Dissect - S5E16 - FEAR. (Part 1) by Kendrick Lamar

Episode Date: December 30, 2019

FEAR. is the pivotal track in the narrative of DAMN. We begin our two part analysis by dissecting the song’s virtuosic use of samples before digging into the appearance of Kendrick Lamar’s two real life cousins: Carl and Charles. Finally, we unpack the song’s first verse, which is rapped from the perspective of Kendrick’s mother. Say hi @dissectpodcast on Twitter and Instagram. Purchase Dissect merch at https://shop.dissectpodcast.com/. Listen to original Dissect themes on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k8BsZM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Spotify Studios, this is Dissect, long-form musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. I'm your host, Cole Kushna. Today we continue our serialized analysis of Damn by Kendrick Lamar. On our last two episodes, we dissected the pivotal song XXX. There we heard Kung Fu Kenny's faith being tested as he received a phone call from a friend whose only son was killed over a debt. Kenny's friend called him because he recognized Kenny as an anointed king. a leader who can show his people how to overcome because he's filled with God's spirit.

Kenny was fully aware he should encourage his friend to forgive his enemies and love sacrificial. However, Kenny's passion for his loved ones caused him to reject God's spirit and incite his friend to take murderous revenge. Directly after doing this, Kenny revealed the deep-seeded hypocrisy of his public persona. All right, kids, we're going to talk about gun control. Probably funny. Following this critical moment, XXX shifted into a prophetic critique against America. Just like Kenny revealed his own hypocrisy,

Kenny exposed the hypocrisy of America, pointing to its repeated use of violent force and its mistreatment and mischaracterization of its minorities. According to Kenny and Bono, America has lost its way, forgotten that it was founded to be a welcoming land for the oppressed deceased. seek refuge. And so when America points to its minorities and blames them for the instability and imperfection of America, it's really just pointing at itself. At the end of this verse, Kenny recites the most compelling, most revealing line of the album thus far. Kenny says,

Kenny says America's Reflections of Me, that's what a mirror does. Et cetera, et cetera. America's reflections of me. That's what Amera does. Kenny says, America's reflections of me, that's what a mirror does. It's revealed here that Kung Fu Kenny

is not only a character based on Kendrick Lamar. It's a character meant to reflect America itself and all those within her borders. because like Kenny, America was also called to be a prophet speaking truth and reaching out to the poor and oppressed. But like Kenny, America chose instead to follow its own intuition towards sex, money, and violence in the name of self-preservation, self-protection, and personal prosperity. And it's here that we can return to our discussion of Jonah, the rebellious prophet we've been comparing Kung Fu Kenny to throughout the season.

As you'll recall, Jonah rejected God's call to prophecy against the corrupt, city of Nineveh. Because Jonah didn't want God to forgive his enemies there, Jonah fled aboard a ship until a violent storm sent by God disrupted his plan, and he was subsequently thrown overboard. After spending time in the belly of the beast, the first half of the story ends with Jonah finally accepting God's call. The second half of Jonah's story begins with Jonah going to Nineveh to finally deliver God's message. But instead of mentioning the willingness of God to forgive them, if they turned away from their violent, corrupt ways, Jonah instead delivers a distorted version of God's message,

simply informing them that God would soon destroy the city. In our discussion of the song Humble, we observed how Jonah's distorted message resembled Kung Fu Kenny's words, Sit Down, Little Bitch, be humble. While technically a call to humility, the way it was delivered, undermine God's intention. But despite Jonah's message being so harsh and unhelpful, the ironic twist of the story is revealed when

the people of Nineveh actually listen to Jonah's words, fearing they finally would be held responsible for their brutal acts of bloodshed. The king of Nineveh gets off his throne and sits down in ashes, a sign of humility. The king then issues a decree, requiring all of Nineveh to fast from indulging in their appetites and to turn away from all evil and violence. When God sees this, God forgives Nineveh and reverses the curse that Jonah had pronounced over them. We might expect that Jonah would be happy that his words had such a positive effect. However, Jonah experiences no such joy. When he finds out that God forgave the people of Nineveh, he's filled with rage, revealing that the reason he ran from God was because he didn't want God to forgive Israel's

enemies, the very people who killed Jonah's friends and family. Because of his passion for his loved ones, Jonah actually wanted God to destroy the people of Nineveh. And so rather than going home, Jonah decides to camp outside of Nineveh and hopes that the city would return to their wickedness, which would force God to rain down fire from heaven. Of course, the fire never comes, because this story is not about Nineveh and its corrupt inhabitants. It's about the failed prophet Jonah and his unwillingness to forgive his enemies. After numerous ironic twists and turns, it's at this point that we can appreciate the design behind the book of Jonah as a satire. That is, on the surface, the book presents itself as a narrative about God's intention to destroy

Jonah's enemies. But by the story's end, the book of Jonah ultimately unveils itself as a case study on unforgiveness. Within this satire, Jonah serves as an archetypal character who represents God's chosen people and all their bitterness, hypocrisy, and tribalism. The fact that it's so easy to point out these flaws in Jonah is by design, because looking at Jonah is equivalent to to looking at a mirror. It's through his story that we realize how unwilling we all are to forgive our enemies. In this way, Jonah's archetypal role in the Bible is identical to Kung Fu Kenny's role in Dam. On the song, Ya, Kenny revealed the reason he turned away from God's commandments and followed his intuition was to keep the family close, i.e. protect them by any means necessary.

