Dissect - S5E7 - ELEMENT. by Kendrick Lamar

Episode Date: November 5, 2019

ELEMENT. is a brutal meditation on Kung Fu Kenny’s intuition toward preemptive violence. But upon analysis we realize that beneath Kenny’s aggression is an underlying fear of his family going back to a life of poverty. In this way, the track exemplifies how self-preservational pride tilts toward death and destruction. 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 examination of Damn by Kendrick Lamar. On our last episode, we dissected the album's third track, Yaw. There, we were formerly introduced to Dam's protagonist, Kung Fu Kenney, who throughout the song was receiving a call from Yahweh, the personal name for the god of Israel. But rather than answer God's call, Kenny instead makes a conscious decision to follow his intuition. This decision immediately leads to Kenny pursuing sex, money, and murder, the very three things he claimed were in the DNA of mankind on the album's second track.

Thus, the implications seem to be that if humans abandon God and are left to our own devices, we will inevitably pursue the wicked vices that lead to a cursed existence. Within the context of the wickedness-weakness dichotomy laid out in Dam's opening moments, it would seem that Kenny is on the track of The Wicked, something that will become crystal clear in the album's next track, the subject of our episode today, Element. Element is written and produced by Kendrick Lamar, James Blake, Soundwave, Tay Beast, and Ricky Riera,

with additional production by Beacon. The song's production is perhaps the strangest I've encountered in all my time doing this show, and I mean strange in the best possible way. The song seems to have gone through a number of different versions before landing on what we ultimately hear on the album. Producer Soundwave told Fader magazine, quote, The first version we had was a little too jazzy.

It had a four-on-the-floor sound, and it didn't feel right to us. The song was mastered and ready to go, but we were like, hold on. We went back to it, changed up the drums, gave it a little more bounce. As soon as we made those adjustments, it was like, yeah, this is going to be one of the fan favorites right here, unquote. Let's hear the drumbeat soundwave references here. Still, with this adjustment to the beat, the song didn't feel quite right. Soundwave continues, quote, James Blake came in at the last second.

He constantly sends Kendrick stuff, and he just happened to send this crazy piano loop right as we started to feel like the first version wasn't it. He dropped it into his text messages at that moment. We incorporated his keys with the original, and it became what it is, unquote. Let's hear how Soundwave and his team chose to incorporate the chords James Blake provided. In Elements' introduction, we hear the first of two main chord progressions, which is backed by a mysterious baritone voice singing a sustained low note. This dark minor chord is looped and placed over the drum pattern we heard earlier. This becomes the song's verses.

In Elements Hook, we hear the second chord progression. It's a strange sequence of chords that dramatically shift register. That is, one chord is played low, and the next is played high, creating a kind of off-kiltered seesaw-like effect. This too is placed over the bouncy drum pattern, creating the song's hook. Just after the first iteration of the song's hook, we're going to hear yet another strange musical shift. The piano cuts out, and the drums are stripped to just a bass drum

playing the four-on-the-floor rhythm soundwave said dominated the first iteration of element. Over this drum part, we have the entrance of a distant guitar playing a noodly riff. Now let's hear this part when played over the four-on-the-floor bass drum. The three main parts we just heard make up the majority of elements strange and dark musical foundation. As we'll see, this foreboding and unpredictable production will create a perfect backdrop for the dark, hostile lyrical content Kung Fu Kenny delivers on the track. But before the beat of element drops, we hear two introductory vocal parts without musical accompaniment. The first is the reappearance of Kid Capri, who once again states the moniker Kung Fu Kenny,

something we heard almost verbatim on the previous track, Ya. This recurring usage of the Kung Fu Kenny moniker seems to support our theory that Kenny is the protagonist of Dam. Kid Capri continues by introducing two new motifs that will reappear throughout the album, the first being ain't nobody praying for me. Prayer will actually come up a lot more on the album's next track feel, so we're going to wait until then to see how this prayer motif fits into the album's narrative. The second thematic statement that Kit Capri introduces is, y'all know,

what happens on earth stays on earth. This line seems to be a derivation of what happens on tour, stays on tour. This saying was originally used by groups of men who travel away from home for sports, concert performances, or other business. functions. The implication is that they intend to behave recklessly and have sex promiscuously despite being in a committed relationship. In order to reduce the chance their behavior is discovered, the men form a pact to never discuss their actions on tour. The sense of freedom from restraint that the phrase inspires has led various groups to co-opt

the formula for marketing purposes. Most notably, the city of Las Vegas helped coin the phrase What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and launched one of the most successful marketing campaigns of any tourist destination. It appears that Kendrick was also inspired to create his own version of the phrase to harness its marketing potential. In an interview with Big Boy,

Kendrick revealed that What Happens on Earth stays on Earth was the original title of the album we now know as Dam. Did you ever have another album title for Damn? Yep. What was it? What happened on Earth? Stays on Earth. Why not that?

That's a long as title, too. There you go. Given that this phrase was the album's initial title, we can assume that it's complex enough for deeper exploration. First of all, the phrase acknowledges that Kendrick's life on Earth is temporary, just like a life on tour. What happens on Earth stays on Earth also suggests that Kenny's permanent home exists somewhere else other than this Earth.

