On May 13, American rapper Kendrick Lamar dropped his long-anticipated fifth studio album Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers. This record is his latest to drop in five years since his critically acclaimed, Pulitzer prize-winning album DAMN. Lamar is particularly well-known for his enigmatic brand of socially conscious, genre-bending hip hop. With so many major socioeconomic and political events having swept the nation in the time elapsed between records, Lamar’s legions of fans were eager to hear what he had to say.
Of course, Kendrick is no stranger to controversy. With all the anticipation surrounding this latest album, there was also a drop of anticipation regarding potential hot takes. Lamar’s beliefs are a mixed bag, after all. Generally, however, the positive receptions to what he says outweigh the controversies. In 2015, his song “Alright” from the record To Pimp a Butterfly was adopted as an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as a major source of critique from right-wing leaning commentators for its anti-police language and imagery. Conversely, his song “The Blacker The Berry” also received controversy due to his comments regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting, with some hearing it as criticism of the Black community. Considering his sometimes-inconsistent history, it’s sensible to see why there might be some apprehension over what he would say over the course of his brand new 73-minute double LP. The result? Well, it’s a mixed bag.
I would like to preface this commentary by saying that I myself am a Kendrick Lamar fan. I’ve eagerly anticipated each of his releases since I first got into his music years ago, and this album altogether is no different. Here’s the thing: just because I (or we) might like something, or agree with the overall message of a song, doesn’t mean it’s well done or that the artist is infallible. Of course, I say this in light of the controversy surrounding the track “Auntie Diaries.”
As we speak, multiple states in the U.S. are violently attacking the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. There’s an ongoing culture war specifically surrounding the rights and validity of transgender people. Through the song “Auntie Diaries,” Lamar attempts to address his own internalized transphobia and homophobia while opening up room for a larger criticism of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric within the rap genre. The lyrics talk about his relationship with two of his family members who came out as transgender. In the name of poetic structure and self-reflection, Lamar begins by deadnaming and misgendering his uncle, before using his correct name and pronouns to highlight his change of attitude. The same goes for the second half of the track where he discusses his relationship with his cousin, Mary-Ann. Between verses, Lamar repeatedly uses the homophobic F-slur, ultimately leading to the realization that it’s not a slur for him to use as a straight, cisgender male. The song ends with Mary-Ann telling Lamar [regarding the F-slur], “Come sit down/ let’s say it together/ the same day I let a white girl say n—-”. The line is in reference to an incident where Lamar rightfully stopped a white fan who was rapping on stage with him from using the N–word.
The glaring issue within the song is that despite good intentions, using homophobic slurs in the name of discussing how it’s not his word to use doesn’t highlight as much growth as Lamar seems to think. Additionally, in the process of expressing a change of heart for his trans relatives, Lamar deadnames and misgenders them repeatedly. Expectedly, the song has been met with a great deal of controversy. The overwhelming majority of Lamar’s cisgender fanbase applaud the artist for his pro-LGBTQ+ take and attempt at opening the conversation, while many trans commentators have expressed valid criticism over his misguided approach.
It would also be irresponsible to not mention that some trans and non-binary individuals have expressed appreciation for the song. The overwhelming concern expressed is that in a song being performed supposedly for the inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, Lamar will have stadiums full of straight, cisgender fans all yelling the F-slur when he performs this song. Ironic, considering his message in the final lyric. Additionally, while not as explicitly discussed, Lamar deadnames Caitlyn Jenner in the track. Deadnaming someone we don’t like because we don’t deem them worthy of respect displays an attitude of not recognizing the inherent validity of trans people.
On Reddit, when trans people have expressed their criticism of the song, cisgender fans have jumped to Kendrick’s defense, saying that trans people “just don’t get it.” We get it. We’re not obligated to accept it just because of its message. We deserve better than misguided activism.
Just because an artist is garnering criticism doesn’t mean fans have to rush to his defense. After all, this could be treated as a learning opportunity to be a better ally. When a community is expressing their concern over an issue that affects them, who are outsiders to say that the community can’t express that? What makes cisgender people believe they are qualified to speak over trans voices regarding a song meant to promote acceptance of the trans community?
Kellyn Kavanagh (they/he) is a local writer, photographer, and musician. They first started writing what they now know to be flash fiction stories in the third grade when they learned how to make little books with a couple sheets of printer paper and a stapler. Their work typically focuses on non-ficiton journalism, short horror fiction, and very depressing poetry.