The Role of the Past in Gatsby, Rap, and Immigrants’ Lives

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In "King Kunta," Kendrick asks the listener "where were you when I was walkin'?/Now I run the game got the whole world talkin', King Kunta/Everybody wanna cut the legs off him, Kunta/Black man taking no losses." When Lamar talks about walking and running, he references his poor upbringing and the immense success he enjoys now. He was brought up in rural Compton, but now he runs "the game got the whole world talkin'." The lyrics have a double meaning, however, as walking is also an allusion to Kinte's plight, when the slave walked and attempted to escape captivity. Kendrick asks the listeners where they were during his and Kinte's humble beginnings; although he is extremely famous now, and Kinte became an icon, both had unremarkable early lives. Thus, Lamar and Kinte are a metaphor for African Americans in general; despite the higher quality of life that they enjoy in America today, slavery and Jim Crowe Laws are a very real part of American history. Kendrick's statement "Everybody wanna cut the legs off him, Kunta/Black man taking no losses" acknowledges that African Americans still face socioeconomic obstacles in modern America. The metaphor of Kinte for his whole race continues, as he was famous for having his right foot cut off for his escape attempts. Thus, Lamar makes the claim that many still wish to hold back African Americans; just as Kinte's masters attempted to stop him from escaping slavery, many today aim to limit African Americans attempts to better their lives (genius.com).

It is also important to note the song's name itself. The juxtaposition of King and Kunta, ruler and slave, signify that although African American civil rights have made tremendous strides, the race has still not achieved equality. The rhythm of "King Kunta" plays into this idea; the song has a jazzy, funky feel to it, and increases in tempo with each verse. Considering the African American roots jazz has, and the themes of African American struggle throughout the song and the album it is on, it is clear that Lamar is making a statement with the song's feel. The increases in tempo, which give each successive verse a more lively feel, represent the strides that African Americans have made. The song ends with a slow outro, however, signifying that true equality is still a goal, not a reality. This is similar to Gatsby, who also seeks to better his life with his wealth, and does so, but does not achieve true equality to America’s richest. African Americans have made tremendous strides but still face many socioeconomic obstacles, and Gatsby accrues immense wealth and yet faces social obstacles, which become apparent when Tom insincerely invites him to dinner.

As a son of two immigrants, I can somewhat understand the conundrum of simultaneously being stuck in the past and trying to move on from it. My parents moved to America from the USSR in the 1980s in order to escape persecution they faced because they were Jewish. Although the US has been their home for more than half of their lives, they still keep up with current events in Russia and regularly listen to talk shows about the state of affairs in their original home country. My mother says to me that despite thinking of America as her home, she still has a special place in her heart for Russia, and thinks of it differently than she thinks of other countries. Additionally, my parents speak Russian at home and still eat traditional Russian food regularly. Despite fleeing the country because of persecution, they still have a strong connection to it. This is strikingly similar to Gatsby’s both running away from the past and pining for it, and to African American rappers seeking to prove both that they have moved past the obstacles their race faced and that they still have a strong connection to their roots and the struggle they faced.

This trend of simultaneously running away from the past and embracing it does not always have a negative effect; it allows Gatsby to accrue immense wealth, creates more varied and interesting rap music, and lets immigrants like my parents better stay in contact with the friends and relatives they left behind in their home country. The biggest distinguishing factor is that Gatsby is obsessed with the past, while African American rappers and my parents embrace it. While African Americans and my parents have left their past behind and embrace that it happened, Gatsby cannot embrace it as long as he tries to relive it. Thus, it is evident that embracing the past is not a bad thing in and of itself; it is only when one obsesses over it and seeks to recreate it that issues arise. We all have times in our past that we regret, or that are unfavorable. If we accept this fact about the past, we can be happier about the present.

Works Cited

Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Print.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print.

Hughes, Sarah Anne. "Soulja Boy Buys $55 Million Jet for Birthday." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 29 July 2011. Web. 21 May 2015.

"Kendrick Lamar – King Kunta." Genius. Genius Media Group Inc., n.d. Web. 21 May 2015.

Pollard, Lawrence. "Rap Returns Home to Africa." BBC News. BBC, 02 Sept. 2004. Web. 21 May 2015.

"Trinidad James – All Gold Everything." Genius. Genius Media Group Inc., n.d. Web. 21 May 2015.

Wald, Elijah. "Hip Hop and Blues." Hip Hop and Blues. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2015.