Since his time on Earth is temporary, he's left with a choice about how he'll conduct himself during his mortal life. will he live a life inspired by the vagus catchphrase and act recklessly an attempt to satisfy his own lust, or will he live faithfully so that he can make it to his permanent home without regrets? This choice between maximizing temporary pleasure or exhibiting patient restraint is yet another instance of the wickedness-weakness dichotomy. Thus far, all indications are that Kenny will choose to live to satisfy his own desires, specifically his desires for sex, money, and murder. as we'll soon see from the album's fourth track element until its 12th track fear.

Kenny's narrative primarily consists of showing us the negative consequences of living based on only how one feels in the moment, rather than living by what one knows will always be true. The fact that Kenny is a prophet means that he should have access to the spirit of truth. However, his decision to follow his intuition means that when push comes to shove, Kung Fu Kenny is unlikely to follow the way of weakness. Let's now hear Kenny's opening words on Element. Here we go! I don't give a fuck.

I don't give a fuck. I don't give a fuck. Kenny opens Element repeating the phrase, I don't give a fuck. Here we have an emphatic declaration that Kenny has chosen to live recklessly. On the surface, he seems to be using a common phrase to show how much he doesn't care.

But we actually find more than surface level significance if we recall two instances in which this phrase has appeared in Kendrick's catalog, specifically on a song we've discussed in great detail this season, Sing About Me, I'm Dying a Thirst. As you may remember, Kendrick rapped this verse from the perspective of one of his dead homies who sought to take revenge for the death of his brother. To explain the mentality that led to the use of violence, the homie said,

a demon glued to my back, whispering get him, I got him and I ain't give a fuck. Later in the song, we hear the phrase, I don't give a fuck once again. What we gonna do? Bro, bro, we can go back right now, my nigga, like, I don't go fuck, my nigga, we can go back right now. Fuck, I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of fucking running. I'm tired of this shit. My brother, homie.

Here, another one of Kendrick's homies suggests they seek immediate murderous revenge on the people who killed their friend and brother. the homie then punctuates his suggestion by saying, I don't give a fuck. The two examples we just heard provide a pattern of using this phrase, I don't give a fuck, to indicate the speaker is being driven to commit acts of retributed violence, regardless of the consequences of those actions. Thus, this word choice and element may be an omen that Kenny's recklessness will soon manifest in the form of violence against his enemies, an idea that actually becomes quite clear in the song's opening bars.

this shit, I done crying for this shit, might take a lie for this shit. Put the Bible down and go, I for a knife for this shit. D.O.T. My enemy won't catch a vibe for this shit. Kenny begins the first verse of element by saying, I'm willing to die for this shit. I've done cried for this shit. Might take a life for this shit. In contrast to the introduction's repeated assertion that Kenny doesn't care, these initial lines convey just how much Kenny does care about this shit. Though vague right now, it will soon become clear that this shit refers to his

family. Whether it be blood relations or loyal day one friends, Kenny is ready to use violence against anyone who threatens the people he loves. He's ready to kill or be killed. This idea leads us into the next line, put the Bible down, and go eye for an eye for this shit. Here, Kenny is referring to the law of retaliation. This law was originally given to the ancient Israelites, the group that Kenny stated he identifies with on the previous track, Yah. God told Moses, quote, If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done, the same is to be done to him. Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he is injured someone, so it shall be done to him, unquote. Kenny seems to have taken this lesson to heart, as he appears prepared to retaliate against anyone who's injured him or his loved ones. But like many, Kenny is ignoring the spirit of the law of retaliation, which was never intended to inspire more violence. Rather, it is, It was intended to limit the extent of allowable retaliation, working to avoid a scenario in which an injury to one's eye would prompt the victim to kill his adversary, which would in turn spark

even more retaliatory violence. Still, Kennedy's experiences growing up in Compton prove that even equivalent levels of retaliation can lead to endless cycles of murders. This inherent limitation of the ancient retaliation laws in the Old Testament is exactly why Jesus set a much higher standard. quote, you have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I tell you, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other, unquote. This challenging commandment shows that Jesus was not satisfied with limiting retaliation. Rather, he sought to completely eliminate retaliation through forgiveness. Kenny's assertion that he'll go, eye for an eye for this shit,

makes it clear that he has no intention of obeying Jesus' commandment regarding nonviolence. Thus, his decision to quote-unquote put the Bible down and act out a distinctly Old Testament scripture suggests that having found justification for his vendetta, Kenny plans to ignore Jesus' teachings in the New Testament. Like many individuals who've used the Bible to legitimize their use of force, Kenny has begun to selectively use biblical passages wherever they seem to align with his own intuition, providing a false justification for his self-serving actions. Next, Kenny says, DoT, my enemy won't catch a vibe for this shit.

Here, DOT likely refers to KDOT, the name that Kendrick used to perform under when he was younger. As you'll recall from our first episode this season, KDOT's lyrical subject matter was a kind of adolescent imitation of his hip-hop heroes. It routinely found him rapping about stereotypical subjects like sex, money, and murder. With the change to his given name, Kendrick Lamar, came the transition to more original and conscious subject matter. Here on Element, claiming his former moniker signals that his moral judgment has reversed itself to the point that he's now

resembling the younger KDOT, an adolescent who follows the influences of his environment. The phrase catch a vibe normally refers to a sudden feeling of euphoria. In hip-hop music, people normally catch a vibe when they're using drugs or when they notice a sexually attractive individual. However, this drug-induced euphoria can also quickly fade away due to a conflict with another person. Hence, when Kenny says that his enemy won't catch a vibe for this shit, he's threatening to kill his enemy's vibe, most likely by killing someone in his crew. In this way, DOT refers to the red dot light coming from his gun that he places on his enemy's head. As verse 1 continues, so does Kenny's juvenile and vicious mentality.

my mama. My daddy commissary made it to commerce. Bitch y'all my grandma's dead. So ain't nobody praying for me. I'm on your head. Hey. Kenny says, I've been stomped out in front of my mama. Getting stomped out is slang for getting beat up. Often this beating is given by a group of people who repeatedly kicked the victim while on the ground, hence the term stomped out. In an interview with Big Boy, Kendrick recounted how at the age of 15, he got stomped out while visiting a swap meet with his mom. In element, you say that you got stumped out of front of your mama. Yeah.

