Art and Race: Meek Mill’s Young Black America Analysis
My identified piece of work is a music piece by Meek Mill titled ‘Young Black America’, which was released in 2017. The song speaks on social justice in a way that touches on the racial disparities that exist in American society.
It makes a social contribution because it is a form of activism and advocacy for racial equality in the different systems. For instance, Mill mentions that, ‘White man kill a black man, they never report us…Black man kill a white man, they gon’ start a war up’ to indicate the inequalities in the criminal justice system.
The lyrics imply that if a black man is shot down by a white man, law enforcement and the criminal justice system entirely work in the favor of the white man but do the opposite for the black man. This is racial inequality, where systems work against minorities (Rovner, 2021).
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On the other hand, he mentions, ‘Felons on your records so them jobs ain’t gettin’ back at you’ to show the effects of incarceration for many. When someone is released back into society, they have a hard time reintegrating and finding employment.
This makes it harder for them to get back on their feet, which makes them susceptible to going back to crime so that they can sustain themselves. Mill talks about this to make it known that being an ex-convict in society messes up everything, and since the incarceration rates are higher for black Americans, they are disproportionately affected by a system that already works against them.
There are many factors that play into mass incarceration, and racial profiling is one of them. So, black Americans face harsher sentences and higher bail, which affects their access to justice and their rights are absolutely ignored. The song itself is an act of activism for equity and equality in American society because oppression and racial inequalities affect social justice. Therefore, it calls for the injustices to be addressed by bringing them into the light.
The aesthetic value of the song is that it combines social commentary, lyrical substance, and musical composition to deliver a powerful message while still getting the audience to enjoy it. For instance, the lyrical depth and social realism in the song reflect the struggle that the young black person in America faces. This is especially true with social issues like mass incarceration, systemic poverty, police brutality, and racial inequality.
There is a realist aesthetic that Mill (2017) passes along, and he becomes the voice of marginalized experiences. Additionally, Mill’s voice and delivery make it a unique piece because of his flow, and there is raw emotion, which enhances the piece’s sincerity and authenticity. All in all, it reflects the human condition by showing the negative effects of systemic inequalities and how marginalized communities are affected.
I relate to this, not directly, but a close friend of mine had their parent suffer racial profiling, which ended up going in the direction of police brutality.
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They were maimed and stayed in hospital for about four months. I saw them suffer socioeconomically because they lost their house and could barely make ends meet because that parent was their breadwinner. I tried to help whenever I could, and we all did as friends, but it could not sustain the entire family. So, the racial inequalities and systemic oppression must be addressed because a better America is needed, one where every individual can freely exercise their rights and freedoms.
Fortunately, this song has never been censored, which makes it easier for the message to reach a wider audience. On a different note, governments are never justified in censoring art. This is because art is a form of expression, and when they censor it, they interfere with the artist’s freedom of expression under the First Amendment.
For this reason, it is unconstitutional. In the case of my chosen song, the public received it well, and it effectively portrays the message by curating it in the experiences of marginalized individuals, which enhances authenticity. Due to the fact that it can be used to advocate for social justice because of its interpretations, this song can be classified as art. It is an expression that was consciously created by the parties through their imagination and skill. The lyrics are put together in a logical way, and it is poetic.
One reaction video of the song, when it came out, points out, ‘that was a smooth line, that got dual meaning right there…’ while assessing the lyrical meaning of the song (Lost in Vegas, 2017, 00:09:14). Also, Mill raps, ‘Only made us evil, made us hungry, made us desperate’ to talk about the socioeconomic status of African Americans because of systemic oppression.
This lyric is art because it follows the style of free verse poetry, which focuses more on message delivery than on literal structure. All in all, it is a pure artistic piece that allows audiences to soak up the message and join in activism and advocacy against an unjust system.
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References
- Lost in Vegas. (2017, Aug 28). Meek Mill – Young Black America (feat. The Dream) (Reaction!!!). [Video] YouTube.
- Mill, M. (2017). Young Black America (feat. The Dream) [Song]. On Wins & Losses. Maybach Music Group/Atlantic Recording Corporation.
- Rovner, J. (2021). Racial disparities in youth incarceration persist. The Sentencing Project.
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