As per the large reaction to my previous blog post about the atrocious sounds stemming from the vocal cords of “artist” 6ix9ine, I have decided to share my thoughts on music that I find to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. In other words, I have picked one song that I enjoy listening to, and have decided to write about it. Choosing the song itself was especially difficult, considering the fact that my taste in music is so expansive, ranging from classical to R&B, to hip-hop.
At first, I considered choosing a classical song since that is what initially inspired me to write about 6ix9ine. But, since Mozart and 6ix9ine produce very different kinds of music, I thought it would be ineffective to compare the two.
Next, I considered choosing an R&B song, such as artists like Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Raphael Saadiq, etc. But ended up deciding against it since R&B and 6ix9ine’s hip-hop are still very different genres.
Because of this, I decided to stay in the hip-hop genre. The next step was to pick the artist. I first considered my favorites, such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, etc. But, I realized that these artists were most prominent in the 90s-2000s. Therefore, the best comparison between 6ix9ine and an artist of my liking would be to choose a current hip-hop artist who is lyrically, artistically, and musically talented, and to choose a song that expresses all three qualities. There were many artists that fit these criteria: J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T, etc. However, not all of these artists are as “mainstream” as I would like.
This was when I decided on Kendrick Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost”.
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This is one of my favorite songs from this decade, and Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite artists of all time. Last time, I described 6ix9ine as having “atrocious verbiage, degrading tone, and plain lyrics.” Kendrick Lamar is the exact opposite. He is gifted as an artist, lyricist, and musician.
The entire album itself is a masterpiece, telling the politically charged story of Kendrick’s life, as he retells himself on the last track, “Mortal Man”:
“The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it. Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it in order to protect itself from this mad city. While consuming its environment, the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive. One thing it notices is how much the world shuns him but praises the butterfly. The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness and the beauty within the caterpillar. But having a harsh outlook on life, the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to its own benefits. Already surrounded by this mad city, the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him. He can no longer see past his own thoughts; he’s trapped. While trapped inside these walls, certain ideas take root, such as going home and bringing new concepts to this mad city. The result? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant. Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the eternal struggle. Although the caterpillar and the butterfly are completely different, they are one in the same”
During the specific song “How Much a Dollar Cost”, Kendrick describes his run-in with a homeless man on his journey to recovery from being plagued by “the evils of Lucy”, and “Uncle Sam”. The man first asks Kendrick for a dollar. Kendrick declines, feeling resentment as the man continues to chastise him.
” ‘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”
Finally, when asked about reading “Exodus 14”, Kendrick begins to feel sympathetic and guilty but is still stubborn in believing every penny he earned he had worked for and his rightfully his.
“I looked at him and said, “Every nickel is mines to keep” “
Finally, the man reveals himself as God, saying that Kendrick’s selfishness has cost him a place in heaven.
“You’re lookin’ at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the higher power
The choir that spoke the word, the Holy Spirit
The nerve of Nazareth, and I’ll tell you just how much a dollar cost
The price of having a spot in Heaven, embrace your loss. I am God”
In the outro, Kendrick reveals his repenting, saying he has learned that the figurative value of a dollar is higher than the literal value of the dollar; that he had to be humbled to be humble.
This is what music should be. Not the (as described by fellow blogger Jake Vengraitis in his post) cancerous lyrics that stem from 6ix9ine’s 6.9 remaining brain cells.
Good music consists of at least one of several characteristics: good sound, clever and deep lyrics, social/political commentary, interesting beat, soothing voice, etc.
This song consists of most of these if not all. 6ix9ine consistently produces music that seems to actively avoid all of these characteristics. I cannot understand how anyone can stand listening to his music if it is not as a way to jokingly mock him or society for allowing him to become as successful as he is.
However, in the end, I do respect him enough to understand that if you are enjoying what you do, no one can stop you.
Alakh's deep thoughts 
I seriously vibe with this post. I could go off on how much I dislike artists like 6ix9ine but that goes against my philosophy of everyone can have their own opinions as long as they also have mutual respect for opinions that aren’t your own. With that being said, I completely agree with your stance on music. My state ranges from indie to r&b to pop to country to alternative. I hate when someone asks my taste in music because it is never a simple answer. Through all of these different genres and artists is the underlying theme of meaningfulness. I really like songs that speak to something greater and can make me feel some type of way. I really don’t understand some of our generations taste in music but to each their own.
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