OUT OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT DOWN, KENDRICK LAMAR'S
PERFORMANCE IS PROBABLY THE MOST NOTABLE BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL
MESSAGE IT INCLUDED.
KENDRICK LAMAR MAKES HIS MUSIC TO SHARE
HIS PERSPECTIVE AND HIS
STRUGGLES IN LIFE.
DURING THE PERFORMANCE HE BROUGHT UP AN
ISSUE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY FEELING ANGRY WHEN ONE OF THEIR
OWN IS SHOT AND KILLED WHEN THEY ARE UNARMED, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME ENGAGING IN THE TYPE OF VIOLENCE THAT PEOPLE USE AGAINST
THEM IN THE MEDIA.
LET ME GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS
ON THAT.
>> WOW.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR KENDRICK LAMAR.
I KNOW THAT
PEOPLE THAT DON'T NORMALLY LISTEN TO RAP- THERE IS A
STEREOTYPE THAT IT'S ALL ABOUT HOES AND DRUGS.
KENDRICK LAMAR
TELLS A STORY, HE TELLS THE STORY OF HIS LIFE.
A GIVES YOU A
PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT HE WENT
THROUGH.
HE TALKS ABOUT HIS LIFE IN COMPTON AND MOVING UP OUT OF
A VERY DIRE SITUATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE STORIES LIKE
THAT BECAUSE AS I SAID BEFORE, IT UNITES US.
HIS MUSIC IS
REALLY TOUCHING AND INCREDIBLE.
I LOVE THAT HE GOT TO PERFORM AT THE GRAMMYS LIKE THIS.
>> A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RIGHT-WING SHOULD LOVE THAT
FIRST QUOTE.
DON'T MOURN TRAYVON MARTIN IF YOU'RE GOING TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE SAME VIOLENCE
THAT TOOK HIS LIFE.
YOU CERTAINLY DO HAVE BLACK PEOPLE
BEING VIOLENT.
HEY, WE ALL HAVE TO GET BETTER.
YOU SHOULD LOVE THAT.
>>ABSOLUTELY.
ACCORDING TO THE ATLANTIC.
>> THAT IS THE PART THAT
THE RIGHT WING IS SO UPSET AT.
I
DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM.
HOW CAN THEY NOT EMPATHIZE WITH SOMEONE
LOSING, LIKE TRAYVON MARTIN'S PARENTS, LOSING THEIR SON WHO
TURNS OUT WAS NOT ARMED.
HE HAD GONE FOR SKITTLES AND ICED TEA.
THAT IS A FACT.
AND THEY THINK HE IS A THUG AND ATTACKED THE
GUY WITH A GUN.
THE KID DIED.
IN THE BEGINNING, EVERYONE AGREES ñ
HOW CAN YOU NOT FEEL SOME
SYMPATHY FOR THIS 17-YEAR-OLD KID.
>> EVERY STORY WE HAVE COVERED WHERE AN UNARMED PERSON HAS BEEN
SHOT OR KILLED, THE THING THAT
FRUSTRATES ME SO MUCH IS AFTER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTONIN
SCALIA PASSED AWAY, OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE, INCLUDING US, HAD
SOME NEGATIVE THINGS TO SAY BECAUSE HE WAS A DEPLORABLE
PERSON.
THE RIGHT-WING WAS ANGRY AT THAT.
DO NOT SPEAK ILL OF THE
DEAD.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED TO TRAYVON MARTIN AFTER HE WAS
GUNNED DOWN BY GEORGE ZIMMERMAN?
ALL THEY DID WAS TALK ILL OF THE
DEAD OR TALK ABOUT HIS DRUG USE.
WHO CARES.
YOU KNOW WHO USES MARIJUANA?
ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> GO ASK YOUR WHITE TEENAGERS IF THEY ARE USING MARIJUANA?
OR BETTER YET, TEST THEM.
>>THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT SEE BLACK TEENAGERS LIKE TRAYVON
MARTIN AS PEOPLE.
>>I THINK THAT IS WHAT IT IS.
WHEN YOU REVERSE IT MAKES NO
SENSE.
THERE IS A WHITE GUY IN MIAMI THAT GOT SHOT BY COPS.
HE
WAS AN IDIOT AND WAS GOING TO ROB A BANK.
HE WENT AND GOT
COFFEE IN BETWEEN ROBBING A BANK.
WHEN THE COPS KILLED HIM
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A BANK
ROBBER, I FELT BAD FOR HIM BECAUSE HE HAD A BLADE THAT
ACTUALLY HAD NO BLADE IN IT.
HE
DIDN'T NEED TO DIE.
I GUESS IF THE SHOE WAS ON THE OTHER FOOT
THEY WOULD EXPECT US TO THINK HE IS WHITE SO WE'LL CARE ABOUT
HIM.
NO, WE CARE ABOUT HIM
BECAUSE HE IS A HUMAN BEING.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN
SOMEONE IS BLACK YOU LOSE ALL
COMPASSION.
THAT IS BECAUSE I CAN'T UNDERSTAND RACISM.
IT
DOESN'T COMPUTE FOR ME.
IF
KENDRICK WAS VERY POPULAR AND IS CHALLENGING THAT THROUGH HIS
MUSIC, THAT IS AWESOME.
>>ABSOLUTELY.
>>BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS.
AND THEN IT'S A SAD DAY FOR THE
OLDER RIGHT-WINGERS WHO THEN WAKE UP ONE DAY IN SAY THEIR
KIDS ARE NOT RACIST.