Kendrick Lamar gives us the food for thought we need
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Happy Saturday, BTV fam!
I hope you had a great week and have time to relax this weekend.
Over the last two years, our Black culture has been through a lot of tragedies and controversies.
We’ve witnessed moments such as the Jussie Smollett trial and Will Smith slapping Chris Rock — both of which have sparked conversation and individual enlightenment on what it means to be Black.
With Smith’s slap being the recent controversy, our community is split intellectually on what values our culture is set upon.
Enter K.Dot, a.k.a. Kendrick Lamar.
On Sunday, the 34-year-old Compton rapper released the music video to his single “The Heart Part 5.” The video was simple. But Lamar, wearing a black bandana around his neck and rapping in front of a red backdrop, captured our attention with effortless flow and powerful wordplay.
Throughout parts of the song, Lamar’s face takes the form of prominent Black men — Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Nipsey Hussle, O.J. Simpson and Jussie Smollett. Each time Lamar’s face takes form of these Black men, his lyrics seemingly address them.
I took notice of the lyrics when Lamar’s face took shape of Will Smith.
“... In the land where hurt people hurt more people, F--- callin' it culture."
Scrolling through the YouTube comments of Lamar’s video, I saw one that described his music perfectly: “Kendrick is like the smell of grandma’s food cooking in the kitchen. You wait a long time, but the wait was definitely worth it.”
Lamar kept the soul food coming on Friday with the release of his fifth studio album, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers."
And Friday it was announced that K.Dot is coming to Music City in July to perform at Bridgestone Arena. Best believe I’m getting tickets.
I believe music is a wonderful way to connect to a deeper sense of understanding, and no one creates a space for listeners to do so better than Kendrick Lamar.
Take some time this week to enjoy “The Heart Part 5” and "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers."
You won’t regret it.
And don’t forget to download The Tennessean app to keep up with the latest music and breaking news: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tennessean/id526094470
Check out what Tennessee Black voices have been discussing this week:
Tennessean columnist Kyra Watts went to Tennessee State University's commencement last Saturday, where Vice President Kamala Harris was the keynote speaker. Watts, a proud Florida A&M grad, debunks myths about HBCUs and shares their impact on our society in her latest column.
Actor, producer and film mogul Tyler Perry writes a powerful guest opinion via USA TODAY about the significant number of Black people who go missing every year without being found.
I want to take this time to remember USA TODAY and Tennessean journalist Dustin Barnes, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 38.
Dustin played a huge role in getting Black Tennessee Voices off the ground. He had such a radiant personality and an infectious laugh to match.
Please enjoy your weekend and be kind.
LeBron Hill is an opinion columnist for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and the curator of the Black Tennessee Voices newsletter. Feel free to contact him at LHill@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @hill_bron or Instagram at @antioniohill12.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kendrick Lamar gives us the food for thought we need
