Why the first verse in Kendrick Lamar’s ‘XXX.’ is his greatest moment
Kendrick Lamar’s legacy as one of the greatest to ever do it is already cemented, let’s not pretend otherwise. The Pulitzer Prize-winning artist has seemingly transcended rap, becoming a poet, and has shed the confines of being simply a rapper, taking on an almost religious moniker. To pick K-Dot’s greatest verse is a luxury and an almost impossible task due to his years of masterful lyricism and second-to-none taming of flow and beat.
The Compton rapper’s first verse on his track ‘XXX.’ that was released on his record-breaking album ‘DAMN’ in 2017 is the choice. The song and specifically the verse itself works on three tiers. It offers an intimate look at Kendrick’s personal tragedies and struggles with those emotions. The verse also provides important commentary on the state of and issues surrounding race relations in America, both within the black community and the treatment of the black community externally.
The majority of the verse details a narration of Lamar receiving a call from a friend whose son was killed and his advice on what to do. As soon as he starts discussing this call, the beat speeds up and ramps up in aggression. This is a good signifier for the lyrics that are to follow as the entire verse breaks out into an emotionally charged rant that is empowered by a chaotic energy and his every laboured breath.
The death in question kickstarts Lamar’s commentary on the cyclical violence that is prevalent in black American communities. Who killed his friend’s son isn’t revealed but it allows the musician to give his take on black-on-black violence. The lyrics “I wait in front a n-gga’s spot and watch him hit his block” and “I chip a n-gga, then throw the blower in his lap” are his criticism of the culture of revenge murder and gang allegiance in black communities.
The advice that he offers bluntly is, “If somebody killed my son, that means somebody getting killed”. This comes as a reflection by the rapper who, growing up in Compton, almost lost his father to gang violence. Lamar is aware of how easy it is to fall into that cycle of violence and worries that, under different circumstances, he could have done the same.
As the verse draws to a close Kendrick starts listing all his different family members, ramping up his energy and breathing heavily between lines. He’s becoming a musical interpretation of that violence showing that although he criticises the cycle of violence, he also sympathises with it.
The verse ends though on a note of hope as K.Dot says “matter fact, I’m bout to speak at this convention, call you back”. The ‘Humble’ rapper is aware that he has become a role model for black Americans and offers an olive branch to remind others that they can be too.
The song also serves as a criticism of the rise in racial tension that was brought in the wake of Donald Trump’s ascension to the Presidency in 2016. Lamar is smart though. Instead of directly attacking Trump or his character he attacks the politics and policies that are keeping the black community down and are causing the cycle of violence.
The reason that Kendrick’s friend’s son was killed was “because of insufficient funds”, highlighting that black communities and schools aren’t receiving the same funding as white communities. He recognises that this leads young black Americans to gang life and violence, seeing no alternative way to earn money through education.
Lamar also discusses the direct killing of black Americans by the police in his lines, “ain’t no Black Power when your baby killed by a coward” and “I can’t even keep the peace, don’t you fuck with one of ours”. He is aware that black Americans can’t empower themselves when they have to be afraid of those who are supposed to protect them as quote-on-quote equal citizens.
Kendrick provides entertainment at an efficiency and standard so high that fans must be appreciative simply of the fact that they are alive at the same time as him. Lamar though, unlike other artists, doesn’t simply rap about money, women and drugs, he offers intimate insight into the issues facing black America and vulnerable looks at his own life. What he achieves in this one-minute verse absolutely categorises him as much more than a rapper.