The Harsh Reality

To Pimp a Butterfly is a 2015 album from American rapper Kendrick Lamar. This album is regarded as the best rap album from the rapper and one of the best albums to ever exist. Even though the album has a great blend of musical genre from rap to jazz, there’s one song that caught my interest at the time it was released.

In the song, “You Ain't Gotta Lie,” by Kendrick Lamar, a narrator in the first person tells a story of a character trying to fit in. Lamar always based his work on times he lived in Compton, so this song relates the struggling of living in an urban neighborhood. The narrator explains the character tries to impress him, yet he's upset because the character is trying many things that can affect their lives to lead in a terrible path to the future. Which by the title of the song, the narrator is trying to convince the character that they can be themselves, as long this could help them get to a better future. The fate of the character in this song illustrates the constants consequences many people choose without comfort and attention from others.

The point of view and the background of the song contrast the discomfort of people living in urban neighborhoods. The narrator is shown to have experience of living in a society where many troubles have occurred many times. The narrator points out, “I could see the insecurities written all over your face. So predictable your words, I know what you gonna say,” to add his experience to view how this has a repeat from time to time. This helps us understand many have fallen in the failure of getting attention, so this creates the influence of many struggling with life at the same time, but the narrator wants to comfort them to stay focused on what they want to do in the future. In other words, this will prevent the constant discomfort and nervousness that has been repeating.

The language of the song supports the message by giving cultural languages that urban cities use that reflect people trying to gain attention. The narrator saw many people asking things that could cause trouble to look for “homie,” for which the song labels them as “Fugazi,” which means fake. This, hence of many people lost touch to be themselves where a place is cruel, creating a tone of disappointment and depression. As the narrator informs the reader, “And the world don't respect you and the culture don't accept you, but you think it's all love,” and “Askin’ 'where it's at?' only upsets me,” show how the narrator the fail actions of a character. Indeed, the setting to the song reflects the fail attempts to look for comfort and attention in an urban location and how it relates to many people in urban locations. This is a common start of many starting to commit crimes in an attempt to gain attention to others as they wanted to from the start.

These literary languages influence the song as well, for we can see the comparison of trying to gain attention and trying to cause trouble. The mood affects how Lamar is trying to address the message in comparison to give us a visual difference. Causing trouble for attention can affect people badly in humiliation in the line, “We live in the Laugh Factory every time they mention your name.” With this intention, humiliation can create harsh effects to many living in terrible neighborhoods, which compare a factory and humiliation to visualize the amount of the humiliation. We are also able to see how this can cause many to try lying for attention, as in this quote, “You can never relate me to him, to her... Or you, the truth you love bend.” In a like manner, lying can create many consequences in which the truth can't be revealed for their safety. At last, we now understand the troubles of trying to get attention from consequences.

To illustrate the meaning of the song, we view a character struggling to gain attention, and by doing so he/she create lies to gain attention, which can also create consequences. Kendrick Lamar is one of the rappers who address his songs based on his lifestyle living in Compton, so this song addresses the harsh reality of urban neighborhoods that have affected many people. The song allows using literary language to bring the real meaning of stop trying to get attention by not being you instead of being someone else. Therefore, we can understand the song giving the hope to those who are struggling with the same issue as the song is address to. In conclusion, “You Ain't Gotta Lie,” wants to persuade the people to not cause trouble in order to prevent any mistakes done for attention.