He thus refused to forgive the enemies who still posed a threat to his family's livelihood. This was most explicit in the song Element, as well as the pivotal verse of XXXX that describes Kenny's friend's son being killed over a debt. Like Jonah, Kenny's passion for his loved ones led him to oppose God's message of love and forgiveness. Like Jonah, Kenny's ironic behavior during the bridge of XXXX, established Kenny's narrative as a satire. Like Jonah, Kenny's words in the final verse of XXX helped us realize that when we examine and judge Kung Fu Kenny, we discover a mirror that reflects the abyss of our own moral failures. And as we'll see on the album's next track, Fear, Kenny's introductory words reveal that, like Jonah, he too is still hoping God

rains down fire to destroy his enemies. Fear is written by Kendrick Lamar and produced by Daniel Alan Mammon, best known by his alias, The Alchemist. The Song is over seven. and a half minutes long, and just like the lengthy track Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst from Good Kid Mad City, Fear is the pivotal track in the narrative of Dam, as it contains many key elements that unlock the album's mysteries and unify what may have previously appeared to be disparate elements. It's for this reason we're dedicating two pretty lengthy episodes to fear, as our understanding of this song is essential in our understanding of the album as a whole. So buckle up,

Get comfortable, and let's dissect. Fear's beat is constructed around samples pulled from the 24-Karret Black's 1973 track, Poverty's Paradise. Alchemist takes various samples from this track and creates his own unique loop. We begin with the song's bass, a single note played over and over. Next, a simple drumbeat is added. For the song's main melodic interest, a guitar accents a single note, followed by various fill. Atop this musical foundation, a number of vocal passages taken from Poverty's Paradise are played.

The lyrical excerpts sampled from Poverty's Paradise are not used merely for aesthetic effect. They're strategically selected to contribute to fear's overall meaning and message. In fact, the song is a master class on how sampling can be an extremely effective way to add unparalleled depth and thematic weight to a song's subject matter. We'll start with the song's title, Poverty's Paradise, which is also a feature of the song's phrase sampled and heard throughout fear. Within the context of the original song, Poverty's Paradise is an ironic title. That's because the majority of its lyrics ridicule the idea that those in poverty will ever find paradise. Somewhere on this raggedy earth, somebody said something

once about some kind of paradise where everything would be nice. If I can find it, I've grown up into adulthood now and I don't seem to be able to find my way to anything, much less somebody's paradise. This passage, in the song more generally, seems to be addressing the black experience at America. The lyrics force us to question who dare suggested the oppressed would ever find paradise. It's likely this is questioning the teachings of Jesus and the biblical idea. that Paradise describes God's plan to bring humanity back to a state of blessings and delight. The most pivotal example of this usage of the word Paradise in the Bible

occurs in the description of the events of Good Friday. The day, as you know, Kendrick Lamar chose to release Dam. It's also a day that seems to be referenced a number of times throughout fear. On Good Friday, Jesus was crucified alongside two bandits. These bandits had joined gangs and committed armed robberies after the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire left them poor and desperate. Each of these bandits voiced their opinion of Jesus as they hung next to him on their respective crosses. The first bandit ridiculed Jesus for claiming to be an an anointed king, while clearly remaining powerless to stop his own suffering and impending death. However, the second bandit was humble enough to recognize that Jesus was condemned for his

teachings about the kingdom of God, and its refusal to use violence to over the overreact. overthrow his people's oppressors. This humble bandit scolded the proud bandit saying, Do you not fear God? He then turned to Jesus and said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. In response, Jesus said, truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. Here we see a clear connection between paradise and the kingdom of God. As we discussed in our episode on blood, Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is especially available for the poor oppressed. He declared that, quote, Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, and blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Given these ideas associated with the word paradise, the humble bandit exemplifies someone who entered paradise within the kingdom of God, because he was humble enough to recognize his poverty caused him to become morally bankrupt. In contrast, the bandit who mocked Jesus was left outside the kingdom of God because he refused to acknowledge that despite the unjust burden of poverty,

he still could have made better individual choices. Like we've seen throughout Dam, Kenny has been repeatedly faced with the choice about how he responds to injustice, and in turn, how he should lead his people in responding to their oppressors and the suffering that they endure. The emotional weight of Kenny's choice

and his suspicions about the kingdom of God are perfectly captured by the lyrics sampled on fear. First, we have the sample of the song's ironic title, Poverty's Paradise, which seems to undermine Jesus' statement that blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God. As you just heard, the next sample is, I don't think I can find a way to make it on this earth, which directly undermines Jesus' statement that blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Lastly, we hear the line, I've been hungry all my life, starve to the bone, which directly undermines Jesus' statement,

blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. These strategic samples color the track with people who question what to do about their poverty, hunger, and suffering in the world, the very things Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, the very things Kenny has been struggling with throughout Dam, the very things that, as we'll see, are addressed specifically in fear. And like we have many times before,

