“Alright,” like the psalms, teaches us that honesty and faith are designed to co-exist. In this sense, “Alright” has a psalm-like quality, vocalizing the grim realities of hardship and a hope that’s distinctly rooted in God. The notes of victory that Lamar raps with conviction-“If God got us then we gon’ be alright”-are the opposite of trite religiosity they’re well-earned and meaningful because of the stark realities of injustice spoken through the song. It’s precisely this rare blend of honesty about injustice and the refusal to relinquish hope that gives “Alright” its triumphant edge. Lookin' at the world like, "Where do we go, n***a?” After opening with the declaration, “If God got us then we gon’ be alright,” Lamar is painfully, and at times profanely, honest about the condition of Black folks in America: ![]() Throughout the psalms, we find writers who pull no punches about their bleak circumstances, while simultaneously holding on to hope in God. In Psalm 43, the psalmist mourns a sense of abandonment by God (“Why have you rejected me?”) because of the schemes of oppressive and ungodly enemies. In fact, the psalms often showcase how bracing honesty can live quite comfortably with God-centered hope, with the former often producing a deeper sense of the latter. ![]() The Book of Psalms is nothing if not drenched in honesty. While the song has remained in our cultural consciousness-and personal playlists-on the merits of Lamar’s aggressive, nimble flow and its relevance to the seemingly unending cases of police brutality against Black people, an overlooked aspect of the song’s enduring power comes from its similarity with the psalms-the prayers and songs of Israel, which shaped and vocalized the resilient faith of the people of God. Since then “Alright” has maintained, if not outright increased, its cultural importance and emotional impact as a prophetic song of protest. ![]() In 2015, Kendrick Lamar’s hit “ Alright” became the unofficial anthem of the nascent Black Lives Matter movement. Editor's note: Our free Pop Psalms ebook, featuring all 12 essays in one place, is available here.
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