What's the Yams? Kendrick Lamar's Literary References

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  • Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025

Комментарии • 1 тыс.

  • @dentonmattt
    @dentonmattt 7 лет назад +3515

    Simple, it's the power that be

    • @Nani-hf9pc
      @Nani-hf9pc 7 лет назад +227

      Matt Denton You can smell it when I'm walking down the street.

    • @dskrocks1
      @dskrocks1 7 лет назад +167

      Oh yes you can, oh yes you can

    • @atomicvoid3549
      @atomicvoid3549 7 лет назад +92

      I could've did rapping, but a rapper with a ghostwriter, what the fuck happened

    • @Bigcheifer
      @Bigcheifer 7 лет назад +84

      Atomic Void "I can dig rappin"

    • @timmykkgb
      @timmykkgb 7 лет назад +4

      Joe Alvarado ?

  • @10dimensionoflov
    @10dimensionoflov 5 лет назад +801

    Kunta wasnt a slave name, it was actually a free mans name. They tried to make him a slave , and change it to toby. Kunta was the name from his mother tongue. Kdot isnt saying he is a rich slave, he is saying that he is a free man, while others are trying to make him a subject, and cut him short.

    • @pedroferrer9436
      @pedroferrer9436 5 лет назад +16

      Underrated

    • @odanemcdonald9874
      @odanemcdonald9874 4 года назад +18

      It is a damn dirty shame the narr aint have the cultural inclination to have had known that.
      It's not his fault, iait blamin him.
      I aint blamin nobody. Its just when where and how you were raised... and by who.

    • @gansach
      @gansach 4 года назад +4

      @@odanemcdonald9874 king kunta means a king and a slave at the same time as the narrator referenced, if Kendrick mehnat what you said then this and many other lyrics wouldn't make any sense, it works cause it's an oxymoron, king slave, king kunta, that's my understanding of it

    • @10dimensionoflov
      @10dimensionoflov 4 года назад +20

      @@gansach bru. King kunta does not mean king slave. You dont know the significance of the name kunta. Go watch roots before you comment on this because you have it wrong... If you knew what it meant, you would understand the lyrics better..

    • @odanemcdonald9874
      @odanemcdonald9874 4 года назад +9

      @@gansach
      I take it you've never watched roots.

  • @malikcollins295
    @malikcollins295 7 лет назад +2413

    Lol "yams" is a code word for cocaine in the drug world. "The yams is the power that be." Is a reference to the power one can accumulate in the hood through drug dealing, also "the yams brought it out of Richard Pryor and filled Bill Clinton with desires" is in reference to their drug use. All that being said it doesn't take away from the other literary references explained in the video it just shows how good Kendrick actually is.

    • @canyonschultz5786
      @canyonschultz5786 6 лет назад +78

      True but what this guy said is credible to the bill clinton reference was vaguely connected to drug addiction

    • @Moneyg73
      @Moneyg73 6 лет назад +149

      I think yams = cocaine (drugs,money,power) makes more sense. Kendrick albums are crazy you can listen to it 30x and find something you missed each time.

    • @tomnorton3313
      @tomnorton3313 6 лет назад +117

      Hip hop is poetry with many different interpretations

    • @jadenmcgilbra8399
      @jadenmcgilbra8399 6 лет назад +3

      malik collins thank you so I can leave this lame ass vid

    • @kaingates
      @kaingates 5 лет назад +8

      malik collins Bill was never reported to do any drugs? Not even the sleaziest conspiracy website even claimed that.

  • @wujibifan9245
    @wujibifan9245 7 лет назад +2270

    And this album got beaten by Taylor Swift smh

    • @deezylightbeam
      @deezylightbeam 6 лет назад +40

      IT DID????????

    • @slimshady9200
      @slimshady9200 5 лет назад +142

      Well the majority of the nation is 60% white

    • @jawshy7265
      @jawshy7265 5 лет назад +1

      WUJIBIFAN wtf

    • @Moist_c0deRed
      @Moist_c0deRed 5 лет назад +147

      @@slimshady9200 no , it's not skin color , it's 60% of the nation that's sleep

    • @slimshady9200
      @slimshady9200 5 лет назад +11

      @@Moist_c0deRed really so white people weren't protesting against rap music

  • @martinamakek9608
    @martinamakek9608 7 лет назад +560

    books mentioned:
    Roots by Alex Haley
    The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
    Things Falll Apart by Chinua Achebe
    The Blacker the Berry Wallace Thurman
    Invisible Man by Ralph Elison

    • @drdrai7479
      @drdrai7479 4 года назад +11

      Thank you! I’m in a bookshop right now and didn’t want to play the video

    • @debolinabhattacharyya5179
      @debolinabhattacharyya5179 4 года назад +2

      Thanks a lot !

