Despite the ridicule that rap/hip-hop music often receives, music of this genre holds some of the most genuine lyrics that come straight from the hearts of the artists that create it. Every song carries its own story and meaning; Alright by Kendrick Lamar is a great example of this. Through Lamar’s music, listeners can learn about some elements of his rough past and background. In Alright, Lamar explains that despite his hardships and failures, he keeps faith in the fact that God has a plan for him. Alright is such an excellent song because of the message he communicates about his past and his method of coping and powering through his lowest moments.

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     Lamar is typically very open with his life story through his music, and Alright is no exception to this fact. Those who clearly listen to his music will discover that behind the catchy beats and vulgar language lies the tale of Lamar’s past. It starts from the beginning in Alright; “Alls my life I has to fight.” He communicates that he’s never had it easy in his life. He says, “I recognize you’re looking at me from the pay cut.” He knows that he’s viewed as a means of making money through selling his music. Lamar talks a lot about the bad things he’s done in his lifetime and how he knows that it’s too late to change them; karma will come around for him. He feels that he’s getting too caught up in his greed, constantly wanting more and more money, making him more materialistic. Being that greed is a deadly sin, he refers to Lucifer a couple of times throughout the song; some listeners may be surprised to hear that “Lucy” is a nickname for the devil in this case rather than a reference to a drug. This admitting of sin and expression of concern for it is part of what makes the song so meaningful and impressive. Rather than remaining caught up in materialism and the greed of his industry, he talks about how he disapproves of it; “you can live at the mall.” Lamar is comparing the culture of consumerism in hip-hop to the devil in this case. He says that no amount of money is enough to satisfy greed. However, he clarifies that he raps of both his good and bad aspects in order to become right with God in the line, “My rights, my wrongs; I write ‘til I’m right with God.” This openness makes the song honest and genuine, and it’s this truth that appeals to me. I find it admirable that Lamar recognizes the bad in his life while continuing on.

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     While Lamar’s sincerity earns my respect in Alright, the main element of what makes this song so remarkable is the message that gives the song its title: everything is going to be alright. After amplifying his failures and low points, Kendrick goes on to say that keeping God’s plan in mind, he will get past them. This is his main point throughout the song; he will look past his failures and escape his troubles by keeping his eye on the light ahead. The repetition of the line “We gon be alright” symbolizes him reassuring himself that things will get better. The more he tells himself this, the better he will be able to grasp and believe this concept. Not only is this an uplifting message to hear Lamar give himself, it’s also a positive message being received by listeners. The pre-hook is where he really connects this song to the lives of others: “Wouldn’t you know, we’ve been hurt, been down before. When our pride was low, looking at the world like, ‘Where do we go?’” It’s easy for people to relate to this line because as Lamar notes, everybody has faced difficult periods in their lives. He’s encouraging people to stay with their faith and let it carry them through life’s problems.

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     It’s a well-known fact that everybody makes mistakes. People from questionable backgrounds are typically faced with more challenging situations, giving them more opportunities to mess up and fail. Kendrick Lamar fits this description. Growing up in Compton he was exposed to plenty of criminal activity that most likely swayed his actions and influenced some of his poor decisions. What’s so admirable about him is that he is able to admit to these faults and assure the world that he’s not planning on letting them hold him back or strike him down. In Alright he communicated this message and, in my opinion, did an excellent job of it. Alright is a song that gets stuck in the heads of millions of radio listeners every day; it’s also a piece that shares Kendrick Lamar’s success in working to resolve an inner conflict, which impresses me most.