Social Issues In Kendrick Lamar's 'Alright'

Music has a dynamic ability of influencing emotions, from mood regulation to rumination and self-expression. The presence of political and social messages in popular music is frequently seen across cultures, in particular focusing on social issues and racism (Back, 2000, 127). This paper attempted to explore the political and social messages in popular music, more specifically it investigated the relationship between Soul music and civil rights movements in the United States.

Millions of people in the world listen to music for all different reasons. Most people all over the world listen to different genres of music in order to relax, but not too many people pay attention to the actual lyrics of a song. If you listen to the lyrics of a song you will realize that many songs have important messages or themes to them. An example of this is the lyrics of the song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur. If you listen to this song, you will realize that Tupac raps about not only the problems that African Americans face from society, but also the struggles that poor people in society have to endure and overcome. Many

From the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter movement, music continue to be the expression of all that is contained in the movement. It shows the struggles, the passions, the history of the movements. It gives hope, brightens the day, rallies, and unifies the people of movements.

More often than naught protest music is often associated with war and politics and a little less with the social norms of the current society and culture. The most iconic artist that did challenge and changed the social norms was Elvis, even though at the time he was not aware of doing so.

Social Justice is a huge topic in our society. Its touches on important subjects such as labor laws, environmental rights (racism), poverty, etc. These topics are things that many people have views on whether they agree or disagree. Many artist took note of this and made songs about this and voiced what they thought was right or how they saw the act.

We've seen many artists addressing the current issues that is going on all around America, showing their support and speaking up for the people in the United States. For example, we see Jay Z took it to the Mayor's office to try and fix some problems that was going around in his city. We've seen Macklemore and other known artist marched with protesters in Seattle standing up against the Darren Wilson who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson. We also seen Kendrick Lamar make some creative and artistic statements on live television, pushing some ideas of self - worth and

In “Alright” Kendrick Lamar is speaking to the public about police brutality, or is he sending a deeper message to the people of minority. Kendrick Lamar released the song titled “Alright” in 2015. Upon release the song instantly blew up. It 's catchy and even though people got tongue tied trying to recite the song everyone knew the hook of the song which stated “We gon be alright do you hear me do you feel me we gon be alright.” I wonder did anyone catch the poetic verses Kendrick was saying before the hook. By simply watching the video you instantly think oh police brutality but I recieved a deeper message. I believe Kendrick wanted the song to inform the public about the brutality that seemed to be continuous at the time; and offer a bit of hope to those who didn’t feel there was any. That’s why the song was so famous, Kendrick performed this song on numerous award shows and talk shows because the people needed to hear it. Though some believe the song is in protest against cops or sending a bad message others believe it is an anthem for african americans.

Do artists truly want to make a change? Or are they just doing what they need to do to survive? Tupac advocated for changes, N.W.A spoke up against police brutality, they talked about their struggles growing up, but was all their effort put into their music? Political rappers are monetizing on their own and each other’s hardships. They socialize capitalist ideas and values (Bonnette). They know this content sells, so why not keep doing it right? They aren’t looking out for the youth and each other. They are looking out for themselves, they’re doing what they need to do to make a living. People like songs they can relate to, and when a lot of people can relate to a song, it becomes a hit (Blanco). Political rap focuses on injustices in low-income

Just as it was a crucial time for America in terms of politics and social issues, it was just as big for the music industry. People expressed their social opinions and political beliefs in a way that was the most true to them. Music was, and still is, a worldwide phenomenon for it has been able to take the shape of justice and to mold the minds of it’s listeners. Artists at the time had extreme social and political influence and used their defined stances on cultural issues to influence their music as well as their

In my opinion, Kendrick Lamar, an award-winning rapper and songwriter, has one of the best abilities to describe his distressed and abused lifestyle in Compton, California. He is not your original cliché artist who does not speak about anything meaningful. Kendrick, also known as K. Dot, is one of the most well known and most respected rappers in this era. Not only does he speak about his gloomy past, but he also speaks about his fortunate future. His ability to give detailed representations of his struggles and his story telling allows me to, metaphorically, enter the mind of Kendrick Lamar.

Music allows an artist to give those whose voice may not be loud enough to be heard. Their music can cover any issue of poverty, discrimination, segregation, people of color, oppression, and etc. The lyrics are the key part to get any point across but also any footage that accompanies gives the viewer more of an insight into these issues. Many artist/bands like Bob Dylan, Fort Minor, Joyner Lucas, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Michael Jackson address many issues the class talked about and the point of view of those who are viewed as minorities. The music these artists and bands produce gives the listener an idea of what exactly is happening in the world and what has happened. Each song individually covers the importance that we, as humans, must change the way we think and act and listen to the problems others have and even if it does not affect us.

Music plays a role in everyone's daily lives in every area of public space, so it's only fitting that it also plays a role in their political lives as well. Politicians have been using popular music in their campaigns for years. The songs are usually meant to provoke a connection with the American people and entice people to vote for them. Using a particular song or even a type of music has a profound influence on the way people see the world, so by using music that resonates with the people, politicians may be able to use the music to their advantage promoting that they are the same as the American people and show they have a deeper connection to the voters.

I watched the video “Strange Fruit” which is about a song named “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday that was banned from the radio. This song was about lynching and wasn’t payed as much attention as it should have. How can a song promote social awareness and social change? A song can promote social awareness and change because the song can be heard by anyone, anywhere. Also, the good part of music is that as soon as a person becomes aware of a song they most likely go and share it with more people. Furthermore, the text mentions alternative social movements and how “They are usually issue oriented, focusing on a singular concern and seeking to change individuals behaviors in relation to that issue” (Conley, 707). This is what songs have the

Throughout history, music has been used to express the feelings of people or groups whom may have no other outlet to express themselves. The best example of this occurrence would be the lower class of America’s use of rap music. Rap music started out as a fun variation of disco with the purpose to make people dance and enjoy themselves, but it later transformed into one of the best outlets to express the struggles of poverty in the United States. The genre gained popularity when the song “Rapper 's Delight” hit the charts in the early eighties; rap evolved into a plethora of different styles from there, Gangster Rap formed with NWA in the late eighties, and rap really hit it’s zenith in the mid nineties. Modern rap began in the early starts of the twentieth century. Because of the storytelling that rappers do in the music, it gained notice in the inner city where the demographic could relate. Many young teen in the inner city environment built dream to be famous rappers just like their own favorite artists . Rap connects to me by its style, its purpose, and its political incorrectness.

Are you familiar with the term “protest music”? Songs that are associated with a movement that is about social change are considered to be protest music. Protest music was created to bring people and communities together about a certain topic. It is one of the most popular American traditions. The movements that occur throughout history is what encourages artists to make protest music; it sends a message out to the public. “Protest songs emanate mostly from self-directed social movements striving for personal freedom, equality, justice..”(Google Books,Stewart). A famous artist that practiced this form of music was Marvin Gaye.