    • @HeVn7LaO
      @HeVn7LaO 9 месяцев назад

      Thank you, I appreciate this for future book references…

  • @AngusMokPhoto
    @AngusMokPhoto 7 лет назад +2216

    This is high level content right here

    • @gustavogabaldo6799
      @gustavogabaldo6799 7 лет назад +7

      Angus Mok one of the best on yt

    • @wutaeworld
      @wutaeworld 5 лет назад +1

      Angus Mok A poem just for you 👉🏽 ruclips.net/video/OJJZYsY9v5s/видео.html

    • @Doomer253
      @Doomer253 7 месяцев назад

      Hmm...he missed a lot A Lot of context.

  • @thebalkanbull
    @thebalkanbull 7 лет назад +557

    Videos like this just enforce the fact that Kendrick is indeed the GOAT.

    • @MORNINGSTAR190
      @MORNINGSTAR190 6 лет назад +1

      @Arthur Wall nah yo the 🐐

    • @Moneyg73
      @Moneyg73 6 лет назад +1

      Yeah he took the baton from Pac.

    • @pavleilic7383
      @pavleilic7383 5 лет назад +6

      one of the goats for sure
      the very best? We'll see that when he releases a few more records

    • @goodplaylists8868
      @goodplaylists8868 5 лет назад

      Act like Nas doesn’t exist

    • @gio7388
      @gio7388 5 лет назад +1

      He’s up there, but he hasn’t taken #1 yet

  • @pierreisthebest
    @pierreisthebest 7 лет назад +573

    Incredible- I knew Kendrick's albums were meticulous but this was still an underestimation. Subbed!

  • @expealidocious
    @expealidocious 6 лет назад +34

    “they say the black the berry
    the sweeter the juice,
    i say the darker the flesh
    then the deeper the roots.”
    - tupac

  • @hippydosa4202
    @hippydosa4202 7 лет назад +896

    such an underrated channel. This video and the video about bonzo, absolutely great content

    • @Coach.fisherman
      @Coach.fisherman 7 лет назад +9

      jaibir matthers he just needs to be more active on the channel

    • @DanRobards
      @DanRobards 7 лет назад +1

      The Bonzo video made me sub

    • @jbasti227
      @jbasti227 7 лет назад

      HippyDosa420 Just came from the Bonzo vid. Polyphonic is one my favorite music-related channel on RUclips

    • @rupertorterga2387
      @rupertorterga2387 6 лет назад

      Yup.That vid on J.B. was mean!

  • @kingj282
    @kingj282 7 лет назад +1295

    I'm black and now have a lot of reading to do lol. Your channel will surely blow up; keep up the good content.

    • @robertcaban5306
      @robertcaban5306 7 лет назад +10

      And if you were white? Would this not compel you to read all of the books talked about?

    • @thesleepingbag8650
      @thesleepingbag8650 7 лет назад +94

      Robert Caban dude who the fuck cares what color you are? let him discover his own culture's literature without being harassed.

    • @robertcaban5306
      @robertcaban5306 7 лет назад +9

      My point exactly. There's no reason to say that he's black. Thanks for agreeing with me.

    • @djangomarkov7948
      @djangomarkov7948 7 лет назад +9

      Stop letting the white man and his puppets tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing

    • @CMDRJukan
      @CMDRJukan 7 лет назад +23

      someguy ihate to point out that he wasn't aware of some of his own culture, Christ Almighty

  • @OtterSC2
    @OtterSC2 3 года назад +16

    It's amazing how they managed to cover almost every possible connotation for yams including money, sex and power, even highlighting the Pryor and Clinton mentions, without getting the drug reference.

  • @SporeKore
    @SporeKore 7 лет назад +728

    Excellent content - we need more video essays about music. Subbed.

