The Is Good Come From Evil - 1471 Words

If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it? This line, from the seductive slow jam â€Å"Poetic Justice† on his previous critically-acclaimed LP, encapsulates the common theme found throughout all of Kendrick’s discography, and it delves into one of the most moral questions in human existence: can good come from evil? In his third studio album, hip-hop artist and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, in his distinguishable style of storytelling—jazzy, meditative beats underpinning confessional, dexterous rhymes—ventures into his dark past with financial and psychological struggles and describes his tumultuous journey from being just a troubled kid in the hood to a major voice in the hip-hop industry. To Pimp a Butterfly paints†¦show more content†¦He continues this message onto TPaB, in a song titled â€Å"Institutionalized†, where he discusses wealth’s corruptive powers and takes a retrospective look back on how eve n after escaping Compton, he still feels trapped in the continuous cycle of negativity brought on by the institution of money itself. The album in its entirety becomes a dissertation describing how black rappers are being â€Å"pimped† by the entertainment industry and capitalist America. He discloses how his childhood peers have become practically brainwashed by the idea of getting rich, yet won’t take proper measures to attain these goals, resorting to a life of petty crime rather than working towards an escape. Guest artist Bilal echoes in the hook advice that Kendrick’s grandmother gave him as a boy: Shit don’t change unless you get up and wash yo’ ass, a statement on how unless these men clean up their act, nothing will ever change in their life for the better. The repetition of this line emphasizes the impact this had on young Kendrick, who as an adult now recognizes the impossibility of truly appreciating whatever it is that you have gained unless actually putting in the work for it. Yet he also admits the challenges that these people face when they try to leave—anyone can leave the hood whenever they please, but the way society is set up and the upbringing of those raised there make it an incredible feat for them not to fall