Full textual analysis - "Alright"

Full textual analysis - "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-48u_uWMHY Context -The song "Alright" by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, was taken from his third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). The song lyrically is a festive song about hope featuring vocals from the song's co-producer Pharrell Williams during the chorus. "Alright" was released to radio stations as the album's fourth single on June 30, 2015. -"Alright" is the Sound Of Black Life, Bothe party and protest the Kendrick Lamar song turned protest chant against police violence eindentifies a d -The song was associated with Black Lives Matter after several youth-led protests were heard chanting the chorus, with some publications calling "Alright" the "unifying soundtrack" of the movement. -This Pharrell Williams co-produced jazzy hip-hop infusion finds Lamar, despite all his bad trips and hard times, ready to face another day. With God on his side, he is confident everything will be "Alright." -This is one of the several songs on To Pimp a Butterfly that were inspired by Lamar's time in South Africa during 2014. When interviewed by MTV news Lamar said "When I got to Africa and saw other people's problems, their struggle was 10 times harder and was raised crazier than what I was. Going out there really inspired - I wrote a lot of records off the album just by visiting South Africa. That was the moment I knew, OK, I could either pimp this situation or fall victim to it. That was a turning point." -Pharrell Williams created the beat and only six months later, Williams came up with a hook that inspired Lamar to find the right lyrics. The hook, "We gon' be alright!" allowed Lamar to use the symbolism inherent to spur the rest of the song's lyrics that eventually resonated with an entire movement. -Lamar described "Alright" as a message of hop. the song begins with spoken words treatise before exploding into shoplifting portrait of America that brings in jazz horns, skittering drum beats and Lamar's mellifluous rapping as he struggles with troubles and temptations. Kendrick Lamar's 'Alright' Is The Sound Of Black Life, Both Party And Protest The Kendrick Lamar song turned protest chant against police violence identifies a daily balancing act: There is hope, and there is despair. There's the ideal world, and there's the real one. Cinematography, Editing, Lighting and Sound -This video contains many characteristics of the Hip Hop genre, combining some classic Hip Hop music video conventions with contemporary Hip Hop conventions and ideas that challenge the stereotypical Hip Hop video. -The whole video is in black and white, this is common throughout several protest songs it could suggest that the artists wants to take the audience away from the racial backgrounds of other and the colours around them and allow them to focus on video and meaning. This could be contrasted, by them trying to convey the dull surroundings but saying there is despair but there is hope. -The lighting throughout the entirety of the music video is a continuous contrast between black and white due to the songs meaning of stating black people will be ‘alright’ against discrimination. This resembles the on going rivalry between policeman in America and its black citizens. -Shot distances vary a lot throughout this music video. However, regardless of the shot distance, it is done with a purpose. In this example, - -Kendrick Lamar appears in a long shot where his entire body is visible, as well as the main city of Los Angeles (where he is from). This suggests that he is a God like figure of LA as he watches over it from a distance. -It is clear the director (Colin Tilley) have manipulated shot distance in order to portray specific meanings. A front focus shot is also used here. The focus is on Kendrick Lamar's feet where it is obvious that he is flying. Despite the lack of focus, you can clearly see the man in the background reaching his arm out trying to touch Lamar, suggesting that he is superior, which is indicated by his flying. Yet again this appears to show that the people of LA aspire to be like Lamar. The use of this shot highlights his importance and his uniqueness. Mise-en-scene -Mise-en-scene includes objects like guns to represent the violence between the police and black people. -On one occasion, a gun is used by a policeman to shoot a black man who was running away. This clearly exemplifies the way police deal with problems in America. Cars and money also present the luxury lifestyle a rapper lives. -Kendrick and the rest of the cast drive around recklessly throwing money out of the windows in sport-like cars, showing that they have too much money for their own good, allowing them to just waste it by 'making it rain'. This follows the typical conventions of many rap videos.