In our society today, there are many large, controversial issues that need to be addressed. One of the most recent and dire issues is that of the presidential election. Despite who you are supporting, each of the candidates attempts to propose solutions for the pressing issues that exist in the world. Issues that have become surrounded by controversy, such as immigration, abortion, and terrorism. There are also other issues that can become overlooked, such as police corruption and brutality. This issue has been receiving a large amount of publicity lately, with many incidents that have been disputed. Conflicts such as this one, have become a part of our society’s culture. The presence of these issues can be seen through many art forms that include music. Furthermore, in Kendrick Lamar’s music video of “Alright” he addresses and emphasizes the importance that the issue of police brutality can and will be resolved.

In the music video for “Alright”, Kendrick Lamar progressively addresses the conflict of police brutality. In the beginning of the video, he addresses some of the major points of conflict within the issue. An example being the first appearance of the motif of white police officers at 2:35. In this scene, white policemen are carrying the car that Kendrick Lamar is driving. In the background of the scene, you can see that the car is moving through an overpass with graffiti on the walls. This scene can be described as a long shot because it shows the entire bodies of the standing police officers and the whole car that they are carrying. This type of shot allows viewers to see the entire picture and allows it to be seen in a larger perspective that does not focus on one single object. The perspective of this shot aids the meaning by making viewers look at the issue as a whole and not just a single detail of the conflict. This scene is also right before the beginning of the music and the song itself. The words that are being spoken by Kendrick Lamar create the effect of a black stereotype. When you combine this with the image that is presented, it can be seen as a role reversal of races. A large part of American history is that of slavery and segregation, in which whites are seen as the superior race. In this picture, having the white officers carry the car reverses the races so that African Americans are seen as the superior race. This creates the effect of stepping into another’s shoes by putting white officers in the position that African Americans were in years past. Furthermore, this motif furthers the message that Kendrick Lamar is trying to convey in this video.

The motif of white police officers occurs a second time at 5:55. In this image there is a white police officer with his hand in the shape of a gun that is pointed at the sky. The type of shot used is a medium shot because it focuses on the upper body of the police officer. The medium shot has the effect of forcing the viewer to focus on the fact that the officer does not actually have a gun in his hands. By focusing on this part of the picture, it displays that because of the recent publicity of police brutality, many African Americans are now afraid of police that actual weapons are no longer needed to cause fear. In this moment of the video, the music of the song stops when the officer shoots his ‘gun’. As Kendrick Lamar is falling off of the streetlight from being shot, he speaks a verse from the beginning of the video. This verse of the lyrics addresses police officers directly and sympathizes with them saying, “I remember you was conflicted” and “sometimes I did the same”. While at the same time, he states “I didn’t wanna self destruct…so I went runnin’ for answers” which then he defends himself and other African Americans who, because of this issue, run from police. In this way, Kendrick Lamar emphasizes the importance that this conflict is resolved within society. 

Another striking feature of Kendrick Lamar’s video is that it is entirely in black and white. This feature puts emphasis on the division between races and it adds intensity to the video. Also, it creates a meaning that everything is either one way or another, there is no gray area. This is not true because, in reality, there is a lot of gray area within the media portrayals of the issue. By having the video in only black and white, Kendrick Lamar is simplifying the issue and addressing the specific conflict among races. He also uses language that contributes to this emphasis on race. For example, the main line of the chorus is, “Nigga, we gon’ be alright” which is stereotypical of the African American race. Using the slang terms along with the incorrect grammar is something that many people would normally expect from the stereotypical African American. Many of us know that stereotypes such as this do not hold up very well in reality. But the message that lies within that line of the chorus contributes to Kendrick Lamar’s message that everything is going to end up alright. By having the repetition of the word ‘alright’ throughout the song Kendrick Lamar is insisting that this issue has to be addressed and resolved. Moreover, this advances Kendrick Lamar’s message that this issue can and will be resolved.

On the other hand, some might say that the issue of discrimination within the police force will always exist in our society. The fact that there are racist people out there that will discriminate is something that we cannot control and there is no easy way for us to effectively eliminate that from our society. As a free country, everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions and there would be no sufficient way to monitor or repress their individual beliefs. However, we can hold police officers to a code of values that includes the anti-discriminatory standard. As a society as a whole, we can work towards a set of values where we view everyone as equals, but it will not come overnight. Also, a large part of the opinions that we form come from the media portrayals of the surrounding arguments. The media reports on incidents where there have been ‘bad’ officers who have done wrong things, and that reflects badly on the entire police force across the nation. Just because there were three incidents with ‘bad’ officers, does not mean that every time you encounter a police officer, it is going to result unfavorably. Therefore, the only obstacle within this issue is that of overcoming ourselves as we are now.

In conclusion, Kendrick Lamar’s music video “Alright” conveys the message that African Americans are going to make it through these tough times in society through the motifs of white police officers and the black and white color setting. These motifs emphasize the immense impact that this issue has on our society. By having such a prominent issue present throughout the video and lyrics of the music, Kendrick Lamar is able to create awareness of the problem and push for a resolution to the conflict. Moreover, the presence of this pressing issue within pop culture music, allows the public to be more aware of the society that they live in. 