Kendrick Lamar's Powerful Political Pieces

GNX album cover Kendrick Lamar in front of a car

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 hugging

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

To Pimp A Butterfly album cover group of men with state senator lying down in front

to pimp a butterfly cover art

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.


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.

Fiona Apple: An Extraordinary Machine of a Mind

fiona apple via getty images

Nobody does it like Fiona Apple. She remains one of the strongest and smartest voices in the music scene, despite taking significant time from the spotlight between her releases. Throughout five albums, Apple creates a unique perspective and sound that cannot be found anywhere else. Each of her songs are perfectly crafted to invoke a certain emotion that only she could make you feel. I could rave on and on about her numerous songs and the layered meanings behind each of them, but for both of our sakes I’ll discuss my favourite song from my favourite albums.

Tidal: Shadowboxer

In her debut album, Apple sings about a variety of emotions that she faces. In her very first single, Shadowboxer, she outlines a toxic relationship, where the subject of the song comes and goes in Apple’s life, regardless of her state. He’s playing her, but she doesn’t seem to care, as she wants him so much.

I was on to every play / I just wanted you.
— Shadowboxer, Fiona Apple

Tidal cover art

She’s conflicted. She fears letting him in will allow him to hurt her more, but she wants to let him in, as she’s enraptured by him and his wavering interest in her. The strongest lyrics come from the chorus, where she sings “You made me a shadowboxer, baby / I wanna be ready for what you do / I've been swinging around me / Cause I don't know when you're gonna make your move” A shadowboxer is someone who practices boxing without a partner present. So, it’s a boxer fighting the air. As Apple feels unsafe in the relationship’s dynamic, she must fight the air. She must practice her defenses and be ready for his next attack, even if it’s not presently there. Her harsh vocals and deep singing voice bring a vulnerability and rage to the lyrics that screams vulnerability. She’s learning she must be wary of his advances; she must learn to defend herself from him, despite being completely enamored by him. Her emotions come through exquisitely in this song.

Shadowboxer
Fiona Apple

extraordinary machine cover art

Extraordinary Machine: Extraordinary Machine

Her third album entitled Extraordinary Machine was released in 2005. Apple names the song Extraordinary Machine a ‘pep talk to herself.’ She compares herself to a machine that knows how to optimize her progress as a person. In the first verse, she says “I still only travel by foot and by foot it's a slow climb / But I'm good at being uncomfortable so / I can't stop changing all the time” which contrasts her lyrics in the second verse, “I noticed that my opponent is always on the go / And / Won't go slow, so 's not to focus, and I notice / He'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as / They go fast from whence he came / But he's no good at being uncomfortable, so / He can't stop staying exactly the same” Apple notes that her comfort with discomfort leads to her being able to grow and improve in a way her opponent is not able to. She is big on being truthful with herself and open to growth, as this song represents.

Extraordinary Machine
Fiona Apple

Fetch The Bolt Cutters: I Want You To Love Me

fetch the bolt cutters cover art

Apple’s fifth and most recent album, released in 2020, is in a way an ode to the pandemic. In the song I Want You To Love Me, she accepts her life experiences, both positive and negative, for getting her to the place she is today. While based off the title it seems to be another love song, this song delves into an important theme of self-love. Apple made the most of these experiences, instead of wallowing. Most notably, she sings “I move with the trees in the breeze / I know that time is elastic / And I know when I go / All my particles disband and disperse / And I'll be back in the pulse / And I know none of this will matter in the long run / But I know a sound is still a sound around no one” These lyrics are absolutely soothing to me, like she’s telling herself everything will be alright because she knows how to handle situations better than she has before. She’s grown exponentially as a person. The chorus is a repetition of “I hope that you love me” I view the subject in this song as herself. She seems to have been waiting a long time to gain this love, and struggling to do so. She says she wants somebody to want. Well, in my opinion that somebody she wants to want is herself. She wants the stability of self-love, she doesn’t want to be her own worst enemy anymore. This song portrays that perfectly.

I Want You To Love Me
Fiona Apple

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.

Alice Phoebe Lou: Emotional Expression Through Music

Emotions have always had a place in the arts, specifically in music. Music universally expresses a variety of emotions, positive, negative, and everything in between. Remember that time you found a song where you related to each lyric so much that you thought the artist must be inside your brain?

These experiences mean a lot, especially when related to common struggles like grief, change, love and other human experiences. It makes you feel connected to the artist and less alone in your thoughts and feelings. It can even give you a new perspective on these situations. The shared experiences of being alive as humans connects us to each other, and putting those experiences into music that can be shared as well is meaningful to individuals.

“glow” album cover via independent artists management

I’m going to talk about two of Alice Phoebe Lou’s songs and how the emotions behind them bring layers of beauty to the meaning. In the song “Glow,” Alice sings about the abstract feeling of loving oneself amidst the loss of a relationship. She starts the song off by singing, “I dance with myself/ Like there is nobody else in the world.” This gives the listener a feeling of self-love. She immediately follows this lyric up with “I fall to the floor/ And I fill the whole room with salty tears,” which gives us the idea she’s upset. So, what is she feeling?

She goes back and forth between positive and negative emotions in the first verse, continuing this trend in the chorus with the lyrics, “I swim out the window/ And into the night/ I am smiling, I am screaming/ I am glowing from inside/ Do I dare to feel this feeling?” These lyrics, in my opinion, embody the back-and-forth feelings associated with grieving. Though she is sad, she is also celebrating the reunion of herself with her feelings. Though there could have been positive emotions associated with the subject of this song, there is also a clear feeling of relief and lightness within the lyrics, her tone of voice and the melody.

Despite her sadness, she recognizes this as an opportunity to love herself. As she says in the next verse, “I squeeze a little tighter/ And suddenly I’m holding my own body/ There’s an empty space where you once offered yourself to me.” She then ends the song with a verse on her mother and the things she does for Alice. “My mom knows I’ll be alright/ But she’ll be glad I’m home/ She’s always casting spells for me/ Keeping guard for me/ Working hard for me.” She then closes the song with the chorus again, leaving the listener with the thought of gratitude and safety.

“shelter” Album cover via independent artists management

In the song “Open My Door,” Alice sings about a clearer version of self-love. She opens the song with “I used to open my door to pretty much anyone who was tryna look for a place to feel safe/ But I made my whole world safer for everyone but me.” These lyrics speak of the habit Alice has made of allowing people to push her boundaries and prioritize the well-being of others over herself. She follows this up with “So, I took my bones, and I called them my own/ And I found a place inside that’s safe for me/ And now I wander the world alone but alive/ Smiling on the inside.”

Alice talks about taking initiative to solidify her own boundaries and distance herself from those who could be detrimental to her mental health. The melody of the song stays slow and airy, giving it a hopeful sting. She repeats a lyric from her song “Glow,” singing again “Smiling on the inside.” She finishes the song with a call to the present, saying, “I’m back on land, welcome to your life, Alice.”

alice phoebe lou via andrea rojas

I’m sure someone reading this can relate to what Alice Phoebe Lou has written about. I’m sure that if you don’t relate to these songs, there are other ones out there that you can relate to. The vocalization of the feelings you yourself have felt, the connection to not only the human who made the song but other humans who find that same solace in listening, the deep understanding of your emotions as part of a bigger ecosystem, the ecosystem of humans. All of these are ideas that are brought up when listening to emotional music. The lyrics, rhythm, and instruments used all contribute to a spiritual listening experience.

Open My Door (Live)
Alice Phoebe Lou

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.