Take Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid M.A.A.D City. The whole album is portrayed as a movie going into the perspective of a young Kendrick in Compton. The scene is depicted as if Compton is a place of constant gang affiliation. However, Kendrick portrays himself in the sense that he had many warnings about doing good but does not listen as he is pressured into dealing drugs.
The song “Compton” serves as present day Kendrick looking back on his actions of his younger self and also encourages young kids to do the right thing.
"Now everybody serenade the new faith of Kendrick Lamar
This is King Kendrick Lamar
King Kendrick and I meant it, my point intended is raw
Fix your lenses forensics would've told you Kendrick had killed it"
Artists have a tendency to pay homage to their hometown and see how different it is from when they were growing up. Jay-Z has shown this on many occasions. The Brooklyn Native has gone into vivid detail about the Marcy houses and the activities going on there in the song “Where I’m From”.
"I'm from where niggas pull your card, and argue all day about
Who's the best MCs, Biggie, Jay-Z or Nas?
Where the drugs czars evolve, and thugs are at odds
At each other's throats for the love of foreign cars
Where cats catch cases, hoping the judge R-and-R's
But most times find themselves locked up behind bars, is that all?
I'm from where they ball and breed rhyme stars
I'm from Marcy, son, just thought I'd remind y'all"
Along with his own song, he has referenced many buildings around New York like the Empire State building (Title), Yankee Stadium ("Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can"), and the Statue of Liberty ("Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade") all in the song “Empire State of Mind” which is basically a love letter to New York.
Even though these may look like Artists trashing their hometown, it may be an attempt to bring attention to the situation going on and making the city better. Artists know that they are very influential and want to bring attention to situations they want fixed. In “Everything I Am” Kanye West brings up a statistic of Chicago having a high murder rate.
“Just last year, Chicago had over 600 caskets
Man, killing's some wack shit"
At first glance, hip-hop might not have any real lyrics to display but you would be very wrong to say that. The genre is filled with creative lyricism from many talented rappers who demonstrate their pen game by paying homage to their hometown while describing their relationship with it in a way that attracts the listener.
