Amani Nassar
English 1121
Dr. Hall
March 12, 2019
We Gon’ Be Alright
Music has become the most expressive form of power in times of struggle. The Compton born, Kendrick Lamar has been making history all throughout his time in the music industry with one of his most groundbreaking album “To Pimp A Butterfly.” The multi Grammy winning album speaks on the many issues people of color face as well as mental health in songs like “King Kunta”, “The Blacker the Berry,” “U”, and one of the most influential songs of our time “Alright.” This notable Hip Hop album pulls a rally of emotions to call for a push to change the world we all live in. Who would have known the tremendous impact this song would have on our generation?
The song has reached many platforms from a chant at rallies for protest at institutions to even protest at presidential campaign. The chants of “we gon’ be alright” have become so symbolic as the people look for a reason to keep hoping for change. Past acts of oppression and current acts have helped create songs like “Alright” where Kendrick created music that resonates with so many people helping them get through tragedies they may face almost everyday. There is a sense of unity within the song that Lamar creates that reflects the black community.
Kendrick Lamar is such a renowned artist, yet very few of his songs are played on the radio. He is just one of the few artist who actually makes music with an impactful message unlike others who only rap about money or sex. I admire him for standing out in a crowd of individuals who all sound alike, he has so much to offer his fans.
The music video starts off with a monologue where Kendrick talks about his journey growing up as a young black man in society. The videos includes acts of police brutality. There are several visuals that Kendrick uses as metaphors to allude to the black community rising against oppression and police violence in scenes like where you see 4 white police officers carrying the car in which Lamar and his friends sit in. There are other scenes in which we see singers and dancers on top of police cars acting almost as if there was nothing bad going on around them. This seems to bring a hopeful feel to the video that together we are strong and we can get through anything.
