Throughout this paper the question is going to be answered, whether W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness can be discerned in contemporary expressions of Hip Hop culture. Furthermore, it is going to be explored how this concept can be visually represented by analyzing Kendrick Lamar’s music video to the song Alright from the Album To Pimp a Butterfly. First, a definition of Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness is going to be given in order to delineate the characteristics and possible interpretations of it. The concept is going to be defined as an internal conflict that expresses the hardship of reconciling two distinct perspectives and identities into one body. Moreover, formal aspects of The Souls of Black Folk are going to provide evidence for the argument, that Du Bois writing style facilitates the communication of the concept of double consciousness throughout his work. The effects of double consciousness and the importance of cultural expressions in the process of finding one’s own cultural identity are also going to be analyzed in more detail in the second chapter of this paper.
In order to analyze Kendrick Lamar’s music video, a brief introduction to the medium is going to be given. Through Keazor’s and Wübbena’s work the origins of this medium will be determined and presented. Moreover, the most important technical elements of the music video in general are going to be mentioned as well. Railton and Watson propose in their work Music Video and the Politics of Representation a systematic categorization of music videos, by identifying four different type of music videos: 1. Pseudo-Documentary music video, 2. Art music video, 3. Narrative music video and 4. Staged Performance music video (Railton and Watson).
The music video Alright is going to be analyzed by determining how the director Colin Tilley establishes the single scenes in the music video. Firstly, possible thematically coherent segments have to be identified. Through a frame by frame analysis the cinematic techniques and the aesthetics of each segment of the music video are going to be analyzed. Secondly, the song lyrics and their visual representation in the music video are also going to be examined. Thirdly, the concept of double consciousness is going to be identified in Kendrick Lamar’s music video by illustrating how double consciousness is visually represented.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. W.E.B. Du Bois and Double Consciousness
3. An Analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s Art
3.1. Definition of the term Music Video
3.2. An Analysis of the Cinematic Techniques in Kendrick Lamar’s Music Video Alright
3.3. An analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s song Alright and its Visual Representation
4. Double Consciousness in Kendrick Lamar’s Music Video Alright
5. Conclusion
Objectives & Topics
The primary objective of this work is to examine whether W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness can be discerned within contemporary expressions of Hip Hop culture, specifically by analyzing the visual representation in Kendrick Lamar's music video for the song "Alright".
- Theoretical examination of W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of "double consciousness" and "two-ness".
- Analysis of cinematic techniques and aesthetics in music videos as a medium of cultural expression.
- Exploration of magical realism and symbolism within Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" music video.
- Investigation into the portrayal of black identity, racism, and police brutality in contemporary Hip Hop.
- Comparison of historical "double consciousness" with the visual depiction of inner and outer conflict in modern music video art.
Excerpt from the book
3.1. Definition of the Term Music Video
Technological advancements have always played a major role in the development and evolution of Hip Hop culture and its different forms of expression. From the invention of the mixer, which allowed DJs to blend music together, to current changes through developments in networking technologies, Hip Hop culture has always adapted and incorporated technological innovations (Chang 112). The music video as a form of presentation for the artists’ art has undergone various changes. Henry Keazor and Thorsten Wübbena have written in different publications about the history of the music video and they trace its origins back to the 1907 “phonoscène for the lip-synching technique for the song “Anna, qu’est-ce tu t’attends; ou, Vas y, ma poule”, produced by [Lèon] Gaumont (…)” (Keazor and Wübbena 224). Furthermore, Keazor and Wübbena mention how movies about music, like The Jazz Singer by Alan Crosland of 1927, played an important role in the development of an aesthetic for the combination of video and music (Keazor and Wübbena 224). However, in the beginning of the 1980s it was the success of the television channel MTV (Music Television) that popularized the medium (Keazor and Wübbena 226).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the emergence of Hip Hop culture in the South Bronx and introduces the research focus on Kendrick Lamar’s visual art and W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness.
2. W.E.B. Du Bois and Double Consciousness: This section defines the psychological and sociological concept of double consciousness, exploring the metaphor of the "veil" and the "two-ness" experienced by black Americans.
3. An Analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s Art: This chapter provides a technical overview of music videos, performs a frame-by-frame analysis of cinematic techniques in "Alright," and examines the lyrical and visual themes of the song.
4. Double Consciousness in Kendrick Lamar’s Music Video Alright: This chapter correlates the music video’s three-part structure with the different aspects of Du Bois' theory, specifically focusing on the struggle of internal and external identities.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, confirming that contemporary Hip Hop visual culture successfully mirrors and modifies Du Bois' historical framework of double consciousness.
Keywords
Double consciousness, W.E.B. Du Bois, Kendrick Lamar, Alright, Hip Hop culture, music video, visual representation, cinematic techniques, black identity, two-ness, racism, police brutality, magical realism, resistance, The Souls of Black Folk
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
The work investigates the intersection between W.E.B. Du Bois’ sociological concept of "double consciousness" and the contemporary visual art found in Kendrick Lamar’s "Alright" music video.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The work covers themes of racial identity, the sociological impact of the "color-line," political resistance against police brutality, and the evolution of Hip Hop culture.
What is the core research question?
The central question is whether W.E.B. Du Bois’ historical concept of double consciousness can be visually identified and adapted within modern Hip Hop music video aesthetics.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The author employs qualitative textual and visual analysis, including a frame-by-frame breakdown of the music video using film theory terminology, combined with a sociological analysis of Du Bois' foundational texts.
What topics does the main body cover?
The main body covers the theoretical history of double consciousness, the medium of the music video, a detailed technical analysis of "Alright," and the synthesis of how these visual elements reflect the internal and external conflicts of black experience.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include double consciousness, Hip Hop culture, visual representation, cinematic techniques, identity, and social resistance.
How does the work interpret the "metamorphosis" imagery in the video?
The metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly is interpreted as a visual representation of the internal change and resilience required for a black individual to reconcile disparate identities into a "truer self."
What role does the "Yin and Yang" symbolism play in the analysis?
The author argues that the director uses black-and-white aesthetic contrasts to mirror the Yin and Yang symbol, representing the interconnectedness and harmony of opposing perspectives.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Francesco Caruana (Autor:in), 2015, Double Consciousness in Kendrick Lamar, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/917503
