
In his music video for the song “Alright” Kendrick used a visual image of the police to create a profound effect with viewers.  He uses this image of the police multiple times throughout the music video to great effect.   This image also had such a strong impact on viewers because of social issues dealing with the police.  The single was released on June 30, 2015.  This was in the midst of multiple police brutalities upon the African American community.  Many notable celebrities have spoken out against such brutalities and have demanded social change.  Kendrick Lamar is no different, and he used the platform of his music to get his point across.  Kendrick uses the imagery in his music video to demonstrate the horrors of police brutality upon the African American community.  Kendrick is a spokesperson for the Black Lives Matter movement, and has been able to use social advantage, and is able to use his view in the public as an activist to further progress his own image and position, which could be positive or negative depending on how he takes advantage of the power he has gained, in the eyes of the public through his music and music videos.

One early use of the visual image of the police is a scene in which a white police officer who pulls out his gun and shoots an African American male who is running away in handcuffs.  It is a close up shot of the police officer.  All that can be seen in the shot is the officer’s face and his gun.  This image is made even stronger when the text is used concomitantly with the visual image.  This graphic image starts at the 1:30 mark in the music video.  The lyrics overlaid with the image say “I was fighting a war of apartheid and oppression.”  Kendrick himself is from Compton, an area famous for violence and police brutality. This issue of police violence is one that is creating many problems in America.  There have been multiple protests from the African American community, and social tensions today are at an all-time high.  Kendrick has been on record to say that current police brutalities are intolerable, but he knows the situation can and will improve for the African American community.   Many notable celebrities have taken up stands against the police and even against the country.  Most recently is National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick.  He exercises his right not to stand for the national anthem because he believes a country in which a community is oppressed is one not worth standing for.  His cause is a very polarizing one in which people either love him or hate him.  Much like Kaepernick Kendrick knows that the current status of the African American community can improve, particularly regarding police brutalities.

Kendrick then employs the use of the police again later in the music video.  This time, however, he does not use an officer but rather the image of a police car (3:00).  The police car represents the idea of the police.  This time a long shot is used for this image.  In the scene is a blue sky with three African Americans dancing upon the police car.  This one is drastically different from the prior use of the police.  This image, or a similar one, has been recreated by multiple other celebrities in the music industry such as Beyoncé   The lyrical use is also a complete turnaround from the first. Kendrick spits a line in this scene that has been quoted millions of times “We gone be alright”.  The former image shows the current status of the African American community.  They are oppressed and not granted the same freedoms of others in the United States.  However, this image shows what the African community can and will become with time.  An ethnic group treated the same as whites and not discriminated against.  This has resonated with not just African American viewers but all viewers.  The use of these lyrics is made even more powerful in the wake of Michael Brown and other related tragedies.  Such social injustices cannot be tolerated by the American community.  This line has been used in multiple black lives matters protest as a rallying cry for the African American community.   This image overlaid with the text gives hope that the tough times will get better.  While times are currently bad for the African American community, essentially the non-white community but particularly the African American community, Kendrick ensures that it will get better.  While lyrics in a song transfused with imagery in a music video may seem like empty talk it resonates with millions.Kendrick is also able to add power to the lyrics because he is a black lives matter advocate and spokesperson.  Certainly, if this were a Mac Miller or a Logic song it would not have even a fraction of the impact upon the American community, nor would it even really be seen as a demand for social change Kendrick himself is a very polarizing figure in today’s culture.  There is no in between on Kendrick Lamar, you either hate him or love him.  His music videos, such as Alright, are especially polarizing.  The single “Alright” won a Grammy for best rap performance.  This is surprising because the people who decide who wins those awards is a council of mostly old white men who often are in complete objection of social change.  While the song is great it is the relevance of the lyrics in today’s social environment that makes the song so appealing and famous.  While this song is incredibly important it is not even his best work.  His verse in the Big Sean song “control” is widely regarded by as the verse in rap based strictly on lyrical talent and not impact.  However, despite that being such a proclaimed verse in the rap world, the music video only had just over four million views.  Thus, clearly Kendrick is able to use the black lives matter issues to further his own career and earnings.  If he only uses his new social status to promote himself and not the Black Lives Matter movement it will be worse than if he were to never be a spokesperson in the beginning.  This is because if he makes a mockery of himself as being one of the prime advocates for the movement the Black Lives Matter movement will lose credibility.  One can likely expect more such songs and videos from Kendrick because, clearly, as long as a song is decent to good it will garner more attention and critical success if it is about a socially relevant topic.  This is not Kendrick’s fault he is merely taking advantage of a situation in today’s environment.  

Kendrick uses the motif of the police brilliantly throughout the music video.  In the first image he brings light to a social issue that impacts not only the African American community directly, but also has an external impact on all of America.  Like many other celebrities Kendrick will not stand for the social injustice that has plagued the country and particularly the African American community.  However, by using the second image of the police he is able to offer an upbeat view for the future.  Essentially saying that even though times are bad now it will get better.  He issues this statement emphatically in the second image overlaid with the text.  He uses this to great magnitude and it echoes with millions.  Currently the African Americans are not outnumbered they are out organized, but with time they will be able to progress their platform and achieve the freedom that this country promises to all of its citizens.