Kendrick Lamar Duckworth

The Life of Kendrick Lamar

            Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper who has revolutionized the hip hop industry, producing six full length studio albums alongside being a proponent of civil rights and promoting equality in the United States. Lamar has produced six full length studio albums and has won 87 awards alongside being nominated for 222 awards. Lamar has also won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album D**N., which went double platinum in its first few months of sales. Kendrick Lamar’s greatest achievements are not the accolades, rather, they are the changes that his music has brought and the story of the struggles of racism in modern America.

            Kendrick Lamar was born June 17, 1987 in Compton, California. His father was a member of a street gang and had ties with the Bloods in Compton. Lamar’s family lived off welfare in Section 8 housing, which would eventually prompt his sophomore album titled Section 80. In his high school years, Lamar was a straight A student, and went to Centennial High School, which boasts notable alumni such as Dr. Dre. Once graduating high school, Lamar was signed to a record label known as Top Dawg Entertainment. After signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, Kendrick released his debut album titled Section 80. The album dealt with topics such as medication abuse, racism, and more. Soon after this album, in 2013, Lamar released his second full length study album, titled Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The album was a commercial and critical success. The title of the album deals with the differences between Kendrick and his “M.A.A.D City”. The album follows Kendrick as he outlines the drug abuse in Compton, California, and the title is a direct reference to his life, meaning “my angry adolescence divided”. Alongside themes of Kendrick’s own childhood, the album describes gun violence, substance abuse, and economic disenfranchisement. For example, in the track Money Trees, Kendrick states, “Everybody gon’ respect the shooter, but the one in front of the gun lives forever”. Kendrick creates a metaphor regarding gang violence in Compton, showing that the life may be temporary glamorous, yet only the victims are remembered, and they are often turned into martyrs for society. As per Genius Lyrics, the lyrics are also a metaphor for society as a whole; a controlling power (the shooter) may temporarily be in control, yet the victims (the people) will outlive the shooter and will be vindicated. The next track, titled Swimming Pools (Drank), sounds like a song glorifying a life of excess and alcoholism, yet deals with concepts such as peer pressure, and how a life of excess can be extremely damaging. In the middle of the song, Kendrick’s conscious speaks to him, saying “Ok, now open your mind up and listen to me Kendrick. I am in your conscious if you do not hear me then you will be history Kendrick. I know that you are nauseous right now and I’m hoping to lead you to victory Kendrick.” Lamar is commenting about how alcohol abuse affects his personal life and family; he is describing the control that he must maintain in order to keep himself from falling into substance abuse. The interesting thing to note with this song is the upbeat production that outlines the music. The song may sound like a typical drinking song due to the production, however, the themes are much more complex.

            Kendrick Lamar’s magnum opus is To Pimp Butterfly, his 2015 album that outlines African-American struggles in modern America, institutionalized racism, depression, and more. Kendrick brings these issues to the forefront, attracting attention to problems that are present in American society. To analyze every song on the album would take an immense amount of time; however, a standout piece is How Much a Dollar Cost. The song employs a jazzy bass line, with a rhythmic beat that pushes the song with urgency. The first line of the song is “How much a dollar really cost? The question is detrimental, paralyzing my thoughts”. Kendrick is analyzing the true value of money, and what is lost in the pursuit of money. The song details a story of Kendrick visiting a gas station. His fame and success are shown through the imagery, his car and clothing are described, showing his status as a man. As he exits the station, a vagabond asks him for a single dollar, which he is unable to provide, as he seems him as a swindler, and can smell the “moonshine and gin”. After an angry response, the vagabond reveals, “Know the truth, it’ll set you free, you’re looking at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the higher power, the choir that spoke the word, the Holy Spirit, the nerve of Nazareth, and I’ll tell you how much a dollar cost: The price of having a spot in heaven, embrace your loss I am God.” The man reveals that he is the higher power, and that through Kendrick’s greediness, he has lost his spot in heaven. Following the line, Kendrick reminisces on how he “washes his hand, sets his grace”. He is describing how the actions behind spirituality are not important in comparison to the lessons that are gained through practicing the ideals of a religion. The concept of religion appears in Kendrick’s music as he promotes religious beliefs as a way of showing love to all people. To Pimp a Butterfly as an album is the emotional struggles that Kendrick has in his pursuit of happiness. After the major commercial success of this record, Kendrick dropped his album titled D**N. in 2017. D**N. is an extremely different album from To Pimp a Butterfly. The album is much more mainstream friendly and features a conflicted Kendrick who deals with similar themes to his last record. Kendrick’s discography features a shift in sound from album to album, demonstrating his talents as a writer and artist. He has sparked conversation on everything from racial stereotyping to mental health.

            Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is not the traditional example of a social force; most expect a politician or someone that is a part of a social change group. Although Lamar is not “traditional” in his approach to social change, he has brought the issues in his album to the forefront, involving the youth in a traditionally “adult” conversation through his music. Alongside his musical accomplishments, Kendrick Lamar has revolutionized hip-hop music, legitimizing the form to the masses.