Humble

As someone who is not generally into rap or hip hop, I usually just ignore these genres all together. To be honest, you could even say I shunned this type of music like a child rejecting a horrid vegetable. However, I was never the less intrigued by the attention and/or hype Kendrick Lamar’s new album was receiving.

Full disclosure, I did not really know ANYTHING about the man other than his name and would probably be hard-pressed to successfully pick him out in a crowd; but as it is with many hyped figures, big movies, looped songs, popular programs and numerous other pop culture “phenomenon’s,” it is hard to ignore something when it is seemingly everywhere. In the past I have enjoyed artists such as Eminem, DMX and Ja Rule, who occupy the same space as Lamar and I have been a big fan in the past of rap-rock artists like Papa Roach, Gorillaz and especially 311 – the latter being my favorite band for many years. So given that I am kind of halfway there and also consider myself open-minded, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Someone whose opinion I trust recommended that I start by listening to “Humble” and see how I like it. So, I did just that. I must say that on the first listen I was kind of nervous, as I am with most songs I am hearing for the first time. But within a minute I was starting to enjoy the “hook” of the song. For me, a song MUST have a catchy beat or else I can’t get into it. You can write the deepest, culturally-significant lyrics on earth, but if the song is not catchy it will not hold my attention. I HAVE to get that beat into my brain. Otherwise it is a deal-breaker for me. So happily, I found that HUMBLE got into my head. I found myself on the second and third listen, singing along to the “lil bitch be humble…be humble” lines. I also liked the way the song unfolded, with the references to syrup sandwiches, playing Tetris and the authenticity of Richard Pryor. Lamar’s lyrics are clever and present great visualization of his keen worldview. He projects an image of a man who is fed up with the nonsense, who knows exactly what he wants and is not afraid to speak his mind.

With HUMBLE, Lamar looks at the world through a pained eye and illustrates a desire for a collective, honest humility and a yearning for a society that can get its values in order. He exudes self-confidence and truly understands WHO HE IS and is not afraid to call out those around him that he thinks are fake, dishonest and not as “real” as he is. Sure, these lyrics can come across as arrogant to some – the words of a guy who is full of himself possibly, and maybe there is truth to that. But I see Lamar more as a street preacher who instead of touting Biblical verses, spouts harsh declarations of truth to [and about his] community. And to do that, your kind of have to be a little full of yourself. Luckily for Lamar, there are countless others out there that come across a lot worse than he does. And unlike many performers in today’s music industry, Lamar has the ability to back up his mouth with true talent. There are not many people that can earnestly say the same. I have heard that this album has two completely different meanings when the songs are played backwards. That is NOT an easy feat to accomplish! I am looking forward to exploring the rest of Lamar’s work from here.