Difference between revisions of "Alright by Kendrick Lamar (2015)"

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[[File:F1efb3f4-9a6d-4f78-8ca8-594ab646d198-bestSizeAvailable.jpg|thumb|260px|''To Pimp a Butterfly'' Cover Album by Kendrick Lamar]]
 
[[File:F1efb3f4-9a6d-4f78-8ca8-594ab646d198-bestSizeAvailable.jpg|thumb|260px|''To Pimp a Butterfly'' Cover Album by Kendrick Lamar]]
'''"Alright"''' is a song by American rapper [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrick_Lamar Kendrick Lamar], taken from his third studio album “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015). The song's lyrics are lively about hope amidst personal struggles, featuring uncredited vocals from co-producer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharrell_Williams Pharrell Williams] during the chorus.  
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'''"Alright"''' is a song by American rapper [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrick_Lamar Kendrick Lamar], taken from his third studio album “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015). The song's lyrics are about trust in the midst of personal battles, including uncredited vocals from, co-producer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharrell_Williams Pharrell Williams] during the chorus.  
  
Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" received four nominations at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/58th_Annual_Grammy_Awards the 58th Grammy Awards] and winning the latter two. The song has become the national unifying soundtrack to protests by Black Lives Matter.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/arts/music/kendrick-lamar-on-a-year-of-knowing-what-matters.html?_r=0</ref>   
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Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" received four nominations at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/58th_Annual_Grammy_Awards the 58th Grammy Awards] and winning the latter two. The song has become the national soundtrack of Black Lives Matter protests.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/arts/music/kendrick-lamar-on-a-year-of-knowing-what-matters.html?_r=0</ref>   
  
 
==Black Empowerment==
 
==Black Empowerment==
This message of the lyrics is closely related to Black Lives Matter and the struggle against police brutality over black and brown bodies. In solidarity, activists across the United States chanted, "we gon' be alright."
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This message of the verses is firmly identified with Black Lives Matter and the battle against police brutality over black and brown skinned people. In fortitude, activists across the United States recited, "we gon' be alright."
 
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<blockquote>
 
''Nigga, we gon' be alright''<br>
 
''Nigga, we gon' be alright''<br>
 
''Nigga, we gon' be alright'' <br>
 
''Nigga, we gon' be alright'' <br>
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''Huh? We gon' be alright'' <br>
 
''Huh? We gon' be alright'' <br>
 
''Nigga, we gon' be alright'' <br>
 
''Nigga, we gon' be alright'' <br>
''Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright'' <ref>https://genius.com/5047528</ref>  
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''Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright''  
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(Kendrick Lamar.  Lyrics to “Alright.” ''Genius'', 2016, [https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics])<ref>https://genius.com/5047528</ref>
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</blockquote>
  
The chorus '''“We gon’ be alright”''' is simple but very intoxicating, easy to sing about, offering the sort of comfort that people of color and other oppressed communities desperately need. And more than that, the special kind of comfort that comes from repeating the sentence over and over.<ref>https://slate.com/culture/2015/08/black-lives-matter-protesters-chant-kendrick-lamars-alright-what-makes-it-the-perfect-protest-song-video.html</ref>
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The chorus '''“We gon’ be alright”''' is basic however exceptionally inebriating, it's catchy, offering such a solace that ethnic minorities and other abused or oppressed communities frantically need. Moreover, the unique sort of solace that comes from repeating the sentence again and again.<ref>https://slate.com/culture/2015/08/black-lives-matter-protesters-chant-kendrick-lamars-alright-what-makes-it-the-perfect-protest-song-video.html</ref>
  
 
==Controversy==
 
==Controversy==
Lamar got criticism from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldo_Rivera Geraldo Rivera] when he performed "Alright" for the first time at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BET_Awards_2015 the 15th BET Awards] on June 28, 2015. Rivera has stated that  "This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism in recent years. This is exactly the wrong message." <ref>https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6613133/geraldo-rivera-kendrick-lamar-bet-awards-fox-news</ref>
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Lamar got criticism from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldo_Rivera Geraldo Rivera] during her performance of the sing "Alright" at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BET_Awards_2015 the 15th BET Awards] on June 28, 2015. In Rivera's view, the song is damaging to African-Americans and that it represents the wrong message.<ref>https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6613133/geraldo-rivera-kendrick-lamar-bet-awards-fox-news</ref> As response to Rivera's commentary, Lamar said, ''“How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred?” he said. “The message, the overall message [of ’Alright’], is, ’We gon’ be alright.’ It’s not a message of ‘I want to kill people.’”''<ref>https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-responds-to-geraldo-rivera_n_7737826</ref>
Following Rivera’s comments, Lamar responded about the song’s message. “How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred?” he said. “The message, the overall message [of ’Alright’], is, ’We gon’ be alright.’ It’s not a message of ‘I want to kill people.’” <ref>https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-responds-to-geraldo-rivera_n_7737826</ref>
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]
 
[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]
[[Category: Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]
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[[Category: Black-Targeted  Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Latest revision as of 07:46, 15 March 2021

To Pimp a Butterfly Cover Album by Kendrick Lamar

"Alright" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, taken from his third studio album “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015). The song's lyrics are about trust in the midst of personal battles, including uncredited vocals from, co-producer Pharrell Williams during the chorus.

Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" received four nominations at the 58th Grammy Awards and winning the latter two. The song has become the national soundtrack of Black Lives Matter protests.[1]

Black Empowerment

This message of the verses is firmly identified with Black Lives Matter and the battle against police brutality over black and brown skinned people. In fortitude, activists across the United States recited, "we gon' be alright."

Nigga, we gon' be alright
Nigga, we gon' be alright
We gon' be alright
Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright
Nigga, we gon' be alright
Huh? We gon' be alright
Nigga, we gon' be alright
Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright

(Kendrick Lamar.  Lyrics to “Alright.” Genius, 2016, genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics)[2]

The chorus “We gon’ be alright” is basic however exceptionally inebriating, it's catchy, offering such a solace that ethnic minorities and other abused or oppressed communities frantically need. Moreover, the unique sort of solace that comes from repeating the sentence again and again.[3]

Controversy

Lamar got criticism from Geraldo Rivera during her performance of the sing "Alright" at the 15th BET Awards on June 28, 2015. In Rivera's view, the song is damaging to African-Americans and that it represents the wrong message.[4] As response to Rivera's commentary, Lamar said, “How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred?” he said. “The message, the overall message [of ’Alright’], is, ’We gon’ be alright.’ It’s not a message of ‘I want to kill people.’”[5]

References