The Heart Lamar Analysis

Back then lamar was a nobody until his first released song that began his rapping career. Lamar's family was directly touched by the violence of the streets, and yet he remained thoughtful and soft-spoken, ever the keen observer, even as a child. Lamar's father had been associated with the notorious Gangster Disciples gang. As the 1980s crack trade and West Coast gang presence increased, Lamar grew up around precarious street activity, but he seemed more influenced than harmed by it. Kendrick lamar grew up In a crime area of compton kendrick lamar was never affected by what was going on the streets and was thoughtful with his

“Rap is poetry” (xii). To any avid fan of the genre, it is a statement that seems obvious. The words could easily be the musings of a listener first introduced to the art form, not the focal point of an entire work of contemporary criticism. Yet in Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop, Adam Bradley’s primary focus is this very point, the recognition of traditional poetic elements within rap music. With the global cultural and economic phenomenon that hip hop has become, it is easy to forget that the style of music is barely thirty years old, that scholarly criticism of it has existed for only half of that time. When viewed within this relatively new arena of scholarship, the importance of Bradley’s text is

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, today we have the great privilege of being able to listen to a man that I like to refer to as the new rap royalty. Picture driving in your car and let’s say you’re stuck in traffic and you’re looking for something to listen to on the radio to buy the time, you can turn on just about half of music stations nowadays and you’ll find one rapper that happens to be everywhere you turn, Drake. Drake has become one of the fastest growing and interesting empires that we have seen from the hip-hop scene in a long time.

Ludacris talks about the struggle in many verses in the song and uses the alliteration “hand-me down” to describe many things he had hand-me down. First was flip-flops and socks and he then rhymed that with drug dealers and rocks. Flip flops and socks are usual hand me downs but drug dealers and rocks create a gritty impactful message that allows the listener to recognize the struggle. Ludacris also makes a reference to a triple beam scale normally used to weigh out drugs with his lyrics “overall triple, overall beams”. Aside from explanations of the struggle, Ludacris raps lyrics that show he now has overcome the struggle and has a good time, primarily with girls. The song starts out with him talking about his cadillac and how clean it is, “Candy paint, Cadillac kills,” and also ends the song talking about an expensive range rover, “All black tinted up thugged out range,” showing he is very successful to have these cars. Another attribute to his success is Ludacris’s talk about his grill, “mouth full of platinum, mouth full of gold,” showing he can afford a grill of platinum or gold, no longer living the struggle. With success comes women as Ludacris doesn't fail to mention in his lyrics, “pretty ass clothes, pretty ass toes/ oh, how I love these pretty ass hoes,” and other suggestive lyrics throughout the

Kendrick Lamar’s third studio album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” sheds light on the struggle of achieving rich and fame and the trials that come with. Rolling Stone and Billboard praised the album awarding it the best album of 2015. The album depicts the difficulties of fame by putting the trials and tribulations on display; the inability for those to adjust to their new lifestyle and the potential temptations that creep in. “To Pimp a Butterfly” has been both a divisive and uniting factor in its emergence in popular culture.

The decade of hip-hop is what some may call it. Tupac, Naz, Biggie Smalls, as well as other artists, were major contributions. Not only for the people who are trying to find their footing, but Buck as well. Throughout the book various lyrics were embedded in order to create a better understanding for its readers. In addition, this book is based upon a 90s lifestyle within Philadelphia, which included drugs, gang activity, crime, hip-hop, and havoc. Malo was directly in the center of everything, the girls, the fights, the guns. His experiences shed light towards what it’s like to as an African American individual living in or near the hood. Not everyone realizes what people go through while living there, but now it gives some readers an image of what goes on. Though times have changed, not all previous feelings

The controversial context that is often used in Hip-Hop sets the standard of what it means to be ‘masculine’ as an artist of the culture. Artist who does not display contentious lyrical content in their music may not receive as much notoriety in the industry. In today’s Hip-Hop culture, more ‘conscious’, ‘apathetically masculine’ artist like, J. Cole have become more in popular. Cole’s lyrics are a reflection of his adversities that he has endured during his lifetime. Cole’s inspirations behind his music does not stem from a place of violence or from his ability to accumulate wealth, but from his ability to overcome his hardships as a black man and fulfill his purpose in life.

