Visual Literacy has become a very prominent way of reaching today’s society on current issues cycling through the world. Popular figures, such as professional athletes, actors, and musical artists, have taken it upon themselves to use their influence to discuss and bring to light these concerns through their various forms of media. Kendrick Lamar does so in his music video “Alright” when he reveals the harsh realities that are poverty, police brutality, and the Black-American struggle. Lamar often uses motifs through his words, most notably in the lyrics “…and we hate po po…”, and video to further explain why in depreciated areas the community and public authority have trouble coexisting.

When Kendrick first uses these lyrics it is four minutes into the video and goes until 4:02. Taking this scene frame by frame and breaking down what is going on in each moment, you can see the story that is being told. At 4 minutes you see a black car pulling up making a quick turn and throwing large sums of money out of the passenger’s window. Prior to the four-minute mark you gain the knowledge, Kendrick is the driver. When you get to the 4:01 mark you see a cop car not far behind the black vehicle, chasing them down with a furry. Their sirens are blaring and the lights are flashing, exposing they are in hot pursuit. At the 4:02 mark, you switch scenes entirely to Kendrick outside of the car gliding down the street past members of the community, exchanging friendly gestures. Now while this chase scene is occurring in the background you can see a small portion of the surrounding area. They seem to be driving past a storage unit plot, or some chain fenced, gated off space. But by no means does this region come off as privileged. You can see that the immediate vicinity is run down and in deep need of a good face-lift. From this perspective the lyrics match up perfectly with the scene accompanying it. No one likes being told what to do. So if someone, the police, try and reprimand you from doing something, whether it be good or bad in your eyes, you won’t be happy. We don’t know the outside context of this scene. Where did Kendrick get such a large sum of money? Did he steal it or is it his own? Depending on how you look at it, the police could be cruel monsters or employees of the state just trying to do their jobs.

 The filmic shots used in the small period of time also incorporate into the expression coming off from this scene. For the chase scene between Kendrick and Cop looking at the bigger picture, this is a prime example of a long shot, mainly due to the fact that you can see the background and the entirety of the cars as they flash by. When there is a switch in scenes at 4:02, the director moves to a medium shot of just Kendrick, as he passes by some people he engages in pleasant waves with. This shot is used because it is best to display the quick exchange the three individuals have and also this shot is perfect to confirm the movement that Kendrick is literally floating by. This scene connects perfectly with the lyrics because all Kendrick is trying to do is help out this community. He is throwing money out the windows of his car in hopes to help those who need it more than those that originally had it; he is a modern day Robin Hood. This is a major contrast to a majority of other rap music video because generally, money is used to display power and wealth of the individual. All the cops are trying to do is stop him, and, in turn, continue the crippling poverty in the area. 

The second instance in which Kendrick says “…and we hate po po…” is not far off at 5:11 and goes until 5:12. The scene presented in these two short seconds in very different from that of the first. Right on the dot of 5:11 you see Kendrick standing high and mighty on top of a large light post. He stays there for the duration of the lyrics but examining the background and Kendrick’s actions there is a lot to this scene. The fact that Kendrick is standing on top of this light post, it is as if he’s watching over everyone and can be seen by everyone. He is their guardian angel to help solve problems and keep them strong. Moving to later in the video at about 5:37, there is a clearer explanation as to how this scene links with the lyrics and the overall message. 

At 5:37 you see a cop arriving to the scene, Kendrick still on top of the light post watching over his people. The cop exits his vehicle and looks up at Kendrick, raising his hand up in the shape of a gun. He “pulls the trigger” to his make shift weapon and the “bang” releases from his mouth. Even though it’s a pretend gun, the police officers’ actions have real consequences. The scene switches to Kendrick, his head flies back, blood spewing from his very real wound, giving him an untimely end. The use of the officer’s hand as a weapon brings about the theory that you don’t have to physically pull a trigger to end a Black American’s life. After being convicted of most crimes, life becomes very difficult in terms of supporting yourself and others. You lose your chance to climb the socioeconomic ladder for something you may have been wrongly accused of. Naturally the people in the surrounding area would resent the authorities because one their own has been crippled. 

In the background you can see a city in the haze of a heavy fog. The city in comparison to the community below Kendrick, is a very heavy contrast. Cities are usually very urban, lively, metropolitan areas to be in, and the society Kendrick is coming from is anything but that. Stereotypically speaking, the region Kendrick depicts in his video most likely has a high crime, poor schools, high drug use, and a high poverty rate. Being on top of the light post we are given a long shot of Kendrick but also the glistening city in the back. Something so far that everyone aspires to have, but it is just out of reach. 

On the other side of this argument, many would disagree with my claims. They would say police brutality doesn’t exist, or at least to the extent to which it is being claimed to. There are definitely people committing crimes and the authorities are just trying to do their jobs. It isn’t their fault that the assailants are fighting back to the point where deadly force is being used. Some would also reach for the declarations that it is just a coincidence that much of that deadly force is used on Black-Americans. To contradict those theories, you can find countless statistics and data confirming that Black-Americans are more likely to be targeted by the police. And even if this was false, the law certainly isn’t doing much to lend a helping hand to those in depreciated areas. Let’s say that in the Kendrick Lamar’s music video “Alright” he did steal the money that we see being thrown from the passenger’s window, if he is giving it to someone who needs it more is it really wrong? How are his actions different from charitable donations or taxes, if the money is being used to improve the area and the people in it?

The visual motifs used by Kendrick Lamar in the music video “Alright” are the pieces to a puzzle telling the story of poverty and the Black-American struggle. In the lyrics “…and we hate po po…” there is more to the meaning than the first glance. The community in this video doesn’t hate the police to hate the police; they feel as though they have been wronged and nothing is being done to help in their situations. So Kendrick steps in as that “guardian angel” to solve the problems. He takes from the rich and gives to the poor, while simultaneously watches over his home to protect those in need. Another aspect of this entire video is that the director chose to keep everything black and white. I would say it is arguable that this is done so that viewers weren’t distracted by the anything other than the real issue Kendrick is addressing. Viewers can’t help but pay attention to the story being told about the struggles some people have to live through every day, while others are off in their vast utopia. Kendrick Lamar is depicted as a modern day superhero and there should be more people in this position. This video does an excellent job of sending a message that maybe if some communities weren’t so depressed and neglected, they wouldn’t have such a negative view of public authority. 