In the controversial song, “I’m Not Racist” song writer Joyner Lucas reveals the sensitive subject of racial inequality and the different perceptions between the average white and black male in modern society today. Both races describe the way they perceive one another’s culture from their eyes. The video begins with a white male wearing the infamous MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat, explaining his own views on black culture. Racist trope after racist trope, it goes into detail about how African Americans are lazy, apathetic, and aimless. Shortly after the white male has finished his claims, an African American gets the chance to speak his truth regarding the allegations. He touches on the inaccurate claims and generalizations. Lucas uses several elements of style to impact the listeners including anaphora, personification, metaphors, and irony. “I’m Not Racist” portrays the harsh truth behind the closed minded individuals and appeals to the audience by having them feel angry, upset, and confused with America’s viewpoints.
Despite societies idealist views that racism is a thing of the past, it is an issue that keeps mankind divided and causes hatred among us. Some stereotypes cause the entire black culture to be viewed in a very negative light. Lucas makes his concerns known by describing the dress of African Americans:
You’ll do anything for attention and a little payment
I can’t take you nowhere without people pointin’ fingers
Pants hangin’ off your ass, you ain’t got no home trainin’?
Put your fuckin’ pants up, ni**a! Put that suit back on!
Take that du-rag off! Take that gold out your mouth!
Quit the pitiful stuff
And then maybe police would stop killin’ you fucks
Yo, what the fuck?! I’m not racist”.
Lucas persuades the audience that being black is a struggle because of the way “they” (African Americans) portray themselves. Meaning that if they’d just act like a part of society and not display a sense of mannerism when they’re out in public then they’ll be treated better. He then touches on the sensitive subject, police brutality. Lucas is using pathos here, he exemplifies the way the his audience should feel about the matter. The emotional subject allows the audience to examine his side of the story and lets them feel like it’s their own fault for the police brutality among the black community and insists that she should just act normal and “Quit the pitiful stuff” (Lucas). He raps this from a perspective of a white man and is very assertive and angry when he is explaining the way he perceives the black community when it comes to being black and police brutality.
Lucas steps into the African American shoes and explains how they feel whenever they see a cop and their thought process behind being a minority through their perspective. As the song goes on, it switches back and forth between a white and black man’s voice. Each time it gets more and more vulgar both perspectives continually collide and argue their truth. In this verse, Lucas intensely raps:
“I’m not racist, but I cry a lot
You don’t know what it’s like to be in a frying pot
You don’t know what it’s like to mind your business
And get stopped by the cops and not know if you ’bout to die or not”. He raps this verse to convey that blacks are always getting oppressed and challenged from cops and this happens evitably if you’re black. Lucas repeats, “You don’t know what it’s like to….” to get his point across to the audience. Using anaphora on this versa makes the claim stronger to reiterate that no one understands how to feels to walk and talk as a black person in society. Constantly feeling judged, the black perspective refutes what was stated earlier about “not acting black in public”. Throughout the song he continues to repeat the fact that he is not racist, but for people of color who are embattled in the cultural war of racial equality, hearing the repetitive statement, “I’m not racist” from white people can be exhausting. It is not exhausting because some who associate themselves with this claim is not often the truth. While Lucas is trying to passionately yet logically state his feelings, the African American community is angry about his comments. The statement can be self-absolution that is devoid of the experience and wisdom of their black counterparts and one that denies the reality of personal racism for a deceptive fantasy of unity. Lucas highlights the irony of this in the first verse (and also in the song’s title). “I’m not racist” is continually repeated as a pause or break in the arrangement of the verses. Ironically, in the first verse, it is said after and before the white man continues to rattle off a list of racist tropes. I appreciate the artistic use of irony here.
Lucas pleads that there must be a way for the two races to come together and reach a mutual understanding. Lucas’s repetitious phrase, “I’m not a racist” reaffirms his position as being a realist, not a racist:
I’m not racist But there’s two sides to every story and now you know mine
Can’t erase the scars with a bandage
I’m hopin’ maybe we can come to an understandin’
Agree to disagree, we could have an understandin’
I’m not racist. (Lucas)
Lucas states this last verse with the sense that maybe people who watch this video will feel more compassion towards one another. He uses anaphora with this repetitive line. The mere concept of resolution suggests a willingness to change. Of course, there are certain things you can not change. A white person will never be able to experience what it is like to be black, nor can a black person experience what it is like to be white. And while these inherent differences have caused a fair share of tension throughout history, they have also brought immeasurable benefits to North American society and culture, and deserve to be celebrated.