Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst: Exploring the Destructive Nature of Gang Violence Through a Self-Critical Lens 

In today’s society, reflections and inquiries into the world around us are not limited to traditional literary works like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, or Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. Thought-provoking ideas pervade many cultural phenomenons that surround us, one of which is the art of spoken poetry and songwriting, a form of media that combines literary, musical, and performing elements as a form of self-expression. In critically-acclaimed and Pulitzer-prize winning hip-hop album good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar explores the self-destructive and interwoven cycle of gang violence and prostitution that plagues African-American communities in places like his hometown, Compton, CA. Skits of armed confrontations, phone calls, and audio recordings of fatal shootouts reflect the violence, trauma, and memories that surface through K.Dot’s life as he attempts to survive in a community mired in such conflict. In Kendrick Lamar’s 12 minute track, Sing About Me I’m Dying of Thirst, he writes a two-part poem dedicated to elevating the voiceless in society and recounting his journey towards spiritual awakening. Kendrick’s main motives have always been to “heal” the hood from violence, saying in an interview that, “Before I became this person with a mature aspect of life, it was a dark place I came from, a place of negativity, a place of being unruly…so when I say 'Dying of Thirst,' she's really talking about getting hit with holy water or saving yourself.” In this 12-minute track, Kendrick addresses the social issues plaguing his community through self-criticism and spirituality, cleansing himself from the sins of evil and acknowledging his shortcomings. In Kendrick’s ideology, the first step towards greater change came from within, believing that part of the self-destructive cycle of gang violence is perpetrated by the choice of the people themselves, “fighting for your rights, even when you’re wrong”. (Verse 3, Line 30) This ideology has become essential to his poetic world, to his powerful ability to reflect and tell stories, and to his leadership as a voice of black identity, cultivating a unique sense of solidarity for his shattered community. 

In Verse One of Sing About Me, Lamar writes from the perspective of Dave’s brother, who laments the loss of his brother from a deadly drive-by shooting incident. When Dave was alive, he made Kendrick promise to “sing about me when I’m gone.” In the famous verse of the song, Dave writes, “If I ever die before your album drop...boom,” (Verse 1, Line 35) and his words are interrupted as Dave dies in a fatal shootout. In Part 1, the simple melody, repetitive chord progression, and relatively static bassline create a low energy, monotonous environment that resembles retrospective storytelling. These musical elements and semantics of the song establish a mournful mood that accounts for both the futility of the victim’s situations and their state of denial. Dave tells Kendrick, “It’s fortunate you believe in a dream, this orphanage we call ghetto is quite a routine” (Verse 1, Line 8). The analogy between orphanage and ghetto resembles the standard human loss experienced by his people--with many parentless children presumably tied to violence. The desire for familial acceptance has also motivated young children to seek a sense of belonging in Compton’s gangs. Thus, Kendrick establishes Dave’s brother as a sympathetic character, whose upbringing heavily influences his troubled life. As Dave comments, “in actuality, it's a trip how we trip off of colors,” (Verse 1, Line 24) Kendrick demonstrates how youthful teens have become senseless to the violence that plagues “hood culture,” objectifying animosity through color as if it’s something worn. “I got’em and I ain’t give a f*ck, that same mentality I told my brother not to duck,” (Verse 1, Line 22) Dave’s brother feels the need to seek revenge for his brother, adopting the “I ain’t give a f*ck,” mentality. Yet, he also observes that this same mentality was what got his brother killed: “I told my brother not to duck” (Verse 1, Line 23). Using Dave’s story, Kendrick reiterates the pattern of hatred, grief, and vengefulness that characterizes the negativity in Compton. And while Kendrick is careful not to downplay Dave’s struggles and cast him in a condescending light, he subtly hints at the “black on black” violence that is in part extenuated by his brother’s free will to continue seeking retaliation: “a demon glued to my back, whispering "Get 'em!” (Verse 1, Line 18). This cycle will likely continue as, after Dave’s brother’s death, someone else will seek revenge from him and whomever he killed. 