    • @wutaeworld
      @wutaeworld 5 лет назад

      Peter Gabriel a spectacular poem 👉🏽 ruclips.net/video/OJJZYsY9v5s/видео.html

  • @JessicaHaug
    @JessicaHaug 5 лет назад +140

    Important to note that you call Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart as an "African American Novel" but it isnt American at all. Just straight African

    • @taiwowilliams1418
      @taiwowilliams1418 5 лет назад +6

      God bless you

    • @oliedaily8746
      @oliedaily8746 5 лет назад +1

      You're enlightened my fellow human

    • @VintageNarwhal
      @VintageNarwhal 4 года назад +8

      Jessica Haug I’ve noticed a lot of people seem to refer to all people who look black as African Americans but that’s just a huge generalization.

    • @Mhhhhmmh
      @Mhhhhmmh 4 года назад +5

      Jessica Haug the man be full on Nigerian

    • @psicopato2460
      @psicopato2460 2 года назад

      @@VintageNarwhal why are balck people who were born in the US, and whose parents were born in the US, refered to as "African American"? I'm not american, so I never got that

  • @spastheghost
    @spastheghost 7 лет назад +134

    I am more and more amazed by Kedrick's genius every day

  • @Marco-er4ql
    @Marco-er4ql 7 лет назад +74

    It's pretty funny that I was studying African history, like the African empires and Zulu Nation, colonization, and apartheid and read All Things Fall Apart the semester of the release of the album in my freshmen year of high school. It just makes me appreciate one of the greatest albums of all time even more

    • @samaraisnt
      @samaraisnt Год назад +1

      Everyone should read Things Fall Apart and Ellis' Invisible Man. Also the others I feel are widely read by everyone! Color Purple & Toni Morrison's work is so important in America !!

  • @elliottkoriath4038
    @elliottkoriath4038 7 лет назад +53

    I feel like Kendrick Lamar will win the Nobel Prize for Poetry in the future, just like Bob Dylan and his lyrics

  • @catsrbeautiful8254
    @catsrbeautiful8254 7 лет назад +5

    Yes! Finally someone makes a video about the yam reference. Thanks to my high school teachers, I read both "Things Fall Apart" and "Invisible Man." Kendrick deserves even more respect for his work on this album alone.

  • @gnarman135
    @gnarman135 7 лет назад +6

    That's why I fuck with this album so much. You could do a video on every song of the album. Good shit

  • @s.fatima5180
    @s.fatima5180 7 лет назад +257

    It would be great if you added in a list of all the literature references you make in your videos in the description. Great content btw!

    • @ann1ka_
      @ann1ka_ 7 лет назад

      Suha Fatima i was just about to comment that

    • @iluvearth99
      @iluvearth99 7 лет назад +21

      1. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
      2. The Blacker the Berry
      3. Roots: the Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley
      4. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
      5. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
      I agree he should add a list of the references, I just thought I could help fill the void in this video :^)

  • @jeremystumpp6462
    @jeremystumpp6462 6 лет назад +23

    "Things Fall Apart" is also the name of a Roots album

  • @gerbilpmc
    @gerbilpmc 7 лет назад +22

    This channel is so high quality you should have at least a 100,000ish subs

  • @diel.mp3
    @diel.mp3 7 лет назад +21

    Man, LOVING these videos. Hoping to see more from this channel!

    • @Polyphonic
      @Polyphonic  7 лет назад +5

      Thanks! There's a lot more coming, a new video every 2 for the time being

  • @horeja009
    @horeja009 7 лет назад +386

    The clips showing the person cutting 'yams' on the cutting board, those aren't actually yams. Those are sweet potatoes, you can tell because of the orange hue when it's been cut, yams have a white/pale hue and they taste bitter naturally. Idk why I see so many call sweet potatoes yams. The only yams I saw in this video was the clip in the end where the man literally dug it out from under the ground.

    • @iredi2663
      @iredi2663 7 лет назад +1

      justme18 and

    • @CasperTheGhost64
      @CasperTheGhost64 7 лет назад

      LOL

    • @mfdoom2451
      @mfdoom2451 7 лет назад +3

      Ikr too many people mix them up

    • @shayanalipour9386
      @shayanalipour9386 7 лет назад

      justme18 does i really matter tho?

    • @whereismysonicantfindhim1816
      @whereismysonicantfindhim1816 7 лет назад +24

      People where I'm from often refer to sweet potatoes when they say "yams". I grew up eating "yams" from a can, "yam" casserole. I don't like to make generalizations but I believe it's a southern United States thing.

  • @ARKIWAMUZYCZNE
    @ARKIWAMUZYCZNE 5 лет назад +33

    The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.