Think of a poet. Who came to mind? Was it Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Ralph Waldo Emerson? What about Eminem or Jay-Z? They are both poets too, but in a different way. They go by the title “rapper”, basically a synonym for poet, and Hip-Hop is their form of poetry is. Kevin Coval amusingly says that rap “dusted poetry off, took it out the closet, put Js on its feet, and told it to speak to the people, all the people,” and that hip-hop saved poetry from becoming “classical music,” meaning that rap prevented poetry from becoming an old, out-dated art form and renovated it for the next generation (20). Coval’s book, The BreakBeat Poets, says the creation of hip-hop music was by “latchkey kids in the crack era, left to their own devices to experiment wildly and make language and art new and meaningful,” and goes on to say its purpose is to, “move the crowd, relate to the crowd, and save the crowd,” and Kendrick Lamar does these things perfectly (18). Through the use of clever wordplay and rhyming skills mixed with great story telling, Kendrick is bringing rap music back to its “roots” while introducing a “style” of his own, which is why one can argue that Kendrick Lamar is the “savior” of the rap game and its listeners.

Music can rock your world, enlighten your mind and change your perspective. When you think of rap music who comes first to mind? Without hesitation, it must be the self acclaimed best rapper alive, Lil Wayne. He alone can make such statements as “My picture should be in the dictionary next to the definition of definition” (Wayne, “Shoot Me Down”). Lil Wayne is a prominent force in the rap world. His debut Album in 1999, Tha Block is Hot went double platinum upon its release and even his lowest selling album is still certified as gold according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rollingstone Magazine declares “Lil Wayne is one of the most popular — and prolific — recording artists in the world” (Kreps). Top this with

Kendrick begins to show more depth to his seventeen year old persona, as he ponders the choice between seeking salvation or succumbing to the vices of the street. It is clear to him that getting money through illegal means easy way out, but he is unsure of what other opportunities he actually has. K.Dot shows a great sense of self-awareness in this song, when he recognizes that he desires money, because it is the lifestyle portrayed in the rap music that he listens to. While driving, Kendrick thinks to himself about the possibility of living this

Kendrick Lamar’s music is globally acknowledged and his reputation continues to rise. His numerous Grammy Awards and nominations are confirmations of his success in the music industry. As the Rolling Stone reported this year, “Lamar went on to win four Grammys: Best Rap Performance for “Humble,” Best Rap/Sung Performance for “Loyalty” with Rihanna, Best Music Video for “Humble” and Best Rap Album for Damn (Blistein, 2018). How is he able to maintain his spot and why is he better and more influential compared to other rappers’? The importance of his politically charged lyrics is one of the reasons, because with the emphasizing of politics and political issues he is able to connect his music with the people while being a voice and representative

Additionally, critics took note of Lamar's verse on the song "Control," by rapper Big Sean. Even though the track was written by another artist, Lamar's verse drew attention because of his challenge to several other popular names in the hip-hop world, including Drake, J. Cole and Big Sean himself. One interesting fact about Kendrick is he became an American rapper and songwriter. The good thing is that Kendrick faced the violence like a real mature kid. Not like those kinds of those kids who are under pressure quickly. So that’s mostly about Kendrick Lamar’s

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.

At this moment, Kendrick’s monologue addresses the battle encountered by African Americans today and the frustration that comes with wanting and deserving more than they have. The backing vocals in this section of the song imply that American society wants African Americans to submit to it and praise it, even though many of them have suffered from it. This introduction signifies how dazed society is to the black people and how there is a constant battle between

On February 15, 2016, Kendrick Lamar took the stage at the 2016 Grammy Awards show. Shackled in chains, he moved lethargically across the stage in a prison uniform. Words began to stream out of his mouth and I imagined the elephant that filled the room as an unapologetically black male made a statement to the world about African American oppression in the United States. Kendrick Lamar’s showcase included an intricate set that addressed social issues such as mass incarceration with song, “The Blacker the Berry”, while keeping hope towards better days with song “Alright”. The elaborate performance on February 15, 2016 would be a performance that will go down in history. An artist used his platform to discuss important issues in the United States to a diverse audience. With so much passion invested into the song, it was almost impossible to pick any other song besides “The Blacker the Berry”, as it discusses a wide range of issues within the United States, especially related to the black body.