The Musings of Free Men -

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WHEN THE (lysergic) ACID HITS __________________________________________________________________ What was I in my previous life? Was I a sinister being, slashing throats and cutting bodies? Did I hurt someone dear? Did I not provide bread and shelter to my offspring? At times like this I step into a state of soliloquy and cry. Did my previous self not think about the debts that might be faced by his future past? Did he do unto others what he does not want done unto himself? Regardless, he was a sinner and faced the fire of judgment. The vile citizens of Vidigueira are foul beings. The amount of filthy bonds formed between their souls is gut wrenching. The raw amount of psychic data that goes unprocessed by these myopic fools is unprecedented. Is it such a vile act to think? Or to be taught? Approach me not thinking I am the scum of the earth but approach me as your equal, converse with me in the way that you would with your master for you will be redeemed for such an act. Your responsibilities are predefined, the contracts that were made by the ethereal form of your spirit is an attempt to enlighten yourself, yet you scram away in fear. The true nature of free will must remain unknown to these bastards for the act of understanding will end in folly. *** It was almost 4 in the morning, when I saw Vincent standing in the middle of the road with his hand pointing to the sky. Although I had had a pretty successful night already, something about Vincent had drawn me to oblige his call. Even before my taxi had fully stopped, Vincent popped open the door and threw himself inside. His black Polo coat, held up by a broad frame, had patches of white dust throughout. “Aqua Bay Road, Umiya Apartments, quick.” he said sluggishly, pulling out his mobile. I started the meter and hit the pedal, glancing every few seconds at Vincent through the rearview mirror; he lay across the seats and was laughing obnoxiously on the phone. His bloodshot eyes were dashing across the dirty roof of the car as he scratched his bare feet with a platinum ring. I could hear a squeaky female voice coming from the other end of his call, obviously his mistress. They weren't really talking, just making noise intermittently and it was growingly frustrating me. *** Sylvester Nagle Anthony, D.l.G. of Police, was an apathetic man above anything else. And yet he could not help the knot of air that was pressing uncomfortably against his throat, as he let his eyes scour the crime scene sprawled out in front of him. Thick blood was splattered haphazardly on the floor and walls, glinting against the cold orange cadence of the lights overhead. The body was without a head; and the stab wounds hurried along the abdomen with a quiet persistence. A man, Sylvester thought to himself, in his thirties. He had his whole life ahead of him. A family, maybe even children. He nodded at the forensics specialist who crouched down to inspect the body further. The bulb flickered. “Sir.” DeSilva cleared his throat. The superior officer diverted his gaze from the throttled corpse to look at him. “His name was Vincent Mendosa. Thirty-six years old. Worked as the manager at the Regency Inn.” “And his family?” “A wife and a daughter, sir. But they don’t live here.” DeSilva’s voice dwindled down to a mumble as he tried not to focus on the dead body in the periphery of his vision. Sylvester blinked, meditating his gaze on a bit of paint peeling off of the walls flanking them. “Did the neighbors hear anything?” “Not a lot to go by, sir. Only an old woman living by herself down the corridor. Said she heard a loud thud during her prayers, but she wrote it off as just the kids playing in the lobby.” “I want the first responders out of the scene, the forensics don't like us contaminating this place any further. I’m placing you in charge of crowd control. I don’t want anyone leaving this place till they’ve been screened. Take Gaonkar with you.” DeSilva departed with a prompt nod and a salute. A sigh escaped him as he stepped out of the old and declining building, only to be met with the bustling of gawking passers-by and reporters behind the yellow tape. The crowd was like a swarm of vague shapes bustling into and out of each other. An act as gruesome as this can be expected to warrant such attention. Was that perhaps the reason someone would do it? To make a spectacle, not out of the way a man lived, but the way he died. *** *** 4:10 AM The road was mostly empty, only interrupted by heaps of wet trash lying outside dumpsters. It could’ve been a peaceful night, if it were not also experienced by Vincent who was now calling someone else. I once again heard a female voice, but this was much younger. Vincent was exerting himself to not slur his words, as his tone had turned soft. It took all my willpower to bracket off this pathetic excuse of a man, not fully committing himself to any one side. 4:30 AM Once we reached his apartment, Vincent seemed to have been completely deprived of energy. He grunted as he took out his Louis Votton wallet and threw a few notes on top of the meter. I sat in silence and observed him dejectedly climb the stairs to his house. Once he got to his door he patted all around his body, trying his best to remember in which of his infinite pockets he had kept the keys. I felt nauseous. __ __ 4:49 AM By the time I had broken into Vincent’s bedroom, he was already asleep; he snored much like the way he spoke, irregularly and loudly. I took a look around his place to see if it had any resemblance of an identity, anything at all to separate him from the rest. It was a pretty well furnished place, leather sofas engulfed a 60” TV floating atop an empty bookcase. The air felt fresh and cold, thanks to the central ventilation coming from above. The kitchen was barren, the whole room populated only by a bouquet of artificial red roses standing on top of the dining table. I blew the dust off the petals while fiddling with the plastic thorns, what a joke. The only portrait in the entire house was that of a family; a square man embracing his cold wife and unsullied daughter. I ripped the petals off the flower, wondering if I should or shouldn’t. I caught myself before I worried any further on the matter; either way it shouldn't really matter. __ __ 5:32 AM By the time I reached my house the sun was shining gayly through the blinders The rays seeped through my skin, tingling my muscle fibers; what an awful feeling. I reached for a pack of beers from the fridge as I replaced it with the plastic package. My own face felt rubbery but strangely I had no motivation to do my mourning face care routine. As I reached for the Journal as the bookmark plopped onto the ground. What an absurd notion! To neatly demarcate my consumption of this great man's life by this silly piece of cardboard. Following are the Revelations for the free by the Free! Following are the Aphorisms to be read by all and none! Beware you wise old men from objectifying our subjectivity! Just yesterday i was giddy about doing it but now i cant Like a virgin groom i cant perform, i cant reach the pedestal Was it really my fault for doing