Just a week after releasing “The Heart Part 4,” Kendrick Lamar has blessed listeners yet again with not only a new single, but an accompanying video chock full of religious allusions and gorgeous visuals.
From Kendrick holding court at a da Vinci-esque Last Supper tableaux to a tongue-in-cheek nod to Grey Poupon’s classic “Pardon Me” ad spot, there’s plenty to unpack in the 3 minute video.
However, one of the most striking moments in the video is Kendrick’s embrace of a woman’s natural beauty, where he raps “I’m so f—kin’ sick and tired of the Photoshop/Show me somethin’ natural like afro on Richard Pryor/Show me somethin’ natural like a— with some stretchmarks.” The image that he uses to drive his lyrics home is of split screen that shows a woman wearing heavy makeup, straight, slicked back hair and a glitzy ensemble; in the next screen, she’s shown with a bare face, natural hair and a white tank top that shows off her stretch marks to full effect.
Kendrick’s body positive message was not lost on the Internet, who promptly weighed in with glowing praise for the rapper.
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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com