鈥楬eal everybody鈥�: Rapper Kendrick Lamar as caretaker of culture
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Ken Makin Contributor
Oftentimes, the best way to look at a cultural icon is through the prism of their contemporaries. Kendrick Lamar, arguably the best rapper in the industry and unarguably a Pulitzer Prize winner, took this a step further in one of his recent presentations.
Prior to the debut last month of his latest album, 鈥淢r. Morale & the Big Steppers,鈥� Mr. Lamar released the fifth installment of his series 鈥淭he Heart鈥� in a way befitting his legend. He uses deepfakes to morph into听the likes of O.J. Simpson, Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, and Kanye West 鈥� plus the late Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle. Laced over a sample of Marvin Gaye鈥檚 鈥淚 Want You,鈥� he provides a critical analysis of what 鈥渃ulture鈥� means to Black people in America.听
He then ties听that notion into a touching and tragic tribute for Mr. Hussle,听a fellow rapper, who was killed in 2019 by a man whose trial is underway now in Los Angeles.听The video is Mr. Lamar听at his cinematic and empathetic best, and it confirms why he is so beloved among fans. He has a way of humanizing tragedy, which is a lost art, even in the age of mass media, relentless access, and the seemingly endless cycle of death and destruction.
Why We Wrote This
As Pulitzer-Prize winning rapper Kendrick Lamar takes his talents in a new direction, what does his body of work suggest about his influence on culture 鈥� and his own perseverance?
The artist uses celebrities 鈥� no, celebrity 鈥� as an allegory for his own complex and controversial career. The same can be done to听outline his upbringing and rise to superstar status. Mr. Lamar is a native of Compton, California, which is also where Venus and Serena Williams grew up. We have learned about the sisters as wunderkinds, who have since dominated tennis both as athletes and entrepreneurs. Where the Williams sisters were fathered into the game by their biological patriarch, Mr. Lamar had two chief figures who led him into celebrity 鈥� incomparable producer Dr. Dre, who only a few months ago headlined a nostalgic Super Bowl halftime show, and Anthony 鈥淭op Dog鈥� Tiffith, who听discovered the musician as a 16-year-old up-and-coming rapper.
His future plans also mirror those of Shawn 鈥淛ay-Z鈥� Carter, who has gone from 鈥渂est rapper鈥� status to so much more than rap. We don鈥檛 just recognize him as a rap impresario: Through his partnerships with the NFL and others, we note his status as mogul and business adviser. Mr. Lamar has confirmed that his latest album will be his last on the label Top Dawg Entertainment, as he wants to become more of an entrepreneur.
It was almost 20 years ago when Jay-Z said that 鈥淭he Black Album鈥� would be his last, a marketing ploy, for certain, and yet, it announced that he would be more than an entertainer. Whether 鈥淢r. Morale鈥� will be Mr.听Lamar鈥檚 last is less important than his growth as a person.
Even in the midst of massive celebrity, Mr. Lamar feels like he鈥檚 one of us. Five years after his last album release, he听doesn鈥檛 sound pass茅 or preachy in his songs or the video. He听is as relevant and raw as ever, which constitutes so much of his legacy.
His lyrics, while profane, are piercing. Even when he approaches topics from flawed ideology, his sins are forgiven because of a willingness to convey the realities of life 鈥� his own and that of a society鈥檚. As described on 鈥淢other I Sober鈥� off the new album:
I鈥檓 sensitive, I feel everything, I feel everybody听
One man standin鈥� on two words, heal everybody.
He is not perfect, but he is a pastor of sorts. As displayed on 鈥淭he Heart Part 5,鈥� he is full of fire and brimstone, then suddenly compassionate. He is a modern-day Tupac Shakur, conflicted, conscious, unrelenting. California love, indeed.
Where Mr. Shakur鈥檚 life was tragically cut short at age 25, Mr. Lamar just his 35th birthday with family and friends.听While he is still relatively young, it feels as if he has lived a few lifetimes.
Adversity will do that to you. As described by the musician in various lyrics, he has dealt with everything from depression to sex addiction to proximity to听various abuses. Where that journey may have doomed a lesser man, it seemingly made Mr. Lamar stronger. The way that he wears his heart on his sleeve, not just fashionably, but functionally, is a refreshing example in a world that would rather say, as Charles Barkley once did, 鈥淚 am not a role model.鈥�
Humanity, hope, and healing. These are the cornerstones of Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 legacy, and if the last words of his latest album are any indication, he is ready to prioritize self-reflection over community critique:
Sorry I didn鈥檛 save the world, my friend听
I was too busy buildin鈥� mine again.听
Ken Makin is the host of the 鈥淢akin鈥� A Difference鈥� podcast.
Editor鈥檚 note:听This article has been updated to correct听information about听Serena and Venus鈥� time in听Compton, California. They grew up there.