nothing? Does not the very structure which allows any possibility to manifest implies the existence of nothing? What should be said of the structure which kills possibility in order for nothing to exist. Lo ! Hitherto i was confined by the nicfesites of the conscious brain being consumed by the masses but no longer! I will Be! Simply Be! Do what may but never define me! Why must i perform!? To hell and back with your restrictive reductive practices!? You are nothing but fleeting phenomena in my mind! Do you not understand?! I close my eyes and I am everything you think I ought to be and more! Wherefore is the need to get out myself and unto you! A feminist deconstruction of your “prompts” Since antiquity it has been understood to be the masculine role to enforce order unto chaos; the reason for this is of ;’course that the Man is threatened by his own femininity ( the chaos) and thus he doubles down on his own Masculinity(the stability). Since modernity however, such roles have been reduced to ex nihilo, since of course Descartes clearly says : “The Cogito has no sex. :0”. uWu In this modern the dialectic betweeen Chaos and Order is not mediated through traditional gender roles but instead through the Baudrillardian Seduction of one by the other. (Interestingly seduction [the colloquial usage] is also highly misogynistic as it presupposes two subjects, one is this “Pure” entity and the other is this almost “Impure” concept which subsumes the pure entity) Untitled One's life in all its absurd complexities can simply not be made to fit any narrative. The story which we tell ourselves in times of pseudo-existentialism does more to create oneself than analyze it. Have there not been many instances, where-in our actions seem to contradict the principles which apparently make us, us? For logic and therefore language are too primitive a tool to even begin to provide a structure to explain the human condition. The implications of this postulate range from disorienting to downright scary. 1) If the nature of one man is infinitely complex, then so is the nature of the community they belong to. Its akin to looking at the infinite vagaries of the ocean in all its sublimity , only to reduce it to having the property of "blueness". 2) The very notion of a self, an identity becomes inherently unknowable. An identity being the basic presupposition to almost all of man's knowledge about oneself, when that becomes meaningless, so does any attempt to understand any of man's actions. Bring in the idea of the wax ball, if its characteristics was first defined by the senses, by its touch, its feel and the way it smelt, now based on this descriptions there exists a definition of a perfect ball of wax in the World of forms. If i was to bring this wax ball closer to a flame, much like you have brought my mind close to a fire, it melts and turns into a clear liquid. Now does this still stand true in the world of forms? We can however come to a conclusion that this is indeed and extension of the wax ball but according to the world of forms does it still fit the definition that was before defined in the world of forms? It most definitely does not. This further increases the gap between the mind and the body. The definition of the wax must not be formed logically i,e, through to use of the mind rather than that of the senses because as notes they’re are a subject to change >.< Whilst buying bread, I did notice blackface play the flute. It reminded me of Orpheus and how he lets his soul fly. The poetic powers under the grasp of his elegant hands is something I strive to attain. O, to have such control over my own following, Such a thing of beauty it would be. Sway under my command like the wind commands the two sheaves of a reed, like a dancing star, each pulling and resisting the other yet being of the same body. The Buddhist answer to the dichotomy between the mind and body is to imagine the soul are a reed that consists of 2 sheaves leaning in opposite sides to maintain balance. I will be redeemed. These sycophantic souls will feel their minds burn in their own judgment. The karmic cycle remains unfazed and intact. O, what did I do to deserve this, I never wilt to bear the beast of burden. No, this is the mortal soul, this pain ends within this life cycle. Tis’ more than this that I am capable of. I had sinned and it’s time for me to move forwards with these bonds formed, save the imprint of my soul from its very own self. What was I in my previous life? Was I a sinister being, slashing throats and cutting bodies? Did I hurt someone dear? Did I not provide bread and shelter to my offspring? At times like this I step into a state of soliloquy and cry. Did my previous self think about the debts that might be faced by his future past? Did he do onto others what he does not want done onto himself? Regardless, he was a sinner and faced the fire of judgment. Only if he had willed to learn that which was being taught, I could have been of the state of Eholim, my capacity for mindfulness would have been like the ever expanding universe. Whilst buying bread, I did notice blackface play the flute. It reminded me of Orpheus and how he lets his soul fly. The poetic powers under the grasp of his elegant hands is something I strive to attain. O, to have such control over my own following, Such a thing of beauty it would be. Sway under my command like the wind commands the two sheaves of a reed, like a dancing star, each pulling and resisting the other yet being of the same body. The body is not one member but many, now are there many but of one body? The horticulture of souls is yet another sin I might have committed. At this point I am just trying stay a part of the body. It does burn my soul, to be subjected to such humility, all I do is preach that which I deem to be true, that which I deems to the essence of all existence. The weight of this topic is enough to shatter the bones of Sisyphus. Must this not be given any thought? Is it such a vile act to think? Or to be taught? Approach me not thinking I am the scum of the earth but approach me as your equal, converse with me in the way that would with your master for you will be redeemed for such an act. Nothing goes unnoticed by your own soul. Even when your mind remains clouded, the soul is capable of recognizing true intention and you will be rewarded. The life you so dearly sink your parasitic teeth into is not the standard, it is for you to form imprints, the journey of the returned soul is that of utmost beauty. I pontificate upon you the light, do not choose to stay in the darkness. [The raw amount of psychic data that they fail to process ] The veil citizens of Vidigueira are foul beings. The amount of filthy bonds formed between their souls is gut wrenching. The raw amount of psychic data that goes unprocessed by these myopic fools is unprecedented. Is it such a vile act to think? Or to be taught? Approach me not thinking I am the scum of the earth but approach me as your equal, converse with me in the way that you would with your master for you will be redeemed for such an act. Your responsibilities are predefined, the contracts that were made by the ethereal form of your spirit is an attempt