  • @dhruvkhurana6058
    @dhruvkhurana6058 7 лет назад +224

    DAMN. doesn't even come close to To Pimp a Butterfly imo

    • @johnkerr3050
      @johnkerr3050 6 лет назад +52

      True but DAMN is still good though

    • @deezylightbeam
      @deezylightbeam 6 лет назад +34

      All my white friends are like OMG I LOVR DAMN but they never heard section.80, Good kid, TPAB, or Overly Dedicated **SIGH** all these fake fans.

    • @jayrusso1589
      @jayrusso1589 5 лет назад +7

      DAMN. Is his best album I think y'all just don't understand it

    • @duck8624
      @duck8624 5 лет назад +20

      @@jayrusso1589 im pretty sure you don't understand TPAB... far more deep

    • @eyjo3094
      @eyjo3094 5 лет назад +4

      If you fully understand DAMN. you'll see the difference isn't that big

  • @F22Raptor723
    @F22Raptor723 7 лет назад +7

    I've never subscribed to a channel so quickly after discovering it. You're gonna be huge. Also love how you do all kinds of music from Led Zeppelin to Arcade Fire, to Kendrick. Keep it up man

  • @brayant2693
    @brayant2693 7 лет назад +1

    My favorite kendrick album! People need more videos like these to show them why it is a masterpiece.

    • @DAVV-99
      @DAVV-99 7 лет назад

      BRAND-ish we need way less of these videos

  • @ashantinyongo7632
    @ashantinyongo7632 7 лет назад +527

    2:05 "I can fix that"

  • @johnjr578
    @johnjr578 7 лет назад +3

    The more and more i learn of this album and dig, i become even more stunned by him & his work

  • @mauriciocorrea4811
    @mauriciocorrea4811 7 лет назад +25

    What an awesome channel you got! Keep the good work.
    Salutes from Mexico!:)

  • @jh-ci9qj
    @jh-ci9qj 7 лет назад +12

    Well done! Extremely informative and easy to understand. Just found your channel and I'm really enjoying the content.

  • @richkingtodd7679
    @richkingtodd7679 7 лет назад +39

    like nobody already knew Kendrick is a genius.

  • @thomasboehnlein5205
    @thomasboehnlein5205 7 лет назад +3

    This channel is so going to blow up. The fuse has been lit.

  • @xenan7889
    @xenan7889 5 лет назад +45

    Only Kendrick can make a lyric that takes 7 minutes to explain

    • @SilsufDreamy333
      @SilsufDreamy333 5 лет назад +1

      Eminem , anderson paak

    • @apurvashanker
      @apurvashanker 5 лет назад

      @@SilsufDreamy333
      Em has a lot too.
      Since Kendrick sites Em as an inspiration, it is no surprise that both are such elite/complex lyricists.

    • @James-vy5jg
      @James-vy5jg 5 лет назад +4

      @@apurvashanker Kendrick is a better lyricist than enimen

    • @apurvashanker
      @apurvashanker 5 лет назад +5

      @@James-vy5jg
      Here we go..

    • @James-vy5jg
      @James-vy5jg 5 лет назад +1

      @@apurvashanker i aint starting no argument, theres no comp here. kendrick is just better.

  • @AustinJ2
    @AustinJ2 5 лет назад +16

    Kendrick is the lyrical goat

  • @chayseSchutter
    @chayseSchutter 7 лет назад +42

    so stoked i found this channel

    • @SZ-wt3nk
      @SZ-wt3nk 7 лет назад +1

      chayse Schutter Same man

  • @alinoo1
    @alinoo1 7 лет назад

    Not only was this highly informative of this strange lyric, it also points out how god damn well read Kendrick Lamar is. Had no idea, just makes this talented man even more remarkable.

  • @Elagabalus711
    @Elagabalus711 7 лет назад +8

    The more I look into Kendrick, the more impressed I am. TPAB is one of the best albums of this century, though its taken me years to even vaguely understand it.

  • @guy-wb4gr
    @guy-wb4gr 7 лет назад

    I remember reading Things Fall Apart right around the time To Pimp a Butterfly came out and honestly I'm happy I did. It completely changed the experience of the album for me and it has honestly made it one of my favorite albums.

