Sounds & The System
About this project:
The power of music is something that we often recognize but we don't always analyze. When it comes to social change, music has tremendous influence when it comes to political messaging and calls for action. We wanted to approach anti-racism education through the lens of music and the power that it has to connect people. We have analyzed and digested the messages behind some of the notable songs by prominent and local artists. Starting with Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, we will be diving into the realm of politics and music and sharing resources as we go.
To Pimp A Butterfly
An exploration of Pulitzer Prize winner, Kendrick Lamar, and his influential album.
Tracks Analyzed
01/
Wesley's Theory
Listen to this track:
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02/
King Kunta
Listen to this track:
03/
Institutionalized
Listen to this track:
04/
Alright
Listen to this track:
05/
The Blacker the Berry
Listen to this track:
06/
i
LIsten to this track:
07/
Mortal Man
LIsten to this track:
Although the entire album is not analyzed in full, we want to share a resource that helped guide our examination of the songs. The Dissect podcast (available on iTunes/Apple Music and Spotify) dives into each song in To Pimp A Butterfly with great detail given to artistic development, artist's message, and societal perspective. We will link each podcast episode along with our analysis.
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As the main goal of this project is to approach anti-racism education through a new lens, there will be a few readings tied to each track that relate thematically to the message in the song. Take the time to read through these pieces.
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"Build your own pyramids, write your own hieroglyphs"
- Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for his album DAMN that was released the year before. It was a monumental moment for hip-hop and its contributions to the music industry over the years. It gave the genre long overdue recognition for it's impacts on cultural development.
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01. Wesley's Theory
The notable names and figures in this track are George Clinton, Wesley Snipes, and Uncle Sam.
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George Clinton is well-known for his music and specifically his Parliament-Funkadelic collective. This collective pioneered and created a unique and influential form of funk music.
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Wesley Snipes is an actor who became more notable for his tax evasion than his successful career as a Black actor.
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Uncle Sam is often used as a character representation of the United States or more specifically the US federal government.
Diving iN
George Clinton provides the introduction of the song and gives us context for the phrase "to pimp a butterfly." This is open to interpretation, but many analyses dive into Kendrick's wariness of the music industry and the exploitation of Black talent in America.
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Wesley's theory offers profound commentary on what it means to be Black in America and how wealth and notoriety don't serve the Black community in the same way that it serves white celebrities. Wesley Snipes is used as an example that, even with fame and fortune, Black Americans are not given the same luxury to be human and that American culture preys on Black trauma and hardship. Uncle Sam is used as a figure to represent the US government coming after Black Americans and acting as a gatekeeper for the American Dream.
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Wesley's Theory sets the tone for the rest of the album and demands that we open ourselves to asking questions about what it's like to be Black in America.
Resources
After listening to Wesley's Theory and the Dissect podcast on the song we wanted to share two resources: one on the power of hip-hop and politics and another on the racial wealth gap.
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The racial wealth gap is important to understand when looking at artists like Kendrick Lamar because the divide in generational wealth between white families and Black families makes fortune and financial prosperity a difficult feat for Black creatives and businesses. Throughout his career, Kendrick has used his voice to bring attention to systemic racism and his personal experience in life and it is important to read and recognize the power of hip-hop in the realm of politics and activism.
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Both sources are embedded in the page above, but we will link them here as well for easy access.
02. King Kunta
A story of Kunta Kinte.
King Kunta is a reference to Kunta Kinte.
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Kunta Kinte is a character in Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alex Haley - Roots (novel based on some historical fact). He was an enslaved man from Gambia. His story is one of resilience and courage. The story holds that after Kunta Kinte attempted to escape for the fourth time, the enslavers gave him two options. He could choose either castration or lose his foot. He chose to lose his foot.
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Kunta Kinte was determined to stay true to his roots by challenging his circumstances when he could and refusing to take the name this his enslavers forced on him. Even after losing his foot, he stuck to his identity and origin and empowered his community and fellow enslaved people.
Diving iN
Kendrick Lamar frames Kunta Kinte as King Kunta for another song off of the album To Pimp A Butterfly that comments on American culture.
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One of the most notable lines in the song is:
"King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him
Kunta, Black man taking no losses"
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King Kunta is a song about the empowerment of Black people in America and specifically counters the brutalization and dehumanization of Black men in American culture. Kendrick celebrates his success as a rapper and recognizes his influence on American rap and how it can be used as a vehicle for political commentary. His tribute to Kunta Kinte is an affirmation that Black people will continue to prevail against the systems set against them and challenge the narratives forced on them.
Resources
