October is Black History Month - and Livewire will be taking the time to reflect on iconic Black artists throughout. Our Head of Online Max Gowers kicks us off, with a piece considering four of legendary rapper Kendrick Lamar's best tracks, spread out over a decade of success in the mainstream.
Kendrick Lamar feels like one of those artists who causes everyone to stand still when he moves. So when he took aim at Drake this summer, the world stopped to watch. We saw, over the course of four tracks, especially in the undeniably atypical summer hit "Not Like Us", how one man's dislike meant millions around the world could listen to (arguably) one of the biggest commercially successful hip-hop artists of our generation, Drake, get torn apart - all in the public eye.
I really don't think you can discuss the last two decades of hip-hop without mentioning Kendrick. So here's four tracks that I think epitomise what he stands for, and that cement him as an icon of this era.
Swimming Pools (Drank)
Key lyric: "Some people like the way it feel, some people wanna kill their sorrow / Some people wanna fit in with the popular, that was my problem"
Funnily enough, this track is seen as one of Kendrick's best to play at a party - and the irony lies in the fact that the people there will be too busy enjoying themselves to acknowledge the true meaning of the track.
On "Swimming Pools", Lamar paints the picture of a houseparty - one naturally with plenty of alcohol. Kendrick describes the scene, and how he feels pressure to drink in order to fit in, and not be an outsider. He's hesitant to do so - he notes that "I done grew up round some people livin' their life in bottles". After this, the chorus of the track positions itself as what someone is saying to him - calling him out for sipping slowly, or 'babysitting', and using an overexaggeration of a 'swimming pool full of liquor' to represent this excessive sense of drinking.
"Swimming Pools" is a fantastic example of what I think Lamar does incredibly well - painting a picture of a scene in his life. Growing up in Compton, he experienced drinking culture, drugs culture, and violence of all kinds. Across his music, he references his upbringing frequently, painting these images with his words and rooting himself in where he came from, and where he is now.
Alright
Key lyric: "We been hurt, been down before [...] Lookin' at the world like "where do we go?""
"Alright" is perhaps one of Kendrick's most iconic songs, and the numbers say it all - over 750 million streams on Spotify, and certified Platinum in the US. For many, the track is one of unity, and of power in numbers.
From the very start of the track, before all of the elements of the beat kick in, Lamar notes, "All my life, I has to fight [...] I'm f***** up, homie, you f***** up / But if God got us, then we gon' be alright". He makes the distinction that when you're having a hard time - there are ways to stop you from feeling that crushing helplessness - paths like religion or help from others.
The track, shockingly, was seen as controversial upon release. The most notable moment of critique came from FOX News, where presenters Eric Boilling and Kimberly Guilfoyle are discussing Alright on a news program. Boilling repeats the line "And we hate po-po, wanna kill us in the street fo' sho'", and Guilfoyle replies "Ugh. I don't like it." This was a stunningly ignorant moment captured on live TV - showing how, often, White people can never understand or empathise with Black struggle as they have no experience of oppression.
Lamar didn't take this lightly, either. On the intro to his third album DAMN, he directly samples this clip - highlighting the ignorance of the presenters to millions around the world, in inescapable fashion too - because everyone will be listening to the opening track of an album.
Mother I Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons of Portishead)
Key lyric: "I'm sensitive, I feel everything, I feel everybody"
Warning: This section contains discussion and mentions of sexual abuse.
"Mother I Sober" is perhaps one of the most emotionally charged and important tracks Kendrick has, and will ever release. It details trauma of various types - but centrally it discusses sexual abuse from a relative - not touching on Lamar's own experience, but instead him describing how it's affected his relatives.
On the track, Kendrick discusses the guilt he feels for not being able to do anything to help - despite the fact he was five years old when the abuse was occuring. In a powerful closing verse, he raps:
So I set free myself from all the guilt that I thought I made
So I set free my mother all the hurt that she titled shame
So I set free my cousin, chaotic for my mother's pain
I hope [his cousin] Hykeem made you proud 'cause you ain't die in vain
So I set free the power of [his wife] Whitney, may she heal us all
So I set free our children, may good karma keep them with God
So I set free the hearts filled with hatred, keep our bodies sacred
As I set free all you abusers, this is transformation
Kendrick not only touches on sexual abuse on "Mother I Sober", he touches on trauma that lingers in Black conciousness - the haunting aftermath of slavery. Listening to this track is a truly harrowing moment, and it reminds you of how accomplished Kendrick is, and how powerful the words that he pens are. This track is one of the emotional peaks of the stunningly self-reflective 4th album from Lamar, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, an album that speaks volumes about his own self growth, and a must-listen for any hip-hop fan.
Like That (feat. Kendrick Lamar) by Metro Boomin & Future
Key lyric: "D-O-T, the money, power, respect / The last one is better"
Whilst this isn't a solo release from Kendrick, I thought that it would be important to touch on this featured verse from Lamar as a way of discussing his disruptive power in the industry.
On March 22nd 2024, Atlanta rapper Future teamed up with Metro Boomin, one of the biggest hip-hop producers of the decade, to release a collaborative album titled We Don't Trust You. The duo employed a tactic employed more recently in the industry called "hidden features", a phenomenon where artists (typically rappers) don't initially show on tracklistings the artists that are featured on each track. This makes for a more exciting first listen, as listerners have no idea what's coming next.
I remember waking up on that Friday and opening Twitter to see my entire feed screaming about "Like That". I see "KENDRICK DISSED DRAKE???", "KENDRICK LAMAR FEATURED ON LIKE THAT BY FUTURE AND METRO BOOMIN", a couple of scattered lyrics... then closed the app and begun listening in excitement.
I get to "Like That", hear Future's first verse and chorus, then suddenly, Kendrick arrives. He sounds hungry, saying he "choose[s] violence", and then, out of nowhere, states: "F*** sneak dissin', first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches" - a callback to Drake and J. Cole's track from months earlier, when J. Cole wonders "Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K.Dot, is it Aubrey, or me? / We the big three like we started a league". Kendrick took this as an insult, and positions himself above them both on this track, announcing "Motherf*** the big three [...] it's just big me".
What came next was one of the most eventful few months of hip-hop I think I'll ever see in my lifetime. All three of the artists involved released tracks stemming from the verse (with J. Cole bowing out quickly), but the heat between Drake and Kendrick raged on, eventually ending in seemingly a victory for Kendrick. But "Like That" as a track serves as a reminder - when Kendrick speaks, everyone listens. And his words have an immense amount of power.
I, like many others, are grateful for Kendrick Lamar's artistry. He's cemented himself as one of the greats, showcasing so many different sides to himself across the years - the emotional, the aggresive, the inspiring, and so many more.
He's an accomplished rapper whose legacy will remain for years - he's made his mark on the music landscape. I'm always excited for whatever comes next from Lamar, and I know it'll make the culture stop still to listen.
Thank you for reading the first article in Livewire's Black History Month reflections! Keep an eye out across the rest of the month for more insight into the careers and accomplishments of Black icons, written by Livewire's members.
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