“Really, Really, Real” The Globalization of Kendrick Lamar and the Transcultural Conceptualization of Hiphop Culture and the African-American Experience

Abstract

Kendrick Lamar (Compton, CA 1987) is one of the most universally claimed voices in rap music today. Known for conceptually dense albums containing strong political messages, Lamar reached audiences beyond Hiphop culture all over the world. This thesis researches a threefold of representations of Kendrick Lamar; firstly, Lamar’s self-representation as articulated through his music; secondly, the representation of Lamar I will argue that by defining Lamar, Hiphop culture and the African-American community are defined as well. Representations of Lamar portray him as a uniquely sane and innocent voice in a culture that has been deteriorating because of increased commercialism, sexism, and expressions of violence. In the Dutch media, Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly was able to catalyze debates on Dutch perceptions of Hiphop culture and race at large.