Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part series on Kendrick Lamar's Grammy award winning Hip Hop track "Alright".
Part II showcases two videos of Black Life Matters (BLM) and other protestors chanting forms of the chorus of Kendrick Lamar's Hip Hop track "Alright". Selected comments from one of these video's discussion thread are featured in this post. My comments are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/02/kendrick-lamars-grammy-2016-performance.html for Part I. Part I provides information about Kendrick Lamar, and information about the track "Alright". Partial lyrics for that song are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for sociocultural and folkloric purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all to those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the YouTube publishers of these examples that are featured in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/02/kendrick-lamars-grammy-2016-performance.html for another pancocojams post about Kendrick Lamar.
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INFORMATION ABOUT KENDRICK LAMAR'S HIP HOP TRACK "ALRIGHT"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alright_(Kendrick_Lamar_song)
""Alright" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, taken from his third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)..."Alright" received four nominations at the 58th Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year. It won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Inspiration and composition
Lamar described "Alright" as a song about hope.[4] In an interview with MTV News, Lamar said it was inspired by his trip to South Africa, witnessing other people's problems in the country: “their struggle was ten times harder.”[5]...
Critical response
"Alright" has received universal acclaim... Ranked number one on Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Tracks of 2015", an editor praised the chorus "We gon be alright," and described it as "an ebulliently simple five-syllable refrain, a future-tense assertion of delivery to a better, more peaceful place. In more than one instance, the song’s chorus was chanted at Black Lives Matter protests. It has soundtracked a movement. That's largely due to its holistic sentiment as a siren against innumerable injustices, but it has just as much to do with the fact that it's a great hook on a ferociously catchy song."[9]
-snip-
A longer version of this Wikipedia article is found in Part I of this post. In my opinion, some of the reviews of "Alright" in this Wikipedia article place too much emphasis on Kendrick Lamar's song being "festive song" and less focus on it being "a siren against innumerable injustices."
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TEXT EXAMPLE OF KENDRICK LAMAR'S "ALRIGHT" USED AS A PROTEST CHANT*
Caller- Let me hear you say-
Group: We gon’ be alright!
Caller: I can't hear you.
Group: We gon’ be alright!
Caller: Say it louder.
Group: We gon’ be alright!
Caller: I can’t hear you.
Group: We gon’ be alright!
Caller: All the people say-
Group: We gon’ be alright!
Caller: What do you say?
Group: We gon’ be alright!
-snip-
This is my transcription of the chant found in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnYCwQcryyc [Given as Video Example #1 below] Additions and corrections welcome.
In this video, "Alright" is a "call & response" chant. As is the case with all call & response chants, the caller's words change while the group's (responders') lines remain the same. "Let me hear you say", "Say it louder", "I can't hear you", and "All the people say" are common lines that callers say for such protest chants. These lines are secular forms of calls & responses that occur during many African American church services. For instance, the preacher (in the role of the caller) would say "Let the church say Amen". Members of the congregation (in the role of "respondents) would them say "Amen"
In the video given as Example #2 below, it appears that the words "We gonna be alright" are chanted by the protestors followed by "yeah", "say it louder" and other calls. At the end of the video, the some of the people gathered start another call & response chant: "Ain't no power like the power of the people 'cause the power of the people don't stop". The response that was used for this chant was "Say what?"
*Although I'm referring to "Alright" as a protest chant, it probably is more accurate to refer to it as a rallying chant and a chant of affirmation that has been used during protest rallies and/or marches.
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FEATURED VIDEO EXAMPLES
Example #1: Thousands Chant Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” at Million Man March Gathering
Complex, Published on Oct 10, 2015
Thousands of activists have gathered in Washington D.C. for the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March and are using Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” as a rally chant.
-snip-
The narrator states that marchers used the chorus of Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" as a rallying cry to promote their cause.
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Example #2: Police harassment leads to crowd singing Kendrick Lamar's "Alright"
Blake Piffin, Published on Jul 28, 2015
Police harassment leads to crowd singing Kendrick Lamar's "Alright"
Today after the ending of the convening as everyone was walking down the street CPD arrested a 14 yr old. While everyone was demanding his release an officer pepper sprayed the crowd and further escalated the situation. In unity and solidarity everyone was demanding that he be released, and we stayed and protested until they released him!"
shout out KTT & Slaughterhouse
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread.
