How much a dollar cost


Danier Aghaei
Wilson Huang
Sparsh Motamarri
Andrei Ciordas
Milan Schatorje
Milan Molenbrugge

How much a dollar cost
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Slide 1: Tekstslide
EngelsMiddelbare schoolvwoLeerjaar 5

In deze les zitten 24 slides, met tekstslides en 1 video.

time-iconLesduur is: 45 min

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Danier Aghaei
Wilson Huang
Sparsh Motamarri
Andrei Ciordas
Milan Schatorje
Milan Molenbrugge

How much a dollar cost

Slide 1 - Tekstslide

Table of content
- Music Video
- Introduction
- Themes
- Analysis 
- Language
- Stylistic Devices

Slide 2 - Tekstslide

Slide 3 - Video

Introduction
- To pimp a butterfly (2015)
- Obama's Favorite song
- encounter with a homeless man (dollar)
- leave him alone
- stereotyping
 

Slide 4 - Tekstslide

Themes
Selfishness
- refusing to give a dollar
- self-assured by wealth

4    Gotta see how I'm chilling' once I park this luxury car
27   I told him I ain't have it and closed my door

Slide 5 - Tekstslide

Themes
Prejudice
- homeless man, drug addict
- he would buy more crack
- his prejudice foreshadows
- the guilt afterwards portrays danger of prejudice

Forgiveness:
- building up in song
- reason: lack of compassion/generosity
- last paragraph climax reached


Slide 6 - Tekstslide

Themes
Compassion
- later on in song he is becoming more compassionate
- realising his mistakes
- before wealth he was more compassionate
- fame and wealth = greedy
- Seen in Lines 65-67 & 56 (discussed more in detail)
Poverty:
- ‘’he begged and pleaded asked me to feed
him twice’’
-‘’a homeless man with a semi-tan complexion
asked me for ten rand stressin about dry
land’’



Slide 7 - Tekstslide

Analysis
  1       How much a dollar really cost?                                                      - What do you guys think?
          The question is detrimental, paralyzin' my thoughts              
          
          Parasites in my stomach keep me with a gut feeling, y'all     
  5      Gotta see how I’m chillin' once I park this luxury car                  
          Hopping out feeling big as Mutombo                                           
          
          ''20 on pump 6," dirty Marcellus called me Dumbo                    
          Twenty years ago, can't forget
          Now I can lend him a ear or two
 10     How to stack these residuals tenfold
          The liberal concept of what men'll do
         
       

Parasites do not benefit their host in anyway, they even are detrimental to the host.  Kendrick foreshadows that his sins (the parasites) are feeding of his soul ( stomach). It foreshadows that he will be punished
Dikembe Mutombo is a former 2.18M NBA player. He shares the confidence when he is parking his luxury car in Johannesburg. But when doing this he gets this gut feeling that something is not right. 
Kendrick asks an attendant to fill his car up for 20 dollars even though the currency in South Africa makes it seem as if 20 dollars is 20 rands which is equal to 2 dollars

''The Liberal economic theory—the dominant ideology of the U.S. and the western world—purports that men are primarily interested in seeking wealth.'' (Wikipedia contributors. (2022, 22 juni). Classical liberalism. Wikipedia. Geraadpleegd op 19 juni 2022, van https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_liberalism)

 These references highlight the differences in wealth and economic maturity between South Africa and Kendrick’s America.''

Slide 8 - Tekstslide

Analysis

         
  12   "20 on 6," he didn't hear me                                                  -  South Africa has station clerks, confusion 
         Indigenous African only spoke Zulu                                   - Zulu is one of the main branches of Nguni (clicking  
         My American tongue was leery                                              sounds)  
        
 15    Walked out the gas station
         A homeless man with a semi-tan complexion                - mixed origin ( Europe, Asia and Khoisan, Bantu tribes)
         Asked me for ten Rand, stressin' about dry land            - ten (g)rand, dry land: drowning in poverty, addiction,                                                                                                                        victim to intense climate

Slide 9 - Tekstslide

Analysis
18      Deep water, powder blue skies that crack open                             Euphemism: line 18 
19      A piece of crack that he wanted, I knew he was smokin'              Themes in these lines 
20     He begged and pleaded                                                                         Language 
21      Asked me to feed him twice, I didn't believe it
22     Told him, "Beat it"
23     Contributin' money just for his pipe—I couldn't see it



