All Of Us

5.9.22

As Kendrick Lamar gears up to release what we are anticipating a double album this upcoming Friday, he gave us something that will undoubtedly hold us over until then. The Heart Part 5 just dropped with accompanying music video, and the visuals paired up with the words are bound to leave you in tears. Kendrick uses this track to speak on behalf of ‘All of Us,’ and shares different perspectives through a variety of iconic figures from the across culture.

In just twelve hours, the music video already has over 5.5 Million views, and is the number one trending video on YouTube, currently. The video is five minutes and forty seconds, of what fans are calling, “pure art.” The intro to the track highlights that this world is perspective, it is all how you make of it. And that each individual will have their own perspective on any situation. This is the perfect intro for what we are about to witness throughout the verses to come.

Verse one begins with Kendrick rhyming about the things he has experienced in his life. The struggle and the violence that happens in inner-cities. That even if one goes down the wrong path and comes back improved, they are still at risk. Suddenly, Kendrick swiftly moves his hands to his face, and now he appears to have OJ Simpson’s face Photoshopped onto his body. A few bars go by and then Kanye West appears, then Jussie Smollett, back to Kendrick.

What is incredible is that through these bars, Kendrick is giving perspective from each individual and what they have been going through. OJ is one of the world’s most well-known trial cases, for allegedly murdering his wife. Kendrick mentioning the bulletproof Rover is OJ living his life knowing he could have had all the money and power in the world, but now has to watch his back everywhere he goes, due to the narrative of being a murderer, to his own family at that. Whether or not, this was the case.

It is interesting Kendrick mentions “friends bipolar,” because Ye is known to take medicine for his bipolar diagnose. However, when it goes on to talk about friends wanting to use you for your money, but then continuing to point fingers, this seems all too relevant for what Ye has been going through, perhaps when he needed the support the most.

Jussie Smollett is an actor who was arrested for allegedly faking being a target of a hate crime. Jussie came out as a gay black man, and the two men in question for being his attackers were from Nigeria. The rest of verse two speaks about representation, history repeating itself, and by a man with the same skin color. It is about division in race, equality in sexual orientation, and a clear representation of the horrible circumstances Smollett has certainly been through.

After Kendrick cleans up some things, charging all these antics to the culture, Will Smith is up next for his Photoshop Cameo.

In the land where hurt people hurt more people
F*** callin' it culture

I want the hood to want me back
I want the hood
Look what I done for you
Look what I done for you

Will gets two bars and the chorus, and tell me this is not spot on for what Will Smith is going through this the Oscars? His wife is hurting, but if someone wants to pick on her for that exact reason, it is okay because comedy is a job? Hurt people hurting people is supposed to be okay, and for sticking up for his wife, the whole world has seemed to turn their backs on him after we literally grew up with this man on our televisions. Would you have not done the same?

Verse three highlights Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle. Very much two of the more emotional pieces. Paid dues, made rules, change outta love, is certainly a number of words we can say about Kobe. He went through a lot of ups and downs in his early career, but everything of as late had been nothing less of extraordinary. While he was recently retired from playing on the basketball court itself, there was so much life left for him and GiGi, where we know they were unable to reach their full potential, but they did love so much, their family and all their fans and supporters.

Nipsey’s portion was the longest and the realest. Kendrick forgave his killer, but noted that his soul was in question. I cannot help but think that is exactly what Nip would say if he was still here. I think everyone feels his presence when we hear him on the radio, and I believe he did leave his community, and the world, with a true understanding of what his mission was, and why he was put on planet Earth. It was not his time to go, but thanks to him, the communities have listened and learned how to come together. He will be remembered for all the positive things he did through his interviews, and of his skills, patience and presence, through his music.

This music video and the track within itself was a whole lot. I would certainly call it a work of art.