Is Kendrick Lamar Crazy or a Modern Day Messiah?

The unnamed narrator in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man drives himself insane as he tries to embody various ideologies ranging from the Black respectability politics embraced by the Black middle-class to a brand of communism championed by liberal whites. He is also confronted by Garvyite Black nationalism and tragically learns that no one has his best interest at heart regardless of their ideology. The narrator eventually finds himself mentally ill, living in a dark hole in the streets of Harlem, lost to other people's intentions. After a long absence and a sudden appearance on his cousin’s single, Family Ties, in the summer of 21, I feared Kendrick Lamar had become this century's most prominent invisible man. 

Many Black Americans drive ourselves crazy as we try to understand why we are hated. We create “alternative”  theories, philosophies, religions, and histories that barely make sense.  We cling to these notions zealously. It becomes our identity and reason for being. Others obsess with “traditional” political and economic theories like communism, socialism and capitalism, and religions like Christianity and Islam. We think of ourselves as disciples of  Martin Luther King, Malcolm  X, Karl Marx or Adam Smith, Marcus Garvey or Booker T.  Washinton, and the prophet Mohamad or Jesus of Nazareth. Often, we embody contradictory combinations of thoughts and do not understand any of them enough to appreciate their logical conclusions, but we join movements, overwhelmed with a sense of purpose. 

Kendrick claims he is not our savior on his latest album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, but the album is full of messianic references. Kendrick implicitly invokes the story of Jesus Christ, which is the most resonant in human history. Jesus lived according to his beliefs, stuck to them in the face of prosecution and was executed. But in the end, he conquered humanity's greatest foe; death.  Every modern and ancient civilization has its hero(s), but Jesus stands the test of time because in his story, not only does he conquer death, we all do if we simply believe and accept him as our lord and savior. Such absolution is irresistible.

Many of us, especially the empathic ones, endeavor to be modern-day messiahs. We try to free our people from hate and ultimately conquer a certain kind of death, but the real miracle of Jesus, King and X was their clarity. Most of us are confused and get lost in it. We end up in our own dark holes, spiraling into insanity.  This begs the question, is Kendrick Lamar crazy or a modern-day messiah?

In Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, the protagonist, Lauren, illustrates the pain empaths feel as they navigate the dysfunctional world around them. She nearly kills herself in her ultimate quest to save humanity. Kendrick has repeatedly told this story in his music, for it is his life story. Kendrick’s empathy is our favorite trait, but Kendrick now challenges us to see how far our empathy goes.

In an article about Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, author Kevin Powell criticized Kendrick for including the problematic rapper, Kodak Black on his album. Powell describes Kendrick as a “dope poet” and mentions Kendrick’s Pulitzer Prize. Powell, like many others, differentiates Kendrick as something more than a rapper. In other words- Kendrick is not like those other nigga, but this is the very reason Kendrick includes Kodak Black on his album. As to say- I am this nigga and now that you know, will you still sing about me? 

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness resisting the temptations of Satan. This story is told as further evidence that Jesus of Nazareth is worthy of our praise. It is the absence of sin that deems Jesus messianic. Kendrick flips this notion on its head. Kendrick proclaims that is messianic, not because he resisted sin, but because he has engaged, then confronted and conquered it by taking away its only weapon; stigma. He is not our savior because his victory only extends to his family. We have to do our own work to save the ones we love.