The Black Lives Matter Movement, in addition
to many other things, seeks to affirm the contributions of African Americans in
our society and to commend their resilience in the face of seemingly endless oppression.
This is something that is so important to our nation today and it deserves all
of the attention it is getting, if not more. A lot of this attention is thanks
to the support of major pop culture icons such as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé,
as we read for class this week. Speaking for myself, I had listened to a few of
the songs off of Kendrick’s album To Pimp
A Butterfly and only took them at face value. I listened to the music
rather than the lyrics. After reading the article we were assigned I went back
and listened to the full album and made a point to pay attention to the lyrics.
His message is so powerful and he calls out so many issues. This shows the
influence he can have on people and the way they think with a simple song.
Artists in the hip-hop industry have so much influence, especially on American
youth. When Beyoncé’s Lemonade came
out it sparked so much productive conversation. In my particular experience I
can remember that the album took my school by storm, and the messages that she
was portraying was a major topic of discussion for the community for at least a
week. Twitter and Facebook were filled with clips from the video and quotes
from her songs. Some of these conversations praised the album, some ridiculed
it for being too provocative. While some discussions were negative, at least
she got people talking. Not only was her album empowering to women in general,
it specifically shed light on the struggles and triumphs of African American
women alike. This album was groundbreaking and as intended, I believe it had a
huge impact on the issues African Americans are facing. Like Kendrick Lamar’s
album, it shed light on these pressing issues. People who previously had no
opinions or interest in the movement were now seeing these issues all around
them. Celebrities obviously know the power and influence that they have in
common culture. I think that it is so great that some of these celebrities use
their power to advocate for social issues such as Black Lives Matter. One way
to end these issues is to get people talking. To use Beyoncé as another
example, her performance of Formation at Super Bowl 50 sparked so much
controversy. With this controversy comes conversation. Whether this
conversation is negative or positive, at least it gets people talking and
spreads awareness of these issues, especially in the younger generations in
America and elsewhere.
I completely agree with you when you state that celebrities use their songs to influence and educate people as to what is going on in the world. People like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar have a lot of impact on people, especially the younger generations who may not be well informed about the issues in today’s world. It is important that celebrities use their fame to shed light on issues that are present in our society. Beyoncé is a famous entrepreneur who has many followers, and she is also a well-respected black woman. I think that she is a perfect example of how a celebrity uses her power to educate the world on serious issues. You make a good point when you say that with controversy comes conversation. Although some may say that Beyoncé’s music is too provocative, she stimulates conversation on a number of pressing social issues. Her music reflects the pertinence of these current issues, which ultimately helps to spread awareness and encourages people to get involved.
ReplyDeleteThe influence artists have in today's day and age is astounding. Social Media allows their message to be spread all throughout the entire world. Their lyrics are so relevant to what is going on in today's society, and they continue to inspire so many people.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé have made an indelible mark upon the contemporary moment with their music. Their lyrics and the imagery associated with their music serve as a potent symbol of resistance and reflects the unrest of our current social climate. Music often acts as a pulse for society, when impactful artists make a bold statement against injustice people notice. Their definitely was quite a bit of controversy surrounding Beyoncé's Super Bowl performance, and yes; I agree it is good that it created a dialogue. Regardless of people's views, Beyoncé's performance forced white American's to be confronted with the movement that is happening within the nation. It sent a message that the contemporary moment is calling on tactics of the past in order to create a collective movement against the blatant racism that saturates America.
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