Admittedly I haven’t listened to all of Kendrick Lamar’s latest album DAMN. Easily he’s the best rapper / lyricist creating and releasing music on a mainstream level right now. His latest album is heavy in religious undertones and has dimmer notes. From what I’ve listened to so far, this album should make him top 5 material on any serious list for decades to come.
On his second released track DNA, produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, the video is just as captivating if not more so than the previous HUMBLE; which began with Lamar dressed as a priest or bishop at its beginning. Because of Lamar’s rapid flow on DNA while appreciating the aggression, I was not in a place to fully analyze and listen to the details in the lyrics on my first listen. After seeing the video (which features a good performance from Don Cheadle), the visualization and imagery of it forced me to look up and follow along with the lyrics.
In the mist of the insane word play and creativity, Lamar spits…
Bitch, your hormones prolly switch inside your DNA
Problem is, all that sucker shit inside your DNA
Daddy prolly snitched, heritage inside your DNA
Backbone don’t exist, born outside a jellyfish, I gauge
See, my pedigree most definitely don’t tolerate the front
In context, he’s talking to or about another man who is weaker or lesser than. Apart of Lamar’s critique or dissection of his male advisory is that he is genetically / biologically non-heterosexual. We know “switch” (a man who walks feminine or like a woman; gay) is not a good thing because is grouped together in the track with, “sucker shit”, “snitch’n”, and not having a backbone as a man.
Later after the song restructures itself, the second half feels like another dope, amazing separate track that could stand on its own. Lamar then raps…
Tell me somethin’
You mothafuckas can’t tell me nothin’
I’d rather die than to listen to you
My DNA not for imitation
Your DNA an abomination
This alone to me would not send up any side eyes but coupled with the previous lyric and the religious notes throughout the album…side eyes commenced.
Elements in rap music and culture have had and will have anti-male-homosexual sentiments. I know it may not seem like it but this really isn’t a major concern for me, just me putting out an observation of what I read in that specific moment of watching when reading the lyrics.
I don’t view nor think Kendrick Lamar is a hyper-masculine aggressive homophobe. I mean he’s not advocated for or spoken in favor of discrimination and violence towards non-heterosexuals in public statements or interviews I’ve come across. However I do acknowledge that to me this still falls in the well of hetero supremacists micro aggressions. I also again acknowledge that this song and video are muthafuckin FIRE!
OckyDub
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I have finally been using my Apple Music subscription and sat down over the weekend and blasted the album, listening to each song carefully. I found it to be weirdly religious but it could have been because I was listening to it on Easter. I think the could be an ode to Chance the Rapper.
I don't think its overtly or covertly anti-gay. Lots of things are abominations if I recall…
Don’t attempt to ruin K-Dot for me. Until the unfortunate day he decides to end his goodwill to express his true feelings for the male gay audience he has and the gays in general I rather believe he’s learning tolerance for those who experience the world contrary to how he does. At least from a place of desire.
Who gives a damn how you feel? The only way you will have to deal with it is to get over the fact that people of the same sex love each other. It has nothing to do with you. Homosexuality is attraction, not a mere action, it does not wound you or anyone. It does not reprogram people’s minds like many of you think, simply because you can’t fathom that same sex love exists. That is not anyone’s intention, to convert other people into being gay (when Lgbt literally supports the position/fact that orientation can’t be changed), but rather to ACCEPT who they are IF they are gay or whatever. What is your problem with that?
Don’t attempt to ruin K-Dot for me. Until the unfortunate day he decides to end his goodwill to express his true feelings for the male gay audience he has and the gays in general I rather believe he’s learning tolerance for those who experience the world contrary to how he does. At least from a place of desire.
I do not like the term 'micro aggression'. It is either discriminatory or it isn't-there is not a real 'level' to it. And also, it is either homophobic or hyper-masculine or whatever, or it is not. It may not be overtly or intentionally homophobic or anti-gay, but it still is just that. Just like institutional or systemic racism-it is either there, or it is not-to whatever degree it exists, it still exists.
Also a person does not have to be defined as a hyper-masculine, aggressive homophobe to say or do something that is homophobic, aggressive or hyper-masculine IMO. Sometimes people are just not self-aware of what they are doing or saying within the context of what they are doing or saying. It still has the same sting to the people who are at the receiving end of it.
You don't have to be anti-gay to do or say something that is anti-gay. Hell look at what gays do and say to eachother.
*I can be guilty of this kind of thing too, especially with my take on religion.
I can’t say if he is or isn’t anti-gay, but I can say that this album is so fuckin dope…..! I would have never even thought to associate those lyrics with anti-gayness or anything of similar sort.