 


Slide 10 - Tekstslide

Analysis
24       He said, "My son, temptation is one thing that I've defeated        - Story in the bible 
25       Listen to me, I want a single bill from you                                           -  Identity of the homeless man
26       Nothin' less, nothin' more"                                                                       - Cost of a dollar 
27       I told him I ain't have it and closed my door                                       - Closing the door 
28       Tell me, how much a dollar cost?                                                           - Themes

Slide 11 - Tekstslide

Analysis
30      It's more to feed your mind
          Water, sun and love, the one you love
          All you need, the air you breathe
What Kendrick means by this chorus on lines 30-32 and lines 53-55, Kendrick says the following lines ‘It’s more to feed your mind. Water, sun and love, the one you love. All you need, the air you breathe.’ What Kendrick really wants to tell the audience is that the answer to the question ‘How much a dollar cost’ is way more complex than God’s perspective on the minimal needs there are for things to survive, which state that water, sun, love and air are all you need for nourishment.

Slide 12 - Tekstslide

Analysis
            He's starin' at me in disbelief
35       My temper is buildin', he's starin' at me, I grab my key
           He's starin' at me, I started the car, then I tried to leave
           And somethin' told me to keep it in park until I could see
          The reason why he was mad at a stranger
           Like I was supposed to save him
40     Like I'm the reason he's homeless and askin' me for a favor 
          He's starin' at me, his eyes followed me with no laser
         He's starin' at me, I notice that his stare is contagious
       ' Cause now I'm starin' back at him, feelin' some type of disrespect
         If I could throw a bat at him, it'd be aimin' at his neck
45    I never understood someone beggin' for goods
        Askin' for handouts, takin' it if they could
        And this particular person just had it down pat                                                 


Slide 13 - Tekstslide

Analysis
48     Starin' at me for the longest until he finally asked
         "Have you ever opened up Exodus 14?
          A humble man is all that we ever need"
 51     Tell me, how much a dollar cost?









(Enduring Word. (2018, July 6). Enduring Word Bible Commentary Exodus Chapter 14. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/exodus-14/)
Exodus 14 tells the story of Moses parting the Red Sea, guiding the scared and confused Israelites to safety.
Line 50 is a response to 49 and can be seen as a metaphor, describing the power one man can have to lead his people. Kendrick wants someone in his place to lead as an example for others to follow, who does donate the homeless man money.

Slide 14 - Tekstslide

Analysis
57       Guilt trippin’ and feelin’ resentment.
           I never met a transient that demanded attention
           They got me frustrated, indecisive and power trippin’
60      Sour emotions got me lookin’ at the universe different











lamar expresses doubt, he starts to realise he might be the one who is in the wrong

Transient means a person who is staying somewhere for a short time only.
This has a double meaning because a homeless man ofcourse doesn’t stay in the same place for a long time
But this is also dramatic irony and foreshadowing because the same can be said for the man who he later reveals to be.

Lamar realises that his emotions got in the way, and he was indeed wrong for not giving the dollar

Slide 15 - Tekstslide

Analysis
61       I should distance myself I should keep it relentless.
          My selfishness is what got me here, who the fuck I’m kiddin’ ?
          So I’ma tell you like I told the last bum
64     Crumbs and pennies, I need all of mines
          And I recognize this type of panhandlin’ all the time
          I got better judgment, I know when nigga’s hustlin’, keep in mind
67     When I was strugglin’, I did compromise now I comprehend 

Lines 61-62
Lamar goes on and in contrast to the previous few lines he now talks himself out of the idea of admitting that he might be the one who is wrong.
This is seemingly the end of his doubt and he makes a statement
This is Lamar showing compassion for the homeless man, seeing his past has been similar
Lamar shows compassion again, the alliteration in compromise and comprehend shows the fine line between the two.

