Kendrick Lamar just graced us with two new singles, most likely from his new album to be released some time this month. K Dot continues to impress with a new music video for one of his hit singles, “Humble”, and the three minute video has a hidden message about more than just humility. Here are seven things you may have missed:
1. Media is Brainwashing the Masses
One of the main goals Kendrick aspires to achieve is exposing social media’s manipulative behaviours. Through his video, he hopes that the smallest people to the people at the top of the hierarchy will accept what he has to say. One of these misconceptions is the media’s view on the African American community and how the media has painted a negative image of them. Another is how social media has forced us to live a life we aren’t truly happy with. Either way, by being a leading advocate for these issues Kendrick Lamar dresses as a real young pope and even wears white throughout most of the video, a color associated humility and understanding.
2. Obsession with Superficiality
In this scene, Kendrick’s character is surrounded by women, all of whom are getting their hair done at the salon and reading top fashion magazines. This moment shows he is tired of individuals feeding into what is supposed to be accepted and considered ‘modern beauty.’
3. Tetris: The Ultimate Metaphor for Life
“Pull up on your block, then break it down: we playin’ Tetris // A.M. to the P.M., P.M. to the A.M.”
Here, in one of Kendrick’s most iconic lines of the song, the rapper explains how the media forces us to paint our lives to look a certain way. Playing Tetris is our form of putting different pieces of our lives together to make it appear a certain way on the outside. If the pieces don’t fit, we lose the game. Similarly if we don’t fit into society’s standards, we are excluded from acceptance.
4. Restricting the Dreamers
In another visually captivating scene of the music video, Kendrick Lamar and several other individuals are organized in a line with their heads on fire. One can argue that this scene symbolizes the restrictions that society has put on modern ideas. The fact that Lamar’s white sweatshirt says ‘dreamer’ shows how he’s actually less restricted than his counterparts. Thinking outside norms is more liberating than staying confided to what is deemed normal and standard.
5. Stay Natural Movement
“I’m so f*ckin’ sick and tired of the Photoshop // Show me somethin’ natural like afro on Richard Pryor // Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks.”
In one of the most controversial lines of the video, Kendrick makes a remark about how Photoshop and social media have tainted the definition of true beauty. While Kendrick has gotten some backlash for these lines, it is a step up from other misogynistic lyrics in other modern rap songs. It also helps his case that he references Richard Pryor, a huge advocate for ending racism and staying true to your race and culture. Along with this, other singers are standing by the rapper’s lyrics, such as Kelly Rowland:
6. Perspective
In a more analytical scene, Kendrick is seen remaining in one spot white the camera pans to different angles. Now, besides his head moving to the camera, it remains the same image just shown in different perspectives. This is same with media. There is only one truth, yet the media has a way of manipulating and turning truth into one or more different stories based on personal perceptions. This is damaging to society and its peace, and whether or not this was intended, it’s still a pretty cool shot.
7. Media Attack on Individuals is More Dangerous than Alcohol and Drugs
For one of the final scenes, Kendrick is in the privacy of his own home with lasers being pointed at him and police lights outside his window. Words that the media publish or put out there against an individual have the power to be more dangerous than alcohol and drugs, forcing the individual to become a target without conviction. By the end of the video, Kendrick walks out with a group of men being the only one wearing white, showing that he’s going to continue to advocate for those whose words are limited due to the media.