Part 2 of Sing About Me is dedicated to Keisha’s sister, a prostitute, whom Kendrick rapped about in Keisha’s Song, Her Pain. Unlike Dave’s brother, who appreciates Kendrick’s thoughtfulness and artistic talents, Keisha’s sister chastises Kendrick for supposedly judging her sister’s actions: “F*ck that ‘Sorry for your loss’ sh*t, my sister died in vain, but what point are you tryna gain If you can't fit the pumps I walk in?” (Verse 2, Line 25). Keisha’s sister feels as if Kendrick’s remarks are insincere and condescending, rejecting an apology for the perpetual life she has been forced into. Here, Kendrick decides to speak on matters personal to Keisha’s anger as this song is dedicated to singing for the victims whose voices are silent. Kendrick also partly apologies for casting his intentions in the wrong light. This form of the self-aware, self-critical lens in Kendrick’s narrative is vital to understanding his central ideology, exploring both the faults of his community and himself, as a celebrity whose obligations speak for those people. Kendricks says that “your sister's situation was the one that pulled me, in a direction to speak on something' that's realer than the TV screen” (Verse 3, line 20). At the core of this story is a distinct dialogue happening between Keisha’s rejection of sympathy and Kendrick’s self-conscious refusal to back down from at least attempting to give her a voice. Keisha’s sister claims that prostitution was “completely my future,” (Verse 2, Line 8) and prides herself on the fact that her clients tip her with Ecstacy pills. Kendrick, however, implies that she’s corrupted by her environment: “this is the life of another girl damaged by the system,” (Verse 2, Line 17) and never taught to respect her body. Furthermore, Keisha refuses to listen to Kendrick’s advice to seek mental help, saying, “A doctor's approval is a waste of time, I know I'm straight I'll probably live longer than you and never fade away…” The irony of the song’s fading volume as Part 1 concludes while Keisha claims “I’ll never fade away,” emphasizes that she intends to speak indefinitely, yet is blinded and voiceless. Her rant characterizes the inner turmoil and grief that has led her to this state of denial and obstinacy. 

Kendrick dedicates both of these narratives to describing the revenge and obstinacy mired in his community. The introspective and mournful lens of Kendrick’s poetry that accounts for both literal loss and the loss of identity forces the readers to reconsider the destructive nature of violence and prostitution. Thus, in Part 2 of his introspective poem, I’m Dying of Thirst, Kendrick proposes the solution of adopting spirituality as an escape. As Dave’s brother yells, “I'm tired of f*ckin' runnin', I'm tired of this sh*t! My brother, homie,” (Skit) a choir of female vocals fades into the track and an upbeat bassline leads the song into a more melodic tone. The tension characterized by Dave’s meltdown and a change in the song’s musical elements symbolizes the awakening of the spiritual voice that starts to undertake Kendrick as he begins to rap faster. There’s no formal structure to part 2, except for the end of each verse, which ends with “dyin of thirst, dyin of thirst”, alluding to the need for holy water to cleanse himself. With the last utterance of “I’m dying of thirst,” Kendrick replaces these lyrics with “so hop in that water, and pray that it works” (Verse 5, Line 17), concluding his 12-minute poem with a symbol of religious conversion. The song ends with a skit when Dave gets baptized, a desperate measure to escape his misery. The old woman says, “this is the start of a new life, your real life,” (outro) as Kendrick uses her voice to symbolize the elderly wisdom that advocates religion as salvation. Lamar claims that spirituality was the tool that allowed him to escape from the streets and the negative influence surrounding his upbringing. Therefore, Kendrick dedicates the poem to the voiceless souls that are unfortunately still trapped in a cycle of hatred and material violence that plagues America’s bottom socio-economic ranges of society, urging them to start the healing process and save themselves before they follow the fate of Dave and Keisha. 

Works Cited

Gardner, Rachel, and Name *. “‘Sing about Me, I'm Dying of Thirst’ by Kendrick Lamar.” Poetry AndAs Translation, 3 Mar. 2017, scholarblogs.emory.edu/complit203/2017/03/03/robert/. 

“Kendrick Lamar talks Good Kid M.A.A.D. City.” YouTube, uploaded by Power 106 Los Angelos, 23, Oct. 2012, youtube.com/watch?v=x6wE_jc5mQY.

Lynch, Marc. “The Political Theory of Kendrick Lamar.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Apr. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/03/23/the-political-theory-of-kendrick-lamar/.