Mallory Ellis

Ms. Kent
English 1020
27 March 2016
Outline
I

Working Title: Straight Outta Compton

a) I think this is a fun title because it is also the title of a movie that discusses how
gangster rap came about in Compton in LA. I have watched bits and pieces of the
movie and it has many points that relate to my topic that make since. I am going
to watch the movie in full, but I still believe that this is a title that will draw in
readers. If I do not use this title I might use To Pimp a Butterfly, which is the
name of one of Kendrick Lamars albums and has significant meaning. Which do

you like better?

II Working Introduction: Quotation
a) I want to begin my paper with lyrics from a Kendrick Lamar song that has some
serious strong messages. I think this will let people know from the beginning what
I am trying to accomplish from my paper. I think one possibility for a quote would
be from Kendricks song m.A.A.d city, Brace yourself, I'll take you on a trip
down memory lane. This is not a rap on how I'm slinging crack or move cocaine.
This is cul-de-sac and plenty Cognac and major pain. I think this is a really
powerful quote because it sets the tone that Kendrick does not rap about bitches,
money, hoes, and drugs, but rather he is rapping about his life experiences .
III Working Thesis: I want to explain to people that Kendrick Lamar is a rapper who is
trying to change the influence of rap and hip hop to help others overcome adversity
and become successful no matter what circumstances they have been through.

a) I am actually happy with the way this sounds but I will definitely need to elevate
my wording, do you agree?
IV Entry 1: Interview
a) I want to do an interview for my first entry because I have found actual interview
with Kendrick Lamar as my sources, and I think it would be interesting if I could
come up with my own interview questions while using Kendrick Lamars original
answers to actual interviews to create my own spin on it.
b) I am going to use the article I found on Academic Search Premier from Ebony
Magazine with Kendrick Lamar because the interview questions asked are similar
to those I would ask if it were I interviewing Kendrick myself.
V Entry 2: Biography
a) I could basically use Kendricks songs to discuss his life growing up because his
album good kid m.A.A.d city is telling the story of him growing up. I can also use
my source The Trials of Kendrick Lamar because it is written from a point of
view as if someone is following Kendrick around his home town discussing the
places he used to hang out and the things that happened there.
VI Entry 3: Obituary
a) For the obituary, I can write about Kendrick possibly getting killed due to the
gang violence he despises so much. In one of his songs he states If Pirus and
Crips all got along, they'd probably gun me down by the end of this song
Seem like the whole city go against me. He is basically saying these Compton
gangs do not like what he is trying to do and the positive influence he is trying to
bring. In the obituary I could include the legacy he left on the hip hop and rap
community.
VII Entry: 4 Magazine Article
a) For the magazine article I would title it something like Changing the Game or
something about how Kendrick wants to change hip-hops influence on black

individuals. I actually have a magazine article as a source so I could use that as an

inspiration for the tone of how I write the article.
VIII Entry 5: Diary
a) For the diary, I could write as if I were a young Kendrick Lamar growing up in
the streets of Compton and how the people around him negatively influenced him.
I could have him write about the things he did that day (the date the journal would
be written) and why he regrets them.
IX Entry 6: Invitation
a) In the initiation, I could invite anyone who is tired of the stigma and influence
hip-hop and rap has on the black community and if they want to help change it
and start a movement to come to this event.
X Entry 7: Speech
a) For the speech, I think I could write as if I was Kendrick Lamar and possibly do a
take on a MLK I Have a Dream approach, with Kendricks dream being to
become a positive leader

Annotated Bibliography
Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of
Colorblindness. 2010. Print.
Kendrick Lamar discusses racism in many of his songs, specifically The Blacker
the Berry. The book The New Jim Crow helps back up Kendricks claims because it
disproves the claims that racism is dead. The book also discusses the drug epidemic that
occurred in the black community and why that has contributed to such a high crime rate
among African Americans. I believe this goes hand in hand with Kendricks music,
because through his music he is desperately trying to explain that black people can

overcome racism and the stigma that some people have toward blacks. I think this is the
perfect book to go along with the topic of my paper.
Barnes, Tom. Theres a Secret Message Hidden in Every Song on Kendrick Lamars
New Album. Music.mic. (2015). Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Theres a Secret Message Hidden in Every Song on Kendrick Lamars New
Album, is an article that discusses the themes in Kendrick Lamars album, To Pimp A
Butterfly, and even includes quotes from Kendrick himself. The article discusses
Kendricks view on hip hops responsibility of influencing younger generations, the
power of music, and Lamars role in changing the hip hop community. This source has
many strengths. The information stands on its own as a valid argumentative point because
it includes words from Kendrick that are undisputable because he said them himself. I am
writing about the themes in Kendrick Lamars music and how he is trying to change the
hip hop game and this source has direct quotes that coincide with my argument that
Kendrick is trying to change the game. I foresee this article coming to play in my final
essay because I am trying to prove/show that Kendrick is a different rapper for this
generation. He is trying to be a positive influence and speak out about issues
Cocarelli, Joe. Kendrick Lamar on His New Album and the Weight of Clarity.
New York Times. 16 March 2015. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
This article is about Kendricks first hit album, good kid m.A.A.d city and his
second hit album To Pimp a Butterfly. It covers the story behind the album good kid
m.A.A.d city as well as details of Kendricks background growing up. Cocarelli states,
That album (good kid m.A.A.d. city) was the story of his redemption not just from street
gangs through rapping but from a life of sin by embracing Jesus Christ. Cocarelli