  • @boschdt
    @boschdt 7 лет назад +124

    OMG THINGS FALL APART IS THE BOOK WE'RE STUDYING THIS SCHOOL YEAR

    • @thesleepingbag8650
      @thesleepingbag8650 7 лет назад +8

      Lol Lol ITS SO GOOD, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THE ROOTS' ALBUM NAMED AFTER IT

    • @Bigcheifer
      @Bigcheifer 7 лет назад

      Same lmao

    • @blckkeef
      @blckkeef 7 лет назад +1

      Lol Lol I guess you're in 10th grade or something

    • @ttly1384
      @ttly1384 7 лет назад

      A year though?

    • @boschdt
      @boschdt 7 лет назад

      Blvckkeef I'm in 8th grade.

  • @albertduluoz
    @albertduluoz 7 лет назад

    Don't forget the reference in the title itself (To Kill A Mockingbird). Seriously, time goes by and this album just keeps growing. Excellent video.

  • @tonyx8862
    @tonyx8862 7 лет назад +12

    I'm seeing Kendrick tomorrow, I'm so hyped #DAMNTour

  • @zackbarlow
    @zackbarlow 7 лет назад

    You're killin it with these vids. Insightful thought provoking content and top notch production quality. This is what RUclips should be.

  • @mattbehindthewheel6901
    @mattbehindthewheel6901 5 лет назад +132

    bruh isn't "yams" slang for "grams of cocaine" .... Yams = grams?

    • @freindmaker4473
      @freindmaker4473 5 лет назад +38

      Yes, it also means that. Most of his songs have fun double meanings in the lyrics like this

    • @mandylindauer5004
      @mandylindauer5004 4 года назад +2

      Close. Its slang for kilos. Much bigger measurement and weight haha

    • @tiffanysmith8460
      @tiffanysmith8460 4 года назад

      👏🏽 xxx

    • @lexxx89
      @lexxx89 4 года назад

      double meaning, references to both literary works and drugs

  • @timmyt2981
    @timmyt2981 6 лет назад

    what a indepth analysis, i bow my head. Could never understand a single reference in king kunta but urged to do so. THANK YOU

  • @musicwatcher100
    @musicwatcher100 7 лет назад +11

    FUCKING FINALLY! Glad to see someone finally agreeing the reference is from Things Fall Apart

  • @Jack-ku3bt
    @Jack-ku3bt 5 лет назад

    Holy fuck, Kendrick is a genius. I knew he could rap, but the significance of his lyrics blow my mind. Every single reference adds so much more meaning to his music that so many people will never understand.

  • @rayneozier
    @rayneozier 5 лет назад +3

    Forever 1of my fav KDot lines; I swore I wouldn’t tell... BUT MOST OF YALL SHARE’N BARS LIKE YOU GOT THE BOTTOM BUNK IN A 2 MAN CELL. 🤯

  • @WhatWeDigtoday
    @WhatWeDigtoday 7 лет назад

    This was so well done. Great job on this. I just got schooled on why king kunta at its core is an uplifting cautionary literary piece.

  • @jojoporter4139
    @jojoporter4139 6 лет назад +3

    had low expectations for this when i heard a white dude voice talkin about king kunta. pleasantly surprised at your celebration of black art. this was cool

  • @jonasmaya941
    @jonasmaya941 7 лет назад

    Your graphic design skills are on another level compared to other RUclipsrs. Awesome aesthetic.

  • @gillianapplegate1441
    @gillianapplegate1441 7 лет назад +5

    "I yam that I yam."-Invisible Man

  • @josiaholson3818
    @josiaholson3818 7 лет назад

    Thank you for going so in depth!! A lot of channels will just throw in opinions with no citations. Power to you!

  • @user-kh3nn6wd8f
    @user-kh3nn6wd8f 7 лет назад +20

    The yams is that power that 🅱️
    U can smell it when u walking down the street

    • @hollycline2427
      @hollycline2427 6 лет назад +4

      *La Chancleta*
      Oh yes you can

    • @TeethOfDead
      @TeethOfDead 5 лет назад +2

      Holly Cline
      Oh yes yuh cannnnnn

  • @noblemayombo9198
    @noblemayombo9198 3 года назад +1

    Amazing video! How did I just find it now? What a gem 💎

  • @amin9897
    @amin9897 7 лет назад +41

    Chinua Achebe was Nigerian not "African American".

    • @smartsport
      @smartsport 7 лет назад +18

      Technically, he was Igbo, not "Nigerian".