to enlighten yourself, yet you scram away in fear. The true nature of free will must remain unknown to these bastards for the act of understanding will end in folly. . Today was the moment of truth, of acceptance, of joy and that of karma. It is falling into place. I had the most divine experience today. The Jazz Prince and I were chasing dragons together. Dragons with diamond eyes. The eyes so fiercely set that if you willed yourself to meet the eyes, you would become stone cold. She laid there dumb founded with her eyes fixed on the ceiling and her mouth wide open muttering something to herself as she choked on her own saliva. I heard buzzing sounds, like that of a radar, I walked into the adjacent room to be taken aback by a swirling cloud descend from the ceiling into a lemniscate object. It was white and shaded blue on its grooves. I knew what it was, a wave of acceptance shot through my body. I fell to my knees and bowed to the Sheol, the sacred place, the sacred place of all souls presented itself before me. Such an elaborate design was being placed before me, showing me the path. The path of that of the souls of Eholim, the d’att fiends. PLOT TWIST! Vincent is revealed to live a double life as a spy for an unnamed shadow organization - Vincent is supposed to be dead, he was killed by AUgustine (augustine has major daddy issues btw) while she was following an online cult started in 2006 about ascensionism DAMN! That cat be snitching!?!?! I say, DAMN! The Symbolic Exchange of Death:- Does Death really occur when one dies? Marcel Proust in his Epic series of novels “ In Search Of Lost Time” redundantly argues how one can transcend the shackles of time, which culminate in the perceived death of one, and instead live on. He finds this power to lie in art, especially art that is based off of the artist recollecting involuntarily their past. So it isnt a On the concept of the LitSoc OC loving to see Gore in the participants’ work:- One could not fault One to think that the purpose of such events is to consume the unbridled creativity of its participants. However when the hosts of such events impose constraints on the possibility of entries DAMN. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that it’s wickedness or weakness Fear, whatever it is both is distinctive BLOOD. Off to a cryptic start. Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 pulitzer-winning album starts off with one of my favorite intros. BLOOD. follows the story of Kendrick taking a walk while he sees an old blind woman struggling to find something that she had dropped. Kendrick being Kendrick, decides to go help her. Hello, ma'am, can I be of any assistance? It seems to me that you have lost something I would like to help you find it She replies with Oh, yes, you have lost something You've lost… your life Then a gunshot rings in the background. This marks the first time Kendrick dies in the album. For obvious reasons, this album is riddled with death and violence, and has been compared to Me Against The World by 2pac for being as equally as dark as the manifestation of Pac’s suicidal depression. Also to note, Kendrick poses the listener with a question (sung by Bekon) in the beginning of the track with no apparent insight or understanding because this is the first track of the album - Is it wickedness? Is it a weakness? DNA. One of the songs from DAMN. that went pop was DNA. The track celebrates and critiques the qualities that has been embedded into his DNA as a product of growing up in the hood, mainly sex, money, murder, - our DNA While the first verse celebrates black heritage by talking about loyalty, drug addiction, immaculate conception, troublesome hearts, riches - I got millions, I got riches buildin' in my DNA I got dark, I got evil that rot inside my DNA I got off, I got troublesome heart inside my DNA and then goes to put down a hood rat within the same verse. Bitch, your hormones prolly switch inside your DNA Problem is, all that sucker shit inside your DNA The second verse is all about Kendrick, in this new magnified life that he is leading he talks about the trials and tribulations of being famous, how he deals with everyday life as the hip-hop rhyme savior. Sippin' from a Grammy, walkin' in the buildin' Diamond in the ceilin', marble on the floors Beach inside the window, peekin' out the window Baby in the pool, godfather goals Only Lord knows I've been goin' hammer Dodgin' paparazzi, freakin' through the cameras Despite being a braggadocious track, in the end, Kendrick wants to say that despite all that he’s become, despite the leader he became in To Pimp a Butterfly, despite all that, he is unable escape what has been embedded inside his DNA. He just cannot escape the violence, the drugs, the women, even though he’s held himself to higher standards. Just to quote a line from Institutionalized off To Pimp a Butterfly - You can take your boy out the hood but you can't take the hood out the homie It’s also worth noting that DNA. follows BLOOD. YAH. The song title refers to Yahweh (‫)יהוה‬, which is the closest estimation of God’s name in Hebrew. This track talks about a growing numbness, a feeling of getting closer to God. Why? Because he was shot in the first track and can now feel his soul being alleviated from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Another hint is the chorus of the track - Buzzin', radars is buzzin' Yah, yah, yah, yah Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah, yah Buzzin', radars is buzzin' Yah, yah, yah, yah Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah, yah As the radars are buzzing, like a metal detector that beeps faster when you’re closer to a piece of metal, his search for answers and God is finally being rewarded as he gets closer to God and we can see him calling out His name. Another notable lyric in the song is - I'm a Israelite, don't call me black no mo' That word is only a color, it ain't facts no mo' Kendrick calls himself an Israleite, and refers to the Book of Deuteronomy in the following bars. This plays a very important role when the listener is trying to understand the concept of the album or the reason why Kendrick was shot and killed in the beginning of the album. The Book of Deuteronomy comes back further into the album. ELEMENT. On “ELEMENT.,” Kendrick asserts himself as the most dominant rapper in the game, taking his contemporaries to task and daring them to call him out on wax. Kendrick delves into his personal journey of self-sacrifice and family tribulations that has so far accumulated in his life; how the struggles his family and himself have endured have influenced & carried him to where he stands today: at the top of the game. He raps that the sole reason he does any of this is simply for the sake of his hometown, Compton, Cal. - I don't do it for the 'Gram, I do it for Compton I'm willin' to die for this shit, nigga Kendrick says that he’s willing to do anything to - make it look sexy. It is also worth knowing that Kendrick had survivors guilt for making it out of the hood while his friends were stuck in the static life and were easily picked off by gang violence. From u off To Pimp a Butterfly - You ain’t no brother, you ain’t