We're still left wondering if like Jonah, the proud bandit and the writers of poverty's paradise, Kenny will continue to be ruled by his intuition and ridicule the idea that those in poverty could ever be with God in paradise. Or like the humble bandit who feared God, will Kenny acknowledge his wrongdoings and like Jesus accept his suffering and forgive his oppressors, knowing that a new life awaits him in the kingdom of God. And blind and a punishment on something like you got a chip on your shoulder. After fear's introduction, we hear a voicemail that's been left for Kenny. As you know, the use of voicemails left by family members is a motif within Kendrick's discography.

Recall that throughout Good Kid Mad City, Kendrick's mom and dad called him at several key moments in the story, but we're only able to leave voicemails. He's having about some damn dumbinoles. He want to hollets you too. Go on here, Kenny. Go on. Hey. Hello?

Yeah. How my motherfucking Domino's at? Kenny. What? The last of the voicemails heard on Good Kid occurs on the track real near the end of the album. On that track,

we heard Kendrick searching for direction on how to live his life. That direction was ultimately provided when Kendrick's father, Kenny Duckworth, left a voicemail that pointed Kendrick toward God. Gang, I ain't tripping up

from Domino's no more. Just calling it. Sorry to hear what happened to your home was. But don't learn the hard way like I did home. Any niggins can kill him, man. That don't make you a real, nigga.

Realist responsibility. Realness, taking care of your motherfucking family. Realist God, nigga. Here in one of the last tracks on Dam, we'll also hear Kenny searching for a direction on how to live his life, something foreshadowed in the strategic use of samples we just discussed. And like the voicemail from Kendrick's father, Kenny is now receiving a voicemail that will point him toward God.

This time, the message is from Kendrick's real. real-life cousin, Carl Duckworth. Of course, we first heard about cousin Carl Duckworth on the song, Ya. Given these lyrics about his cousin Carl Duckworth said, know my worth, and Deuteronomy say that we all been cursing, I know he walks the earth, but it's money to get, bitches they hit. Yeah. Given these lyrics about his cousin Carl, calling and speaking about Deuteronomy, God, curses, and knowing one's worth, it seems clear that here on fear, were hearing the voicemail referenced in Yah. Much like Yahweh or God's call to Kenny on that track, Kenny neglected to answer the call from Carl, hence his leaving a voicemail. The fact that Kenny was able to summarize Carl's message on Yah suggests that he at least listened to the message, but as evident throughout Dam, he decided to ignore Carl's advice and instead follow his intuition. This decision has led Kenny to immense confusion and turmoil, and so it appears now that Kenny finally is

willing to reconsider the words from his cousin. Early on in the voicemail, Carl says, I know you feel like, you know, people ain't been praying for you. He later goes on to explain why Kenny feels like he got a chip on his shoulder. Of course, both of these statements are nearly identical to Kenny's words on feel. After Carl establishes, he's fully aware of Kenny's emotional and psychological turmoil, Carl goes on to provide its own diagnosis of why Kenny feels the way he does. He says, You have to understand this man, that we are our cursed people. Deuteronomy 28 and 28 says,

The Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart. This quote builds on what we heard on Yah, when Kenny rapped, Deuteronomy say we all been cursed. In particular, Carl points to the 28th verse of the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy, which talks about how God will cause certain people to suffer from mental and emotional instability. To have a better understanding of who this verse is addressed to and why it's relevant to Kenny's situation, it's important that we place the verse within the broader context of Deuteronomy, the biblical narrative, and the history of African Americans interpreting the Bible. As we discussed in Yah, the book of Deuteronomy represents the farewell speech given by Moses

to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. In chapters 1 through 11, Moses recounts how God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and led them through the wilderness for 40 years. In chapter 12 through 26, Moses summarizes all the commandments that God gave them since freeing them from slavery. In chapter 27, the Israelites make a legally binding agreement to obey the commandments they just heard. This all sets the stage for chapter 28, where Moses informs the Israelites of the blessings they'll experience if they obey the commandments, specifically how they'll be blessed in the city, blessed in the country, blessed when they farm, and blessed when they give birth.

However, the very next section describes how if they disobeyed the commandments, each of these blessings would be reversed into curses. That is, they would be cursed in the city, cursed in the country, cursed when they farmed, and cursed when they give birth. Moses then declares that if they continue to disobey, God will allow the Israelites to experience chaos and instability. This chaos would initially take the form of widespread mental breakdown among the Israelites. This is what Carl is referring to in his quote of Deuteronomy 2828.

The Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart. However, Moses warned that continued disobedience would result in complete societal breakdown. Specifically, God would allow people from a foreign nation to invade Israel, besiege its cities, take the Israelites captive, place them on ships, send them back to Egypt to be sold as slaves. Within the biblical narrative, this detailed list of curses foreshadows the actual conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel in 772 BC, and the subsequent conquest of the kingdom of Judah in 586 BC, both of which are detailed later in the Bible. In both cases, a foreign nation besieged Israelite cities and subsequently captured many of their

defenseless citizens, selling them as slaves at various locations. These locations included the port cities in Egypt, the very place Moses foreshadowed Israelite enslavement in his speech. Hence, all biblical and historical evidence seems to make clear that the curses spoken of in Deuteronomy 28 refer to events that happened hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Indeed, for over 2,000 years, Jews have looked back at this section of Deuteronomy to understand their own diaspora and teach their children the importance of obeying the commandments given by Moses. Nonetheless, within small pockets of the black community, there exists an unorthodox interpretation of biblical history. These communities claim that the curses in

Deuteronomy 28 refer to the diaspora of black Africans who were shipped to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade in the 1600s. This interpretation has largely been advanced by a diverse set of new religious groups who teach that black people are the genetic descendants of the ancient Israelites. Often those who believe this refer to themselves as black Hebrew Israelites. Cousin Carl himself, as a member of Israel United in Christ, a branch of the black Hebrew Israelites founded in 2003. Of course, claiming to be an Israelite is something we heard Kenny do back on the song, Yaw.

Just before he mentions Carl's, phone call, Kenny wraps, I'm an Israelite, don't call me black no more, that word is only a color, it ain't facts no more. Previously, we discussed that by claiming to be a child of Israel, Kenny was depicting himself as one who wrestles with God. Of course, we've heard this wrestling throughout Kenny's emotional journey on dam. At the same time, we also noted that claiming to be an Israelite might also reflect Kenny's association with the black Hebrew Israelites. Now that we hear Carl reading Deuteronomy 28, as if it applies directly to Kenny, it's important to understand the origins of black people in America claiming to be Israelites.

We'll detail this history and continue our dissection of the opening moments of fear right after the break. Welcome back to dissect. Before the break, we detailed the blessings and the curses spoken of in Deuteronomy, the biblical book that Cousin Carl cites to explain why Kenny feels the way he does. Given that Carl is reading Deuteronomy 28, as if it applies directly to Kenny, it's important to understand the origins of black people in America claiming to be Israelites. We begin by taking a look at white American Christians during the early 1800s.

At this time, the abolitionist movement to free slaves was gaining momentum. This was largely due to Christians in northern states who argued that slavery was incompatible with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. Thus, Christians in southern states, who continued to defend slavery, needed to find a biblical justification for enslaving black people. To do this, they cited the story of Noah in the Old Testament. In that story, Noah, his three sons and their wives were the only humans to survive a flood that covered the entire earth. It was said that Noah's sons would become the three men from who all ethnic groups would descend. Meanwhile, Noah's son named Ham committed a scandalous

act against Noah. Noah cursed Ham and proclaimed that Ham's descendants would become slaves owned by the descendants of Noah's two other sons. Somewhere along the line, white slave owners in the South began to focus on this story about Noah's sons. Without any textual or historical evidence, they taught that black people were the genetic descendants of Ham, and that white people were the genetic descendants of Noah's other sons. Hence, these white Christians claim the Bible itself mandates that black people must be the slaves of white people. This teaching was soon spread across the southern states to indoctrinate black slaves, the vast majority of which were prohibited from reading the Bible themselves. Indeed, many historians concluded this distorted interpretation known as

the curse of ham was the primary justification for slavery among southern white Christians. Nevertheless, slavery was eventually abolished after the Civil War, which meant that many former slaves finally had the chance to read the Bible and question what white people had formerly taught them. During this period, several former slaves had mystical experiences that inspired them to preach that rather than being genetic descendants of Ham, black people were the genetic descendants of Israel. These former slaves then founded religious groups around the country, where they taught that black people were the true Israelites. While various factions developed over the years, each with varying beliefs about how their ancestry should inform their actions on earth, the belief that

black people are the genetic descendants of Israel remains the underlying, unifying principle among the black Hebrew Israelites. And so now with an understanding of the Israelite journey described in Deuteronomy and the black Americans that believe they are descendants of these Israelites, we can now bring this information back to Carl's voicemail on fear. As we noted earlier, Carl told Kenny the reason he's under such mental strain is that he's experiencing the curses listed in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy. This specific chapter is one that the ancient Israelites and their descendants have turned to for thousands of years. It helps them understand their current suffering in light of their history of enslavement and their ongoing struggle to