    • @winston7397
      @winston7397 7 лет назад +4

      +smartsport What? lol please shut up

    • @smartsport
      @smartsport 7 лет назад +19

      There're so many different cultures and languages and tribes in Nigeria that saying someone is "Nigerian" is basically as unspecific as saying someone is "African American". Neither indicate actual cultural heritage but just indicate very general geographic location.

    • @cutepool3393
      @cutepool3393 6 лет назад +2

      no its not. i from nigeria and i'm like "what? lol please shut up"

    • @KhalifaInBlue
      @KhalifaInBlue 6 лет назад +2

      Chinua Achebe is Nigerian 🇳🇬 for God sake.... Any 9ja 4 here?

  • @rdanielr93
    @rdanielr93 7 лет назад

    This channel is gold. You got a new subscriber. And Kendrick is a genius.

  • @kingsiah5103
    @kingsiah5103 7 лет назад +8

    Damn when u think Kendrick couldn't get any deeper

  • @miamiassassin13
    @miamiassassin13 7 лет назад +1

    Man, I'm loving your channel. These are great! Please keep them coming.

  • @liamstromberg320
    @liamstromberg320 7 лет назад +29

    Great Channel with Great content!

    • @theneovas1
      @theneovas1 7 лет назад +2

      Liam Strömberg David Gilmour, I see you

    • @liamstromberg320
      @liamstromberg320 7 лет назад +2

      Just Some Asian Dude haha heeey

  • @cmtexaslonghorn13
    @cmtexaslonghorn13 6 лет назад

    I knew this record was serious business, but I had no idea the depths to which Kendrick went. Thanks for the video man, gave me an even better understanding of a great artist

  • @came_leon
    @came_leon 7 лет назад +191

    Great content but just one thing : I'm pretty sure the 'Blacker the Berry' is NOT about skin tone discrimination or colorism, but about systemic racism against African Americans (and the hypocrisy of gang members protesting police brutality while killing each others). 'Complexion' tho, as the title suggests is about skin tone discrimination.

    • @came_leon
      @came_leon 7 лет назад +6

      Armz maybe, tbh I haven't listened to it in a while but to me that's the general idea i have in mind when thinking of that song. Need to listen to it again.

    • @came_leon
      @came_leon 7 лет назад +10

      hey so I've listened to it again and it really isn't about skin tone discrimination (to me at least) it is really is about institutionalised racism in the first two verses ("Church me til I'm dead, fuck me with your fake prophesising that I'm a be just another slave in my head, institutionalised manipulations and lies" etc). You could argue that the lines "I'm black as the name Darius, I'm black as the heart of a fucking Aryan" would be about skin tone (even though I think it's about being proud to belong to black culture and giving the finger to those that criticise it but whichever way you wanna read this) there's nothing about discrimination and skin tone per se in these lines. But feel free to point out lines that you think point to that!

    • @came_leon
      @came_leon 7 лет назад +2

      Ah I see where you coming from. I guess for me the last verse stuck out since I first heard it, not only because that's where we get the answer as to why Kendrick was the "biggest hypocrite of 2015" but I just didn't expect him to turn the responsibility inwards so to speak and it's just the surprise of his honesty stayed with me. I'm from a minority myself so I'm obviously not gonna deny that racism is systemic and it makes things VERY difficult (especially in America), however, I do think we have a fair share of responsibility in bettering our lives (except when it comes to police brutality which is... inescapable it seems). With all that being said, that was a hasty comment, and I'm gonna edit it to be clear about what I meant. Cheers!

    • @KaizerMan
      @KaizerMan 7 лет назад +12

      Word. The theme of colourism is definitely more evident in Complexion than in Blacker The Berry

    • @came_leon
      @came_leon 7 лет назад +9

      I know right? It's almost like he didn't listen to the track and just placed it there for its title and analogy to that book...

  • @lacroixboix
    @lacroixboix 7 лет назад

    This was written very well. Super happy it was in my feed. Must add tho: The tempo of the delivery doesn't feel right. Just a few pauses in there had me checking to see if my video was lagging. It wasn't. 8/10

  • @LexicalNoScope
    @LexicalNoScope 7 лет назад +5

    I always thought it was either about asap yams rip or a sack of yams

  • @Hannahdabeast
    @Hannahdabeast 7 лет назад

    Things Fall Apart I got, but all the others I didn't know about. You're fantastic! Subscribed.