no disciple, you ain’t no friend A friend never leave Compton for profit, or leave his best friend While YAH. talks about the feeling of being hopeless and losing his clutches on his life, ELEMENT. talks about Kendrick being in his element (duh) while documenting his road to greatness. This contrast or duality is the first of its kind because a similar theme reverberates throughout the rest of the album. FEEL. On “FEEL.,” Kendrick catalogs the wide range of feelings, particularly the negative ones, that his stardom has elicited. He feels like nobody is looking out for him, yet cites a strong desire to isolate himself from friends and family - I feel like my thoughts in the basement Feel like, I feel like you're miseducated Feel like I don't wanna be bothered He boasts about his status in music, but notes that the very same industry that he dominates is full of toxicity - I am legend, I feel like all of y'all is peasants I feel like all of y'all is desperate Despite having been at the peak of his critical and commercial success over the past few years, Kendrick continues to grapple with emotional, interpersonal, and spiritual problems - I feel like the whole world want me to pray for 'em But who the f-ck prayin' for me? He says that he’s tired of censoring himself to make himself more acceptable and digestible in the eyes of his fans and the world and is willing to ignore everything show his truest form - I feel like it ain't no tomorrow, f-ck the world The world is endin', I'm done pretendin' And f-ck you if you get offended LOYALTY. Kendrick and Rihanna write about the value and necessity of complete loyalty and honesty in both platonic and romantic relationships. In many bars Kendrick and Rihanna question the origin of one's loyalty and their priorities. Kendrick says - Tell me who you loyal to Is it love for the streets when the lights get dark? Is it unconditional when the 'Rari don't start? And Rihanna says - Tell me who you loyal to Do it start with your woman or your man? (Mmm) Do it end with your family and friends? (Mmm) Are you loyal to yourself in advance? Notable lyric towards the end of the song Kendrick says - That's what God for He means to say that above all of humanity, God is one entity that one should be loyal to. This is also an interpolation to Exodus 19:5 where it says that being loyal to Him will make you a treasure that He has bestowed upon humanity. Kendrick has constantly invoked God into his songs and album from the beginning. He starts off good kid, m.A.A.d city with a prayer intertwined into the storyline. To Pimp a Butterfly saw Kendrick have a dialogue with Lucifer. Untitled Unmastered began with Kendrick pleading his case before God to save him during an ongoing apocalypse. It is also worth noting the duality between FEEL. and LOYALTY.. While in FEEL. Kendrick talks about the urge to distance himself and separate himself from the world he terms as “fake”, but in the very next song he talks about how he expects loyalty from his family and friends whom he wanted to distance himself from. PRIDE. A song that literally sends you into a trance. PRIDE. is a complex and introspective song that talks about the drawbacks of being egoistic. Kendrick dwells deep into his own pride which causes tension between his ideals and actions - See, in a perfect world, I'll choose faith over riches I'll choose work over bitches, I'll make schools out of prison I'll take all the religions and put 'em all in one service Just to tell 'em we ain't shit, but He's been perfect, world There is an important distinction that is created between the body and the soul - Love's gonna get you killed But pride's gonna be the death of you and you and me Pride being one of the seven deadly sins and the original sin that causes the distinction between man and God. Due to its complexity, the song explores some dark places within Kendrick’s mind The survivor guilt portrayed in To Pimp a Butterfly is again seen in this track - In another life, I surely was there This bar alone is very interesting, Kendrick talks about his absence in key moments in the lives of people around him and says that in another life was definitely, without doubt, there, but the fact that he says in another life, is him accepting that he’d never change in his lifetime which again connects back to his pride. His inability to change was also explored in DNA. where he says that certain qualities and ideals are embedded within his DNA and aren’t going to change in his lifetime. One of the reasons behind Kendrick being suicidal was, as seen in u off To Pimp a Butterfly - You FaceTimed him one time, that's unforgiven You even FaceTimed instead of a hospital visit Guess you thought he'd recover well Third surgery, they couldn't stop the bleeding for real Then he died, God himself will say, "You f-ckin' failed," you ain't try Kendrick blames himself for not being there for his friend who has died as a product of gang violence. Honestly I could just quote the entire song, every line is more relatable than the other and every line has history behind it, to truly appreciate the song you’d have to listen to it yourself. It is an absolute masterpiece. It does explore a wide range of emotions, all mysteriously linked to pride. The song makes several callbacks to his previous works and does a wonderful job of linking this certain emotion to his past experiences. Another case of duality, within the song itself this time, while Kendrick talks about the trials and tribulations of his egocentric self, the beat in itself is very laid back, almost giving a humble vibe. I think one of my favourite bars is Now, in a perfect world, I probably won't be insensitive Cold as December but never remember what winter did I relate to this on a spiritual level. If you get it, you get it. HUMBLE. 1 million sold copies and Certified 7x Platinum, HUMBLE. reigns as Kendrick’s greatest hit till date due to it’s hard hitting beat and boastful lyrics (it’s been 5 years since DAMN. ;-;). Kendrick explores his path from being on the streets to a hip-hop rhyme saviour and boasts his accomplishments - Ayy, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances Finesse a nigga with some counterfeits, but now I'm countin' this Kendrick boasts his wealth, his influence, his control over the hood and his cemented position within the rap industry. With a very simple yet banging song, Kendrick portrays his soul while being devoid of humbleness and asks the opposition or his enemies to be humble. Certainly, the duality within the track can be heard, Kendrick using a very braggadocious beat while preaching something as pure as humility. Duality can also be noted within the two tracks PRIDE. and HUMBLE., while PRIDE. explores the constant feeling of inadequacy and HUMBLE. explores the feeling of disgust and superiority towards his peers. LUST. LUST. has Kendrick talk about the monotonous lives of men and women who are overcome and consumed by their fame. This life of theirs naturally driven by money involves desires of all forms. These desires range from sexual pleasure - Go hit you a lick, go f-ck on a bitch, don't go to work today Hang with the homies, stunt on your baby mama Hop in the