Kendrick Lamar – For Free? Interlude Video – 5 Connections To Get

1. Connections to the Jazz Age,

Within a chaotic, comedic, and somewhat unique way to approach it, Kendrick Lamar – For Free? Interlude makes you dive into the Jazz Age, back in the 1920’s.

The spoken word tone makes it very funny and ironic. The saxophone never been so speaking: it clearly has a sarcastic tone in it, inviting us to a short episode, a short play, a short good moment in the Theaters Comedy. The pictures of the drums and double bass, the relaxed face of this girl who’s the actual personification of a toxic America, and ironic and disturbing happenings of Kendrick with his Blackish provocation all render the perfect illustration for the statement « This D!ck Ain’t Free ».

2. Connections with Untitled

2.1 « I met This Young Lady […] Trynna spit my Best Game »

To what she replied in For Free? « You ain’t no king’

« She kept on snapping her finger »

To what Kendrick says « You know what girl, you’re crazy »

To what we understand he’s speaking to a some kind of ratchet girl.

2.2 Piece of land (wealthy property),

2.3 Piece of nookie

The clip pictures the body of a sexy bootylicious girl, whose such body would inspire to just live and satisfy your hunger, with no higher aspirations

Pity the fool that made the pretty in you prosper
Titty juice and pussy lips kept me obnoxious, kept me up watchin’
Pornos and poverty, apology? No
Watch you volunteer it it while people less fortunate, like myself
Every dog has it’s day, now doggy style shall help

2.4 Piece of mines

This verse in Untitled (What did the White Man Say?) and For Free? Interlude, are two in one message direct to the America, proposing the temptation of his White American Dream, which is summed up in one word: Dollar.

We’ve always been educated on how much money is synonymous of power. Actually, money is synonymous of slavery (cf « 40 acres and a mule »)

On top of that, we see a Kendrick making fun of the girl, supposedly named America, and her Uncle Sam , another devil Kendrick tends to shun (« That’s why we shun the navy » – Hiii Power)

2.5 « Tell ‘Em We Don’t Die WE MULTIPLY

3. Connection with the Black Music Culture

The rich instrumentation stands for the richness of Black Culture This beauty of the instrumentation is one of the most beautiful score in the album, And, this is ruined by the voice of a ratchet girl. This spoken word poem reflects then the beauty of Black Heritage ruined by the Bad America

4. Connections with European 17-19th century with ‘Blackamoors’

This is why the album can remind of the series of conferences of the Black Portraitures  which « explore the impulses, ideas, and techniques undergirding the production of self-representation and desire, and the exchange of the gaze from the 19th century to the present day in fashion, film, art, and the archives. »

The way to proceed is to exhibit « comparative perspectives on the historical and contemporary role played by photography, art, film, literature, and music in referencing the image of the black body in the West ».

Plus, digging the lyrics, you can acknowledge the actual Black History, from Slavery time to these days.

5. Connections with Alright

The Gospel choir, or Negro Spirituals at the beginning in front of the house, stands for the hope sang in in Alright « But if God got us then we gon’ be alright » in spite of the dominative posture of America (represented by the lady, standing up) and the captive Black people (represented by Kendrick, hunkered down on the ground, yet about to break free).

« When you know we been hurt been down before, when our pride was low, looking at the world like where do we go »

No wonder why this is the perfect transition between « Wesley »s Theory » (Every nigger is a star) and « King Kunta »,  in plus of being actually the best introduction of the whole album concept.

Besides, mentioning all the stereotypes to Black people in this song, recalls a lot of the pamphlet in The Blacker The Berry (« My hair is nappy, My D!ck is big, My Nose is round »).