I don’t think I’m qualified to comment on this song, so I’ll refrain from that. But I can say I think that every track on this album is a masterpiece of writing and music. Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. is one of the most important pieces of culture to come out of the last decade, and it’s worthy of all the praise and study it gets. From the music videos to the lyrics to the way the album is put together and produced, nothing is unfinished in its execution. Nor is this album immune from criticism, but even the criticism is important to larger conversations of race and language and how we as a culture engage with those things and even to a certain extent how we can engage with those things. It provides a doorway to start conversations, but it also requires those of us who it isn’t about to sit down, shut up, and just listen. It’s a reminder to me that not everything is allowed to be commented on by all people, but all people can engage with complex subjects which are outside themselves by the simple act of listening. And that’s what music is all about at its core – listening.

I encourage you to do the same with all music. Sometimes we need to be pushed outside our comfort zones, sometimes we need to just sit down and listen to the music.

Like I said, I can’t comment on the meaning of this song, or what it represents – that’s not my place. But I can listen to this, and engage with it actively. But I can also listen to this and enjoy it from a superficial standpoint. I can listen to this and think about every word, every beat and how it’s put together with purpose. I can also just put it on in the background and just enjoy it for what it is. That it can be so many different things is masterful artistry, and for that, this album is one of the best I’ve ever heard. I’ve listened to in hundreds of times, and it never gets old for me.

“HUMBLE.” by Kendrick Lamar