shower, put on your makeup, lace your weave up Touch on yourself, call up your nigga, tell him he ain't shit the ability to party with no consequence - Sip some lean, go get a pistol, shoot out the window Bet your favorite team, play you some Madden or relief from financial burden - Credit card scam, get you a Visa, make it pay your rent Hop on the 'Gram, flex on the bitches that be hatin' on you In the second verse Kendrick talks about his life as a celebrity and how it’s a really fast life, a one which he can’t seem to control as it is stuck in a monotonous routine of performing shows and making money and all the other nuances are pushed towards the side. The album was released in 2017, during the 45th Presidential Election for the United States. Kendrick brings up the election of candidate Trump and writes about the unsettling tension in the country and how after a certain time, it was all forgotten as people were pulled back into their routine - Time passing, things change Reverting back to our daily programs, stuck in our ways The chorus of the song begins with Kendrick saying - I need some water this is a callback to Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst of good kid, m.A.A.d city, where Kendrick asks for holy water in order to be cleansed from the lust for violence. Here Kendrick asks to be freed from his monotonous life routine so as to quench his thirst for happiness and freedom. LOVE. The Zacari assisted track LOVE. is one of the most famous tracks of the album, along with DNA. and HUMBLE. Kendrick muses over the love given to him by his fiance - If I didn't ride blade on curb, would you still love me? If I made up my mind at work, would you still love me? He also says that he’s rather have her trust him than love him - Keep it a hundred, I'd rather you trust me than to love me Kendrick goes on to assure his fiance that he is not infatuated with her and loves her deeply and will always stay loyal to her. He recalls when he stole the studio camera from TDE to film his sexual escapades with her Again the duality between this song and the previous one is seen. The name itself is contradictory. LUST. explores the unquenchable thirst for excess in every aspect of life and LOVE. talks about genuine attraction towards his partner. It is something he can live without because he says he’d rather have her trust him than love him. XXX. Kendrick teams up U2 on this track, specifically Bano. The song is riddled with religious and political themes which are already seen through DAMN. This is a standalone track where the usual duality isn't seen, however this track can be interpreted in two different ways, which comes into play while viewing the album as a whole instead of the individual tracks. The first way is to see this as Kendrick calling out the hippocratic ways of America in several bars within the song. In the first verse, Kendrick recounts a phone call with his friend who is broken down to his essence because his son was killed due to “insufficient funds” - Yesterday, I got a call, like, from my dog, like 101 Said they killed his only son because of insufficient funds Insufficient funds may refer to how his son may have gotten into the dope game and as a result was killed while being unable to pay off his debt to the dealer or it may also mean that he couldn’t pay the bail for his son and was turned into a death sentence. He goes on to ask Kendrick to help him overcome this pain as Kendrick was anointed (as seen through his spiritual journey in To Pimp a Butterfly and good kid, m.A.A.d city). Following this plea for help Kendrick decides to be blunt, despite knowing it’s wrong, and says that he could kill anyone who does that to Kendrick’s son - If somebody kill my son, that mean somebody gettin' killed." The second verse follows Kendrick talking about gross actions of the States, since the election of the now Former President Donald Trump - The great American flag is wrapped in drag with explosives Barricaded blocks and borders—look what you taught us It's murder on my street, your street, back streets, Wall Street Homicidal thoughts; Donald Trump's in office We lost Barack and promised to never doubt him again But is America honest, or do we bask in sin? Then bash him in, you Crippin' or you married to Blood? I'll aks again—oops, accident The oops, accident part is due to getting shot at while asking about gang affiliations. It is also worth noting that this same curiosity is what got Kendrick shot in the beginning of the album. You overnight the big rifles, then tell Fox to be scared of us Gang members or terrorists, et cetera, et cetera America's reflections of me, that's what a mirror does Fox as in Fox News The second way to interpret this is to see it with reference to the previous track LOVE., in which Kendrick confesses his love to a special someone, very likely his fiance. In that context, this track can also be viewed as Kendrick vowing that he’ll protect her from anything and everything - Let somebody touch my momma, touch my sister, touch my woman Touch my daddy, touch my niece, touch my nephew, touch my brother You should chip a nigga, then throw the blower in his lap FEAR. Another marvelous track from Kendrick, he talks about three instances of true terror within his life at the ages of 7, 17 and 27. At 7 years old, Kendrick was most afraid of his mother, who is portrayed as very an abusive, strict and controlling mother, but her motherly passion is also seen in the track Real from good kid, m.A.A.d city. I beat yo' ass, keep talkin' back I beat yo' ass, who bought you that? You stole it, I beat yo' ass if you say that game is broken I beat yo' ass if you jump on my couch That homework better be finished, I beat yo' ass Your teachers better not be bitchin' 'bout you in class Them Jordans better not get dirty when I just bought 'em Better not hear 'bout you humpin' on Keisha's daughter I beat yo' ass, you better not run to your father I beat yo' ass, you know my patience runnin' thin These are just a few instances from within the first verse where Kendrick gives the listener reason as to why he was afraid of his mother. At 17 years old, Kendrick is a teenager and is growing to understand the environment he is being brought up in and notices that it is riddled with drugs and violence. While being a good kid in the mad city, Kendrick finds it hard to peel away from the gang life and it’s vices and naturally begins to fear death. Kendrick lists multiple reason and situations that might result in his demise - I'll prolly die anonymous, I'll prolly die with promises I'll prolly die because these colors are standin' out I'll prolly die because I ain't know Demarcus was snitchin' I'll prolly die from witnesses leavin' me falsed accused I'll prolly die from thinkin' that me and your hood was cool I'll prolly die from one of these bats and blue badges Body-slammed on black and white paint, my bones snappin' blue badges = police ; black and white paint = police car Or die from waitin' on it, die 'cause I'm movin' too fast Kendrick finds it hard to find a balance between making moves and waiting to cool down because being stagnant while living in the fast lane can definitely get you killed. At 