  • @mattalex2113
    @mattalex2113 7 лет назад +46

    This is great. But yams are white fleshed. Your video has footage of sweet potatoes. I say this from a place of love for sweet potatoes and my desire for them to get the credit they deserve.

    • @tyresehemingway8820
      @tyresehemingway8820 7 лет назад +10

      Matthew B Alexander Jr. Because in most communities yams is another word to identify sweet potatoes

  • @TheNumberScott
    @TheNumberScott 7 лет назад +1

    Holy crap. It's like an English Literature essay, but in youtube form. I hope my kids have to make things like this in school instead of writing boring essays some day.

  • @AyeeLito
    @AyeeLito 5 лет назад +4

    I was in this Video .... WestSide Compton

  • @whatif3271
    @whatif3271 4 года назад +1

    When we read "Things fall apart" in highschool, we always made jokes saying "YAM IS K I N G C R O P" didn't think it'd come up much again

  • @darrelltimbers4864
    @darrelltimbers4864 7 лет назад +23

    Actually Yams when reference to Richard Pryor means "crack cocaine"

    • @FreyaEinde
      @FreyaEinde 6 лет назад

      Darrell Timbers Right it’s a reference to cocaine smuggling and how it goes all the way up the pipeline to the government

  • @yanyanzen6922
    @yanyanzen6922 7 лет назад

    Dude this is insane. So much effort and info in one vid... Thanks man this is awesome!! :)

  • @aJAGGZproduction
    @aJAGGZproduction 7 лет назад +2

    The yam is the power that be

  • @ErikGiovani
    @ErikGiovani 7 лет назад +1

    Wow. I heard this before about the yams being important but never to this depth, thank you

  • @Hejdo8
    @Hejdo8 6 лет назад +3

    The next pac😤💯

  • @Neomorphinity
    @Neomorphinity 7 лет назад

    This is a treasure of a channel. Excited to see what else you put out. SUBBED.

  • @elmervasquez4968
    @elmervasquez4968 7 лет назад +37

    nice vid even if I don't listen to kendrick lamar

    • @kyleblasberg
      @kyleblasberg 7 лет назад +29

      you're missing out if you don't listen to Kendrick

    • @jang23hide
      @jang23hide 7 лет назад +6

      Yup missin out big time

    • @stonersing9888
      @stonersing9888 6 лет назад +5

      Don't miss the goat man

    • @deezylightbeam
      @deezylightbeam 6 лет назад

      Bruh all of his music is deep J. Cole doesnt evnenen come close to him.

  • @thelvadam2375
    @thelvadam2375 7 лет назад

    I read most these books and the references completely flew over me.

  • @ap-mm6lp
    @ap-mm6lp 7 лет назад +14

    Can't keep my duck in my pants

    • @bushwicckbouleetbil
      @bushwicckbouleetbil 7 лет назад +1

      you right Ma bitch don't love me no more

    • @stanners1714
      @stanners1714 7 лет назад

      Stream Spirit she kicked me out im like vro

    • @tomasv26
      @tomasv26 7 лет назад

      That bitch dont wanna be friends

    • @jungo3747
      @jungo3747 7 лет назад

      tomasv26 and I know when that hotline bling!

  • @SerWhiskeyfeet
    @SerWhiskeyfeet 7 лет назад

    Dude!!!! I've always loved that yams line and I could never figure out what exactly he meant. Thanks man. Also had no idea about those other lit(erary) references.

  • @boschdt
    @boschdt 7 лет назад +3

    Do more videos on rap!

  • @tigergaj
    @tigergaj 7 лет назад

    Just stumbled across this video and I have to say it's VERY well done. Great production quality dude. Good job.

  • @samholmes9925
    @samholmes9925 7 лет назад +7

    I was with you until you failed to mention that yams are also a reference to coke aka the drug that took prior out

  • @iammack9
    @iammack9 7 лет назад

    This is a really good, educative and informative video. Keep up with this Polyphonic.

  • @noahhysi8622
    @noahhysi8622 4 года назад +5

    You're partly wrong about the Yams. They're a code word for cocaine,
    That comedians drug abuse is directly correlated
    Scandals involving Bill Clinton using it
    he also says "you can smell it..."
    He's referring to cocaine

  • @chulky
    @chulky 7 лет назад

    Now I understand why this channel was grown so much in less than a year

  • @ashkechum101
    @ashkechum101 7 лет назад +8

    No mention of How Much A Dollar Cost? Damn

  • @djanthony6662
    @djanthony6662 7 лет назад

    Your channel is one of the best in RUclips. Thanks!

