In Kendrick Lamar’s music video for his hit single “Alright”, Kendrick utilizes multiple visual aspects in order to explain that no matter what trials or tribulations may come, you are going to be alright. The video uses visual metaphors, color scheme and even implements lyrics into pictures so that the meaning of the song can be better understood. 

One major aspect of this video is the color scheme throughout. Kendrick’s song paints a bleak picture of the world and environment that he and his loved ones live in, and throughout the video, Kendrick is able to narrate this by submersing the entire video into this darker tinted black and white color scheme. This color scheme is present throughout the video and never changes. In the song Kendrick speaks about the struggles of living in a poverty stricken city, and multiple times he says “My knees get weak and my gun might blow…” in order to express his pain. In order to further express this feeling in the music video he paints his hometown city of Compton into a dark grey tone. Although at some points Kendrick seems to be having fun with the people who live in Compton, he keeps the color scheme present to show that even though they might not notice it at the time, the dark bleak life that they grew up in stays with them at all times. This helps Kendrick convey his overall theme because it allows the listener to visualize the way Kendrick see’s his city and the people living in it, and although the color scheme may be one of the most notable features of this video, towards the middle the bleakness seems to drift into the back of your mind as you watch Kendrick enjoy himself in his city. 

Another larger aspect of this video is the surrealness of it at times. Although Kendrick paints a pretty realistic image of his city and the people living in it, he seems to be levitating in the majority of the video. In the video Kendrick can be levitating throughout, sometimes he is directly upside down and other times he is standing on a light post in the middle of the city. These different scenes can be interpreted in different ways but one major translation is the feeling that Kendrick has ascended from the streets in which he grew up on. Throughout Kendrick’s album To Pimp a Butterfly, the rapper speaks about growing up in Compton and being able to reflect now that he is famous. This feeling is definitely more present when Kendrick starts talking about his love for the people in the city. Although he is famous, he is not afraid to let his friends and family know that everything is going to be alright. This is shown by Kendrick traveling through his hometown however his feet are never touching the ground. This overall shows how Kendrick was able to survive the struggles and rise above the harsh life he lived. Another scene around the 4:05 minute mark shows Kendrick levitating upside down over a group of people dancing and singing. Although similar to the overall message, this particular visual shows how Kendrick looks over his people and cares for them like a guardian angel. The overall song Alright, is a way to reassure the people he grew up with that he is a good example of what happens if you persevere and he shows that beautifully when he portrays himself as a watchful guardian over his home town. 

One of the final scenes overall concludes the theme in the song is towards the end of the video. Kendrick is on top of a light post dancing on a hill in what appears to be the middle of California. This particular scene represents his feeling of being at the epicenter of rap in his state. This also shows Kendrick still looking over Compton, Oakland and Los Angeles, all major cities around him. Although this may feel important, the larger aspect of this scene comes when a police officer comes out of the car and notices Kendrick Lamar dancing on a street pole. Throughout the song Kendrick repeats in the hook “And we hate PoPo, wanna kill us dead in the street for sure…”. One surprising part about this visual is that when the police officer holds out a gun to shoot Kendrick, it’s just his hand forming the shape of a gun. This could be Kendrick trying to translate that even if all cops don't just shoot people down, most cops around him can harm others using more than just weapons. This is a powerful and most times overlooked aspect of police brutality in todays society and Kendrick is able to express that feeling with ease in this video. Finally when the cop shoots Kendrick we see him hit the ground in a dramatic slow motion shot, and in the end the ground cracks beneath him. This is a very dramatic representation of Kendrick landing back on the Earth due to the struggles of his hometown. This shows how Kendrick feels that his trials and tribulations are going to be the deciding factor that lands him back into reality. 

The visual motif’s in Kendrick Lamar’s music video are a perfect visual expression of the music he made. Kendrick was able to translate the feelings of torment and struggle into a video, and was also able to illustrate his overcoming and relief of surviving the factors around him. 