They Not Like Us

[elisi]

So, I fell into the rabbit hole of Kendrick Lamar's superbowl halftime show. (Disclaimer: I have never watched the superbowl - or the halftime show - ever before, and could not have named a single Lamar song before this. My interest is cultural rather than musical.)

That said, I have watched a number of Josh Johnson sets about the Lamar and Drake feud, so I had some background knowledge. However the performance itself turned out to be this dense and complex thing, full of symbolism, and well. That's my jam. ^_^

ETA: Outside the cut. Here is Josh Johnson talking about Kendrick, where he came from and why he does what he does. As always, starts as a fun set and then... digs into stuff far deeper than you would expect:

Watch on YouTube

I don't have a lot of thoughts of my own, however here are the videos that I found especially good/interesting.

The performance itself:

Watch on YouTube

There are a LOT of videos breaking it down, but this one is the most concise and also hitting most of the main points:

Watch on YouTube

Then, of course, there is Josh Johnson. And I. Look, this man might be the single best and most thoughtful commentator on current events in America, and it isn't even close.

Watch on YouTube

And finally, a reaction video. I thought that the therapist was going to analyse things and take apart the issues. Nope. It's so much better. This one's included just for the joy.

Watch on YouTube

ETA: Via masakochan. British Grandma's Reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Show. 10/10 no notes.

Watch on YouTube

Now the thing is that Kendrick Lamar is obviously coming from this from within his own culture, the struggle of his own community. And I think this is why it resonates? If you speak your own truth, others will recognise it.

And I think all of it ties in with this Black History Month thread about The Black Panthers.

Snippet:

To this day, if you find a white trades person over the age of 50, and ask them what "It's not race, it's class" means, many can tell you. If you ask them "Who is Fred Hampton" many can tell you. If you ask them what a "rainbow coalition" was, many can tell you.

Why does an old, white, union steel worker in Detroit know who Fred Hampton is?

'They not like us' the whole stadium chanted with Trump right there.

If you want an anthem against the oligarchs and the 1%, there it is.

Comments

[sea_thoughts]

I've already watched the performance but thank you for the therapist reaction, I'm looking forward to watching that. Kendrick is a force.

[elisi]

I figured most people have probably seen it, but decide that this post is partly just for myself. And then I came across the therapist and just HAD to include him.

It's just sort of... the exact opposite of what you expect of a 60 year old white guy.

[sea_thoughts]

I loved how much he was into it, the dancing and the yelling! A true lover of hip-hop there.

[elisi]

IKR? A+++ reaction video!

[sea_thoughts]

Also I didn't mean to come across as dismissive when I said I'd already seen the performance, it's good that it's being discussed.

[elisi]

Oh noes, I never replied? /o\ Sorry!

Anyway, I just presumed that you obviously had great taste. ^_^

[masakochan]

Thanks for all the breakdown videos. \o/

My favorite one is about an English grandmother fangirl'ing about Kendrick. She's an absolute treasure. xD

[elisi]

Thanks for all the breakdown videos. \o/
You're welcome! I have watched more, but I reckon Xevi and Josh cover all the main points between them. :)

My favorite one is about an English grandmother fangirl'ing about Kendrick. She's an absolute treasure. xD
OMG I LOVE HER. She will have to be added.

[kerk_hiraeth]

Performance video would appear to be blocked.

All I know of Drake is from when he was on Degrassi, including a video which featured a few of his old castmates which, technically I've seen more of him as an artist than Kendrick Lamar (just a couple of clips from the Superbowl.

Of course, counting Serena Williams as an artist, I've seen her more than a thousand times the total of them put together.

kerk

[elisi]

Performance video would appear to be blocked.
Just the embed. You have to watch it on youtube. :)

All I know of Drake is from when he was on Degrassi, including a video which featured a few of his old castmates which, technically I've seen more of him as an artist than Kendrick Lamar (just a couple of clips from the Superbowl.
I had seen nothing of either! ^_^

Of course, counting Serena Williams as an artist, I've seen her more than a thousand times the total of them put together.
Here's to Serena! (Apparently she used to date Drake and he did not take it well when she dumped him...)

