An Analysis of “Be Free” by J. Cole
Jermaine Lamarr Cole, more commonly known by his stage name J. Cole is an American rapper, songwriter, and producer.Cole was born to a German mother and an African American father (Biography.com, 2019). His father abandoned the family, causing his mother to relocate to North Carolina with him and his older brother. He developed his passion for music at an early age and was a violinist for an orchestra. He later taught himself to rap and produce music. Cole’s life was dogged with instability and abuse. His mother even got addicted to crack under her boyfriend’s influence.
Cole’s background enables him to be in touch with the problems that are faced by African Americans, especially those from a poor background. His background is a huge influence on his music because it tends to express the challenges he has encountered throughout life, the lessons he has learned, and his appreciation for those that have been helpful on his journey to success (Washington, 2018). For this particular song, J. Cole can relate to the issue of police brutality against African Americans because of his heritage seeing as his father was black.
- Cole wrote the song “Be Free” a few days after an unarmed African American teenager was shot multiple times by a police officer. The boy is only one of many other African Americans who have died under the police brutality that is fueled by racism in the United States. The song is a tribute to Michael Brown, who was the victim in this incident.J. Cole, in a statement under the song on Soundcloud, said that the song was dedicated to every black man who is killed in America regardless of the race of his murderer was..
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The song contains a recording of an eyewitness to Michael Brown’s shooting. The eyewitness explains how afraid he was during the incident. A police officer is said to have approached the victim and announced that he was going to shoot him. He then proceeds to shoot him multiple times despite his being unarmed. This terrible act of cruelty goes to show the nature of police brutality. J. Cole includes the audio excerpt to demonstrate the prejudice directed to African Americans just by their ethnic background. The officer here had no reason to shoot the boy, but he’s racist attitude convinced him that he could do it because it was within his means to do so.
“All we wanna do is be free” appears multiple times in the song, particularly in the chorus. This statement is reminiscent of slavery in the United States. The statement shows that even after all these years, black people’s freedom continues to be limited, and are they are yet to receive equal rights in American society. The statement exposes the culture of discrimination and prejudice to all colored people who m their fundamental rights daily. Freedom continues to be out of reach for many African Americans, and all they have is just a semblance of it.
- Cole alludes to the hegemony that is present in American society with the line, “Are we all alone, fighting on our own.” African Americans seem to be overpowered by Caucasians, who are the majority. Since the boy’s murder by a white police officer is not an isolated case, there is a bigger force at play here. There has not been any real change in the plight of African Americans because even today, unarmed black men continue to be murdered by police. The status quo leaves black people powerless, causing J. Cole to wonder whether only people of color can see these injustices.
The hidden curriculum of racism in the United States is responsible in part for the problems faced by African Americans. The way African Americans and their culture appear in education has resulted in desensitization of the public towards the problems that colored people go through, and the discrimination that they have to endure (Ghosh, 2008). The result is a passive attitude to murders of African Americans by the police, which continues to increase over time. J. Cole calls out this desensitization when he says, “And there ain’t no drink out there that can numb my soul.” In a statement following the release of his song on the Dreamville website, Cole says, “It could have been my best friend. I’m tired of being desensitized to the murder of black men.” In doing so, Cole brings to attention to the hidden curriculum and its racist agenda.
When J. Cole says, “Don’t just stand around, don’t just stand around,” he is calling people to action. He wants people to realize that they can improve the lives of others by acting when things are going wrong. He alludes to the concept of social solidarity. He highlights power of an individual to influence the lives of their fellow citizens positively. In this case, social solidarity serves to end the injustice that is being experienced by a minority group.
The piano, which is the main instrument in this song sets a somber mood. The alternating high and low keys are reminiscent of a ballad and serve to express sadness. How J. Cole articulates the lyrics also delivers his sad emotions because of the suffering. He emphasizes that all African Americas want to do be free with repetition. The combination of instruments and the artist’s articulation of lyrics serve to paint the image of oppression and a longing for freedom.
References
Bibliography.com Editors, Bio. “J. Cole.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 21 June 2019, www.biography.com/musician/j-cole.
Washington, A. R. (2018). Integrating hip‐hop culture and rap music into social justice counseling with Black males. Journal of Counseling & Development, 96(1), 97-105.
Ghosh, R. (2008). Racism: A Hidden Curriculum. Education Canada, 48(4), 26-29.