In light of the nine year anniversary of “To Pimp A Butterfly” in March by the highly-esteemed rapper, Kendrick Lamar, NYC Daily Post has done a breakdown of his second single, “The Blacker The Berry.”
“The Blacker The Berry” is a controversial song due to its content of racial commentary of America that still holds to this day.
INTRO
“Everything black, I don’t want black (They want us to bow)/I want everything black, I ain’t need black (Down to our knees)/Some white, some Black, I ain’t mean black (And pray to the God)/I want everything black (We don’t believe)/Everything black, want all things black/I don’t need black, want everything black/Don’t need black, our eyes ain’t black/I own black, own everything black…”
Kendrick Lamar starts the track by calling out black pride in America. He uses “America” for personification and juxtaposes his call for action with the idea that “America” wants to oppress us. Lalah Hathaway sings what “America” wants us to do, bow down to our knees and pray to God.
Then, she sings, “We don’t believe.”
First, God is universally known to be a white man, but why is that?
To elaborate, this idea goes back to the days of slavery when white masters owned and enslaved black people. During this time, black people always looked up to white people as their superior, so they constructed the idea of God being a white man. That idea has stuck ever since, even though no one knows what God looks like.
This idea is significant because slavery is the one event that has happened in the black community that impacts our way of thinking and affects our lifestyles to the point we still think racism exists. An article from the Pew Research Center alludes to this idea.
Here’s proof:
- The idea of white supremacy
- The idea of the “white savior” in film
Where did the idea of white supremacy come from? If we look at the idea in a macro lens, the majority of people in America are white so this reality symbolizes the idea of majority rules. This means that since the majority is composed of white people then they will elect people in the decision-making process who they can relate to, which is other white people.
As a result, those in power will make decisions with their perspective which doesn’t necessarily align with the minority. This connects to the “white savior” theme that has involved volunteering work, missionaries and adoption, according to an article from Healthline. The white savior trope is explained in a video from YouTube where it is constantly portrayed that minorities need saving by white people in the framing of white writers that have gotten more praise compared to black stories in the framing of black writers.
Next, could this be why some black people no longer believe in God? God isn’t real, so why would he be a white man who enslaved us for years and years? Articles from NPR and the Pew Research Center support this idea of the validity of God.
Next, there has been a history of restrictions on what black people can do in America, such as voting, owning property, receiving a fair trial and more, according to articles from History, Business Insider and the Equal Justice Initiative.
For more equity among black and white people, more of us have to own institutions in America.
BRIDGE
“Six in the morn’/Fire in the street/Burn, baby, burn (You, you, you, you, you)/That’s all I wanna see (You, you, you, you, you)/And sometimes I get off watchin’ you die in vain/It’s such a shame, they may call me crazy/They may say I suffer from schizophrenia or somethin’/But homie, you made me (You, you, you, you, you)/Black don’t crack, my nigga…”
Kendrick Lamar starts the ‘bridge’ illustrating a riot. Riots have been a part of America’s history because of its treatment of people and institutions.
Then, Lamar gets excited watching riots happen where buildings get torn down.
What do you think the reason is for his excitement of riots happening in context of the song? His excitement comes from “the streets burning.”
Contextually, Lamar is very confrontational towards America for the oppression of black people by the majority, white people. Thus, he believes “America” is getting what they deserve because we don’t own anything like Kimbery Jones, co-author of “I’m Not Dying With You Tonight”, said.
To summarize, Jones’ novel is about two white and black characters, Lena and Campbell, in school, who have to get home safely through racially motivated protests and riots. They are strangers and the story makes it clear that they have to rely on each other for their safety because of the different circumstances they are in. In order for them to trust each other, they have to understand each other and why the riots are happening from their very different perspectives since one character is black and the other is white.
For people who don’t try to comprehend the black experience, “false narratives” or stereotypes can be perpetuated that can be harmful to us. This is because it influences what people outside of the black community think of black people. Other races see black people as monolithic, which is problematic because it’s not true. An article from ABC News reiterates this idea in detail. It gets even more harmful when black people believe in these stereotypes, because it’s who they become as Kendrick Lamar raps about later in the song.
Next, the artist is referencing 9/11 when he mentions schizophrenia, a mental disorder where the individual’s thought patterns, feelings and behavior are distorted. We have destroyed buildings, but when the Twin Towers collapsed from a plane crash, we, as black people, were the ones who mourned with the rest of America. The reason for our mourning is because an act of evil was perpetrated on our homeland too.