[kerk_hiraeth]

Might check it out but I'm one of those who always skips the half-time stuff; even game analysis, and go straight to the second half.

Even when I watched live I'd go and do something else and get back in time for that.

Never was one for all that stuff.

I'm just enjoying all the 'we believe in free speech' bigots crying because the blackest superbowl was happening and all they could do was whine.

kerk

[elisi]

Might check it out but I'm one of those who always skips the half-time stuff; even game analysis, and go straight to the second half.
It's basically a mini concert/performance, not the sort of 'Majorettes and Cheerleaders' thing that one usually associates with these things.

A lot of comments are saying how kind it was of Kendrick to allow them to play 'football' before and after his concert. *g*

It truly is a small work of intricate art. (Although I had to watch a good few videos to understand it all, because as I say in the post I know nothing about hip-hop or rap.)

I'm just enjoying all the 'we believe in free speech' bigots crying because the blackest superbowl was happening and all they could do was whine.
Also excellent! 👍

[kerk_hiraeth]

I do know what a half-time show is ;-)

They come from and go everywhere but, even in the days before the Superbowl half-time extravaganzas we've come to expect I skipped the break. Can't actually remember which year had the first 'modern' half-time show, but I was watching them before that whenever it was.

I was reminded this weekend that when I was still at school; probably when I was fifteen-ish, I wrote a SF story that involved a rebellion that made an area, centred on New York, an independent Nation.

Their first President?

Angela Davis.

kerk

[elisi]

I do know what a half-time show is ;-) They come from and go everywhere but, even in the days before the Superbowl half-time extravaganzas we've come to expect I skipped the break. Can't actually remember which year had the first 'modern' half-time show, but I was watching them before that whenever it was.
For sure, and probably far better than I. (My first thought is always Eurovision - I don't watch sports *g*)

This one however is as densely packed as a Shakespeare play condensed into 13 minutes. ETA: I genuinely think that rap is the modern-day equivalent to Shakespeare. The word plays, the rhythm, the storytelling, the denseness. And the mass appeal!

I was reminded this weekend that when I was still at school; probably when I was fifteen-ish, I wrote a SF story that involved a rebellion that made an area, centred on New York, an independent Nation. Their first President? Angela Davis.
Nice! And excellent choice. Your writings were more political than mine at that time.

[kerk_hiraeth]

The main reason why I had, particularly, the reference to Tupac Shakur; also why his song was so perfect as a title, was that Jet Wolf wrote the story; episode of her continuation, about Kennedy driving Tara up to Canada and had a scene where Kennedy finds a mixtape with Tupac playing on it.

After I began writing that fic I was remembering that story, and what she (Jet Wolf) was saying; not only about him and rap in general, but also about the assumptions everyone always had about Tara.

It's also one of the reasons why I always saw Faith and Tara as friends, because they had such similar family histories, and both suffered from the assumptions everyone had about them; eventually that meant them becoming a couple.

Tara's musical tastes, free from constraint and restrictive prejudice made a perfect frame for the slice of life story about Buffy, and the 2Pac track became a perfect landing for the story for a lot of the same reasons.

If memory serves it was the first song of his that, knowingly, I ever heard.

kerk

[verdande_mi]

Thanks for these videos - I'd already seen the performance, but I loved learning more.

[elisi]

You're welcome. ^_^

There are so many more (I think this one was the first one I came across, and it's very good) - it's as rewarding as a Shakespeare play.

[jerusha]

I watched that set from Josh Johnson. I'm not sure I completely understand the Kendrick Lamar/Drake beef, but I appreciated his commentary on the same.

[elisi]

Since the algorithm has now locked in, it's serving me more videos. So I am slowly piecing it together. But mostly it seems like Drake is a bit of dick (poaching songs etc), falling out with people and then making up, except Kendrick just went 'Nope, I don't like you!' and ran with it after they first fell out.

It feels a little like delving into Classic Who? There is a LOT of lore, and I don't really want to know all the details. ^_^