live up to the ideals God commanded of them before entering the promised land. Initially, we might have assumed Carl is suggesting Kenny learned from the history of ancient Israelites who were conquered and sold into slavery by the most powerful nations of their day. However, after considering the teachings of the Black Hebrew Israelites, it seems that when Carl says, we are a cursed people, he's claiming that Deuteronomy 28 refers to the history of black Africans who are colonized and sold into slavery by the most powerful nations of their day. We can see how Carl's voicemail sets the stage for fear to not only address Kenny's suffering, but all black people currently questioning why they suffer in the United States of America,

the very place referred to by early immigrants as the promised land. After Carl's voicemail, we hear vocals credited to Charles Assam, the legal name for a relatively unknown rapper named Amo the Writers, War Child. Though Ammo has an album dating back to 1999, his most notable release is his 2014 track titled Ignit. Charles rap's certified riders, Comtown's finest, you should rewind this warhawks behind this. Thais sight we eggneck, nigga what? That's like we eggna. Charles wraps certified riders Comtown's finest, you should rewind this. This line reveals that Charles is from Compton and is associated with the greatest rappers to come out of that city.

Charles' claim is verified when Kendrick Lamar himself joins Charles on the third verse of Ignat. On Ignat, Kendrick and Ammo paint a bleak portrait of growing up in Compton, citing the city for the reason for their erroneous ways. can he could be emphasizing that regardless of his current status, the suffering he experienced growing up will forever tie him to those who experience the same suffering. In this way, Amo's voice asking God why he suffers comes to represent all those like Ammo and Kendrick who grew up in places like Compton. When we combine this with the samples from poverty's paradise, cousin Carl's assertion that black people are the cursed descendants of the Israelites, and we see how fear is continuing to set itself up to address not only the suffering of Kung Fu Kenny, but the suffering

of all black people in America. Yet Kenny's ties to Charles Soam, aka Ammo, proved to be even more significant when we realize that Charles is Kendrick's real-life cousin. Having just introduced us to his cousin Carl, the choice to feature his cousin Charles is surely strategic, further underscoring how the suffering Kenny himself experiences is shared among his blood relatives, his DNA relatives. With all this in mind, let's hear what Cousin Charles has to say here at the onset of fear. Cousin Charles poetically asked one of the most ancient philosophical questions, why do humans suffer? Beyond theoretical musing, the more pressing question we all ask at some point in our lives is, why am I suffering? It would perhaps surprise some of us that, according

to the Bible, even Jesus Christ, the son of God himself, momentarily questioned God during his immense suffering on Good Friday. While hanging on the cross, Jesus called out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Of course, this mirrors the exact cadence of cousin trial saying, Why God, why God, do I got to suffer? There are varying interpretations of why Jesus momentarily felt abandoned by God, one being that the conditions of human existence can become so dire that even the Son of God momentarily questioned why God would allow him to suffer. And if God himself in the form of man questioned the justness of his own suffering, it appears this questioning of one's suffering is built into the fabric of what it means to be human. Such questioning triggered by suffering

is of course something Kendrick has addressed throughout his discography. Through our exploration of faith, Keisha's song, and the narratives of Good Kid Mad City and Tipa Butterfly, we heard how Kendrick continuously presents stories in which the protagonist's faith is tested by dire circumstances. And perhaps the most explicit presentation of this scenario yet, cousin Charles' words here on fear leave nothing to the imagination. He is clearly and concisely questioning whether God is just, and more specifically, if the immense suffering he feels is somehow justified in the eyes of God. The voicemail from Cousin Carl asserts that if only Kenny, and by extension all black people, obeyed God's commandments, his suffering would subside. However, Kenny doesn't appear to accept such a premise.

Rather, he continues to question whether God is just, asking, why God, why God, do I got to bleed? Every stone thrown at you, rest in at my feet. Here a reference is made to stoning, an ancient form of capital punishment. stonings typically involve a group of people throwing rocks at a guilty person until the person bleeds to death. Charles laments the fact that when people throw stones at God, those stones land dangerously close to his own feet. For insight into this line, we turn again to the events related to the crucifixion of Jesus, specifically the gospel of John. After Jesus' death and resurrection, one of Jesus' earliest followers named Stephan began to openly preach that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Stefan's own people claimed that Stefan was a threat, formed a mob, and threw stones at Stefan until he died. This made Stefan the first Christian martyr, a term used to describe people who are killed for their beliefs. Much like Kendrick taking verbal shots after releasing to Pimp a Butterfly, much like the parable of blood. Stefan's story illustrates how individuals who try to spread a message of hope and love, often suffer at the hands of those who benefit from the status quo.

In other words, when people throw stones at God, it's often those who remain most loyal to God that suffer. At the conclusion of Cousin Charles' feature, we hear how his suffering turns to bitterness and resentment for being itself. Cousin Charles ends his series of questions asking, Why God, why God, do I got to suffer? Earth is no more. Won't you burn this motherfucker?