I contribute this reasoning to the notion of white people not knowing why black people rioted during the time of Lamar’s track in 2015. According to Anadolu Ajansi, black people with the names of Freddie Gray, Eric Harris, and Walter Scott were brutalized by the police in a highly profiled case. White people were not aware of this incident because of the absence of support compared to the George Floyd incident in 2020.
In context with the rest of the music bridge, “Black don’t crack, my nigga” refers to more frequent riots than ever. The Watts Riots in 1965 represented the same fight as the summer of 2020 riots in America. Police are still wrongfully brutalizing black people.
An article from Refinery 29 states how the phrase “black don’t crack” refers to the idea of black people being pressured to be perfect because of how we are perceived to be the opposite. We have to prove to people outside of our community that they are wrong about us.
However, we can only be as perfect as we can be. If there is injustice in our community, then we fight back by any means necessary. The reason for that is because of how slow change has been and we feel like we are being “unheard.”
In other words, the reason black people rioting in America does not get old is because of how nuanced the conversation becomes, in terms of who gets involved in them.
VERSE ONE: FIRST NINE LINES
“I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015/Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean/Been feelin’ this way since I was sixteen, came to my senses/You never liked us anyway, fuck your friendship, I meant it/ I’m African-American, I’m African, I’m black as the moon/Heritage of a small village, pardon my residence/Came from the bottom of mankind/My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide/You hate me, don’t you…?”
The definition of a hypocrite is someone who believes in one thing, but their actions are the complete opposite of what they believe in according to Merriam Webster. Lamar believes that once he finishes the song, the audience will know he is a hypocrite.
Lamar has always had a sense that “America” did not like black people no matter how many times “America” has treated black people with the voting rights legislation, for example. He embraces the physical features of black people. This is significant because white people don’t typically have these physical features. Such differences such as dialect, a large nose, hair texture, height, or anything else that is different from the majority can lead to teasing in youth.
I was teased for my dialect and I still do to this day. Depending on the individual and the amount of teasing, it can take a mental toll.
Lamar asked if “America” hates people like him. No, I don’t think “America” hates black people. White people don’t understand black people because they can’t relate to us.
Here’s a list of ideas to why white people can’t relate to black people:
- Restrictions that black people face currently such as the ability to get proper housing and access to high quality education
- An abundance of negative images and stereotypes in media
- Racial jokes in adolescence
- Being the minority in a classroom, or any public setting
There is a glass ceiling that keeps black people stuck in poor conditions so they get influenced by their environment and don’t aspire to break it. Some make it out such as Will Smith, LeBron James, Angel Reese, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and Denzel Washington, but some don’t.
All of those men and women had a talent and used it to their full potential to become successful.
For instance, Lupita Nyong’o became a highly esteemed actress by obtaining her master’s degree in acting at the Yale School of Drama, serving as a production assistant and interning at multiple movies. These milestones led her to acclaimed roles in “12 Years A Slave,” “Black Panther,” “Star Wars,” and “Us.” She has also produced a myriad of projects that portray the black experience such as “Super Sema,” “Queen of Katwe,” and “Goodbye Julia.” All show a non-American perspective, which may be even more significant because of the multiple U.S. based films Nyong’o has been cast in.
Could you say that she wants to eventually own her own production company like my next example of another black individual who used it to their full potential?
Another example is Denzel Washington. He was sought out by Spike Lee to play one of his most critically acclaimed roles as Malcom X in 1992. This was one of the number of roles that gave him national attention, in which he earned an Academy Award for Best Actor and started his own production company, Mundy Lane Entertainment eventually. This is significant because it means a black man owns an institution in America. Washington’s production company gives more black people opportunities to work and generate income for themselves. This in turn generates wealth for the black community at-large and allows for more resources to be invested in areas of need.
In other words, these black people like Denzel Washington and Lupita Nyong’o used their talent for the betterment of their community.
VERSE ONE: LAST NINE LINES
“You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture/You’re fuckin’ evil I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey/You vandalize my perception but can’t take style from me/And this is more than confession/I mean I might press the button just so you know my discretion/I’m guardin’ my feelings, I know that you feel it/You sabotage my community, makin’ a killin’/You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga…”
Kendrick Lamar raps about how “America” hates black people and plans to terminate black culture. White people do this by taking ideals, tradition and customs from the culture, like hairstyles such as cornrows. This is called cultural appropriation — when a dominant culture takes traditions or customs from minority cultures.