You really got stumped out of front of your mama? Yeah, Avalon Swat Me. Damn. Oh, by when I heard that? Yeah, Avalon Swat Me. Yep. In front of your mama? Yeah, yeah. She was walking out.

I'm already fading. Boop, boop, boop. Did she see it or she saw like the aftermath? She's seen it. Damn. She's seen it. How old were you? I was probably about 15.

By bringing up these memories, Kenny is implicitly suggesting that at any point, he might suffer violence at the hands of unnamed enemies. Thus, within the context of element, it would seem that Kenny is recalling this humiliating moment to further justify his preemptive violent retaliation. Next, Kenny says, my daddy commissary made it to commas. A commissary is a store inside a prison facility from which inmates can purchase things like food, stamps, or cigarettes. Friends and family members can add funds to a prisoner's account with the store. Within hip-hop lyrics, prisoners often

refer to this account as my commissary. Meanwhile, commas is a slang term referring to a large amount of money. Hence, Kenny seems to be bragging about how he's now rich enough to place millions of dollars in his dad's prison store account. Because Kendrick's dad has not been incarcerated since his becoming rich, we assume this line to be a general boast about Kenny transcending the poverty he was born into and providing for his family. Next, Kenny says, bitch all my grandma's dead so ain't nobody praying for me i'm on your head like many families in the black community kennedy's grandmothers were the robust forces holding the family together on a song from 2010 entitled cut you off kendrick spoke about how his grandmother's death led to

increase family divisions and the neglect of an uncle who was in prison In addition to her In addition to her grandmother died Everyone parted ways Argue on holidays Left my uncle in prison for 15 years No one paid Inattention but moms

In addition to her role Mediating between family members Kendrick's grandmother Also mediated between God and Kendrick through her prayers This role of caring for the spiritual well-being of family members is one that has historically been filled

by grandmothers in the black community and many other cultures around the world Now that Kenny's grandmothers are dead, Kenny feels that there's no one left praying for him. This repetition of the line ain't nobody praying for me adds more emotional weight to the theme that Kid Capri first introduced at the beginning of the track. We can empathize with the fact that Kenny has lost the individuals that previously kept him grounded. Without anyone to hold him back, Kenny warns his enemies, I'm on your head. Normally in hip-hop lyrics, the phrase money on your head is used when a rapper

threatens to put a price on someone's head, referring to a bounty payment that one offers to anyone who kills a particular enemy. However, by saying, I'm on your head, Kenny seems to be suggesting that he prefer the satisfaction of killing his enemy himself rather than paying someone else to do it. As verse 1 continues, we hear more evidence that Kenny has reverted to his violent mentality he maintained as a youth in Compton. 90 times I be on stocked in I don't do it for the ground I do it for Compton I'm willing to die for the shit nicker I take your fucking lie for the shit knicker we ain't going back to broke family selling dope that's why you mini-ass rap niggas better know kenny raps 30 millions later know the feds watchin

auntie on my telegram like be cautious kentie admits that there's obstacles to him killing his enemies Kenny's financial success has already attracted the attention of the FBI One of Kenny's aunts warns of this potential danger by sending of a message on telegram, a messaging app whose focused on secure communication has led it to being used by criminal and terrorist organizations. Kenny continues, I be hanging out at Tams, I be on Stockton. Tam's Burgers is a fast food chain with locations throughout low-income areas of Southern California.

As a teenager, Kenny frequented one of the Compton locations at the corner of Central and Roast Cranes avenues. Meanwhile, the intersection of East. Stockton Street and Long Beach Boulevard used to be the location of the Compton Swatmeet, where all of Compton gathered a shop for clothing, jewelry, music, and other items. It was also the location where Kendrick was stomped out in front of his mom. These local references show that Kenny's success and the scrutiny of the feds are not enough to keep Kenny from going back to the hood.

Kenny proudly declares, I don't do it for the gram, I do it for Compton. Playing up the phrase, do it for the gram or Instagram, this line seems to criticize those who leave the hood to take photos of themselves eating out fancy restaurants and shopping at upscale stores just to impress on social media. In contrast, Kenny doesn't need the attention of the online masses when he has the devotion of his family and friends in Compton. Kenny continues by reiterating his earlier sentiments. He raps, I'm willing to die for this shit. I'll take your fucking life for this shit. We ain't going back to broke, family selling dope. Again, Kenny states he's willing to kill or be killed for his family. At the same time, Kenny also reveals that the

underlying motivation to use violence is largely rooted in the fear that his family will go broke if he's taken out by his enemies or the aforementioned feds. This revelation really helps to humanize Kenny, as most of us can empathize with the desire to do everything one can to take care of family and friends. However, most of us never face a situation in which assault and murder appear to be the only way to protect the people we love. In the context of a world as violent and difficult as Compton, who's to say we wouldn't also take a life for this shit. As Element continues with the performance of its hook, we'll discover how Kenny's focus shifts from the protection of family to his hip-hop rivals. We'll discuss this shift and a whole lot more right after the break. Welcome back to Dissect.

