“Somewhere near the center of this cosmos we occupy, the creative black personality lives and maintains itself, moving through time, unlocking mysteries, producing reflections and legend. Once, black life and the ceremonies that punctuated it; birth, rites of passage, the praising of natural forces or gods, these and other efforts all found channels of expression… Continue reading The Ascent Of The Creative Black Man: Kendrick Lamar Untitled/Unmastered Review
Tag: Kendrick Lamar
Boyz 25: Reflections on a Hip-Hop Classic
“Either they don’t know… don’t show … or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.” –Doughboy, Boyz n the Hood (1991) Twenty-five years ago, America was dealing with war in Iraq, growing concerns over racial profiling, an alarming rate of black-on-black violence, Donald Trump was in the news, and Bill Clinton was running… Continue reading Boyz 25: Reflections on a Hip-Hop Classic
On Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar didn’t make an album. Or at least not in the traditional sense. To Pimp a Butterfly isn’t an album you’re going to want to just throw on. Its shuffle play value is low. This is an album you revisit. It’s an album you sit with. It’s an album you study. Kendrick didn’t make… Continue reading On Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly