The Blacker the Berry (song): Difference between revisions
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"The Blacker the Berry" is a racially-charged song, noted for being a departure from the "self-love-promoting" "[[I (Kendrick Lamar song)|i]]", a single released in late 2014. The song features a "boom-bap beat", with lyrics that celebrate his African-American heritage, and "tackles hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on."<ref name="RapUp">{{cite journal |url=http://www.rap-up.com/2015/02/09/new-music-kendrick-lamar-the-blacker-the-berry/ |title=New Music: Kendrick Lamar – 'The Blacker The Berry' |work=[[Rap-Up]] |date=February 9, 2015 |accessdate=February 27, 2015}}</ref> Lamar introduces the themes with lyrics such as; "Came from the bottom of mankind / My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide / You hate me don’t you / You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture / You’re fucking evil / I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey / You vandalize my perception, but can’t take style from me."<ref name="RapUp"/> The song's hook is performed by Jamaican [[Dancehall]] artist [[Assassin (deejay)|Assassin]], notable for performing on [[Kanye West]]'s 2013 LP ''[[Yeezus]]'', whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans.<ref>http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20150211/ent/ent1.html</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/assassin-kendrick-lamar-blacker-the-berry/ |title=Assassin Breaks Down Kendrick Lamar’s 'The Blacker The Berry' |work=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] |date=February 11, 2015 |accessdate=February 27, 2015 |author=Emmanuel C.M.}}</ref> |
"The Blacker the Berry" is a racially-charged song, noted for being a departure from the "self-love-promoting" "[[I (Kendrick Lamar song)|i]]", a single released in late 2014. The song features a "boom-bap beat", with lyrics that celebrate his African-American heritage, and "tackles hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on."<ref name="RapUp">{{cite journal |url=http://www.rap-up.com/2015/02/09/new-music-kendrick-lamar-the-blacker-the-berry/ |title=New Music: Kendrick Lamar – 'The Blacker The Berry' |work=[[Rap-Up]] |date=February 9, 2015 |accessdate=February 27, 2015}}</ref> Lamar introduces the themes with lyrics such as; "Came from the bottom of mankind / My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide / You hate me don’t you / You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture / You’re fucking evil / I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey / You vandalize my perception, but can’t take style from me."<ref name="RapUp"/> The song's hook is performed by Jamaican [[Dancehall]] artist [[Assassin (deejay)|Assassin]], notable for performing on [[Kanye West]]'s 2013 LP ''[[Yeezus]]'', whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans.<ref>http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20150211/ent/ent1.html</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/assassin-kendrick-lamar-blacker-the-berry/ |title=Assassin Breaks Down Kendrick Lamar’s 'The Blacker The Berry' |work=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] |date=February 11, 2015 |accessdate=February 27, 2015 |author=Emmanuel C.M.}}</ref> |
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The song, however, contains a deeper meaning of the dangers of hypocrisy. Every verse in the song begins with "I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015", followed by Lamar stating issues of racism in society. The final lyric in the song — "So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street, when gang banging made me kill a nigga blacker than me. Hypocrite!" — implies that Lamar believes that, while African-Americans should be angry about racism, and events such as the death of [[Trayvon Martin]]; however, he considers himself a hypocrite for mourning Trayvon's death, |
The song, however, contains a deeper meaning of the dangers of hypocrisy. Every verse in the song begins with "I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015", followed by Lamar stating issues of racism in society. The final lyric in the song — "So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street, when gang banging made me kill a nigga blacker than me. Hypocrite!" — implies that Lamar believes that, while African-Americans should be angry about racism, and events such as the death of [[Trayvon Martin]]; however, he considers himself a hypocrite for mourning Trayvon's death, even though he feels he is responsible for the death of a young black man because of his affiliation with gang banging in the past. |
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==Critical reception== |
==Critical reception== |
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Revision as of 08:43, 18 March 2015
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"The Blacker the Berry" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on February 9, 2015 as the second single from his third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly.[1] The song features vocals from Jamaican artist Assassin. It shares its title with the novel The Blacker the Berry by American author Wallace Thurman, which deals with similar themes of racism.
Composition
"The Blacker the Berry" is a racially-charged song, noted for being a departure from the "self-love-promoting" "i", a single released in late 2014. The song features a "boom-bap beat", with lyrics that celebrate his African-American heritage, and "tackles hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on."[2] Lamar introduces the themes with lyrics such as; "Came from the bottom of mankind / My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide / You hate me don’t you / You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture / You’re fucking evil / I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey / You vandalize my perception, but can’t take style from me."[2] The song's hook is performed by Jamaican Dancehall artist Assassin, notable for performing on Kanye West's 2013 LP Yeezus, whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans.[3][4]
The song, however, contains a deeper meaning of the dangers of hypocrisy. Every verse in the song begins with "I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015", followed by Lamar stating issues of racism in society. The final lyric in the song — "So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street, when gang banging made me kill a nigga blacker than me. Hypocrite!" — implies that Lamar believes that, while African-Americans should be angry about racism, and events such as the death of Trayvon Martin; however, he considers himself a hypocrite for mourning Trayvon's death, even though he feels he is responsible for the death of a young black man because of his affiliation with gang banging in the past.
Critical reception
"The Blacker the Berry" received acclaim from music critics. Steven J. Horowitz of Billboard gave the song four-and-a-half stars out of five, writing that "Lamar swings at racial injustice, letting rage break his usual cool veneer".[5] Pitchfork Media named it "Best New Track", with reviewer Jayson Greene saying that the song "might be [Lamar's] most focused and upsetting performance."[6]
Charts
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[7] | 90 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[8] | 109 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[9] | 20 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[10] | 1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] | 32 |
References
- ^ Pelly, Jenn. "Kendrick Lamar Shares New Song "The Blacker the Berry"". Pitchfork.
- ^ a b "New Music: Kendrick Lamar – 'The Blacker The Berry'". Rap-Up. February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20150211/ent/ent1.html
- ^ Emmanuel C.M. (February 11, 2015). "Assassin Breaks Down Kendrick Lamar's 'The Blacker The Berry'". XXL. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Billboard staff (February 13, 2015). "Best and Worst Singles of the Week -- From Kendrick Lamar to Kip Moore". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ Greene, Jayson (February 9, 2015). "Kendrick Lamar 'The Blacker the Berry'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – The Blacker the Berry" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart: CLUK Update 28.02.2015 (wk8)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2015.