White people, such as the Kardashians, have worn that hairstyle, leading more white girls to wear the same hairstyle. According to Essence and US Magazine, Kardashian credited Bo Derek for creating the iconic look. Cornrows are a product of the black culture so her statement was very controversial because it seems like she is ignoring that idea. However, Derek explains where the iconic look came from and the reactions from African American women which was positive initially in the 1970’s.
Another incident of cultural appropriation happened in Walmart, where Juneteenth, the holiday, was featured on an ice cream product two years ago. This incident was considered cultural appropriation because of who profited from those featured products and the symbolism behind it.
The symbolism behind it is a white man owning a black cultural custom. You can relate this to white people owning black people who embody black culture in slavery.
Furthermore, the backlash was due to Juneteenth being a day of devastation and darkness. The date is a remembrance of how long slavery took and what happened. This incident is cultural appropriation because Walmart is a white-owned business. Social media and many others like Gwen Kelly of Chicago, a social impact entrepreneur, considered it inappropriate to celebrate Juneteenth because of what the holiday symbolizes.
Yes, black people are free from slavery. Still, however, some people believe we are not free in America regarding discrimination and racism that comes in alternative forms.
Kendrick Lamar embraces his blackness and states that America can’t take that away from him. Just like black people who have rioted angrily and violently, Lamar raps he may do the same, but he exhibits self-control.
“America” sabotages the black community by not focusing on impoverished neighborhoods and not giving resources to those who need them. Black-on-black murder is prevalent because people kill each other over money or drugs. Black people don’t have enough money, and we resort to selling drugs to get money or even use it to cope with the realities of black plight.
PRE-CHORUS
“The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice/The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice/The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice/The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot…”
My interpretation of this pre-chorus is Kendrick Lamar expressing black pride. Black people are exceptional, but we are prone to kill each other, hence the phrase, “… the bigger I shoot.”
The reason why we kill each other is because of human nature. How would you react if someone tried to hurt you, or even god forbid try to hurt your family, or even actually did do it? Would you want revenge, or not? Personality types and the magnitude of pain matters in instances of people hurting people.
Related to pop culture, a burglar shot and killed Uncle Ben in Spider-Man’s story so Spider-Man, A.K.A Peter Parker, uses his powers to get revenge, but as he has the individual where he wants him he realizes that killing him is not the right thing to do as it can lead to a dark path of killing other people. Hence, the famous phrase Uncle Ben told Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Another example is 9/11. Why did we all clap for the demise of Osama-Bin Laden? It’s because he hurt us as a nation. He killed many of our loved ones and we all wanted justice for that horrendous incident. It’s human nature that we all felt this way because we wanted revenge for what was done to us. Hurt people hurt people.
For the black community, we don’t have enough resources to have a good quality of life, so when we do achieve that to a certain degree, other people may get jealous of the other person that may lead to greed so they try to steal from them.
I can point to the numerous murders in the Hip Hop world towards rappers like Nipsey Hussle, PNB Rock, XXXTentacion, and Takeoff. Those artists fell victim to this idea and it’s a shame because of what they did to contribute to society.
For example, Nipsey Hussle was a community activist for Los Angeles, California, where he owned a clothing store that people shopped in and supported. He broke the glass ceiling for black people. He became another example of exceeding the black plight of America.
CHORUS
“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 inna chains, cah’ we Black/Imagine now, big gold chains 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, jus ‘member dat…”
The chorus may also be a commentary piece on the culture of America.
Slavery was a painful experience for black people and their ancestors. That painful experience still lingers today because of how frequently cops brutalize black people. We are not free from stereotypes of a black person, so we are still “chained,” and this contributes to why cops do that.
This idea is juxtaposed with current successful black people like rappers wearing gold chains to show how much money they have. Black people would get whipped by their white masters, but now they own “whips” as in cars.
In other words, we had turned negatives into positives in the meaning of words when it came to slavery. Being black in America today is one of the most incredible things you can be because of what we offer as a race.
We have offered new perspectives on life with creativity in art like Hip Hop music, film, and sports.
There needs to be more free expression of art when it comes to the portrayal of the realities of black people in America for more black people to get inspired to make “America” understand us.
VERSE TWO: FIRST EIGHT LINES
“I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015/Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean/I mean, it’s evident that I’m irrelevant to society/That’s what you’re tellin’ me, penitentiary would only hire me/Curse me ’til I’m dead, church me with your fake prophesizing/That I’ma be just another slave in my head/Institutionalized manipulation and lies/Reciprocation of freedom only live in your eyes…”
Again, Kendrick Lamar raps about how he is a hypocrite. He believes his listeners will know what he means once he finishes the track.