Here Charles' words reflect how Kenny's suffering has caused him to lose all hope. Rather than praying for things to get better on earth, Kenny now wants God to destroy the earth by raining fire down from the heavens. As we alluded to earlier, Kenny's desire for God to destroy those who have caused him to suffer, mirrors Jonah's bitterness as he sat outside of Nineveh and waited for God to destroy his enemies. While we might be quick to judge Jonah, we should note that during Jesus' time on earth, even his own disciples fell into the same sort of violent tribalism. This occurred when Jesus and his disciples were rejected entering into a town inhabited by the Samaritans,

an ethnic group that for generations had been the sworn enemies of Jesus' people. This made the disciples angry enough to ask Jesus, quote, Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? Jesus immediately rebuked his disciples and told them, quote, You do not know what kind of spirit you belong to, for I did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Here Jesus makes clear he's not coming to help one ethnic group destroy another. Rather, Jesus comes to enable people of all ethnicities to share in God's spirit.

By contrast, those who cling to ethnic pride will remain under the influence of destructive spirits. Hence, Kenny's request for God to burn this motherfucker is yet another example of the venomous rhetoric that often comes from those who've been overcome with pride. Cousin Charles' feature is immediately followed by a strange new section where the vocals play in reverse. Throughout Dam, I've called your attention to numerous uses of audio played in reverse. This included the main sample of Yaw, the drums on lust. and the main sample used on loyalty. While these reverse sound sources are noticeable to the trained ear,

they are nowhere near as prominent as the reverse vocals on fear. In the same way fear will tie together many of the album's lyrical and thematic threads on Dam, this obvious use of a reverse sound source ensures that attention is paid to this recurring sonic motif heard throughout the album. Let's now play these reverse vocals backwards, which will allow us to hear the original sound source. Every stone thrown at you resting at my feet, why I got, why I got to suffer. Pain in my heart carry burdens for the struggle. Why I got, why God do I got a plea? Every stone thrown at you resting at my feet.

Why God, why God do I got to suffer? Earth is no one. As it turns out, the reverse section features Kenny yelling the same exact lyrics as cousin Charles just recited. The fact that both Kenny and Charles recite these lyrics emphasizes how the two cousins are equally affected by the suffering that continues to spread through their family tree, through their DNA. Fittingly, the rewound vocals signal a rewind in time and introduce yet another family member as Kenny now raps from the perspective of his mother scolding him as a child. Kenny portrays, keep talking back, I beat your ass, who bought you that, you stole it. I beat your ass if you say that game is broken. I beat your ass if you jump on my couch.

I beat your ass if you walk in this house. Kenny portrays his mother scolding him for various reasons. The relentlessness of these threats make clear that from a young age, Kenny was instilled with fear. Recalling the memory of these threats seems to be an attempt at making sense of his suffering by looking back at his own history, just like Moses helped the Israelites make sense of their suffering, by reexamining their history throughout Deuteronomy.

The first thing to note about this opening verse is that nearly every line begins with the words, I beat your ass. This pattern of repeating the same set of words at the beginning of each line is something we first heard on the track, Feel. I feel like a chip of my shoulders, I feel like I'm losing my focus,

I feel like I'm losing my patience, I feel like my thoughts in the basement, feel like I feel like you miseducated, feel like I don't want to be bothered. In our analysis of feel, we discussed how the track was an example of a litany and noted how litany originated as a form of collective prayer within a church service. Given that the previous section featured Kenny praying for God to end his suffering by raining down fire on earth, it's fitting that Kenny then uses a litany to further meditate on his troubled condition.

We also note that in modern times, the litany has become a quintessentially American poetic device, one in which a poet confesses his or her nuanced and contradictory feelings related to a specific subject. As an example, we listen to the opening lines of America, a poem by Alan Ginsberg that explores his conflicted feelings about America. America, I've given you all and now I'm nothing. America, $2.27 since January 17, 1956. America, I can't stand my own mind. Much like Ginsburg's America, Dam itself. can be seen as a poetic work that explores Kendrick's conflicted feelings about America. In particular, the final verse of XXX,

revealed how Kendrick uses Dam to critique how America causes its citizens to fear poor ethnic minorities, while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge how its unjust actions have doomed these minorities to remain in poverty. As we discussed at the top of the episode, fear is first and foremost a portrait of the traumatizing effects of poverty. poverty is quite literally in the background of every part of this track. Hence as Kenny begins his litany about getting his ass beat, we should not forget that poverty is the underlying reason for his pain.

With all this in mind, let's listen again to the opening moments of verse one. I beat your ass, keep talking back. I beat your ass who bought you that you stole it. I beat your ass if you say that game is broken. I beat your ass if you jump on my couch. I beat your ass if you walk in this house with tears in your eyes running from Pooh Pooh! Kenny's mom be your ass, little nigger.

