Kendrick The Calvinist?
“Twice emotional stability / Sound body and tranquility / I deserve it all” Kendrick raps at the beginning of “man at the garden” from his latest album GNX. After reassuring us of his tranquil emotional stability, Kendrick insists that he deserves his fame, fortune, and consideration as the greatest of all time. Was Kendrick always so self-assured? Goodness, no: in fact, on his early records, you can hear the self-doubt and despondency in his voice on tracks like “u” and “FEAR.” Kendrick’s latest show of confidence has inspired me to return to his discography in search of his theology and beliefs about the human spirit. Is Kendrick a guilt-ridden Catholic or an addled Lutheran? Questions like these can hopefully be answered by listening to the rest of his discography.
On his first project, Section.80, Kendrick examined social issues of Reagan-era America and blamed societal ailments for causing individual suffering. For example, Kendrick explores how vulnerable women become ensnared in cycles of poverty and prostitution on “Keisha’s Song.” Kendrick’s second album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, furthers his thesis that societal dysfunction creates individual turmoil on tracks like “m.A.A.d city,” “Swimming Pools,” and “The Art of Peer Pressure.” All of these tracks juxtapose Kendrick’s adolescent innocence with the harsh realities of gang life in Compton. Kendrick seeks to become the exception to the rule of cyclical gang violence on the track “Poetic Justice” where he croons: “If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?”.
Up until this point, Kendrick’s rapping seems to reflect the priorities of Catholic social teaching and liberation theology popular in Latin America in the twentieth century. However, as we enter the golden era of Kendrick’s career with the release of To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015, we will see that there is an even better theological fit for Kendrick’s worldview. “u” is the keystone of To Pimp a Butterfly because it provides the background information to the fundamental conceit of the album – the poem penned to Tupac revealed on “Mortal Man.” It is only on To Pimp a Butterfly that we learn the depths of Kendrick’s spiritual despair only hinted at in previous work like “A.D.H.D.” On “u,” we learn of Kendrick’s battle with suicidal ideation and how he has wrestled with temptation and self-forgiveness. Yes, “u” is the cornerstone of To Pimp a Butterfly which is, in turn, the cornerstone of Kendrick’s oeuvre.
On DAMN. we are introduced to Kendrick’s foibles and flaws on tracks like “PRIDE.” and “LUST.” named for some of the Seven Deadly Sins. And, on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, we see Kendrick dig deeper into expressing his own lust addiction and past trauma on tracks like album-opener “United In Grief.” Theologically, these albums both express the wretchedness of the human soul and its salvation only through Jesus Christ. Additionally, his track “YAH.” aligns him with the Black Israelites who claim to be God’s only chosen people. This emphasis on human moral impotence, salvation through faith, and predestination also exists in Calvinism. Whatever theological blend Kendrick incorporates into his own spiritual practice, it has culminated in a truly scintillating sixth album in GNX.