The high incarceration rates for black people in America make him feel irrelevant to society. He feels disposable compared to white people because they will always perceive him as potentially incarcerated.
Lamar raps about how fake religion is as black people pray to a white God like everyone else. It is another white man that black people look up to in the following line.
This idea has manipulated people to believe in white supremacy in America as they control perception. This control of perception makes white people think that black people are free because of slavery being over. My evidence for this is the racial awakening of white people in the summer of 2020. Many of my white friends started posting about Black Lives Matter in abundance because of the George Floyd murder.
Police brutality has been a reoccurring event in America, and none of my white friends have posted about the movement in any form in the past. This observation was due to how the media controls perception of events like that happening at an alarming rate.
VERSE TWO: NEXT SIX LINES
“You hate me, don’t you?/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…”
Kendrick Lamar accuses “America” of hating black people because of what we have overcome and conquered despite how America has treated us. More and more black people are becoming successful because we are coming together to invest in each other and the knowledge we acquire with the rise of the digital era.
For example, Jay-Z, a billionaire, has invested in black people like Lebron James, Rihanna and Kanye West, who have all become billionaires.
Also, there are new ways for black people to make money, as hip-hop artists today aren’t focusing solely on music to make money anymore. More and more celebrities and successful people who are black are taking on multiple ventures to make money. Rihanna made money from music, but then she ventured out into the fashion world and launched her own cosmetic brand, Fenty.
My example came from the track, God Did, off DJ Khaled’s 13th studio album. The longest verse is rapped by Jay-Z where he metaphorically compares himself to God. He has also accomplished great things like investing in black people and promoting their talents to gain wealth for themselves.
This comparison is significant because of the idea of God being portrayed as a white man. Black people have prayed to a white man who has enslaved us for many years. We still have not gotten our reparations from slavery.
Jay-Z would utter the phrase ‘Hov Did’ as ‘Hov’ is his nickname. Jay-Z is a black man so he is perpetuating the idea of a black man being praised for helping his people. More of this happening destroys the black plight because it accumulates wealth in the black community.
VERSE TWO: LAST FOUR LINES
“Black and successful, this black man meant to be special/Katzkins 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 nigga…”
Kendrick Lamar has overcome oppressive racism and has become a successful black man.
Unfortunately, black people have not been able to conquer racial barriers in America so they are unable to move up the social ladder. This is significant because it is the reason why black people don’t move upward in the social ladder. The social ladder of America relates to your status in society as it relates to how much money you have. The artist grew up in impoverished conditions like any other black youth. He was able to ‘get out of the hood’ because of his environment encouraging him to make it out. His environment included his family and friends that influenced his mentality.
This is tough because of the many conflicting pressures the youth have in America, in addition to the black plight in America. It is a struggle to aspire and achieve success, but Kendrick Lamar did it, so he is “…. meant to be special.”
Next, Rap Genius claims that Katzkins is leather for cars that wealthy, successful people have.
The line, “How can I tell you I’m making a killing’? You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga” is significant in the context of this verse.
The reason is that Kendrick Lamar has not submitted to the stereotypical perception of black people as violent and poor, so he doesn’t have to kill other black men for drugs or money. I’m only pointing out why black men kill each other on the streets in a generalized perspective.
VERSE THREE: FIRST THIRTEEN LINES
“I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015/When I finish this, if you listen, then sure you will agree/This plot is bigger than me, it’s generational hatred/It’s genocism, it’s grimy, little justification/I’m African-American, I’m African/I’m Black as the heart of a fuckin’ Aryan/I’m Black as the name of Tyrone and Darius, excuse my French/But fuck you — no, fuck y’all, that’s as blunt as it gets/I know you hate me, don’t you?/You hate my people, I can tell ’cause it’s threats when I see you/I can tell ’cause your ways deceitful/Know I can tell because you in love with that Desert Eagle/Thinkin’ maliciously, he get a chain then you gon’ bleed him…”
Again, Kendrick Lamar repeats how much of a hypocrite he is and claims that the listener will agree after the verse. The reason is the generations of hatred toward black people from outsiders like white people and themselves.
So, the definition of genocism is the killing of a group of people because of who they are, in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, or more. White media perpetuates negative images of black people, making people believe in those images and imposing them unfairly.