explains that To Pimp a Butterfly is about Kendricks present day life, such as how he is
handling his success and finally getting out of Compton, the city that almost destroyed
him.
Cox, Jamieson. The Butterfly Effect. Time. (2015). Academic Search Premier. Web. 8
Mar. 2016.
This article basically highlights all of Kendrick Lamars talents and how he is
using them to make a positive influence on the black community as well as hip-hop and
rap music. Cox describes Lamar is one of the most exciting rappers of his generation,
possessed of both impressive agility and the capacity for tremendous force. I do not
think I could find a better way to say that and that is exactly why I chose Kendrick Lamar
as my topic for this semester. The article states that Kendrick is not afraid of speaking the
truth no matter whom it offends. He is living proof that you can become successful no
matter where you come from.
Eels, Josh. The Trials of Kendrick Lamar. (Cover Story). Rolling Stone. (2015).
Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2016
The article The Trials of Kendrick Lamar discusses Kendricks personal life
through an article that is almost written like its telling a story. The article discusses his
two main albums, To Pimp A Butterfly, and good kid, m.A.A.d city, the experiences he had
growing up that ended up influencing his music, and his success and how he feels about
it. This is a strong source because it also includes direct quotes from Kendrick himself
and follows him through his eyes going back to visit the streets that he raps about. The
information stands on its on as a valid point because, again, it is coming directly from
Kendrick. It allows me to enter the conversation it discusses in my research because it is

literally the exact point I am trying to get across in my essay. The writer presents this
argument very well, because he is not just saying his point of view, but actual true stories
from Kendrick himself and people close to Kendrick. I believe this piece on its on would
stand up to a strong critical evaluation from an academic standpoint.
KLC. Straight Out Of Compton. Ebony. (2013). Academic Search Premier. Web. 24
Mar. 2016.
This article is from Ebony magazine and under the main title Straight Out Of
Compton it says, The Rise of A Rapper. I think the wording is perfect because
Kendrick Lamar truly is rising in the rap/hip-hop game. It consists of a few interview
questions with Kendrick. Kendricks interview questions give us first hand insight in to
why he writes his music. He explains his joys, sorrows, experiences, and how success has
affected him. He discusses why he wrote and continues to write about besides his
experiences in Compton and gives us a deeper understanding of his music. My favorite
quote from the interview is that Kendrick says is his music comes from a place of
desperation, which I think everyone can relate to.
Lamar, Kendrick. good kid, m.A.A.d city. Interscope Records, 22 Oct. 2012. CD.
This source is one of the two most popular albums by Kendrick Lamar. Its
publication is relevant because it is Kendricks own music. The timing is also important
because songs in the album discuss some events that have happened in the recent past.
This album includes the song, The Art of Peer Pressure, which discusses how peer
pressure influenced Kendrick and caused him to make choices that he would not have
normally made on his own. He states in the song Really Im a sober soul but Im with
the homies right now, basically saying he is only doing these things because of who he

is around. Another song on this album is Swimming Pools (Drank). One of the most
influential lyrics to me was Now I done grew up round some people living their life in
bottles, granddaddy had the golden flask back stroke every day in Chicago, some people
like the way it feels Some people wanna kill their sorrows some people wanna fit in with
the popular that was my problem. Kendrick grew up around alcoholics and saw why
they drank and saw why he would drink.
Lamar, Kendrick. King Kunta To Pimp A Butterfly. Interscope Records, 15 Mar. 2015.
CD.
This source is the second of the two most popular albums by Kendrick Lamar and
it is his most recent. The timing is important because he discusses issues such as racial
discrimination, which is very important in the media right now.
One of the songs, King Kunta, is the reason I chose Kendrick Lamar to be my
topic. This song contrasts the highs and lows of society. The name King Kunta came
from the name Kunta Kinte, who was a fictional slave. Kendrick uses King Kunta to in a
way contradict himself. In a way his is a slave like Kunta Kinte, but he is also wealthy
like a king, because he is a successful black man in America.
Marshall Lewis, Miles. Old Soul. (Cover Story). Ebony. (2015). Academic Search
Premier. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
This article is another interview with Kendrick Lamar by Ebony magazine, but
with very different questions. Kendrick Lamar takes the time to explain who his musical
influences are and how the things occurring during times that he is writing influence what
he writes. He also discusses that he wants to make a legacy of himself, which is so
pertinent to my paper because that is exactly what I believe Kendrick Lamar will be. He

discusses that he enjoys being able to make underground music that is still appreciated
by a mainstream audience, and he considers that one of his greatest abilities. For a large
portion of the article Lamar also discusses how he is breaking out of the box of being a
black man in America.
Straight Outta Compton. Dir. F. Gary Gary. Universal Pictures. 2015. Film
The movie Straight Outta Compton does not have anything to do with Kendrick
Lamar, but it does have a lot to do with racism, police brutality, and being a successful
African American in America. The movie takes place in Compton, which is where
Kendrick Lamar is from, and the characters in the movie experiences that Kendrick
writes about in his music, despite being two different generations. I think I can use this
movie to compare with Kendricks music to show that racism is still very prevalent in
todays society.