It was the first time you heard a particular note, drum beat or electronically created sound that made your ears tingle, your heart skip a beat and resonated with your soul. This is “My Song” – a series where the music that makes the person is spotlighted. James Bullock writes about a Kendrick Lamar song that inspires him to help others.
For those who have had the ability to listen to Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly”, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear me say it’s one of my favorite albums of 2015 thus far. The record is full of incredibly dense, emotional tracks that reflect the mentality of a single individual who almost anyone can relate to on some type of level. But then there comes that moment where a person is blessed with more than someone else and what occurs when two figurative worlds collide for one moment. That’s essentially the story behind “How Much a Dollar Cost”. Lamar, a person graced with the ability to turn his talents into something that has given him fortune, is confronted by a homeless man whom Kendrick believe is nothing more than a crack head beggar. Kendrick explains his reasoning for not helping someone who would waste rather than build himself even though the monetary offering of a single dollar wouldn’t make or break Lamar’s life.
The incredible twist that the homeless man is more than some preconceived image shakes the very foundation of the rapper and makes him realize he’s lost more than just sensitivity in his quest to become a man of wealth through music. But in this story, Kendrick could be any of us. No matter how big or small, we’ve all had (and still have) the opportunity to help someone whose circumstances have hindered their lives. Toss aside preconceived ideas and notions. Understand that what we’ve been given is supposed to help others as much as it’s supposed to help ourselves. You never know whose savior you can be by simply giving of yourself; even if it’s as something “small” as one dollar.
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