Is the idea of the government owning the white press valid? How much of the government is composed of black people or any other minority who can relate to the black experience? How many black media outlets are there compared to white ones? These are some of the questions people should think about when they ponder the constant tension between whites and blacks. America is a melting pot of different identities that involve race, sexual orientation and gender, so our politics should reflect the same concept. Investopedia confirms this idea, but we are making headway with Barack Obama and Kamala Harris being our first black president and vice president.
White supremacy still perpetuates negative images of black people which causes ordinary citizens hate them over time. The plot is more significant than Lamar. Racism impacts people in big and small ways.
Kendrick Lamar raps about pride in his blackness with the lyrics, “I’m African-American, I’m African… I’m black as the name of Tyrone and Darius…” Those two names are typical names of black people.
Then, Lamar raps how “America” hates black people because of their treatment of them.
Next, a desert eagle is a gun, and cops have misused them in killing black people for decades. Cops are supposed to use their guns to protect people, not kill them. There’s been no apparent decrease or stop to gun violence with those incidents.
All black people are potential victims of police brutality, even the successful ones.
For example, Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks was a victim of police brutality in 2018. The police officers tased and wrestled him to the ground for parking across two handicapped spots at a drugstore.
VERSE THREE: LAST 13 LINES
“It’s funny how Zulu and Xhosa might go to war/Two tribal armies that wanna build and destroy/Remind me of these Compton Crip gangs that live next door/Beefin’ with Pirus, only death settle the score/So don’t matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers/Or tell Georgia State “Marcus Garvey got all the answers”/Or try to celebrate February like it’s my B-Day/Or eat watermelon, chicken, and Kool-Aid on weekdays/Or jump high enough to get Michael Jordan endorsements/Or watch BET ’cause urban support is important/So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street/When gang-banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me?/Hypocrite!”
Zulu and Xhosa are tribal ethnic groups who share similarities in a language in South Africa. They have had tension to the point of a civil war between them.
The Zulu group has been known for its savagery and fighting ways. In contrast, the Xhosa was known for their rational approaches to situations, according to an article from Short From.
Lamar is from Compton, California. The rapper compares those groups to the Compton Crip gangs conveniently. They fight over money and materialistic things that lead to death. Kendrick Lamar is a conscious rapper supporting social justice issues concerning black people.
In doing so, he embraces his blackness in America and uses phrases that symbolize our culture, like some of our favorite drinks and food: Kool-Aid, watermelon and chicken.
Lastly, Kendrick Lamar questions why he would cry for Trayvon Martin, who was shot by a police officer when black people kill each other every day.
This question leads me to think about how there was excellent support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but are the black-on-black murders supported as cops killing black people? Kanye West and Vic Mensa, natives from Chicago, which is where an abundance of black-on-black violence occurs, have spoken about this in articles from Vibe and Digication. Also, in my personal experience, I have not seen as many posts for justice for black-on-black violence in my social media feeds.
Which is more of a problem in America?
Conclusion
Reviews from Vibe and The Atlantic refer to the Lamar’s track being an expression of the complex black plight in America. It’s essential because it provides food for thought for how hypocritical U.S. citizens may be. We prioritize justice when it comes to police brutalizing black people over when black people commit black-on-black crime.
Notice how frequently the media covers white on black police brutality incidents. This issue is one of the many causes of gun violence in America. There needs to be more support for the prevention of black-on-black murders in America because it is at an alarming rate in cities like Chicago.
“Young Black Americans (ages 15 to 34) experience the highest rates of gun homicides across all demographics.”
In other words, there needs to be more media coverage of black-on-black violence in America in a way that finds a solution for the issue with a description of why it is happening.
Could this crisis reinforce the idea of black people being violent? This question gives black people more of a reason why we should support the prevention of violence in black communities.
The root of the problem is the conditions they live in, so there needs to be more black organizations, movements, institutions and people lobbying for better housing conditions.
I commend wealthy black people like Jay-Z who gave black people like LeBron James opportunities to become rich. There need to be more instances like that for the generational wealth of black Americans to reach the level of white ones. Those instances will have positive implications because more black people like Lebron James will own institutions, who owns a school in his hometown, Akron, Ohio.
Also, with the use of technology, more and more young black artists are being discovered who are using their platforms to be a celebrity. So the question lies, how will they acquire the information on how to use their platforms for the betterment of their communities? Is that even what they want to do?
Featured image: Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
