“You can take your boy out the hood but you can't take the hood out the homie”
Deep, experimental, and powerful; Mortal Man, the final song of the album To Pimp a Butterfly is Kendrick Lamar’s hallmark left in the rap music industry. The song reflects Lamar’s worries about dealing with fame and misusing his influence. Its beauty and the experimental nature come from the blend of rap and jazz music as well as the recreation of an imaginary interview with the legendary rapper Tupac Shakur. Lamar crowns the piece with the poem “To Pimp a Butterfly” which has given its name to the album.
At a very early age, in his twenties, Lamar achieved fame and experienced a drastic change in his life like very few people on this earth experience in their lifetime. Material gains, fame, and money do not ease the rapper’s worries but complicate his life narrative. He points out the wild contrast between his former and recent living circumstances as well as realizes the power he holds - the power of calling out, leading, and inspiring the masses. In the opening lines, he refers to himself as the ghost of Mandela which reflects his self-image as a freedom fighter and a leader to his fans.
The ghost of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it
Let my words be your earth and moon you consume every message
As I lead this army make room for mistakes and depression
A golden figure in hip-hop culture, Tupac (or 2Pac) lived a concise and conflicting life from 1971 to 1996 when he was assassinated at the age of 25. For the recreation of the conversation, cuts from an original interview with Swedish radio recorded in November 1994 are used; and this genuine twist completely blurs the line between reality and fiction for the audience. Thus, Lamar creates a second chance to share his thoughts on politics, fame, and music-making with his rap idol and makes his childhood dream come true. The ending is also very powerful, stunning as well as devastating. The juvenile desire of Lamar to receive approval from him can be sensed within the narrative. He presents his poem and asks for the perspective of the rap legend, however, the only answer he receives is silence - an absence that symbolizes the sudden death of the idol.
Because the spirits, we ain't even really rappin',
We just letting our dead homies tell stories for us
In the conversation, there is always a reference to the streets which are full of violence, poverty, theft, riots, bloodshed, and ignorance. The streets where one’s lifestyle, hopes, and understanding of the world are shaped. Its folks are forced to be tougher, and even be “natural born hustlers” as Tupac defines himself. The street does not refer to a space; it is a symbolic word that expresses the class position of the community, the social, economic, and political inequalities that they face every day and through decades, the element of exclusion, and the resistance against their attempts to shape their faiths.
I see--and the ground is the symbol for the poor people,
The poor people is gonna open up this whole world and swallow up the
Rich people. Cause the rich people gonna be so fat,
They gonna be so appetising, you know what I'm saying, wealthy,
Appetising. The poor gonna be so poor and hungry,
Considering the hundred years of war against discrimination on different fronts, the “rich” gained this image of an oppressor; a privileged evil that consumes the poor for his ends. The state kept the middle class and the rich happy and healthier while marginalized communities and lower classes are left alone and are even attempted to be eliminated. The arm forces of the state have been nothing but the tools of the oppressor. However, this is a two-sided medallion. In contrast to the minority of the rich, the ground is the symbol for the poor people. Living on the edge of survival, against the order that deliberately makes them poorer, resilience and solidarity blossomed. The image of the rich brought along the portrayal of lower classes and marginalized communities as strong, dignified, and down-to-earth.
While consuming its environment the
Caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
One thing it noticed is how much the
World shuns him, but praises the butterfly
The butterfly represents the talent,
The thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar
But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the
Butterfly as weak and figures out
A way to pimp it to his own benefits
Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar
Goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him
He can no longer see past his own thoughts
He's trapped
When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots,
Such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city
The result?
Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant
Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that
The caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle
Although the butterfly and caterpillar are
Completely different, they are one and the same."
With the disproportionate upward mobility he experiences, Lamar finds himself in a position where his ideas of richness and fame are transforming. Going through this process is not an easy task; the way he sees himself and his capacity changes as well as his thoughts on the butterfly. The chaotic quality of the hood that he wanted to draw away is what shaped and inspired his music, and his music is the one that got him out of the hood. Thus, he carries the feeling of responsibility toward not only his loved ones but for anyone who is trapped someplace, consumed, discriminated against, and left alone. The burdens, injuries, emotional damages, and cultural stigmas make it hard for him to embrace his class position. He mentions finally being free, however, it makes me ask what he gets free from. If it is his stagnated life in the hood, it still seems to me that he is not free but trapped with survivor’s guilt. It might be a reference to freeing himself from the cultural stigmas or gaining a self-image as a leader which makes his life meaningful and sets him free. In any case, he believes that he can do more to impact the world around him, make it a better place and guide the people in his community.
“What is your perspective on that?”
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