27 years old, Kendrick states that his biggest fear is losing everything that he has gained. He ponders on whether God had given him all this wealth, knowledge and power, just to take it away from him and leave him worse than he was before - The shock value of my success put bolts in me All this money, is God playin' a joke on me? Kendrick also struggles to take risks because he is put on the pedestal by his peers and fans and is expected to perform on a certain level of elegance. He also raps about how he was afraid to spend any money because he was scared of losing it all and going back to section 8 housing. He brings up the example where now self made billionaire, Rihanna was given false information about her liquidity and was not informed that she was in fact losing money during the ANTI Tour and is very much afraid that someone might cheat him like they did her - I read a case about Rihanna's accountant and wondered How did the Bad Girl feel when she looked at them numbers? The type of shit'll make me flip out and just kill somethin' Another of Kendrick’s biggest fears at 27 was being judged. He is afraid how his art might be misinterpreted and used for wrongful purposes. He catches himself spending time looking over what lines his fans pay attention to and how they interpret it - What they hear from me would make 'em highlight my simplest lines The fourth verse is Kendrick lists multiple fear, ones ranging from being an artist to ones which were previously mentioned in the album - I'm talkin' fear, fear of losin' loyalty from pride 'Cause my DNA won't let me involve in the light of God I'm talkin' fear, fear that my humbleness is gone I'm talkin' fear, fear that love ain't livin' here no more Fear, what happens on Earth stays on Earth And I can't take these feelings with me, so hopefully they disperse In the intro and outro of the track, a voice mail is played which is left for Kendrick by his cousin Carl Duckworth. Carl mentions the Book of Deuteronomy - But you have to understand this, man, that we are a cursed people Deuteronomy 28:28 says, "The Lord shall smite thee with madness And blindness, and astonishment of heart" which is the core concept of the israelite movement. As stated by Carl - The so-called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians Are the true children of Israel Kendrick previously claimed to be an israelite in YAH. Carl goes on to say that the reason Kendrick has so many fears and feels like nobody has been praying for him is because he has left the light of God and decided to follow christianity, now God is punishing him for steering away from him - He's gonna punish us for our iniquities, for our disobedience Because we chose to follow other gods That man chastens his son, so the Lord, thy God, chasten thee So, just like you chasten your own son, He's gonna chasten you Because He loves you, so that's why we get chastised GOD. GOD. is a relatively simple track where Kendrick flaunts his success and all the wealth he has gained. In the first verse he talks about all his achievements - Don't judge! Don't judge me! Now my home got a Valley peak Don't judge me! If I press your line you a freak only to be reminded that he is a mortal in the second verse - Ayy, do you know who you talkin' to? Slide on you like fallen drapes God toss full of carnivals In effect he reminds his competition that, even though they feel like a God, they’re in fact not in charge. The duality of this track and the previous should be noted. FEAR. talks about the terror faced by Kendrick all through his life, he is scared and is relentless to accept God. In GOD. we see Kendrick feeling like a God, so polar opposite emotions are seen, where Kendrick is scared and one where he is experiencing a godly feeling. DUCKWORTH. Origin story of Kedrick Lamar? Check. The most renowned track among his fans, DUCKWORTH. takes the crown of the best song from the album for most people. This song follows the chance encounter of two people named Ducky and Anthony. Kendrick starts talking about the Nickerson Garden Projects from where Anthony hails from. Anthony was a gangbanger - His family history: pimpin' and bangin' He was meant to be dangerous, who was the oldest of seven well-respected, calm and collected. Anthony had started hustling from the age of 15 and was well-versed with the life in the hood. At 20 years old Anthony had made his first million dollars from the project housing. He was also involved in a murder case but was let go because the witnesses couldn’t prove he was guilty, and as a result his cousin was killed. At the Kentucky Fried Chicken spot, there was this man named Ducky who used to work windows who was also from the streets and was affiliated to the Terror Dome (a gang faction) back in Chicago. He had come to California along with his wife and son in the hope of leading a better life, away from the violence. Compton was viewed as a heaven for a colored man in the States, a direct quote from Dr Dre’s 2015 album Compton - ..it became “The Black American Dream.” Open housing paved the way as middle-class blacks flooded into the city… But the dream that many blacks thought they were buying has turned sour… The problems of crime and growing welfare is slowly turning suburban Compton into an extension of the black inner city. Crime is now as high as the ghetto. Juvenile gang activity, muggings, small robberies make some blacks want to leave Now Anthony, free from his case, walked into this KFC joint and was planning to rob it. Ducky, being from the streets, knew who Anthony was and what he was affiliated to and realized that Anthony was casing the joint. Scared for his life Ducky decided to get in the good side of Anthony by offering him free chicken and two extra biscuits everytime Anthony posted in line. Anthony began to like him and let Ducky free when he robbed the KFC joint. Kendrick now asks the listener to think about this encounter between these two people and how they continued to live their lives and twenty years later when they meet as different individuals and they sit back and recall this incident. Another defining bar from the album - Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin' life While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight *Gunshot* Kedrick reveals that Anthony is the first name of Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith who is the label manager of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) to which Kendrick signed at the tender age of 15. Kendrick is one of the original members of the label along with Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. Ducky on the other hand is Kendrick’s father who used to work in KFC. This bar is very important because it makes the listener realize that if Top Dawg had killed Kendrick’s dad (Ducky) , Kendrick would have grown up without a father figure and would have gotten involved in gang violence and finally died. This marks the second time Kendrick dies in the album The gunshot is followed by reversing of a tape recorder and the first line of BLOOD. - So I was takin' a walk the other day is played. DUALITY OF THE ALBUM On December 8th, 2017 Kendrick released a collector’s edition