Before the break, we established the song Element as an expression of Kenny's ventral mentality and the violent preemptive measures he's willing to execute in order to protect his loved ones. As the song progresses into its hook, Kenny's attention shifts from Ms. Compton rivals to his hip-hop rivals. In the last line of verse 1, Kenny sets up the hook by saying, That's why you mani-ass rap end words better know. This line provides the revelation that Kenny is speaking directly to his rivals in the rap game. Mani is a slang shortening of the word maniac.

Hence, the term manias seems to refer to rappers who are crazy enough to threaten Kenny. In our first episode this season, we briefly discussed how Kenjik released the track the Heart Part 4 as a precursor to damn. The song seemed to address his increasingly hostile relationships with rappers Drake, Big Sean, and Jay Electronica. My fans can't wait for me to sun your punk ass and crush your whole little shit. I'll be pun your punk ass. You're a scared little bitch.

Tip towing around my name, nigga you're lame. And when I get at you, homie, don't you tell me you was just playing. Oh, I was just playing K. God. Come on, you know a nigga rock with you, bro. Shut the fuck up. You sound like the last nigga I know. Might end up like the last nigga. When the Heart Part 4 was released in the lead-up to Dam, many fans speculated that Kendrick

would continue to take shots at the a-4-mentioned rappers on the album. Up until this point, Kenny has been more focused on taking shots at Geraldo Rivera and Fox News in defense of hip-hop artists. However, now that Kenny has begun to fully embrace acts of violent revenge, his focus seems to have shifted to the hip-hop artists who have disrespected him. This leads directly into the hook in which Kenny raps, if I got a slap of pussy-ass N-word, I'm a make it look sexy. If I got to go hard on a bitch, I'm going to make it look sexy. In these two parallel lines, Kenny threatens his enemies with language that is simultaneously violent and sexualized. He refers to his enemies as pussy ass N-words and bitches, which again plays into

the common trope of insulting men by comparing them to sexually submissive women. In the first line, the image of slapping can imply slapping the face of his enemy, as well as slapping the ass of a woman. Similarly, going hard on a bitch can evoke the image of Kenny physically dominating his enemies, alongside the allusion to hardcore, potentially violent sex. These clever double entendres amplify Kenny's intent to make acts of violence acceptable via sex appeal. Now that Kenny is wealthy and under constant scrutiny, he does care about optics and how others perceive him. However, he has no intention of shedding the violent mentality he inherited from his formative youth

in Compton. Thus, like shrewd advertising professionals, Kenny is strategically selling violence via eroticism because sex sells. He's hawking the idea that violence against our enemies is not only a legitimate means to an end, but a desirable one as well. Kenny continues to sell us on the attractiveness of violence with the line, I pull up, hop out, air out, make it look sexy. Air out refers to the act of clearing people out of a building by spraying the building with bullets. Hence, Kenny is likely describing a drive-by shooting, in which he pulls up to a house, hops out of a vehicle, and sprays bullets on its enemies who are inside.

Given that hip-hop artists often depict themselves committing such acts of violence in their raps, who could just interpret this line as an artistic embellishment. But Kenny grew up in an environment where drive-by shootings were commonplace. Many of his homies died from similar incidents. In an interview with Tipip a butterfly, Kendrick explained that he often feels hate against those who have killed his family and friends. I still feel that urge and I still feel that angry and that hatred for this man next door because I got to get a call knowing that somebody around the corner than did this to my partner.

I still feel like, I still feel that hatred. I still feel like that, that ill will to want it to do something. Do you have that in you? Do you feel like you have that in you? All the time. Wow. I've only been in this industry for three, four years. And I can't forget 20 years of me being in the city of Compton.

According to the interview, Kendrick continues to battle his desire for violent retaliation against his enemies. Even though he's rich and successful, he still cannot escape the program intuition that he's inherited from the first two decades of his life in Compton. Kenny then concludes the hook by saying, They won't take me out my element. Nah, take me out my element. At this point, the hook reminds us.

to ponder the significance of the track's title. Kenny seems to be using two related definitions of the word element. On one hand, element is defined as a place or state of being that an individual is best suited to. Given the earlier line, I don't do it for the gram, I do it for Compton. We can assume that Compton is the place Kenny feels best suited to. Similarly, given the repeated threats of violence and his soldier's DNA, we can guess that a constant state of war is the mental environment Kenny feels much.

most comfortable in. The word element can also be defined as a group of people who share common trait and exist within. If we read enough news articles, we'll likely notice that this usage of the word element tends to be reserved for destructive unwanted groups. For example, you often read or hear sentences like, quote, citizens have to stop crime by keeping the criminal element out, unquote. The law-abiding citizens of Compton likely considered Kenny to be part of the criminal element back when he and his homies were robbing houses on Good Kid Mad City. It would seem that Kenny refuses to be removed from such criminal associations, something that's addressed specifically in verse 2.

Kenny begins the second verse rapping, I'm allergic to a bitch nigger, hey, an imaginary rich nigga, hey, seven figures how that slimmer than my bitch figure, hey, going digital and physical and all y'all, y'all, a bunch of criminals and money in my phone calls, hey. Kenny begins the second verse rapping, I'm allergic to a bitch endward, an imaginary, rich and Edward, seven figures ho that's slimmer than my bitch figure. After boasting about sex and murder on the hook, here Kenny boasts about money. In particular, Kenny belittles a bitch inward who claims to be making seven figures, somewhere between one and nine million dollars. Kenny dismisses this amount of money as being slimmer than his bitch's figure. This is another instance in which Kenny insinuates that his enemy is weak by comparing him to a woman. Kenny continues by asserting his dominance over his rivals through both digital and physical means. He raps, going digital and physical on all y'all.

This line likely refers to the dominance of Kenny's album sales, with physical CDs, digital MP3s, and streams surpassing the sales of his rap rivals. Kenny concludes this section of the verse by saying, bunch of criminals and money in my phone calls. Here, we're reminded of our theory that Kenny continues to be involved with Compton's criminal element. Kenny's involvement seems to be in part motivated by his desire to get more money. It's likely another reason why Kenny has to be cautious about the feds who are watching him. Looking back on the sequence of lines we just heard, we recognize that Kenny ended each line by saying A. This lyrical flow has been frequently used by trap artists and thus has become quite popular in the years before Dan was released. For example, trap artist,

Little Uzi Vert, used the flow on his 2015 track top while bragging about his wealth. Another trap artist who helped to make this flow popular was Fetty Wop. He used the flow to brag about his wealth on a 2017 track, appropriately titled A. 17 we ain't playing, 15 car garage, shit still ain't enough, a bank account got the most. Similar to Kenny's use of Migos' triplet flow on DNA, his use of the A flow seems to be channeling the conventions of the current generation of hip-hop, while also associating himself with the legacy of criminal drug sales that form the primary narrative of trap music. As Element continues,

Kenny takes on a new lyrical flow, one that also nods to a pre-existing hip-hop subgenre. None of y'all fucking with the flow, yeah, the flow, yeah. In this section of the verse, Kenny continues to brag about his credentials. This includes having A1 credit, flying on a G5 private jet, counting $100,000 on his floor, and dominating the rap game with his lyrical flow. We should also recognize that each of the last four lines end by saying the word yeah. And in three out of the four lines, Kenny says the word yeah two syllables before saying the last word. This flow seems to be inspired by a rapper named Juvenile

who used the flow throughout the verses of his 1999 hit single, Back That Assup. The sexually explicit lyrics from Back That Asap seems to further support Kenny's campaign to make violence look sexy. But we also now realize that Kenny has made a conscious effort to immediately follow a section that used a contemporary A-flow with a flow that embraces hip-hop circa 1999. In doing so, he shows the continuity between repetitive hip-hop flows from two different eras. This continuity between his hip-hop inheritance is something that was touched on in DNA,

and the fluidity with which Kenny is able to embody these two eras proves that hip-hop truly is in his DNA. Kenny seems to acknowledge this lineage directly as the verse continues, specifically with the line, years in the making. Got them by a landslide, we talk about races. You know there's never be a tie, just look at their laces. You know careers take off, just got to be patient. Mr. 1 through five, that's the only logic. Fake my death, go to Cuba, that's the only option.

Kenny continues rapping, years of the making, and don't y'all mistake it. I got them by a landslide. We're talking about races. You know, this will never be a tie, just look at their laces. You know, careers take off, just got to be patient. Kenny boasts that he's winning the rap game just like an elected candidate with a landslide victory in a political race. He also plays off this race reference and points to his opponent's unlace shoes for evidence that there will never be a tie. Kenny is forever winning.

But even though Kenny now dominates the rap game, he reminds us that it took years of hard work to become the greatest rapper. By saying, you know careers take off, just got to be patient. Kenny may again be displaying the confidence he's always had in his career success. But this also could be heard as a patronizing statement, in which Kenny is putting his rivals in their place and telling them to accept that their careers are not going anywhere. According to Kenny, he's the only one winning the rap game right now, hence the next line, Mr. 1 through 5, that's the only logic. Here, Kenny is bragging that he should occupy multiple spots when listing the all-time greatest rappers. For decades, fans of hip-hop have debated over which hip-hop artists should be listed as the five greatest rappers of all time. Kendrick took part in this debate when he famously upstage Big Sean and Jay Electronica on their 2013 joint track, Control.

In his verse from Control, Kendrick listed himself, Jay-Z, Nas, Amin'em, Andre 300, the rest of y'all, new niggas, don't get involved. And I ain't rocking no more designer shit. In his verse from Control, Kendrick listed himself, Jay Z, Nas, Eminem, and Andre 300 as the five greatest rappers. However, here in element, Kung Fu Kenny claims that he deserves to be listed in spots one through five. Kenny is not the first person to make such a bold claim. On the song, Step Into a World, rapper KRS 1 claims to be numbers 1 through 5 on the list. Also, in a skit from a 2004 episode of The Chappelle Show, comedian Dave Chappelle plays a rapper named Dylon, who says his own name five times when listing the five greatest

rappers. We're the five best rappers of all time. Think about it. Dylon, Dylon, Dylon, Dylon, because I spit hot fire. Hearing Dylons, identical boast helps to show just how illogical it is for one person to claim five spots on a list. However, this self-centered logic is the only lens through which Kenny sees the world. Kenny ends this verse by saying, fake my death, go to Cuba, that's the only option. Faking a death is a common strategy for fugitives who want to trick law enforcement into giving up on pursuing them. Similarly, the rise of communism in Cuba caused America to cut off diplomatic relations with the country in 1961. Cuba thus became one of the most popular destinations for fugitives fleeing America. As Element continues into its

bridge, we get one of the most blatant references to the album's title we'll hear all season. Element. Damn if I do, if I don't. God damn it's all if you want. Damn, damn, damn. It's a goddamn shame. You ain't front line. Get out the goddamn way.

