There are few working artists that command attention in the same way as Kendrick Lamar.
Notoriously tedious in his writing and the orchestration of his releases, Lamar’s mainstream appeal has skyrocketed with his recent album, GNX.
But even if you’ve never listened to one of Lamar’s albums in its entirety or rarely frequent the rap genre, you likely caught wind of his ongoing feud with fellow rapper, Drake.
After Lamar and Drake swapped several crude diss tracks, their beef culminated in Lamar’s track “Not Like Us” and his eventual headlining of the Super Bowl halftime show.
Millions tuned in. If you were one, you saw Lamar repeatedly reference his issues with Drake. Yet, you also likely witnessed the performance of his equally popular song “Luther” with lone musical guest, SZA.
Compared to his signature bravado and often melodramatic rap style, “Luther” is a striking difference for Lamar. The song features a sample from Luther Vandross, which leads to a dream-like, R&B throwback sound.
In this love ballad, Lamar and SZA’s voices drift in and out, cataloguing their passion and commitment. The love described across the song’s three minutes seems pure. In fact, the song is devoid of profanity or references to drugs or alcohol.
And yet, with Lamar, we often find subtext giving way to hidden meaning. In this case, peeling back the song’s layers reveal a relationship that contains something other than true love.
“I can’t lie/I trust you, I love you, I won’t waste your time.”
Lamar and SZA croon this line sweetly throughout the song. It’s easy to believe them too when Lamar starts off the song by confirming his commitment and love to SZA.
He says, “If this world was mine, I’d take your dreams and make them multiply” and later, “If it was up to me/I wouldn’t give these nobodies sympathy/I’d take away the pain and give you everything” culminating in the proclamation that “I just wanna see you win.”
Each of these lines form a snapshot of affirmation and respect between the two lovers. As uncommon as this display of love and commitment may be in rap and R&B, what’s more rare is the absence of profanity or inclusion of illicit substances in their relationship.
Despite hardships in their lives, they instead choose to focus on hope. The two sing together, “Better days comin’ for sure/I know you’re comin for / Better days.”
Lamar often weaves biblical allusions and elements of Christianity into his music. In “Luther,” he compares his partner to the number 7 or “Roman numeral seven.” The number 7 often represents perfection or completeness in a biblical context. Here, Lamar draws this connection to illustrate his positive and uplifting view of his lover as she is complete in his view.
Lamar also mentions a hypothetical situation in which his partner’s enemies are placed before God to be judged for their implied mistreatment of her. Depending on one’s reading, this scene could be Lamar’s protection of his partner or a violent solution only masked as love.
“If this world was mine, I’d take your enemies in front of God/Introduce em’ to that light/hit them strictly with that fire.”
Unfortunately, this is Lamar’s attempt at protection. In a desire to protect his lover, he turns to threatening those that may or may not be her enemies. In a profane twist, Lamar wishes to assume the role of judge and execute his version of fiery judgement on his lover’s would-be detractors.
When SZA appears on the track, the two exchange a series of not-so-subtle hints of what they’re really talking about: sexual activity. We can’t reprint the lyrics here, but they’re certainly not subtle.
Elsewhere, Lamar sings about his lover’s suggestive dancing in saying she, “drops it like it’s hot” and how he can’t wait to “take my time and turn it off/Just so I can turn you on, baby.”
Entire careers have been made out of dissecting Kendrick Lamar’s library of music. Analyze any of his eras, and it is clear Lamar writes everything with intention.
At times, Lamar’s lyrics unfold on themselves to reveal deeper, spiritual meanings, as we’ve covered here on his previous albums. Other times, such as on “Not Like Us,” the profane and the vulgar are brash, offending, and on the surface of nearly every lyric.
“Luther” falls somewhere in between these two extremes, which is a familiar place when considering the themes across Lamar’s music.
In his attempts to respect and protect those he loves, Lamar proves he’s capable of commitment and authentic love. Yet, he also can’t help but allow his mind (and pen) to drift towards troubling descriptions of the same love leading to fixations on unhealthy aspects of his relationships.
While this is a more tame and toned-down version of the usual Lamar, he doesn’t have to use profanity or explicit imagery to still cause concern for wary listeners.
Jackson Greer is a High School English Teacher in the suburbs of Texas. He lives in Coppell, Texas with his wife, Clara. They love debating whether or not to get another cat and reading poetry together. Also, he is a former employee of Focus on the Family’s Parenting Department.
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