Use Your Voice

Chapter 3 of "From Voice to Influence" by Allen and Light caught my attention for various reasons, mainly due to the discussion of impure dissent. Never in my life have I heard of such a term, but immediately it sounds pretty negative. I honestly hate that the word "impure" is even attached, especially seeing as it is in relation to oppressed individuals. From what I can gather, political dissent refers to any "negative" expression that is in response to disagreement from politics. What makes something "impure" is a message that encourages the oppressed to act transgressively.

 According to Allen and Light, hip hop and rap is usually classified as being morally and politically impure because of its similarity to civil disobedience that may be displayed (Allen and Light 67). Immediately, I went to google and typed "rap songs with political messages"to see for myself what types of messages were being conveyed. I came across the song "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar, and after reading the lyrics, I found the song to be powerful. I do not believe the song to be "impure", even though it would contextually be considered that way. I am not politically offended by the content of the song, in contrast, I found it to be uplifting. In the song, Lamar is expressing his struggles as a minority, and reassuring his audience that everything will be okay. There is mention of police brutality in the song, and even features anti police lyrics. The music video is just as powerful, and features Lamar on top of a police car as a form of protest, which caused an uproar among certain individuals. I came across a quote from FoxNews anchor Geraldo Rivera who expressed his dislike in the message of the song and the music video, “This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism in recent years. This is exactly the wrong message.” I highly disagree with Rivera's comment. In general, music is a form of expression, and Lamar is simply expressing his voice. Lamar is expressing all of the hurt that oppressed minorites experience. Lamar's lyrics are very raw and real.

 While many chose to deny the reality that is police brutality and racial profiling, it is a very real thing in many communities. Individuals like Rivera may be blind to seeing the underlying message of hope that is featured in Lamar's song, and they may chose to focus on the 'politicly hurtful' aspects. In 2015, the song "Alright" was being sung by individuals participating in the Black Lives Matter protests. "Activists from all over America chanted “we gon’ be alright” to mourn the countless black people killed by police in 2015 and provide hope for a better future" (Harris). I think it's truly amazing that Lamar's song had such a powerful impact, it is exactly the type of song that many individuals need to keep their spirits up. Lamar is also spreading awareness to the wide audience that listens to his music, seeing as he is wildly popular among many ages, genders, and cultures. His music can make a difference by shedding light to someone who lacks awareness about the horrors of police brutality, and it may also inspire others to do more research and actively spread the word and inform others with the hopes of making a change. Use your voice! #Blacklivesmatter

 Kendrick Lamar "Alright" lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/alright-lyrics-kendrick-lamar.html

 https://consequenceofsound.net/2015/06/fox-news-says-kendrick-lamar-has-done-more-damage-to-young-african-americans-than-racism/

 http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2015/08/black_lives_matter_protesters_chant_kendrick_lamar_s_alright_what_makes.html

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