
The music video “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar was released during a very tension filled time in the United States. It addresses a lot of current issues, especially racism and police oppression. However, in his video, Lamar uses a police car as a symbol that can easily be misinterpreted by the viewer. Lamar uses the police car to represent oppression, then later, to represent the overcoming of that oppression. Lamar uses that very police car as a motif to represent oppression and injustice.

When the video reaches the 49” mark, the image of a cop car is first introduced. The image appears just as Lamar talks about falling into depression. Lamar speaks of his “resentment that turned into a deep depression” (51”). It is at that point that the images of police and police cars get a bad connotation. It makes the viewer begin to wonder if the cause of the depression that Lamar talks about is the police force, symbolized by the police car. The police car is introduced not only as a symbol of the police but as a symbol of oppression because Lamar speaks of the depression he feels and of the hurt he feels which he implies is caused by the police. This begins the feel of connecting the oppression of the police with the depression of the people. It makes the viewer gain a sense of cause and effect. The line connected with the visual almost guarantees the association of the police, symbolized by their vehicles, with the cause of depression. 

Later, the video shows several street dancers on top of a police car with no policemen in sight (3:66). This seems to give the implication that the dancers, representing the oppressed population, have overcome the injustice of police. During this scene, the dancers seem to be happy or carefree while on top of the very symbol of the oppression that they are feeling. It is during this scene that Lamar uses the phrase “we gon’ be alright”. It begins to draw the conclusion that the oppressed are going to be alright because they are overcoming the oppression.

The viewer can also take into account that the video is in black and white. This may simply be an editing technique that is thought to enhance the experience of the viewer, or it could have a much deeper meaning. With the introduction of the police car into the video, one begins to wonder about the video being black and white. Stereotypically, police cars are thought of as being black and white and making the video black and white could simply enhance the perception of the police car and further separates the oppressed from the oppressors. Often something being black and white is associated with having a lack of gray area. This can be connected with the saying of something being cut and dry. It starts to make one wonder if Lamar makes his video in black and white as to point out the obviousness of oppression by the police and the depression of the oppressed. 

However, obviously, there are people who disagree with the fact that Lamar is actually discussing oppression. The main argument of these people is that Lamar, being a modern hip-hop artist, is simply using modern issues to make the most successful song and video he can. They would say the Lamar really is not trying to make these connecting points and speak of oppression. They would say that he, simply, is just trying to release a successful song and attempting to stir up these emotions is the best way to do that. However, it becomes obvious once you watch the video and listen to the song that this interpretation is far from true. For Lamar to make the song and video the way he does, he would have to be personally involved in the words he sings. The true emotion behind his words mean that he has to believe them.

In the first scene discussed, the camera angle looks straight onto the scene and gives the viewer a feeling of neither superiority nor inferiority. However, in the second scene mentioned, the camera comes in high, then zooms out low. This continues to add to the general feeling that the oppressed are overcoming the oppressors discussed before. This is shown in this technique by making the dancers on top of the police car seem above everything else. This begins to make the viewer wonder what effect the camera angle subconsciously gives them. The first scene the camera angle does little to contribute to what is going on in the video, because it looks straight on. It forces the viewer to concentrate on the lyrics, as Lamar discusses the depression he is feeling. However, this is much different in the second scene discussed. During the second scene, the lyrics are simply the repeating chorus of the song. But it is during this scene that the camera angle becomes more important. When the camera comes in high, looking down on the dancers, symbolizing the oppressed, it gives the impression that the oppressed are beaten down and inferior. It is then that the camera swoops out low, looking up at the dancers. When it looks up at the dancers it gives the feeling that the inferior have overcome the oppression and become superior. All of this up and down emotion throughout these two scenes was all caused simply by the angle of the camera and how that angle changes depending on what is going on in the scene. It is amazing that Lamar and his director can achieve forcing their audience to feel certain ways based simply on what they do with the camera.

In the video, Kendrick Lamar uses the reoccurring image of a police car as a motif to symbolize oppression. In relation to the overall work, Lamar uses the image of a police car, originally to symbolize injustice and then later, to symbolize the overcoming of that very injustice. This is important because the video does more than simply go along with a song, it stands for something. Within that video, the police car is the biggest symbol that also stands for something and it is important to recognize this symbol and take it how Lamar intended it, as the symbol of oppression. Lamar very clearly makes the point of the police and their vehicles as symbols of oppression. However, Lamar does not tread on anyone’s toes while making it. He simply uses the police car to symbolize the injustice done, then to symbolize the overcoming of it.