In the wake of police brutality against African Americans, kendrick lamar has released the song DNA, which makes a statement on racism and stereotypes in America. He uses symbolism and contradictory lyrics to create a powerful message that the world needs to take note of.
The first half of the music video focuses on the animosity between those who embrace black culture and those who are suspicious of it, especially police officers. The video shows the interrogation of a black police officer, who taunts Kendrick Lamar as he raps, "See you's a bitch, you's a sucker," and "Backbone don't exist, born outside of a jellyfish, I gauge."
At 1:52, the song suddenly switches to an ominous sample of garbage burning in the background. This sound never normally appears in top 40 music but Kendrick Lamar manages to capture it perfectly, which is a remarkable feat for him.
During the second half of the song, the investigator and Kendrick Lamar join in on their raps and become one person. This is a symbolic image that shows how oppressed the investigator and Kendrick Lamar are because they are linked by their past experiences and the violence they feel every day.
The song also reflects the reality of the situation for African Americans in society today, which is that many people are leaning on respectability politics and racist ideologies. Kendrick Lamar is trying to counter this by pointing out that hip-hop culture isn't the problem and shouldn't be embraced with these racist standards. It is important to remember that if we want to change the world, we must all do our part in supporting each other and not letting anyone else dictate what is and isn't acceptable.