Nickas thought they wouldn't go. Kenny wraps, Damned if I do, if I don't. Given that this evokes the title of the album, we suspect it may have a larger meaning that extends outside of element itself. At its heart, damned if you do, damned if you don't, describes a no-win situation.

We first think of the wickedness, weakness dichotomy from blood. as well as the call God made to our prophet Kenny on the previous track, Yah. If Kenny accepts God's call, if he chooses weakness by allowing himself to be used as Yeshua's new weapon, then he'll likely be condemned by America. We heard this notion implied by the parable in blood, and in the double-sided backlash Kenjik received after the release of Tempa Butterfly. On the other hand, if Kenny rejects God's call, if he chooses wickedness, follows his intuition towards sex, money, and violent retaliation against its enemies, and he'll certainly be condemned by God.

Thus, Kenny must choose to be damned by God or damned by men. This idea leads directly into the next line, God damn us all if you won't. Each of these lines is punctuated by Kenny saying what sounds to be a blurring of two words, Yeah and Yah. Take another listen. I can't help to think here about Yah, the title of the album's previous track. Given the subject matter here about being damned if you do, damned if you don't, we think back to the second verse of Ya, in which Kenny says, Deuteronomy say that we've all been cursed. I know he walks the earth, but there's money to get, bitches to hit.

In our analysis of these lines, we recognize the meaning of damn is essentially to curse or condemn, by interjecting what sounds a lot like Yah in between the lines about our damned existence, we once again find Kenny implying God's condemnation of his wicked existence. In an interview with Big Boy TV, Kendrick discussed how the concept of being damned led to the album's title. Why damn? Damn. I mean, we know we can say like, damn, but why did you title the album damn? It was so many different ways you could put it in my head. It was like from the concept, damn if I do, damn if I don't, the loudness of the record, it just screamed that in my face. I think of DNA, when I think of humble, when I think about these records, it just felt like that.

Kenny ends the bridge of element by saying, Damn, damn, damn, it's a goddamn shame. You ain't Frontline. Get out the goddamn way. Here, Frontline likely refers to the military boundary where armed forces are in direct combat. The soldier's DNA inside of Kenny has led him to choose the cursed way of wickedness as he threatens violence against anyone who refuses to get out of his war path. This violent mentality continues in Elements' third verse.

It appears that they wouldn't go see me, huh? Niggins thought they cared out real life is the same life they see on TV, huh? Niggas want to flex on me and be in L.A. for free, huh? Next time they hit the T and freeway, we need receipt, huh? Because most of y'all ain't real. Most of y'all go see. It appears the front line, Kenny mentioned at the end of the bridge, referred to the defense of his home turf against his rivals.

He warns that the somewhat wholesome and peaceful reputation he has is merely a public front, and that his rivals will pay a steep price for setting foot in his hometown. We should also note that the four lines we just heard are yet another instance in which Kenny ends successive lines with the same word, this time the word ha. This is actually another reference to juvenile, specifically his 1998 single, Ha. Much like Element, Ha discusses the desire to get money and staying loyal to one's hood. The first verse ends with Juvenile. Rappenial rapping, some of your partner's dope fiends, you really don't want to fuck with them N-words,

you come up with them N-words, you stuck with them N-words. These lines lead to the chorus where Juvenile says, you a paper chaser, you got your block on fire, remaining a G until the moment you expire. You know what it is to make nothing out of something. You handle your biz, and don't be crying and suffering. It's interesting to note that this chorus of Ha is taken directly from a track called Soldier Rag, which was the single of Juvenile's previous album. On Soldier Rag, Juvenile asserts that he and his homies are soldiers by virtue of their ability to get women, money, and defend themselves against their enemies. The fact that Elements Samples Ha, which in turn samples Soldier Rag, is again an expression

of Kenny's soldier's DNA we heard about in the song DNA. In this way, associating himself with soldiers, may be another way Kenny seeks to justify his use of violence, but we also recognize this juvenile double reference as another instance in which Kenny displays how the history of hip-hop flows through his DNA. Since hip-hop has historically placed a premium on sex, money, and murder, so too does Kenny. Kenny. Kenny continues element rapping. Most of y'all ain't real. Most of y'all go squeal. Most of y'all just envy, but jealousy get you killed. Most of y'all throw rocks and try to hide your hand. Just say its name and I promise that you'll see Candy Man because it's all in your eyes.

Kenny continues element rapping, because most of y'all ain't real. Most of y'all gone squeal. Most of y'all just envy, but jealousy get you killed. Most of y'all throw rocks and try to hide your hand. Here, Kenny asserts that his enemies are too weak to enter into direct conflict, but are envious of Kenny. Thus, they resort to passive aggressive tactics, such as snitching or throwing subliminal insults. He likens his behavior to someone throwing rocks at a window while trying not to get caught. The line, most of y'all throw rocks and try to hide your hand, may be a reference to Michael Jackson's 1987 hit, Bad. On Bad, Michael Jackson saying, your talk is cheap, you're not a man, you're throwing stones to hide your hands. The way that Michael Jackson attacks his opponent's words and masculinity definitely parallels Kenny's own attacks on element. But we also recognize that Kenny's

throwing rocks line was likely an attempt to evoke Jay Electronica's song, Exhibit C. As we mentioned earlier, Jay Electronica was one of the rappers who threw sneak disses or subliminal shots in the years before the release of Dam. Most notably, Jay Electronica released a song called TBE the Curse of Mayweather on the same day as the 2016 Grammy Awards. This was the year that Kendrick dominated the awards, having been nominated for 11 Grammys. Without mentioning Kendrick by name, Jay Electronica dismissed Kendrick's achievements by suggesting that he'd simply been pandering to white audiences. He's got 11 Grammy nominations, y'all not equal.

