Month: June 2016

One of the rappers we have studied in class is Kendrick Lamar and his song ‘The blacker the berry’, Kendrick Lamar was born and raised in Compton he started rapping with his stage name being  K-dot. Then one of his songs caught the eye of a label company called Top Dawg Entertainment who signed him. He first got recognition because kf his first retail release  ‘Overly Dedicated’, the following year Lamar released his first album called Section.80 which included his debut single ‘HiiipoWeR’ but by that time he had already collaborated with rappers like: The Game, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne. Lamar secured a major-label record deal with Aftermath and Interscope Records, in 2012. His major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was released in October 2012 to critical success. The record contained the Top 40 singles Swimming Pools, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, and Poetic Justice. It debuted at number two on the U.S.

Repetition can be used for effect.

The repetition in the song is: “The blacker the berry, The sweeter the juice. Kendrick Lamar is trying to say “The blacker you are, the better you are”

perhaps he is trying to say black people stand out.

Kendrick Lamar is trying to say instead of hiding your blackness, embrace it.

The repetition helps to emphasise the key point “being black is positive”

The song criticises the reel indirectly  by saying that “You hate me don’t you?” I think this means that because he is black that the white Americans don’t like him or his community. But he makes good points by saying “I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself.”

“Running high from police, throw nine in the sewer”

“Fuck 911 police don’t come”

“Dad did time cause he sold drugs for me”

“Had Jabar on the streets till the sun came up”

I think that the quote “fuck 911, police don’t come” is very social conscious because Vince is saying that the police are racist

How do the Emcees we have studied criticise the Reel?

“2 columns for Who is and who ain’t a N***as”

“It’s dangerous to dream”

“This is business,no faces,just lines and statistics”

“Young blood can’t spell but they can rock you at PlayStation”

“Powerlift the powerless up out of this towering furnace”

Eight year olds found 8mils”

“Like I got 16 to 32 bars to rock it/but only 15% of profits ever see my pockets”

“Even if you get out of prison still living/join the 5 other million still under state supervision”

“This is business, no faces, just lines and statistics”