Slide 16 - Tekstslide

Analysis
68    I smell Grandpa's old medicine, reekin' from your skin                  



- Allusion to song ''Swimming Pools''

Slide 17 - Tekstslide

Analysis
69    Moonshine and gin, n*  you're babblin', your words ain't flatterin'               - Allusion to ''He Got Game'' 
         I'm imaginin' Denzel but lookin' at O'Neal                                                        - Denzel not taking O'neal Seriously          71     Kazaam is sad thrills, your gimmick is mediocre                                              symbolising Kendrick and homeless                 The jig is up, I seen you from a mile away losin' focus                                     man
73     And I'm insensitive, and I lack empathy                                                            - Kazaam movie of O'Neal (weakness)
          He looked at me and said, "Your potential is bittersweet"                           - Act of homeless people (stereotype)
75     I looked at him and said, "Every nickel is mines to keep"                             - Influence but greed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                                                              

Slide 18 - Tekstslide

Analysis
76      He looked at me and said, "Know the truth, it'll set you free                    - Theme of religion, allusion to bible
77     You're lookin' at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the higher power      -  Selfishness and refusal- homeless      78     The choir that spoke the word, the Holy Spirit                                               - man turns out to be god
79     The nerve of Nazareth, and I'll tell you just how much a dollar cost         - Dollar and greed
80     The price of having a spot in Heaven, embrace your loss—I am God"     - Nazareth = Compton
                                                                                                                                             
                               


Slide 19 - Tekstslide

Analysis
81     I washed my hands, I said my grace
         What more do you want from me?
83    Tears of a clown, guess I'm not all what it's all meant to be
         Shades of grey will never change if I condone
86    Turn this page, help me change to right my wrongs

 






(Pontius Pilate | Biography, Facts, Religion, Jesus, & Death. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pontius-Pilate)                                                                                                                                           
                               


These are the last lines of the song. Kendrick Lamar feels ashamed of his greed and lack of empathy. In line 81 82 Kendrick Lamar says I washed my hands, I said my grace
What more do you want from me? This is a reference to the Roman governor Pontius Pilates, who wrongfully executed Jesus in the biblical Gospel of Matthew.. He excecuted Jesus because he felt unsettled by him, just like Kendrick Lamar was unsettled by the homeless man and refused to help him. Pontius later understands how good actually Jesus was and wanted to spare his life, but it was too late as he had already declared Jesus’ excucution to the Roman citizens. To absolve himself Pontius washed his hands and told the crowd Jesus was innocent, but the execution was fueled by the crowd. Ultimately, even though Pontius did not directly kill Jesus he was still part of the system that did it. In the same way Kendrick Lamar wants so say that he did not directly cause poverty and death of the homeless but him not donating to the homeless fuels the poverty further. In lines 83 to 86 Kendrick Lamar reflects upon himself, saying that he is not all what its to be means he should not deserve all this recognition. Kendrick Lamar uses the two last lines as a turning point, saying that the negativity will never change if he doesnt change, and that he seeks forgiveness for all the cruelty that he has done

Slide 20 - Tekstslide

Language
- Vernacular English (AAVE):
''is the variety of English natively spoken, particularly in urban communities, by most working- and middle-class African Americans and some Black Canadians.'' 
- Leaves out letters such as the g : ''Somethin, buildin, starin''
- words put togethor y'all = you all



(Wikipedia contributors. (2022a, June 21). African-American Vernacular English. Wikipedia. Retrieved 19 June 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Vernacular_English#:%7E:text=African%2DAmerican%20Vernacular%20English%20(AAVE,working%2D%20and%20middle%2Dclass%20African)


Slide 21 - Tekstslide

Stylistic Devices
Oxymoron: 
 
74    He looked at me and said, "Your potential is bittersweet"

2 words meaning the opposite in this case bitter and sweet. Which is a reference to his greed and lack of humanity.

Simile/ Imagery:

6      Hopping out feeling big as Mutombo

The word as, confidence

Slide 22 - Tekstslide

Stylistic Devices
Metaphor
 49        Have you ever opened up Exodus 14?  
50        A humble man is all that we ever need.

Describes the power one person can have to guide his people. 
Personification:

42      “He’s starin’ at me, I notice that his stare is contagious.”

very intense, the stare cannot be contagious 
Dramatic Irony:

4        Parasites in my stomach keep me with a gut feeling, y'all


Slide 23 - Tekstslide

Stylistic Devices
Repetition
 
21         Asked me to feed him twice, I didn't believe it
22        Told him, "Beat it"
23        Contributin' money just for his pipe—I couldn't see it

Point of view:
First point of perspective, his story

Rhyme:
16       A homeless man with a semi-tan complexion
17       Asked me for ten Rand, stressin' about dry land


Slide 24 - Tekstslide