I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest dated (by year and month) comment given first. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order.
I have chosen to focus on comments about the chant and not to include any comments that explain or criticize the reason/s for the protest itself.
As is the case with most YouTube Hip Hop music discussion threads, this discussion thread contains a lot of curse words. It's the policy of this blog to use abbreviations for curse words. The curse words that are abbreviated are indicated by an asterisk after those words. With the exception of those abbreviations and the pictorial icons are included in some comments, all of these comments are given as they are published in that discussion thread.
2015
1. Stephen Sawyer
"This is beautiful man, it shows how hip hop can be an inspiration and give people hope"
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2. chillhomie7
"this gave me chills for some reasons, so powerful."
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3. Isis b6 months ago
"We gon be Alright"
-snip-
These words were followed by #100 icon meaning that the commenter wants this comment to be multiplied one hundred times.
**
4. AmonRa10816 months ago
"I seriously got chills from this video. Such impactful words. More Power To The People!"
**
5. Nadirah Bacote
"We are going to be alright"
**
6. herryl sahin
"Who was waiting on em to say ' do you hear me do you feel me we gon be alright'?"
-snip-
This question was followed by a smiley face icon.
This is another line in the lyrics for Kendrick Lamar's "Alright".
**
7. CourtCjbLand
"You see this is the power of true hip hop messages, when the music really speaks to the people and they feel it and they know they relate to it that's what brings us all together. Kendrick understands his position to speak to the people is powerful and he took advantage of that and made music that will really go down in history as some of the best. This is powerful, like really powerful sh&t* and I'm glad to see music like this really helping bring out the outcries for justice in the streets. Kendrick is going to be incredibly proud to see this, Tupac would be proud."
-snip-
A number of commenters in this discussion thread (and other discussion threads about Kendrick Lamar's tracks) mention Tupac. Here's some information about that Hip Hop Artist/actor from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur
"Tupac Amaru Shakur June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor...
He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers ever, as well as one of the most influential rappers of all time.[6]...
Shakur's music and philosophy is rooted in many American, African-American, and world entities, including the Black Panther Party, Black nationalism, egalitarianism, and liberty."..
**
8. Ben Taylor
"It has gone from "f__k* the police" to "we gon' be alright", I only see positivity there."
**
Reply
9. Jeremy Callahan
"+Ben Taylor Well said"
**
Reply
10. jpkp012345
"+Ben Taylor they need to keep the F__ck* the police chants too. Mix it up"
**
11. Reply
Hugo Cabrera
"F__k* the police !!! AND ! We Gone Be alright :D"
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Reply
12. RaulSouza
"+Ben Taylor the point of "f—k* the police" isn't to simply curse police officers...I know it sounds rude, and I don't agree with it...but come on, the police opresses people (specially poor people) all the time, so it's really understandable to hear people screaming "f__k* the police"
**
Reply
13. McMexican
"He also says "and our gun might blow" but the crowd didn't chant we hate the popo or our gun might blow"
-snip-
This is another line in the lyrics for Kendrick Lamar's "Alright".
"Popo" = police
**
Reply
14. Kenn Adams
"+McMexican u would hate someone that is trying to kill you too"
**
Reply
15. JayLegacy100
"This is why Kendrick is my main influence. This is how you treat police who want to gather, and tear down black people, or any people for that matter, because when you chant positive things at them, and gather with love, they don't know how to handle that, and get scared. It's not about trashing the things around you, and getting angry. It's about showing them that they can't get to us. This is truly inspirational. This is the best thing regarding Hip-Hop I've seen all year since To Pimp A Butterfly came out. If THIS is not proof that we're gonna be alright, I don't know what is."
**
16. Nicholas Ohmann
"FOX News recently argued that Kendrick Lamar has “done more damage to young African-Americans than racism”."
Yeah [f__k] FOX news"
**
Reply
17. Loddentidster
"This generation of african americans are Gon Be Alright thanks to Kendrick! Can't say the same for Fox News."
