represent love unless you use it from its origins ‘Negus’ which derives from the Ethiopian word for ‘royalty’.
Throughout the album, Lamar voices his struggle with his own problems with self-image and the ghosts of his past while still trying to inspire black people. His penultimate song on the album pulls together his major themes of self-image and fighting against all the institutions in America. “I” deeply contrasts the earlier song on the album you “U” which lyrics are “Loving you is complicated…/Should’ve killed yo’ ass a long time ago”.
When he is speaking everyone stops and listens to him. This is the peak for Lamar as this is when he finally steps into his leadership position. The album really shows his journey towards leadership. Kendrick said that “i” is the best song he’s ever written because he never thought he’d be in the “mindset to make a positive song having grown up around so much negativity in Compton”. He describes the song as a song of self-expression from the lack of self-love he felt in the streets of Compton.
Throughout the album, Kendrick stayed true to himself and wanted other rappers and artists to do the same. He realized that they, people in the music industry, are butterflies and should be treated as so and not ‘pimped out’.
Album Cover
Kendrick’s meaning behind the album cover is that he wanted people who would never be able to see the world to experience it. There is more of a “never lose your roots” meaning behind this cover because as he became big he wants to take those that were there at the bottom with him.
Literary Connections
Ida B. Wells and Kendrick
I believe both Kendrick and Ida B. Wells are “friends to humanity” they both seem to deeply care about humanity and the furtherance of the black community. They also both realize that they need to be a part of the community to lead the community.
Binti and Kendrick
Like Binti, Kendrick also considered himself an outsider. This pushed him to want to become an insider but found that it would mean abandoning his authentic self. The songs in this album advocate for harmony in all parts of oneself like Binti had to do with her tribe and her new community.
Killmonger and Kendrick
In Black Panther Kendrick is a perfect real-world example of Killmonger. They both hold up a mirror to society to show the world its flaws and imperfections.
Plotting Your Leadership
Kendrick purposefully chose “Institutionalized” as the title of one of his tracks for its ambiguity. What is an institution in your life?
I would say that an institution in my life is culture. Because I am adopted, I have never really known where I come from and who my ancestors are. In this generation and especially with BIPOCs, it's like a big thing to know where you are from and your ethnicity. A lot of people often connect with each other this way, especially at HBCUs. When school first started, there were a lot of Nigerian group chats, Kenyan group chats, Ethiopian group chats, etc., where people were meeting each other and that's when I noticed even more how important culture is especially in the black community. I feel like why everyone is in these set groups, I am locked in my own area of not knowing.
Within this album, there are a lot of messages in each song, what song and what message relates to you best?
I think the message I most relate to is the message of the cover of the album. I really believe in the idea that if you make it big you bring the people who helped you and watched you grow with you. I also really resonate with the idea of not losing your roots because I feel like nowadays we see a lot of people who forget where they came from or use their background to elevate their status some more and chose to forget the people. If I ever came across a sum of money, I would take the time to thank and help any people who helped me/ watched me get where I am.
In the song “Blacker the Berry” Kendrick explains how he is a hypocrite because of his past. Have you ever been put in a situation where you had to admit hypocrisy?
Not that I can remember. I often try to stay true to my word and follow what I say. I hate being called a hypocrite, so if I am acting hypocritical I will call myself out first before my friends or anyone else can do it.
November 17, 2020
9:40 am
Overview
Jermaine Cole, stage name J. Cole, was born January 28, 1985. He started his career in 2007 with his first album The Come Up. His most influential album is 4 Your Eyez Only. J. Coles develops his leadership role throughout his album 4 Your Eyez Only by addressing the systematic imbalance and tensions within communities of color in our nation. This album was written for his friend’s daughter in an attempt to give her a sense of hope and understanding in a world full of social injustice and wrongdoings. In this sense, he is playing the role of a “mentor” and his listeners are the “mentees”. J. Cole is showing them how in the systematic imbalance there could be change, good doing, and hope.
Character Comparisons
Moana and J.Cole
This song and the story that it paints is very reminiscent of the scene in Moana where she meets her grandmother as a spirit. She questions her ability to restore the heart of Te Fiti, but she eventually regains her confidence and vows to keep going. The sequence of events in the scene is very similar to the sequence of events in this song. Both Cole and Moana experience a moment of doubt and weakness, but both manage to overcome their negative thoughts and push on.
Killmonger and J.Cole
Killmonger and Cole both know/ Experienced the oppression that comes with being a black man in America. Killmonger wants to spread Wakanda resources to his own people because he knows and feels their struggle. Compared to Cole who regrets not investing in his own community, and feels guilty which is why he wrote neighbors
When listening to 4 Your Eyez Only the song he remind me of Killmonger from Black Panther. They both are trying to show people the world from a different view. Killmonger wanted Wakanda to see the world from his point of view how they could help better the world. J.Cole friend wanted his daughter to the world from his point a view. They both were trying to guide people in the right direction in being leaders. The difference is that Killmonger went about it the wrong way. The way Killmonger went about trying to show the world from his view, he tried taking over a kingdom and exposing it. Wakanda wasn’t known for its technology or vibranium and Killmonger tried exposing it and giving away all their resources. While in the song 4 Your Eyez Only J.Cole told a story for children can see the world from older eyes and understand the truth of how the world is prejudice and corrupt. Also that where everyone lives is not the best. The place he describes is very similar to the place Killmonger grew up. There was drugs and violence, men with guns, and people being locked up in incarceration.
Plotting Leadership
Who do you “fold clothes” for and why? What aspect does the person bring to your life that you appreciate it?
I think I mostly “fold clothes” for my friend Preeya. She is always there for me with small things and she always just makes sure I am doing the right things. She also checks up on me and makes sure like I have eaten or slept or showered, cause sometimes I forget. I call her my friendly mother so if I can ever fold clothes for her I always will.
In “4 Your Eyez Only” do you think J.Cole was only speaking to his friend’s daughter or was he speaking to the younger generations as a whole?
J.Cole is definitely talking to all the younger generations along with his friend's daughter. There are points that are clearly just for her, but even those points can show the younger generations and the people listening what it means to be a real man and how they act.
Has there ever been a point in time where relying on your faith made you feel like a more positive, hopeful and overall better person?
Yes, often times when there is a shooting, bombing, or attack against a large amount of people. I pray to God for those people and it calms me down a little. Also, when I feel things are going to go bad I ask for assistance or I just ask ‘what's up’.
Do you have a “ville mentality”? If so, what in/about your life gave you this mentality? Do you think having a ville mentality is healthy? Why or why not?
Yes, I do often. A lot of times I am just like let's do it cause we only live once and when is the next time we will get to do this. I think the idea that we all die and we all aren’t promised to survive 80 years is the reason why I have this mentality. I don’t think it's not healthy to have this mentality because it's kind of the idea of “You Only Live Once”. I think as long as it's displayed healthily and not too erratic everything should be fine.
We all know that J.Cole and Kendrick is always compared to see who is the better artist. Who is the better artist to you and why?
I think each of them are good in their own way and we as a generation should stop comparing people's art because to each their own and they were in different mind spaces making their works. I think we should just say that they both have released great albums.
But if I have to chose, it would be Kendrick Lamar just because the overall theme of his album I personally relate to and am more drawn to.