Kendrick Lamar Hot New Album Release 2015: TDE Rapper Releases 'The Blacker the Berry' [Video]
Kendrick Lamar released the second single, "The Blacker the Berry," off his anxiously awaited, yet-to-be-titled sophomore studio album on Monday.
The Compton emcee unveiled his brand new track via "Empire" actress Taraji P. Henson, who tweeted, "Here is a working link for my fav song on @kendricklamar new joint he has coming!!!!"
Produced by Boi-1da and Terrace Martin, K. Dot kicks off the song by pointing out the inner struggles faced by African Americans today:
"Everything black, I don't want black / I want everything black, I ain't need black / Some white some black, I ain't mean black, I want everything black."
The conscious cut was inspired by Wallace Thurman's 1929 novel "The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life," which addresses colorism and racial discrimination within the black community.
The "Poetic Justice" rapper continues to express his raw emotion, raging at negative racial social issues and stereotypes.
"Pardon my residence / Came from the bottom of mankind / My hair is nappy, my d*ck is big, my nose is round and wide," he spits over sturdy drums and subtle electric guitar riffs. "You hate me, don't you? / You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture."
Jamaican musician Assassin, who previously contributed on Kanye West's "Yeezus" track "I'm In It," then jumps on the thumping beat to offer his chant vocals on social oppression: "I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black / Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black / And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black."
TDE artist wraps up his aggressive speech by encouraging listeners to reevaluate African culture and heritage -- just in time for Black History Month:
"So don't matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers / Or tell Georgia State, 'Marcus Garvey got all the answers' / Or try to celebrate February like it's my B-Day / Or eat watermelon, chicken and Kool-Aid on weekdays / Or jump high enough to get Michael Jordan endorsements / Or watch BET cause urban support is important / So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street? / When gang banging make me kill a n*gga blacker than me? Hypocrite!"
Kendrick Lamar, who won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for his lead single "i," had a legit reason to skip the Grammys after all. Listen to "The Blacker the Berry" below:
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