Listen to the New Kendrick Lamar Song 'The Blacker The Berry': Here's Why its Awesome
Empty Lighthouse is a reader-supported site. This article may contain affiliate links to Amazon and other sites. We earn a commission on purchases made through these links.
Fresh off winning two Grammy awards for his hit single "I," Kendrick Lamar has released "The Blacker The Berry," which should soon become one of the most discussed songs of 2015.
Featuring a dark, booming Boi-1da instrumental and an agressive hook from Jamaican Dancehall artist Assassin, "The Blacker The Berry" finds the Compton rapper taking a step back from the feel-good aesthetic of his Grammy winning single. On the song, Lamar uses the perspective of three African Americans to discuss the complexities of dealing with racism in America.
He does all of this while also tapping into the insecurities of blacks across the country.
Despite its surface level implications, the song isn't a straight-forward pro-black anthem. Lyrics like 'try to celebrate February like it's my B-Day' or 'tell you Marcus Garvey got all the answers' see Kendrick possibly poking fun at would-be scholars and classical five-percenter archetypes.
It all comes off like a call to rebel after wanting to belong for a long time.
The song comes from the sorts of conversations you might hear in a barbershop or maybe even in your own living room and the music is barreling. The intensity of the lyrics, Kendrick's own ambivalence towards the issue at hand , and a Dancehall hook make for a song that sees the him at his most visceral.
Expect to hear more from King Kendrick soon.