  • @ffnendhgrgd
    @ffnendhgrgd 7 лет назад +5

    why do rappers glorify domestic violence by constantly telling Anna Mae to "eat the cake". It's personally unnerving to me every time it comes up, mostly because the tone is so self affirming

    • @ffnendhgrgd
      @ffnendhgrgd 7 лет назад +4

      I'm sure you've heard it. J Cole and Jay Z have said it. I just wonder why rappers would choose to glorify being shitty to women and trying to forcefully put them in their place, especially in this so-called conscious era

    • @TRZI
      @TRZI 7 лет назад

      Armz 😑😑😑 gotta watch What's Love Got To Do With It to understand

    • @myncraft1
      @myncraft1 7 лет назад +2

      Jesse Torres because when they say theyre getting cake. it means theyre getting rich. they throw in anna mae as a reference. Possibly meaning that they get rich even with things forcing them down.

    • @Grandmaster1up
      @Grandmaster1up 7 лет назад +2

      Jesse Torres shut up sensitive bitch

    • @ffnendhgrgd
      @ffnendhgrgd 7 лет назад

      I beat her hard, cuz we real bangerz. what'd I tell you, bitch! No more wire hangers!

  • @harrisonbrazel440
    @harrisonbrazel440 7 лет назад

    70k? only? really? You deserve so many more subs man keep up all the great content

  • @Tessitura9
    @Tessitura9 5 лет назад +3

    Who knew yams had so many metaphors

  • @Seesar1
    @Seesar1 7 лет назад

    You just got a new sub. Thanks for looking deeper into a goat

  • @okay0kokay
    @okay0kokay 7 лет назад +5

    No mention of yams as a euphemism for drugs?

  • @nurzafirahjamaludin9589
    @nurzafirahjamaludin9589 6 лет назад

    Thank you for this amazing content!!! Please make more videos like this, your channel help me understand more about music and the people behind it, keep up the amazing work :))

  • @divyenduraina
    @divyenduraina 7 лет назад +37

    Did Kendrick really read those many books?

    • @XEVN7
      @XEVN7 7 лет назад +20

      Ian Evadar He's rich for a reason right

    • @nt4382
      @nt4382 7 лет назад +183

      Are you really asking if one guy read five books?

    • @OL4___
      @OL4___ 7 лет назад +2

      Cat Birral Hahahahaha right? That's hilarious the way i read that

    • @nicecardude
      @nicecardude 7 лет назад +15

      Kung-fu Kenny studied the muthafuckin greats

    • @jba9964
      @jba9964 7 лет назад

      That seems like a lot

  • @mdffwoodworker
    @mdffwoodworker 7 лет назад

    Can’t wait to see this channel explode

  • @Rab2485
    @Rab2485 7 лет назад +6

    Many here laud the 'high level content' and yes indeed it is. Were it not that this theory was already thoroughly analysed 2 years earlier: www.avclub.com/article/kendrick-lamar-imbues-root-vegetable-literary-mean-228077
    If you wanna run a proper channel, you better make sure you reference your sources! It clearly isn't you and only you who put this body of thought together.

    • @AUMOTmusic
      @AUMOTmusic 6 лет назад

      Invisible Man and Things Fall Apart are both quite popular books. It's not a stretch to believe that two well-read people would come to the same conclusion after listening to "King Kunta" once.

  • @emmanuelmatos7875
    @emmanuelmatos7875 7 лет назад

    I don't usually comment on videos, but this was an excellent video. This should be the epitome of music and literary dissection.

    • @TheNMtm1
      @TheNMtm1 7 лет назад

      Emmanuel Matos you should check out dissect podcast. They dissect the whole album

  • @benvc7617
    @benvc7617 7 лет назад +16

    I thought he was referencing A$AP YAMS

    • @taliakellegg5978
      @taliakellegg5978 7 лет назад

      Ben Victoria I thought it was just a rap thing like 2 chains said yams in the clinton

    • @lethaltarget9798
      @lethaltarget9798 7 лет назад

      😂😂😂😂 stupid af

  • @ИванИванов-з3м9я
    @ИванИванов-з3м9я Год назад

    being a non-native speaker of English, i thought that yams meant iamb, for two years i thought that Kendrick talked about the art of poetry, thanks for this video, my eyes are opened