Man, fuck these white people. My grandmother died of 82 scrubbing floors and niggas still running around. Begging for a wars. Is he Jedi or is he since? Is he Neo in the Matrix on Mr. Smith? Two months after the release of TBE the Curse of Mayweather, J. Electronica apologized to Kendrick on Twitter. However, the fallout from Kendrick's control verse continued later in the year

when Big Sean seemed to challenge Kendrick's place in the top five on his 2016 track, No More Interviews. attack but trash when I'm rapping it back who you put in your top five and claim they the savior rap so many friends turn in. Big Sean rapped, I'm just not impressed by you N-words rapping fast, who sound like one big asthma attack but trash when I'm wrapping it back, who you put in your top five and claim they the savior of rap. Most interpreted these lines as aimed at Kendrick, but again, Big Sean, like Jay Electronica, never called Kendrick out by name. Given that Big Sean reference hip-hop's top five on No More interviews, we understand.

why Kenny chose to call himself Mr. 1 through 5 earlier on Element. The subliminal insults by Big Sean and Jay Electronica seem to lead directly to Elements next line. Most of y'all throw rocks and try to hide your hand. Just say his name and I promise you'll see Candyman. Here Kenny is referencing the 1992 horror film Candyman. The film follows a white woman who is investigating an unsolved murder in a Chicago housing project. The residents of the project claim that the killer is a a legendary figure named Candyman. Earlier in the film, we hear how Candyman appears and kills anyone who looks in the mirror and says his name five times. You're crazy. Candyman. No. Candyman. No, don't. Candyman. No. Candyman. Don't. Candyman. As the female protagonist continues her

investigation, she learns that Candyman was originally a black man who lived in the latter half of the 19th century. His father was a former slave who became financially successful. His father's success afforded Candyman the opportunity to become a painter, fall in love with a white woman, and have a child with his lover. The relationship, however, angered many white citizens of Chicago. These white Americans then formed a lynch mob, severed his right handoff and smeared his face with a honeycomb hive of angry bees. Candyman subsequently dies from numerous bee stings. It's here that we realize that it was racist white Americans who created the monster that Candyman became. The spirit of Candyman justifies his indiscriminate killings by claiming that their purpose is to ensure his reputation is feared in Chicago.

We thus recognize a larger metaphor about America's present, being haunted by its racist and torturous past. The Candyman story has numerous parallels to Kenny's story. Like Kenny, Candyman was an artist who found financial success that gave him access to him access to mainstream white America. Like Kenny's character from blood, Candyman in his mortal life was an innocent black man who was killed by extrajudicial force. Like Kenny, Candyman's spirit refuses to be taken out of his old stomping grounds. In Candyman's case, it's Chicago. In Kenny's, it's Compton. Like Kenny, Candyman's past injuries have led him into a cycle of violence and indiscriminate killings. Finally, like Kenny's line about being Mr. 1 through 5, Candyman wants people to

to say his name five times. And so on its surface, just say his name and I promise you'll see Candyman, serves as a threat to the rappers who diss Kendrick without saying his name because they fear his vengeful wrath. At the same time, the reference to Candyman paints Kenny as a morally complex individual whose acts of violence cannot be truly understood without acknowledging the long history of black men who've been killed unjustly in America. As Element continues, so too does Kenny's relentless attack on his rivals. Kenny wraps, because it's all in your eyes, most of y'all tell lies, most of y'all don't fade, most of y'all been advised. Here, Kenny dismisses his rivals based on their lack of authenticity. Kenny claims that most of them can't fade.

In Southern California gang culture, to fade someone meets to kill them. Hence, Kenny seems to be claiming that his rivals aren't really killers like they say they are in their lyrics. By saying, most of you all been advised, Kenny could be suggesting that his rivals are using advisors to help them write their lyrics. This kind of help is referred to as ghostwriting. Since hip-hop is based so heavily on rappers proving that they're real, ghostwriting is normally frowned upon by hip-hop purists. And the years leading up to Dam, ghostwriting was a hot topic of discussion after it was revealed that Drake had been using a ghostwriter to craft many of his songs. Drake is among the rappers that Kendrick has had a long-standing beef with since the days of his

control verse, so it seems likely that Drake is in Kenny's crosshairs here on Element. Kendrick spoke to the Rolling Stone about the thinking behind Element and whether it's ever okay to use a ghostwriter. Kendrick replied, quote, It depends on what arena you're putting yourself in. I called myself the best rapper. I cannot call myself the best rapper if I have a ghostwriter. If you're saying you're a different type of artist and you don't really care about the art form of being the best rapper,

then so be it. Make great music. But the title, it won't be there, unquote. This response supports our interpretation about the lines because it's all in your eyes. Most of y'all tell lies. Most of y'all don't fade. Most of y'all been advised.

