How does the use of the n-word make him more familiar to his listeners?

The n-word having a positive connotation instead of negative

A bunch of a nalysis on the fitst paragraph is needed

If needed you can do a third paragraph, think about music

Stick to one album

LOI: How does Kendrick Lamar use the medium of music – more specifically, the narrative of his album

“good kid, M.A.A.D City”, to spread his message of resilience in a socio-economically challenged

environment to a wide audience?

Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”, released on the 22nd of October, 2012, is one of the

most famous and moving hip-hop albums of all time. Selling 242,000 copies in its first week, earning the

title of the highest first-week sales for a male hip-hop artist in 2012, the album was an instant hit,

garnering worldwide attention for the message of the album, and the way that Lamar chose to represent

his story in music. The main reasons he was able to preach his message to so many people were the

language that he chose to use, and the way that he showed his progression from a kid in the slums of

Compton to one of the most respected multi-million-dollar rap figures in the world. Themes of

adolescence, family, community, and the impact of one’s environment and peers one his lifestyle are

present and relevant to his message, as he uses all of these to propagate his message of hope and

perseverance to all his listeners. Through an extensive use of language and deliberate changes of mood

throughout his album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Lamar manages to bridge the gap between him and his

listeners, and spread a message of hope and perseverance in the face of racial adversity in the modern

world.
 One of the most prominent uses of language to each a wider audience in Lamar’s work comes

from the term “nigga” used repeatedly in tracks such as “Alright”: “We been hurt, been down before /

Nigga, when our pride was low / lookin’ at the world like, "Where do we go?" This is an endearing word

that African-Americans routinely use to refer to each other – and Lamar singlehandedly bridges the gap

between him and his listeners with it. Through the usage of this term, Lamar manages to communicate

that he is just like one of his listeners – and any African-American person that listens to his music can

immediately relate on a higher level when hearing this. As “nigga” is a term that friends use to refer to

each other, and young teens and adults use when informally talking to each other, Lamar informalizes his

message, and is able to bring it out to people of all ages and socioeconomic standings. Anyone – from a

young teen to an older adult can relate to this song on a personal level. The term is also repeated – as it is

part of the chorus, which is almost like a chant – “Nigga, we gon’ be alright / Do you hear me? Do you

feel me? / We gon’ be alright”. In this way, Lamar makes the song catchy and memorable – something

that was clearly demonstrated during the Movement for Black Lives National Convening in Cleveland –

where after a violent confrontation between civilians and police officers, the group unanimously started

chanting the chorus of “Alright”. Rick Wilson, a rapper from Chicago and an attendee at this convention,

explained that it was a powerful moment – and he realized the impact that music could have on people’s

lives: “Damn, we just took these rap lyrics and turned it into a protest chant. We’re all one big family. I

think Kendrick, when that song plays, he’s talking about all of us.” Unpack this quote! This is more of a

concluding sentence -> In this way, Lamar used aspects of language such as repetition and

familiarity to reach a wider audience with his message.

Another stylistic feature that Kendrick uses is the uplifting tone that he utilises throughout the

album to inspire and motivate his listeners to push through any struggles that they might be facing, such

as grief from friends or family suffering at the hands of police brutality, or a tough economic time in their
life, or anything other obstacle they are trying to overcome – HUGE SENTENCE! BREAK IT UP. .

Throughout the album, using pieces such as “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Alright”, Lamar

communicates his message of hope, perseverance, and a thirst for a better life and more respect from

people around him to a wide audience of all ages and backgrounds. He highlights and builds on this

energy using repetitive phrases, jazz instrumentals, and more upbeat tempos. For example, in the song

“Alright”, arguably his most uplifting and anthemic piece from the album, he uses all three of these

features. With Kamasi Washington on the alto saxophone, one of the most recognisable jazz instruments,

he relates his hip-hop background to one of the most deeply rooted types of art in Black history – jazz.

Washington is a highly respected alto saxophonist, and he makes the saxophone clearly audible, with a

pivotal role in the backbeat of the song. Additionally, even thought Lamar is the main character in all of

these songs, he gives Washington multiple solos – for example during the verse “Wouldn’t you know / We

been hurt, been down before”. Secondly, Lamar uses the aforementioned repetition in the chorus –

repeatedly using the line “We gon’ be alright” to create an anthemic feel to his music – something that

anyone can sing at any time to help with anything they might be struggling in life at that point. This is

also used repeatedly during the chorus of “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” – “I would share it, but today I'm

yelling / Bitch, don't kill my vibe / Bitch, don't kill my vibe / Bitch, don't kill my vibe / Bitch, don't kill

my vibe”. Clearly, there is an anthemic quality that arises from this use of repetition in the lyrics, as it

makes the song that much more memorable to everyone that listens to it. Thirdly, Lamar uses upbeat

tempos in both “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Alright”, them being 134 and 110 bpm respectively.

This helps to evoke positive emotions like liveliness in his listeners, arousing them and creating physical

stimulation for a more dance-able experience.

Using these techniques, Lamar manage to be incredibly effective in spreading his message of

perseverance and hope through to his diverse audience. Through these stylistic choices, he effectively lifts

the spirits of his listeners with an optimistic outlook on life. This all matters, because in the aftermath of
recent events such as the murder of George Floyd, tensions between races – more specifically, the

tensions between police and the black community have skyrocketed. On 2 June of 2020, Spotify streams

of Alright peaked to 787%. Clearly, the fight for racial equality rages on – but Lamar, through his

touching and uplifting music, is on the front lines, spreading nothing but positivity through the minds of

everyone envisioning a more just America.

Mckinney, Jessica. “The History of Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” as a Protest Song.” Complex, 17 June

2020, www.complex.com/music/a/j-mckinney/kendrick-lamar-alright-protest-song.