"... was described by the Pulitzer committee as a "virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life."
Let's decipher the committee's recognition first. In PLAIN language, the Pulitzer committee said Kendrick's technical and difficult song collection brought together by its real, native African-American language, and powerful music that gives glimpses of the complexity of modern African-American life."
I question what about this young man's music is so different than all the other rap out right now? What specifically about this young man stood out to the committee? Now don't get me wrong - I like a lot of rap. After reading these lyrics, though, I find myself lacking. Drugs, crime, degrading women ... that may be the reality of some African-Americans, but it's certainly not all. You could argue that he's no different than the #1 rapper and misogynist, Eminem, who has never been nominated for a Pulitzer. If the committee was going to pick a rapper for this award, why would they pick Kendrick? Very interesting. After listening to the song a few times, I just cannot find anything extraordinary that makes the music and lyrics stand out. Kendrick's kept his style and lyrics the same as other rap. Drugs, crime, degrading women, sex. Yup, he covered it all.
I wonder how everyone else will react to this? Are they going to embrace him and tell him he's phenomenal? Or will African-American women stand up and say HEY, we haven't gone through hell to be continually degraded and disrespected in the name of entertainment. I thought everyone in the entertainment industry is standing up for victims, stating that lives matter, being outraged by atrocities committed upon women including many African-Americans.
Things that make you go hmmm.
Here are the lyrics:
HUMBLE.
Kendrick Lamar
Nobody pray for me
Even a day for me
Way (yeah, yeah!)
Ay, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances
Finesse a nigga with some counterfeits
But now I'm countin' this
Parmesan where my accountant lives
In fact, I'm downin' this
D'USSÉ with my boo bae, tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts
Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my paystub
Ooh, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste bloods?
I get way too petty once you let me do the extras
Pull up on your block, then break it down: we playin' Tetris
A.M. to the P.M., P.M. to the A.M., funk
Piss out your per diem, you just gotta hate 'em, funk
If I quit your BM, I still ride Mercedes, funk
If I quit this season, I still be the greatest, funk
My left stroke just went viral
Right stroke put lil' baby in a spiral
Soprano C, we like to keep it on a high note
Its levels to it, you and I know, bitch, be humble
sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch, hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Sit down, hol' up, lil' bitch)
Be humble (bitch)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) bitch, sit down
Lil' bitch (hol' up, lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) be humble
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, sit down, lil' bitch)
(Sit down, lil' bitch, be humble)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) bitch, sit down
(Hol' up, bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up)
Who dat nigga thinkin' that he frontin' on man, man? (Man, man)
Get the fuck off my stage, I'm the Sandman (Sandman)
Get the fuck off my dick, that ain't right
I make a play fuckin' up your whole life
I'm so fuckin' sick and tired of the Photoshop
Show me somethin' natural like afro on Richard Pryor
Show me somethin' natural like ass with some stretchmarks
Still will take you down right on your mama's couch in Polo socks, ay
This shit way too crazy, ay, you do not amaze me, ay
I blew cool from AC, ay, Obama just paged me, ay
I don't fabricate it, ay, most of y'all be fakin', ay
I stay modest 'bout it, ay, she elaborate it, ay
This that Grey Poupon, that Evian, that TED Talk, ay
Watch my soul speak, you let the meds talk, ay
If I kill a nigga, it won't be the alcohol, ay
I'm the realest nigga after all, bitch, be humble
sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch, hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Sit down, hol' up, lil' bitch)
Be humble (bitch)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) bitch, sit down
Lil' bitch (hol' up, lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) be humble
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, sit down, lil' bitch)
(Sit down, lil' bitch, be humble)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) bitch, sit down
(Hol' up, bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up)
Songwriters: Asheton Hogan / KENDRICK Duckworth / Michael Len Williams
HUMBLE. lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Let's decipher the committee's recognition first. In PLAIN language, the Pulitzer committee said Kendrick's technical and difficult song collection brought together by its real, native African-American language, and powerful music that gives glimpses of the complexity of modern African-American life."
I question what about this young man's music is so different than all the other rap out right now? What specifically about this young man stood out to the committee? Now don't get me wrong - I like a lot of rap. After reading these lyrics, though, I find myself lacking. Drugs, crime, degrading women ... that may be the reality of some African-Americans, but it's certainly not all. You could argue that he's no different than the #1 rapper and misogynist, Eminem, who has never been nominated for a Pulitzer. If the committee was going to pick a rapper for this award, why would they pick Kendrick? Very interesting. After listening to the song a few times, I just cannot find anything extraordinary that makes the music and lyrics stand out. Kendrick's kept his style and lyrics the same as other rap. Drugs, crime, degrading women, sex. Yup, he covered it all.
I wonder how everyone else will react to this? Are they going to embrace him and tell him he's phenomenal? Or will African-American women stand up and say HEY, we haven't gone through hell to be continually degraded and disrespected in the name of entertainment. I thought everyone in the entertainment industry is standing up for victims, stating that lives matter, being outraged by atrocities committed upon women including many African-Americans.
Things that make you go hmmm.
Here are the lyrics:
HUMBLE.
Kendrick Lamar
Nobody pray for me
Even a day for me
Way (yeah, yeah!)
Ay, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances
Finesse a nigga with some counterfeits
But now I'm countin' this
Parmesan where my accountant lives
In fact, I'm downin' this
D'USSÉ with my boo bae, tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts
Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my paystub
Ooh, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste bloods?
I get way too petty once you let me do the extras
Pull up on your block, then break it down: we playin' Tetris
A.M. to the P.M., P.M. to the A.M., funk
Piss out your per diem, you just gotta hate 'em, funk
If I quit your BM, I still ride Mercedes, funk
If I quit this season, I still be the greatest, funk
My left stroke just went viral
Right stroke put lil' baby in a spiral
Soprano C, we like to keep it on a high note
Its levels to it, you and I know, bitch, be humble
sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch, hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Sit down, hol' up, lil' bitch)
Be humble (bitch)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) bitch, sit down
Lil' bitch (hol' up, lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) be humble
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, sit down, lil' bitch)
(Sit down, lil' bitch, be humble)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) bitch, sit down
(Hol' up, bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up)
Who dat nigga thinkin' that he frontin' on man, man? (Man, man)
Get the fuck off my stage, I'm the Sandman (Sandman)
Get the fuck off my dick, that ain't right
I make a play fuckin' up your whole life
I'm so fuckin' sick and tired of the Photoshop
Show me somethin' natural like afro on Richard Pryor
Show me somethin' natural like ass with some stretchmarks
Still will take you down right on your mama's couch in Polo socks, ay
This shit way too crazy, ay, you do not amaze me, ay
I blew cool from AC, ay, Obama just paged me, ay
I don't fabricate it, ay, most of y'all be fakin', ay
I stay modest 'bout it, ay, she elaborate it, ay
This that Grey Poupon, that Evian, that TED Talk, ay
Watch my soul speak, you let the meds talk, ay
If I kill a nigga, it won't be the alcohol, ay
I'm the realest nigga after all, bitch, be humble
sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch, hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Sit down, hol' up, lil' bitch)
Be humble (bitch)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) bitch, sit down
Lil' bitch (hol' up, lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) be humble
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) sit down
(Hol' up lil' bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, sit down, lil' bitch)
(Sit down, lil' bitch, be humble)
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, lil' bitch) bitch, sit down
(Hol' up, bitch) be humble
(Hol' up, bitch) sit down
(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up)
Songwriters: Asheton Hogan / KENDRICK Duckworth / Michael Len Williams
HUMBLE. lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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