Journal 13!
Presentations Continued…..
Nov. 12th, 2020
This week, the presentations kept rolling in! for class today we had to listen to “To Pimp A Butterfly” which is a hip hop album by rapper, Kendrick Lamar. The album is all about growth and hardship.
In class, we discussed our favorite songs and spoke about Kendrick’s evolution as a leader in the hip hop industry and in the world of fame.
Kendrick does a lot of charity work with his wealth and chooses to give back to his city and communities in need. In his music, he speaks on struggle and trials that he had to face along with that of the African American people in the United States of America.
My favorite song off the album would have to be “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Mama Said)” and here are the lyrics.
Study long, study wrong, nigga
Hey, y’all close that front door, ya’ll let flies in this motherfucker
Close that door!
My OG up in this motherfucker right now
My pops man with the bottle of Hennessy in his hand, actin’ a fool
Hey, hey, babe check it out
Imma tell you what my mama had said, she like
I could spot you a mile away
I could see your insecurities written all on your face
So predictable your words, I know what you gonna say
Who you foolin’? Oh, you assuming you can just come and hang
With the homies but your level of realness ain’t the same
Circus acts only attract those that entertain
Small talk, we know that it’s all talk
We live in the Laugh Factory every time they mention your name
Askin’, “where the hoes at?” to impress me
Askin’, “where the moneybags?” to impress me
Say you got the burner stashed to impress me
It’s all in your head, homie
Askin’ “where the plug at?” to impress me
Askin’ “where the juug at?” to impress me
Askin’ “where it’s at?” only upsets me
You sound like the feds, homie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta lie, you ain’t gotta lie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta try so hard
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta lie, you ain’t gotta lie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta try so hard
And the world don’t respect you and the culture don’t accept you
But you think it’s all love
And the girls gon’ neglect you once your parody is done
Reputation can’t protect you if you never had one
Jealousy (complex), emotional (complex)
Self-pity (complex), under oath (complex)
The loudest one in the room, nigga, that’s a complex
Let me put it back in proper context
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta lie, you ain’t gotta lie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta try so hard
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta lie, you ain’t gotta lie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta try so hard
Askin’, “where the hoes at?” to impress me
Askin’, “where the moneybags?” to impress me
Say you got the burner stashed to impress me
It’s all in your head, homie
Askin’ “where the plug at?” to impress me
Askin’ “where the juug at?” to impress me
Askin’ “where it’s at?” only upsets me
You sound like the feds, homie
What do you got to offer?
Tell me before we off ya, put you deep in the coffin
Been allergic to talkin’, been a virgin to bullshit
And sell a dream in the auction, tell me just who your boss is
Niggas be fugazie, bitches be fugazie, this is for fugazi
Niggas and bitches who make habitual lyin’ babies
Bless them little hearts, you can never persuade me
You can never relate me
To him, to her, or that to them or you, the truth you love to bend
In the back, in the bed, on the floor, that’s your hoe
On the couch, in the mouth, I’ll be out, really though
So loud, rich niggas got low money
And loud, broke niggas got no money
The irony behind it is so funny
And I seen it all this past year
Pass on some advice we feel
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta lie, you ain’t gotta lie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta try so hard
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta lie, you ain’t gotta lie
You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain’t gotta try so hard
This song speaks to me because for so long I’ve tried to fit in and be one with the crowd an to do so I would lie about things I had and hadn’t done, I’d act a way that I thought people wanted me to and that wasn’t me. My mom saw that in me and noticed I wasn’t being true to who I am and made me realize you don’t have to lie to make people like you. This lesson is a great one to learn and build off of in order to be a well liked leader that doesn’t take or speak any bullshit.
Nov. 16th, 2020
11:00pm
The assignment for tomorrow is to listen to the album “4 Your Eyez Only” by J. Cole who is a star in the hip hop industry along side Kendrick Lamar.
Listening to this album brought me back to songs I hadn’t vibed to in a long time so it was nice to reminisce.
It also made me remember the nights where I would drive me and my friends all over town to get food and just get out of the house and we would blast J. Cole songs up and down the streets. My friends Boi and Francis always knew every word which was beyond my comprehension but they never missed a beat.
Nov. 17th
9:40am
In class
Time for the J. Cole presentation!!!!!!
The group did pretty well and their questions at the end were well thought out however, they did cause a huge debacle over who was better, J. Cole or Kendrick and that honestly wasted more time than it should’ve but oh well. Their commentary one each song was well thought out and highly researched. I learned a lot about the meanings behind each song.
As far as the leadership connection, the album was more along the lines of connecting to life experiences rather than how to be better. It really just touched on issues in society and his personal life rather than directly how to fix it and lead people in doing so.
Later on we did discuss our favorite songs and mine in particular was “Folding Clothes.”
Lyrics-
I wanna fold clothes for you
I wanna make you feel good
Baby I wanna do the right thing
Feels so much better than the wrong thing
I said I wanna fold clothes for you
I wanna make you feel good
Baby I wanna do the right thing
Feels so much better than the wrong thing
I wanna fold clothes for you
I wanna fold clothes for you
Woke up this morning
Feeling like the best version of me, so happy
I, walked in the living room
And saw you all alone on the couch, just napping
I, I see a lot on your plate
9 months with that weight
I know you tired so I wonder how I can help
I get the basket and grab your clothes out the dryer
Oh
I wanna fold clothes for you, hey hey
I wanna make you feel good
Baby I wanna do the right thing
Feels so much better than the wrong thing
I said I wanna fold clothes for you
I wanna make you feel good
Baby I wanna do the right thing
Feels so much better than the wrong thing
I wanna fold clothes for you
Listen, this is a meditation for me
A practice of being present
There’s no where I need to be, except right here with you
Except right here with you
Foldin’ clothes, watching Netflix
Catching up on our shows, eating breakfast
Raisin Bran in my bowl with bananas and some almond milk
I never thought I’d see the day I’m drinking almond milk
You soft!
I wanna fold clothes for you
I wanna make you feel good
Baby I wanna do the right thing
Feels so much better than the wrong thing
I said I wanna fold clothes for you
I wanna make you feel good
Baby I wanna do the right thing
Feels so much better than the wrong thing
I wanna fold clothes for you
If I can make life easier, the way you do mine
Save you some time, alleviate a bit of stress from your mind
Help you relax, let you recline babe
Then I should do it, cause Heaven only knows
How much you have done that for me
Now I see it’s the simple things
It’s the simple things, it’s the simple things
Now say, “I love you” it’s the simple things
It’s the simple things, it’s the simple things
Niggas from the hood is the best actors
We the ones that got to wear our face backwards
Put your frown on before they think you soft
Never smile long or take your defense off
Acting tough so much we start to feel hard
Live from the city where they pull cards
I got a Glock 40 and a little nine
Ready for the day a nigga pull mine
Niggas from the hood is the best actors
Got learn to speak in ways that’s unnatural
Just to make it through the job interviews
If my niggas heard me, they’d say “Damn what’s gotten into you?”
Just trying to make it dog, somehow
Peaking through the blinds, I see the sun now
I see you’re still sleeping and it feels like
Maybe everything is gon’ be alright
Everybody wants to feel that type of love and care for someone that deeply. They want someone to see the world they come from and how they were built, but make them feel like “maybe everything is gon’ be alright.” That’s why I love this song.
