CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Music as an Act of Resistance: Decolonization and Pacifism in Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English By Jason Roche May 2020 The graduate project of Jason Roche is approved: ___________________________________________ _________________ Lauren L Byler Date ___________________________________________ __________________ Dorothy M Barresi Date ___________________________________________ __________________ Charles W. Hatfield, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Table of Contents Signature Page ii Abstract iv iii Abstract Music as an Act of Resistance: Decolonization and Pacifism in Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly By Jason Roche Master of Arts in English In recent years, hip-hop has propelled its way into the mainstream. The genre has produced some of the most commercially successful albums of the 21st century namely from artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Rihanna, and OutKast. Despite this rise in recognition, many continue to criticize the genre for encouraging violence, claiming hip-hop does more harm than good. But what many fail to realize is the important revolutionary power of these artists on the national political consciousness. Like many other genres that have preceded it (such as folk, blues, punk, and rock), hip-hop has emerged as a leading musical genre of resistance and rebellion. These artists use their musical platform and lyrical prowess to express frustrations with American society and advocate for change. This project intends to examine a number of songs from Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and how these songs simultaneously exhibit signs, desires and/or influence of Frantz Fanon’s theory of Decolonization but challenge the idea that it has to be an act of violence. Looking at the specific characteristics of the violence depicted in Lamar’s music (i.e. who are the victims? Who are the aggressors? Why is it happening in the first place? What’s the general reaction to the violence? etc.) this work will explore the different ways in which violence has been a prominent theme in hip-hop iv and, while it is present in Lamar’s music, his work actually advocates for music to take the place of violence in Fanon’s definition of Decolonization. v .