Essay: Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics and Beowulf

The album good kid, m.A.A.d city, a literary epic by Kendrick Lamar, holds many elements of epic poetry. The story of this album surrounds K dot, a troubled teen growing up in Compton. It follows his troubles with characters like Sherane, and conflicts like getting jumped, getting in trouble for borrowing his mothers van, or drives down Rosecrans Ave. His journey to get out of Compton helps him to become his final form, Kendrick Lamar. During this quest through the ghettos of Compton, similarities can be found to the epic journey. Therefore Kendrick Lamars album good kid, m.A.A.d city displays elements of epic poetry with a story with the epic journey and other literary elements.
The story begins with B*tch Don’t Kill My Vibe, in media res, the first part to K Dots (Kendrick Lamar) epic journey and his quest for identity, self, and knowledge. In epic poetry, the epics typically contain literary devices like alliteration, kennings, and caesura. Here in the first song to open up K Dots story we see alliteration “ I can feel the changes I can feel a new life, I always knew life can be dangerous” (B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Lamar). In Beowulf we can also find several examples of alliteration “sleep of the sword they sloped” (Trans. Heaney 565). Alliteration can be used to stress Kendrick Lamars feelings, like how he feels his life around is changing and how its effecting him. His wording often includes kenning like metaphors to exaggerate “ I can feel your energy from two planets away”. It is very apparent that Kendrick uses these elements in his album and that he uses alliteration heavily “Look inside of your soul and you can find gold and maybe get rich Look inside of your soul and you can out it never exist”. Kendrick repeats many words and phrases often, usually being the title of the song like “B*tch Don’t Kill My Vibe”. Kendricks vernacular leaves little to question whether his song writing can be described as epic poetry. In rap, kennings are almost natural due to them create rhymes and allowing rappers to flow easier with the beat of their song while still getting their point across to the listener “to die in a pitiful vain, tell me a watch and a chain is way more believable, give me a feasible gain rather a seasonal name”. With kennings and alliteration present all around in solely one song of his 12 song album, good kid, m.A.A.d city gives great proof as to why it is alike to epic poetry. This is solely the start to why this album is epic poetry.
Along with small pieces of epic poetry and literary devices, the album is incredibly descriptive. Talking about his epic journey to escape the gangs and violence, Kendrick gives us great detail and insight, to what he felt and the things he saw around him. Throughout good kid m.A.A.d city, imagery is very present in Kendricks story telling. The small details he includes in his epic journey give the most insight “Ciara had played in the background The parade music we had made us all wearin’ shades now” (Sherane A.K.A Master Splinters Daughter, Lamar). Details that arise from the night Kendrick met his love interest Sherane at a house party make the listener feel like they themselves are there “I met her at this house party on El Segundo and Central She had the credentials of strippers in Atlanta Ass came with a hump, from the jump she was a camel I want to ride like Arabians – push an 04 mercedes-benz” (Sherane A.K.A Master Splinters Daughter, Lamar). We see through this song Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter how Kendrick begins to fall for her. With more description we hear and almost can see Kendrick on his first trip to Sherane’s house “So now I’m down Rosecrans in a Caravan Passin’ Alameda my gas meter in need of a pump I got enough to get me through the traffic jam….. Im two blocks away, 250 feet and six steps from where she stay, she wavin’ me cross the street I pulled up, a smile on my face, and then i see two n*ggas, two black hoodies, I froze as my phone rang” (Sherane A.K.A Master Splinters Daughter, Lamar). This is one of the first times Kendrick faces a life threatening situation where he is truly hurt and realizes the true evil the Compton lifestyle can make you encounter. These gangbangers, drug dealers, and murderers are the villains in Kendricks story. Compton villains are uglier, more evil, and more cunning than those in ordinary life and Compton is no ordinary place “so come and visit the tire screeching, ambulance, policeman wont you spend a weekend on Rosecrans n*gga” (Compton, Lamar). According to Kendrick himself “Compton,Compton, ain’t no city like mine” (Compton, Lamar). Throughout the album we see references of religion that Kendrick used to get through these evils and villainous characters.
In epic typically there are supernatural elements “often involved in the affairs of humans” (Beowulf Epic Poetry and Literary Elements). Often in Kendricks tracks in good kid, m.A.A.d city we see religious aspects and calling (prayer) to these supernatural elements “Lord God I come to you a sinner And I humbly repent for my sins… I will ask that Jesus will come to my life And be my lord and savior” (Sherane A.K.A Master Splinters Daughter, Lamar). The central religious idea is that God played a large part during his life in Compton and helped comfort him when he was fearful that everyday could be his last “If its today I hope I hear a cry out from heaven so loud it can water down a demon with the holy ghost till it drown in the blood of Jesus” (Sing about me I’m dying of thirst, Lamar). These religious prayers and mentions in the album reveal how it follows characteristics of epic poetry. In Beowulf religion and a higher power are mentioned as well “But blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Fathers embrace”(Trans. Heaney 186-188). He used this supernatural help to assist him to get out of the Compton lifestyle and become a new man.
In this story, Kendrick is introduced as a teen in Compton just living his ordinary life. His journey begins with him facing the true dangers of Compton for the first time after getting jumped by two men waiting for him outside of Sherane’s. After realizing he needs to escape this life he runs into issues “But what am I supposed to do when the topic is red or blue” (Good Kid, Lamar). He was stuck in the middle of this major conflict between two gangs. The courage he had to stay with his friends who were involved with the blood and crips, was a level of courage not many dare attempt (Beowulf Epic Poetry and Literary Elements). Kendrick is an epic hero because of this. His great journey is his own journey to find himself, which is a path many stuck in the cycle cannot follow “Any n*gga can kill a man, that don’t make you a real n*gga. Real is a responsibility, real Is taking care of your motherf*cking family , real is god, n*gga” (Real, Lamar). Although Kendrick does not fight in single handed combat against some monster, he fights a different battle with a whole other beast, Compton “Come back a man, tell your story to these black and brown kids in Compton. Let em know you was just like them, but still rose from that dark place of violence, becoming a positive person” (Real, Lamar). Kendricks way out of this was through his talent for music. The song Compton is a recollection of his success and a boast of what he has accomplished despite his rough upbringing “Its a wrap when I’m done and i came a long way from a hundred dollars a month To a hundred mil’ in a day, bitch I’m from Compton, Compton, ain’t no city quite like mine” (Compton, Lamar).
Kendrick Lamars album good kid, m.A.A.d city is epic poetry. The album is considered epic poetry due to the fact that it follows and includes elements of epic poetry and other epic literary elements. Throughout almost all the songs which depict the epic journey that is Kendricks, elements like kennings, and alliteration are apparent through his rhymes and storytelling. Elements that are found in Beowulf can also be discovered in good kid, m.A.A.d city such as religious idea and the help of supernatural elements in the lives of people. Therefore good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar displays elements of epic poetry by including the epic journey and epic literary elements.
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