of the album, like a deluxe version, which had the same set of tracks as the normal album, which was released on the 14th of April, but were in the reverse order. While the original album moves from BLOOD. to DUCKWORTH. while the collector’s edition of the album moves from DUCKWORTH. to BLOOD. This shows that the album can be played in the reverse order. While the initial order follows Kendrick being shot by an old blind woman, the rest of the album is his life flashing before his eyes. While playing the album in the initial order, the answer to the question Kendrick poses - Is it wickedness or weakness? - is answered, and it is seen that it is in fact weakness. The reason behind that is related to the Allegory of The Caves by Plato which will be picked up again while discussing the identity of the old blind women. The story as seen from the initial order (weakness) : Kendrick approaches an old blind woman and is shot dead and his life flashes before his eyes (BLOOD.). DNA. is Kendrick accepting that he is ascended from the cycle of change and has certain qualities, good and bad, embedded within his DNA. From this hood lifestyle that Kendrick arises from and to which he is quite drawn to we see his mentality moving from a state of no hope (YAH.) to a mentality where he is completely in his element (ELEMENT.). Growing into a teen and understanding the hostile environment he is growing up in (he also notices this in TPAB) he naturally tried to isolate himself from the hood (FEEL.) as shown in good kid, m.A.A.d city and then he comes to the realization that nothing is more important than acquiring the loyalty and love of those around him (LOYALTY.). The next emotion Kendrick deals with is his pride. I think everyone has had ego issues while some of us have learnt to peel away from them and learnt to be humble. This transition is also seen in Kendrick’s case as his pride (PRIDE.) evolves into humbleness (HUMBLE.). As seen in good kid, m.A.Ad city his adolescence was riddled with women and lust. His transition from being a lustful person (LUST.) to someone who understands true love (LOVE.). While listening to the album in the initial order, XXX. can be seen as Kendrick vowing to protect his loved ones from anything and everything. Being in the hood naturally has him afraid to die and the transition from fear (FEAR.) to the godly feeling (GOD.) is seen. The story as seen from the reverse order (wickedness) : Starting from DUCKWORTH. where Kendrick’s dad is killed by Top Dawg and he grows up without a father figure and dies as a product of gang violence and his life once again flashes before his eyes. Kendrick let’s go of his passion for rapping and continues to gangbang and hustle with his friends. This brings in a steady flow of cash into his life which he did not have before. Being young and naive this makes him feel like a god (GOD.). Just as stated by Jay Rock on Money Trees - Drop that work up in the bushes, hope them boys don't see my stash If they do tell the truth, this the last time you might see my ass this makes Kendrick fear the same thing that he profits off (FEAR.). This time XXX. is perceived as Kendrick calling out the hippocratic ways of America, while deriving from experiences of his friends and what he’s seen himself. The next transition is seen as Kendrick’s love for Compton and the streets (LOVE.) turns into his lust for power and money (LUST.). Similarly his humbleness (HUMBLE.) turns to pride (PRIDE.) due to his fatherless existence. Loyalty towards his friends and gang (LOYALTY.) is slowly churned into a feeling of separation which is again heightened by his pride (FEEL.). Due to his mental distance from the hood, him being in his element (ELEMENT.) turns to a feeling for hopelessness and paranoia (YAH.). He encounters the blind women again at the end and is shot and dies. It can be seen clearly that the fate of Kendrick’s father plays a very important role in his life and it leads a positive path when his father is let go by Anthony (but he ultimately dies) and it leads a negative path when his father is killed. IDENTITY OF THE OLD BLIND WOMEN Black Nihilism - The blind old women can be seen as Lady Justice. America being plagued with racial violence and discrimination does not hold a fair justice system. Kendrick approaching the old blind women, in order to help her find something which he thinks that she lost - Kendrick approaching the justice system in the hopes of helping it recover - only to be shot and killed by the old woman - he realizes that what he thought was seeming disability was actually willing inability and hence loses all hope and tried to rebuild all his values. Manifestation of the Book of Deuteronomy - From the point of the religious themes within the album, the old blind women can be seen as a person carrying out judgment on those who strayed away from the path of their true god as told by Carl Duckworth. As a result of not following the righteous path, this is God’s way of punishing Kendrick for his inequities. Allegory of The Caves - In order to explain this, one must know what World of Forms is, in simple words it means that there exists a world where everything is perfect and timeless and the physical world is not a true representation of everything. This theory was however challenged by Aristotle and later revived by Kant. The Allegory goes to talk about prisoners who are chained inside the cave. They are subjected to a puppet show by a flame behind them, as of now all they know in life are the ideas being told to them through that puppet show. Then one of the prisoners is set free and he turns around to see the source of his knowledge and comes to an understanding that his knowledge is selective and there is more to explore and understand. He looks into the fire, trying to understand it’s true nature but is blinded by it and is filled with turmoil and confusion. Then this prisoner is let outside the cave and now his eyes burn due to the sunlight and his eyes reject this new source of light. As time passes the prisoner grows accustomed to this bright light and finally sees the beauty of the outside world and comes to a realization that the world outside is different from that within the cave. The prisoner goes back inside the cave with the intention of teaching the rest of the prisoners about his newfound knowledge. While inside the cave, his eyes don’t adjust to the darkness and he is filled with rage as he is unable to understand and navigate the world within the cave the same way he did before he was sent out. His fellow prisoners make fun of him for not being able to navigate the caves which he has known his entire life. The woke prisoner decides to ignore their ridicule and decides to educate the other people confined within the cave and if he came close to any of them he would be killed. This story ties very well with Kendrick’s 2014 studio album To Pimp a Butterfly, where Kendrick tries to deal with his newfound fame and all the vices that come along with it. Even the poem recited by Kendrick to Pac at the end of Mortal Man, ties very well with The Allegory. The poem - “The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it In order to protect itself from this mad city While consuming its environment The caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him But praises the butterfly The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness And the beauty within the caterpillar But having a harsh outlook on life The caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak And figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits Already surrounded by this mad city The caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon Which institutionalizes him He can no longer see past his own thoughts He’s trapped When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take root, such as Going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city The result? