Racial oppression is not a thing of the past in America. It has only been a short number of years since blacks in America were greatly oppressed. Many decades of discrimination lead one to internalize racism and oppression. African Americans have suffered the most by the hands of blatant and covert racists. In the song, “The Blacker the Berry “, Kendrick Lamar fiercely shows off black pride with passionate lyricism. These lyrics backed with the “in your face”, heavy banging of the drums allows Kendrick to create the perfect anthem for African Americans in this country.
This is a country where its citizens don’t know how to talk about race. It’s a topic that often makes many of us uncomfortable to address. Kendrick’s purpose of this song is to do the exact opposite. He says,
“Pardon my residence came from the bottom of mankind
my hair is nappy my dick is big my nose is round
you hate me don’t you?”
Right from the get go Kendrick recites a list of stereotypes and reasons why African Americans are upset. He comes from Compton, California, which is seen as a lower part of society. The natural texture of black African hair is nappy, and there is a stereotype that African American’s genitals are bigger than those of other races. Another characteristic that is stereotyped is the round and wide nose. Kendrick proceeds to ask if that’s all it takes for you to hate him. There is no better way to provoke minds and make America feel uncomfortable, than by being blunt from the very start.
It gets even better in the hook of the song, when the artist points out that the history of African Americans is still being used on them today as an excuse for others to be racist and hateful. The hook of the song begins and ends with,
I said they treat me like a slave, cah’ me black
Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah’ we black
And man a say they put me in a chain, cah’ we black
Imagine now, big gold chain full of rocks
How you no see the whip, left scars pon’ me back
But now we have a big whip, parked pon’ the block
All them say we doomed from the start, cah’ we black
Remember this, every race start from the block, just remember that.
In the hook rapped by Assasin, he speaks of the history of African Americans. Today they are not the slaves who were once put in chains, and that is hard for many to accept. There are many rich African Americans who now wear gold chains instead of the ones their ancestors were once bound by. They drive high end cars and, “big whips”, referring to whips that African Americans in the past were beat with. Kendrick ends the hook by saying African Americans aren’t even given a chance because they are black. He reminds society that every race starts from the block, we all come from the same place, and deserve a fair chance. This is where runners begin their race.
As the tempo races you through the song Kendrick owns who he is. He continuously reminds us that there is more to a person than the color of their skin. He raps,
I’m African-American, I’m African
I’m black as the moon, heritage of a small village.
Kendrick states here who he is and how society views him.. He is seen as more African than American because of the color of his skin. Even though he is African in America, he is just as American as anyone else born in the United States. It’s interesting that he says he’s as black as the moon. We tend to forget the moon has a “dark side” because we only see the light side of the moon, the other side is hidden from us. This can also be taken another way, the black side of America is also being hidden. The media and corporate America are among many things that hide black culture. Kendrick goes into depth about exactly what he means in these powerful lines,
I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself
Jealous of my wisdom and cards I dealt
Watchin’ me as I pull up, fill up my tank, then peel out
Muscle cars like pull ups, show you what these big wheels ’bout, ah
Black and successful, this black man meant to be special
CAT scans on my radar bitch, how can I help you?
How can I tell you I’m making a killin’?
You made me a killer, emancipation of a real ni**a
These lyrics are directed to the racists Kendrick Lamar is talking about. He is describing how they are insecure, hate themselves, and how they take it out on others. It is very difficult for racists to see an African American like Kendrick who came from the streets of Compton become so successful. It hurts them to see him or anyone who has a different color of skin driving a luxurious car and pumping their gas with their own money. CAT scans are sometimes used to identify tumors, cysts, etc. Here Kendrick is saying he will gladly speak his mind if you dare ask. Kendricks current net worth in 2017 is 35 million. As he said in the verse he’s making a “killin” in the music industry.
Kendrick Lamar continues to kill music charts, there is no doubt that he is a lyrical genius and has mad talent. But to many around the world and to the black community he is more than just a rapper. He is a symbol of truth, pride, hope, and change. His material is revolutionary. Many of his songs, including this extremely powerful one, were used for the Black Lives Matter movement. He points out Americans deeply rooted racial problems in a way that no rapper has ever done before. Hes got the world’s attention, and has since launched conversation and awareness on racial inequality that isn’t improving, but is worsening. They say the darker the berry the sweeter the juice, but Kendricks bitter and blunt words to the racists worldwide were far from sweet.