These are a subtle way for Kenny to allege that Drake is an inauthentic rapper who has to employ someone else to make him look like a killer. It's worth noting that these lines were likely inspired by Big Pun's 1998 track, You Ain't a Killer. As the title suggests, Big Pun's You Ain't a Killer is about fraudulent tough guys. He raps, it's hard to analyze which guys are spies, be advised. We recognize who lies. It's all in the eyes. These lines mirror Kenny's lines, because it's all in your eyes, most of y'all tell lies. And later, most of you all been advised. At the same time, we should remember that Kendrick specifically mentioned big pun by name and a line about punking his rap rivals on the Hart Part 4, the prequel song to Damn.

I'll big pun your punk ass, you're a scared little bitch Tip towing around my name, nigga you're lame And when I get at you homie, don't you tell me you it's just playing. We now recognize the clever connection between Element and the Heart Part 4. As we just heard, Kendrick raps, My fans can't wait for me to sun your punk ass and crush your whole little shit. I'll big pun your punk ass, you're a scared little bitch. As we just discovered, Kenny literally uses big pun lyrics to punk his rap rivals on Element,

giving his fans exactly what they've been waiting for. As Element works its way towards its conclusion, Kenny punctuates his message with a powerful couplet. Let's have another listen. Here, Kenny reminds us that he's willing to acknowledge black artists who create authentic work. As evidence, he points to his previous LP to pimp a butterfly, wherein Kendrick advocated for black artists, and his black community in Compton.

One specific moment we can single out is found in the track Hood Politics. These lines criticize those who disparaged the current state of hip-hop, due to the abundance of whack MCs, yet fail to support real rap artists. Among these real artists, Kendrick highlights Killer Mike, whose 2014 album Run the Jewels 2, was ranked as one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, but was still unable to achieve platinum status. As a notable contrast, Drake used Jamaican dance hall music in place of hip-hop, and even adopted a Jamaican accent for most of the singles on his 2016 album, Vuees. This more watered-down approach to hip-hop led to mixed reviews, but nonetheless helped views

reach platinum status in less than a week. While we can't know for sure whether the whack artist named on Element is Drake, we can at the very least be sure that Drake is the most visible embodiment of several trends in hip-hop that Kenny is trying to dismantle. Within the context of Element, Drake's sensitive lyrics and middle-class upbringing are the perfect antithesis to the senseless violence that characterizes Kung Fu Kenny's Element. After the emphatic Black Artist's Wack Artist couplet, Element transforms musically as the entire song slows down drastically. Element began at a tempo of 95 beats per minute and slows now to 75 beats per minute. While it of course depends on the song, a simple survey of R&B music will find that a large

majority of the songs in this genre have a tempo of around 75 beats per minute. Thus, in Kenny's final iteration of Elements' hook, his violent and vengeful message sounds sexier than ever. Conclusions. Throughout Element, Kenny portrays himself as a person to be feared, someone who would do anything and everything to defend the things that he loves. In the song's first half, Kenny expresses his I don't give a fuck mentality by showing his willingness to kill or be killed in defense of his family, be it blood relatives or his homies in Compton. On the second half of Element, Kenny shifts his focus to hip-hop, another thing that he loves and is willing to defend to his grave.

In this way, Element is a continuation of that brash and vengeful persona we first heard on the Heart Part 4. Element seemingly takes the grudges with Drake, Big Sean, and Jay Electronica to the next level, an attempt to discredit any claim they have to being one of the top rappers in the game. Similar to his riff with Fox News, Kenny seems to be defending the purity of his hip-hop inheritance while protecting it and himself from who he feels is disrespecting both his art and the art of hip-hop itself. At the same time, it's important to remember that element takes place in the context of a larger album

narrative and represents the thoughts and actions of Kung Fu Kenny, a version of Kendrick Lamar, who's rejected God's calling and decided to follow his own intuition towards sex, money, and murder. In the wake of this turn toward wickedness, Kenny now seems unable to escape the violent mentality that he inherited from his hometown of Compton. Rather than leave that old mentality, Kenny embraces it, and even uses sex appeal to market violence as something that our society ought to desire. Still, Kenny's marketing tactics cannot mask the fact that he feels trapped inside a damned if I do, damned if I don't conundrum. Element reveals that part of Kenny's motivation for creating a persona to be feared is that he himself is fearful. Kenny fears that any loss in career success

could result in him going broke and watching his family members going back to selling drugs. At the same time, Kenny's financial success and connections to criminal activity in Compton have made Kenny an enemy of America and the target of the FBI. As such, Kenny contemplates faking his death and fleeing to Cuba. As we discussed in our last episode, Kenny's story seems to mirror that of the biblical prophet Jonah. After Jonah rejected God's call, Jonah fled overseas rather than being used for God's purposes in Nineveh. Likewise, rather than being used for God's purposes in America, Element finds Kenny fleeing from God's call. Even if his physical escape to Cuba is nothing more than a piped dream, it's certainly clear that Kenny has fled from God mentally.

Jonah's attempted escape proved to be futile because God sent a storm to halt Jonah. If Kenny's narrative continues to unfold like Jonah's, we'd expect stormy times are ahead. However, rather than a storm of wind and rain, Kenny is about to dive headfirst into a storm of emotions. 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. Of course, this is Dam's next track, Feel. A song will examine note by note, line by line. Next time on Dissect. Dysect is produced by me for Spotify Studios. Today's episode was written by Femi Olutade and me. Song Recreations 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 Dysect merchandise at Dysect Podcast. com. Okay, thanks for listening, everyone. I'll talk to you next episode.