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations That the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different They are one and the same" But how does it tie into DAMN.? Based on the order you listen to the old blind woman can take up two different forms. When it is heard in the initial order, the old blind woman can be seen as the prisoner trapped within the cave, ignorant of the world outside, and Kendrick is seen as the woke prisoner who comes back into the cave to teach others what he had learnt from the world outside. Throughout TPAB Kendrick talks about the importance of coming back home and on multiple songs talks about educating his friends who are stuck in the projects and his death was a direct result of that. While the album is played in the reversed order, Kendrick is the prisoner trapped within the cave and the blind woman is the woke prisoner who comes back into the cave and is unable to adjust and navigate the darkness i.e. blind. Filled with rage while being ridiculed the old women maybe comes to a conclusion that the prisoners within do not deserve to live and annihilates anyone who comes close to her. Lec-02 Newtonian Mechanics Degrees of Freedom Definition - The degrees of freedom (DoF) of a mechanical system is the number of independent parameters that define its configuration or state. First you must determine DoF then write its equations of motion. n particles moving in 3-Dimensional space have 3n DoF, provided they arent constrained. Coordinates might be anything, cartesian, spherical polar or anything hence called generalized. To find DoF, $DoF_{N-particles} = 3N - Constraints$ A Rigid Body is defined as $r_{ij} = C$ for $1\leq{i,j}\leq{N}$ For a Rigid Body of any N particles has 6 DoF A deformable body has 9 DoF For a rigid body of shape a cube, we need 3 DoF for spatial configuration of COM and 3 more DoF for orientation of the Body-Fixed coordinate system to Space-Fixed which can be done with 3 different rotation. therefore $6_{DoF} \equiv X_{COM},Y_{COM},Z_{COM},\theta_1,\theta_2,\theta_3$ Whenever a constraint eliminates a degree of freedom, it is called a holonomic (or integrable) constraint. When it doesn't its a non-holonomic constraint. Determination of the future of a particle requires not only its position and Force acting on it but also velocity. Generalized coordinates - $q_1,q_2,q_3,...,q_n$ Generalized velocities - $\dot{q_1},\dot{q_2},\dot{q_3},...,\dot{q_n}$ where ($\cfrac{dq_i}{dt}=\dot{q_i}$) The degrees of freedom (DoF) of a mechanical system is the number of independent parameters that define its configuration or state. First you must determine DoF then write its equations of motion. ` n particles moving in 3-Dimensional space have 3n DoF, provided they arent constrained. Coordinates might be anything, cartesian, angular or anything hence called generalized. To find DoF, $DoF_{N-particles} = 3N - Constraints$ A Rigid Body is defined as $r_{ij} = C$ for $1\leq{i,j}\leq{N}$ For a Rigid Body of any N particles has 6 DoF A deformable body has 9 DoF For a rigid body of shape a cube, we need 3 DoF for spatial configuration of COM and 3 more DoF for orientation of the Body-Fixed coordinate system to Space-Fixed which can be done with 3 different rotation. therefore $6_{DoF} \equiv X_{COM},Y_{COM},Z_{COM},\theta_1,\theta_2,\theta_3$ Whenever a constraint eliminates a degree of freedom, it is called a holonomic (or integrable) constraint. When it doesn't its a non-holonomic constraint. Determination of the future of a particle requires not only its position and Force acting on it but also velocity. Generalized coordinates - $q_1,q_2,q_3,...,q_n$ Generalized velocities - $\dot{q_1},\dot{q_2},\dot{q_3},...,\dot{q_n}$ where ($\cfrac{dq_i}{dt}=\dot{q_i}$) 1-D motion of a particle $\large{m\ddot{q}}=F(q,\dot{q},t)$ - Newtons Equation Note how each parameter of the function Force is independent of each other. Since the F is time-dependent it is said to be non-autonomous. Second order equation thus requires two initial conditions, $q(0),\dot{q}(0)$ For force which is conservative meaning it is derivable from a potential. $F(q)=-\cfrac{dV(q)}{dq}$ $\dot{q}=v$ ——(1) $\dot{v}=\cfrac{-V'(q)}{m}$ ——-(2) where $V'(q)=\cfrac{dV(q)}{dq}$ with $q(0), v(0)$ we get a unique solution. Set of two first order equations which show that $q,v$ are independent Phase plane Take X-axis as q and Y axis as v. q(0) and v(0) is represented by a single point on this plane, and q(t) and v(t) is represented by another point on this plane. Both points are connected by some curve in the plane called the phase trajectory The phase trajectory cannot intersect itself for autonomous Forces (time invariant) as that would imply non uniqueness. Exception:- as this simple closed loop is nothing but periodic motion Simple Harmonic Oscillator $\large\ddot{q}=-\omega^2{q}$ (where $\omega=\sqrt{\cfrac{K}{m}}$) can be writter ans $\dot{q}=v$ & $\dot{v}=-\omega^2q$ $V(q)=\cfrac{m\omega^2q^2}{2}$ $\cfrac{dv}{dq}=\cfrac{-\omega^2q}{v}$ This is nothing but the slope of the phase trajectory at an point. Seperating the variables and integrating, $\large{\int{vdv}}+\int{\omega^2qdq}=0$ $\cfrac{v^2}{2}+\cfrac{\omega^2q^2}{2}=C$ $\cfrac{mv^2}{2}+\cfrac{m\omega^2q^2}{2}=K$————($\alpha$) Which is nothing but energy conversation (second term being $V(q)$). We know $ax^2 + by^2=c$ where $a,b,c\geq0$ is the equation of an ellipse. Hence $\alpha$ on the phase plane is an ellipse Rage. Rage. Rage on. Rage on against the dying light, then enter a state of soliloquy and thought emerges out of the abyss that grows against the dense mind only to come face to face with an instrument so sharp it and you’re forced to meander through absurdity. The swamp infested with leeches, The door doesn't even close right, he holds it shut as the mounts crave into the drywall. If these walls could talk they wouldn’t. The glass plate slowly begins to turn as his eyes fixate on the view through the looking glass. Rays of infrared penetrate the cheap plastic only to meet the soggy flesh of beans. Like a turnstile it spins, rendering its own music which turns into a buzzing sound. The walls crumble and sink into the sickening filth. The sky is dirty green with an orange hue raging against it. Lifeless forms stand at the horizon where the somber ground blends into black. The closest source of light being the reddish glow out of the glass. Pockets full of roses – the smell of cooking beans hide the stench of rotting bodies.