That homeowner better be finished. I beat your ass your teachers bet and I be bitching about you in class. That piece of bed not be wasted. Kenny's mom begins saying, I beat your ass, keep talking back. It appears that Kenny has sly worked in a clever pun, as this line comes directly after Kenny was quite literally talking backwards. Typically, though, parents use the phrase talking back

to chastise children when they respond in a defiant and disrespectful manner. It's unclear what Kenny said to, earn such a response, perhaps it wasn't anything at all. Indeed, as we'll hear, Kenny's mom is under immense financial stress that externalizes as scolds against Kenny. She continues saying, I beat your ass who bought you that, you stole it. Ironically, after Kenny's mom just threatened him against talking, she asks a question that requires a response. In particular, she seems to have noticed that Kenny has an object that she didn't buy and hasn't seen before. Because the family lives in poverty, she immediately assumes that he stole the object. Kenny's mom then threatens to beat his

ass if he broke the game he was playing with. Again, Kenny's mom is angry that she spent what little money she had on something that Kenny broke. As we'll see throughout this verse, the possibility of Kenny wasting things that his mom bought is a recurring reason for him getting beat. After breaking his game, Kenny seems to have tried to have fun by playing on the furniture, which leads his mom to say, I beat your ass if you jump on my couch. Kenny likely then decided it was best to go play outside. When he enters the house again, he's immediately scorned. I beat your ass if you walk in this house with tears in your eyes,

running from Poo-Poo and Prentice. Go back outside, I beat your ass little N-word. Here we find a heartbreaking account of a frightened young Kenny, who is crying after two other boys named Poupu and Prentice, apparently tried to beat him up. Kenny likely assumed it was safer to go back home. However, as soon as he walks inside the house, his mom heartlessly mocks his emotional distress, forces him to go back outside, and threatens to

beat his ass worse than the neighborhood bullies. Next, Kenny's mom says, That homework better be finished. I beat your ass. Your teachers better not be bitching about you in class. It's ironic that Kenny's mom expects him to finish his homework after she just forced him to stay outside and be bullied by Pupu and Prentice. Given that Kenny doesn't have a safe environment to complete his homework, it wouldn't be surprising if Kenny's trouble in class is the result of him falling behind in his schoolwork. Kenny is then warned not to waste his pizza. Again, another instance of the family's poverty leading to threats against wasting the things they bought with what little money they had. The detail about pizza may suggest that Kenny's mom doesn't have

the time, energy, or money to cook a healthy meal and instead gives Kenny cheap fast food. And to this point, As verse one continues, we find that Kenney is eating his pizza, not with his family at the dinner table, but rather alone in front of the TV. Kenny's mom continues, them, Jordans better not get dirty when I just bought him. Here, Jordans refer to Nike Air Jordans, an iconic brand of basketball shoes and one of the most prized possessions for young black males growing up in urban streets in the 1990s. During Kenny's childhood years, the retail price for Air Jordans was $125, which would have been a steep price for Kenny's mom to pay. Much like the broken game, Kenny's mom threatens to beat his ass if

he's careless with anything that she buys. Next, Kenny's mom says, better not hear about you humping on Keisha's daughter. The name Keisha should ring familiar to your ears. Recall that a girl named Keisha turned to prostitution, was killed at the age 17, as recounted on Section 80's Keisha song, a track we dissected back on episode one. Evoking this name on fear is of course no coincidence, though it is curious that it's Keisha's daughter that's evoked. This makes Keisha here much older than young Kenny. Kendrick could have easily made Keisha appear of Kenny by saying something like, Better not hear about you humping on that girl, Keisha. By making Keisha older and using a name that has strong associations to a woman who has sexualized and abused at an early age,

the invocation of the name Keisha serves as a hyperlink and an archetype that appears through multiple generations. Thus, we're clearly being led to believe that the trauma Keisha suffered on Section 80 is cyclical, passed on and reincarnated into the next generations of Keishas. This idea is similar to our discussion of suffering being generationally inherited across family members and people groups, as exemplified by Kenny and his two cousins on the beginning of the track. Kenny's mom continues, Better not hear you got caught up. Getting caught up is slaying for someone who's oblivious to reality due to getting overly involved with something or someone. It's likely Kenny is caught up with Keisha's daughter, meaning he's oblivious to the reality of her getting

pregnant. Alternatively, getting caught up can refer to being caught by the police while committing a crime. After all these threats from his mom, Kenny might have considered trying to find leniency by appealing to his father, prompting Kenny's mom to say, you better not run to your father, I beat your ass. However, the next lines reveal the more complex reasons why Kenny's mom doesn't want him to find his dad. She continues, you know my patience run and thin. I got Buku payments to make, county buildings on my ass trying to take my food stamps away. While alluded to throughout the verse, it's here that Kenny's mom blatantly reveals the reason she's being so impatient with Kenny is that she's under tremendous financial stress. The word Buku is Vietnamese slang for a large amount of

something, and in this case, it describes the large amount of payments Kenny's mom needs to make to avoid slipping further into debt. These payments are likely a large part of the reason that Kenny's mom doesn't have time to cook dinner, help him with his homework, resolve conflicts with bullies, or listen to Kenny's explanations of what's really going on in his life. At the same time, Kenny's mom reveals that her stress is compounded by the county building, who want to take away her food stamps. A form of social welfare assistance, food stamps are. are meant to help those in poverty purchase groceries. If a family wants food stamps, an adult from the household has to apply for them, often by visiting a social services office and a governmental

