Playlist by Camren Blanton

Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst - Kendrick Lamar

150278_19 — 2024-11-20 18:25:06 UTC

The first section titled “Sing About Me” takes place in three different perspectives, the first is in one of Kendrick’s friend's Dave’s older brothers perspective, Dave got shot and kendrick held him as he died, the rest of the first verse talks about Dave’s brother trying to get revenge (he does) and tells Kendrick, and during this he realizes the irony and how the “eye for an eye” culture was so easy to be consumed in, about halfway through him talking he gets shot, symbolizing how revenge and death is in a constant loop in his culture and neighborhood.

The section titled “I’m Dying Of Thirst” talks about the emptiness and “thirst” for a life with substance and how the young adults and teens are “dying of thirst” because they have nothing to live for, no real nourishment as they are consumed in this life of violence, sex, money and revenge. Towards the end of the song there is a skit of an sold woman telling them that they are “dying of thirst” and prays with them, ending the cycle of death and destruction.

DUCKWORTH - Kendrick Lamar

150278_19 — 2024-11-21 18:11:43 UTC

This song is a true story about "Ducky" (Kendrick's father) and "Anthony" (the owner of Kendrick's record label, Top Dawg Entertainment). Anthony robbed the KFC that Ducky worked at, but Ducky saw it coming and gave Anthony free food, so they became friends, causing Anthony to spare his life. The last line in the song is "If Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg(Anthony) would be serving life and Id have grew up without a father and died in a gunfight", meaning that because Ducky was kind to Anthony, Kendrick grew up with a good role model and didn't die young because of gang violence like many other kids he knew, ending a generational cycle.

Change - J.Cole

150278_19 — 2024-11-21 18:20:34 UTC

This song follows a true story about one of J.Coles close friends James (not his real name). J.Cole sees on the news that he was gunned down at 22, on this track ‘Cole talks about the world needing a change, and how if you want to see a change you have to be the change, symbolizing the reality that things don’t just “change” but we have to make an effort to.