Uyu muraperi w’imyaka 37 ukomoka i Los Angeles, akaba anafite igihembo cya Pulitzer Prize, ahora aharanira ubutumwa bufite ireme, ubwenge, ndetse n’imyidagaduro itera kwibaza no gushidikanya. Mu gihe ibintu byari bikomeye kandi bigoye, yakoze igitaramo cyari gifite icyo cyivugira—gifite imbaraga, gihamye kandi gishimishije.
Iki gikorwa cyari cyitondewe cyane mu buryo bw’imitegurire. “Iki ni umukino ukomeye wa Amerika,” ni amagambo yavuzwe na Samuel L. Jackson wari wambaye nk’Uncle Sam, ahita yerekana ko atashakaga kuvuga gusa umupira w’amaguru. Lamar yari agiye guhura n’ikibazo gisanzwe kibaho mu buhanzi: uko umuntu yaguma ari we, agumana ubutumwa bwe, atagizwe igikoresho n’imbaga. Urubyiniro rwe rwari rwubatse mu ishusho ya tic-tac-toe (urukino rukunze gukinwa n’abana), naho Jackson yagarukaga kenshi agasobanura ibirimo kuba. Lamar yaririmbye afite ubukana, ahuza amagambo n’imbyino zidasanzwe ariko zigira injyana ihamye. Nubwo yari yiyemeje, ubuso bwe bwagaragazaga igihunga, ndetse no gutekereza cyane. Twari tuzi neza ko yari azi ko arebwa n’isi yose.
Muri abo bamurebaga harimo na Donald Trump, wari waje muri Super Bowl i New Orleans mu kiruhuko gito, mu gihe yari akomeje kugerageza guhindura imiterere y’ubuyobozi bw’igihugu. Lamar akunze kugarukwaho nk’ijwi ry’ihuriro ry’aba-rappers b’iki gihe, kandi yari azi neza ko abantu benshi bari biteze ko atanga ubutumwa bufite ishingiro. “Impinduramatwara igiye gutangazwa kuri televiziyo,” ni amagambo yavugiye mu gitaramo. Ariko yahise akomeza ati: “Mwahisemo igihe cyiza, ariko mwahisemo umuntu utari we.” Ubushake bwo kwanga kugira uwo bamugira intumwa ya politiki bwongeye kugaragara. Lamar yagiye abigaragaza mu ndirimbo ze zagiye zisohoka, aho yirinda kuba nk’umuyobozi w’impinduramatwara aho kuba umuhanzi.
Nubwo yirinze guhinduka umunyapolitiki, ntiyaburiye kugaragaza imiterere y’isi ya politiki muri iki gitaramo. Yaririmbye ahagaze ku modoka ya Buick GNX, imodoka yamubereye ikimenyetso cy’intambara y’ubuzima bwe kuva mu busore bwe aho yakuriye muri Compton, ahantu huzuyemo urugomo n’ubukene. Imyenda y’ababyinnyi be yari ifite amabara atukura, ubururu n’umweru—agaragaza ibara ry’amatsinda y’ibisambo nka Crips na Bloods.
Byatunguranye ubwo aba babyinnyi bafatanyaga bakarema ibendera rya Amerika, maze bakazamura ibiganza mu kirere mu buryo bwashushanyaga umuhamagaro wa Black Power. Iki cyari igitekerezo cy’ubwibone bwa Amerika, ariko kivuye mu itsinda ry’abantu benshi bahora banengwa kandi bakumirwa ku nzozi z’Amerika. Icyakora, ibi byose byagaragazaga ko Lamar yakinishaga “umukino ukomeye wa Amerika”—ashishikaza, anenga, ariko anagaragaza urukundo kuri iki gihugu cye.