county building. Kendrick's mom actually described this exact scenario in the narrative of Good Kid Mad City. You're waiting on my van. You told me you were going to be back in 15 minutes. Now to go to the county building, man. These kids are ready to eat. I'm ready to eat. I got to get them food steps. Come on now. You're on your way or what? To determine the amount of food stamps a family is eligible to receive, a family submits to the county building information about their sources of income, expenses, number of dependence, marital status, and living arrangements. However, even after receiving food stamps, any additional income generated

by either parent may disqualify the family from continuing to receive food stamps. Hence, families on the edge of the poverty line may be incentivized to lie about their income or whether both parents live in the house. This seems to be the situation that Kenny's mom finds herself in, as she says, I beat your ass if you tell them social workers he live here. These eye-opening revelations about the stress Kenny's mom is under is absolutely critical to what this verse is trying to communicate.

The details about the family's debt and risk of losing food stamp assistance is meant to humanize Kenny's mother. Without this information, we might just assume she's a terrible and heartless woman who's borderline abusive to her son. However, when we see Kenny's mom within the larger context of poverty in America, we're more able to empathize with her. In turn, we also recognize how the indifference shown to the plight of those in poverty helped create the conditions in which children like Kenny suffer at the hands of parents

who fear they can't put food on the table. I beat your ass if I beat your ass twice and you still here. Seven years old think you run this house by yourself. As the verse works towards its conclusion, Kenny's mom ends where she began, chastising Kenny for his defiance. She says, seven years old think you run this house by yourself. This line formerly reveals that Kenny's rewinding of time has taken us back to when he was seven years old. During our analysis of DNA, we discussed how seven was the age that Kendrick had his first sibling,

the age Kendrick's mom first nicknamed him Man Man, and the age he wanted to reflect on in the track. To come into grips to the idea of knowing who Man Man was, you know, as a seven-year-old boy and figuring out who they see as Kendrick Lamar, you know. This retrospective look at 7-year-old Kendrick, which began in the first verse of DNA, seems to have found its fulfillment here in the first verse of fear. It's only now after going through Kung Fu Kenny's emotional journey that we realize how much fear forced him to become much more mature than the average 7-year-old boy.

Indeed, Kenny's mom seems to have been very intentional about instilling fear in Kenny's mind, which is indicated by the final line in the verse, you're going to fear me if you don't fear no one else. Kenny's mom is illustrating a very traditional parenting philosophy amongst various black families who believe that in order to get children to obey commands, they must learn to fear their parents. This approach to parenting likely stems from Bible verses that talk about the importance of having fear of the Lord. An idea most famously captured in the proverb, The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. For most modern Westerners, it's difficult to understand why a loving God needs to be feared. That's because in contemporary English, the word fear

almost always has a negative connotation, most often referring to an unpleasant feeling that repels a person away from something that is threatening. However, within the language of the Bible, fear can also have a positive connotation, specifically when referring to the feeling of reverence that attracts a person towards something that's truly awe-inspiring. Think about visiting the Grand Canyon. The beauty, majesty, depth, and long history of the Grand Canyon draws people from around the world to look at it. At the same time, visitors respect the canyon's great height by following marked paths and staying within the boundaries set by those who know the canyon better than they do. Similarly, the biblical authors believe that those who fear God, or rather those who are in awe of God,

will be drawn to God's awesome nature while also respecting the laws by which he governs the universe. Unfortunately, it seems Kenny's mom was never exposed to such a nuanced view of God. Indeed, as we detailed earlier in the episode, America for years taught a distorted view of Christianity that was used to justify black slaves and instill a fear of challenging America's social order and economic prosperity. Whenever a slave defied America, authorities were quick to beat him or her to the ground, so others would fear suffering the same fate. Thus, when modern America criticizes women like Kenny's mom for their shortcomings as a mother, these women would be right to say, as Kenny did on XXX, look what you taught us. This opening verse of fear reveals that

Kenny's earliest memories are ones of fear. As the track continues into its hook, Kenny likens this fear to a drug that he wishes he could somehow smoke away. We'll dissect this hook along with the rest of the dramatic second half of the pivotal track Fear. Next time on Dissect. Dissect is produced by me for Spotify Studios. Today's episode was written by Femi Olutade and me. by Andrew Atwood. Audio editing by Eric Bass and me. Original theme music by Birocratic.

You can now stream all the original Dysect themes composed by Birocratic on Spotify. Just click the link in the show notes. If you enjoy Dysect, please tell a friend about the show, and be sure to say hi on Twitter and Instagram at Dysect Podcast. You can also purchase Dysc merchandise at Dysectpodcast.com. Okay, thanks for listening, everyone. I'll talk to you next episode.