**
18. Eric from 850
"I'm glad the kept it peaceful that's how my people do it! Kendrick is influencing people for the better. Shows what fox news knows about hip hop. Saying is done more damage to blacks that slavery recently. I'd love to see them look at this video"
**
19. DcrucialBeats
"It's crazy how the words of one man can positively impact a nation"
**
20. KolydoscopeMusic
"When it's all said and done, it'll be Kendrick that will be remembered for the amazing legacy he left behind. A true revolutionary, not just for hip-hop as a whole, but for the well-being of all African-Americans. This is unity. Thank you Kendrick."
**
21. Nicholas Brown
"This what we need, we ain't backing down no more, it's our time now...Thank you Kendrick"
**
Armand Bryan
22. "THE REVOLUTION IS GAINING GROUND AGAIN. KENDRICK HAS MOBILIZED US WITH HIS VOICE AND NOW IT IS TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. #WEGONBEALRIGHT"
**
23. Vanessa Johnson
"I know what that Gerard guy was getting at now...THIS is the damage Kendrick is doing, he's got black people in the streets all united under an actual cause that cripples our community! This is definitely damage...damage to the oppressive system that aims to keep black people separated and ignorant of the world they live in. Kendrick is the future. Hiii power is in full effect!"
-snip-
Another commenter mentioned Fox News reporter "Geraldo Rivera". That might be who the commenter meant by "that Gerard guy".
**
Reply
24. SINR ONE
"WORD. This the impact hip hop should have!"
snip-
"Word" here means "That's right".
**
25. EyeconicTV
"This unity almost brought tears to my eyes, haha. I'm glad that artists such as Kendrick are trying to bring something new to the table and inspire the society.
#onelove"
**
26. synchropiecesTV
"I say Kendrick Lamar will become the Martin Luther King of his generation! Praise him and his genius! This is what hip hop really is about!"
**
27. Leasan-Parish Crooks
"I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world."
- Tupac Shakur
**
28. Ayanna Woods
+das it mane so...?
-snip-
This commenter may be asking what do the words mean.
**
Reply
29. carlos ortega
"+Ayanna Woods when i first heard this song without seeing the video or anything it empowered me! i didn't have to see the music videos because the lyrics speak for themselves. "We gonna be alright!". It's not something you have to see but something you feel deep inside."
**
30. Kevin Pfam
"Props to Kendrick"
**
31. Felix Prime
"I'm proud of this young man....."Martin Luther King is alive but this time he is a POP artist"...lmaooo WE GONNA BE ALRIGHT"
**
32. Sensual A
I'm so glad that we have something new to say besides "no justice, no peace"
Thank you Kendrick for giving a new battle cry for this generation. We gon' be alright!!! We always have!!!
**
33. bgonskobe
"Just one year ago my son was out there chanting "we started from the bottom now were here!!". This year he was out there chanting "we gonna be alright". I dont know whos responsible for the positive change in him but whoever it is thank you and keep it up, its powerful and its workin..."
-snip-
"Started From The Bottom" is a Hip Hop track by Drake. That song (also) has explicit lyrics that are less socially conscious then Kendrick Lamar's "Alright".
**
34. Tauren Oracle
Man, that song is awesome. The message is also against police harassment, so it's understandable.
**
35. Buddha Media
the moment when you realise Kendrick will have a greater legacy than even tupac, and he is still alive now.
**
36. Esau Sello
"N.W.A used to say & rap about this phrase "F—k* the police!" and Tupac in a an MTV interview said something like this "Our grandfathers were asking for this to stop, and it didn't. Now what are you expecting us to do, ask? No we gonna use force"
Now Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is changing this negative aggressive mentally into a positive self-consoling one "We gon be alright!"
Mr Lamar doesn't strive for attention but he makes sure that his presence is felt. #Just_saying"
-snip-
N.W.A. is the name of a Hip Hop group had a lot of hits in the mid 1980s to 1991. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.W.A for information about this group.
**
2016
37. Trav Mamone
"They sing "We gonna be alright" the way they sang "The answer is blowin' in the wind" in the '60s. Music has always provided the soundtrack to revolution."
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This concludes Part II of this series.
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