It has been truly been one of the craziest years of all time. We had the threat of WWIII, we had that virus that I can’t say or my SEO tanks (calling it Rona right now), and we have been having one of the largest civil rights movements of all time. Plenty of people have been protesting, from every race, every state, and just about every country. With that said, plenty of rappers have been protesting as well. For example, Lil Baby. He used one of his protesting pictures as a cover for his new single, “The Bigger Picture”. This right here, man…
For those that don’t know, Lil Baby is what you would define as a trap artist. He has plenty of influence from Young Thug and you can hear it in some of his biggest singles. This is nothing like his biggest hits. In this song, Lil Baby discusses the state of the world. The song opens with overlapping newscasters discussing the protests around the world and how we want to see the officers arrested. He discusses how he has given them plenty of chances, pleaded with them to stop, and how those pleas fall on deaf ears. He discusses how the police will kill you and will still tell you to freeze, and he talks about how so many mothers are grieving the losses of their children, as well as people who look like their children.
He says that it’s bigger than black and white, and discusses how it’s the whole world that needs to change. He says how he had to tell all of the ones he loves to carry a gun when they leave the house. Now, this right here… This is real. The ones who protect and serve don’t protect and serve the Black community, they are one of our biggest dangers, that’s why every single Black person has had “the talk” with their parents. If you’re Black, you know exactly which talk I’m referring to. We are also accosted by random white people when we go for runs, or bird-watch, or barbecue, or exist, so a gun is very good protection. He also touches on the fear we have when we see the cops as well. When a white person sees those cop lights, I’ve heard that people often think, “Great, an asshole cop is stopping me”, “I wasn’t even going that fast!” “I’m going to be late!!” Well, for Black people, it is different. For us, we think, “Was that the last time I saw my family?” “Will I be okay?” “What if it’s all over?” Lil Baby hits those fears in a great way, saying, “I see those blue lights, I start runnin’”. Now, people will say, “Isn’t that resisting arrest?” Here’s the thing: humans have 3 responses; fight, flight, or freeze. As Black humans faced with cops, we are going to be terrified. Flight is a natural response, but would it really matter? Do you know how many Black people did everything right, and still got murdered? I still don’t know how many, because there are even more that go unreported. Sometimes, flight feels like the best option.
He also talks about how we forgot about Rona, and says, “What happened with that? That’s still goin’ on, isn’t it?” I thought that was a good point. We were in the midst of a whole pandemic, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about how the new numbers will be for it. However, Rona is a relatively new issue. The issue of the police is 400 years of anger and rage, with it finally coming to a head. Not trying to downplay Rona at all, just stating the facts of the matter.
Now, some people might say, “Well, he’s a trap rapper, what does he know? He still rapped about guns and drugs!!” Well, Lil Baby talks about how he did rap about those things, and said something very important. He said that he’s a product of his environment. He raps about these, because he didn’t have a choice, and was all that he knew. However, he still encourages all of his young fans to vote, and realizes that he’s in a position where he has a much larger platform to tell those young fans that. As well as bringing awareness.
Overall, this was a fantastic song from a man who we’ve know as a trap artist. The important part of this song? It never felt preachy, or cash-grabby. There are plenty of songs that come out in times of distress or praise that can feel like an artist wants to get the check. Lil Baby isn’t conveying that message at all. He’s truly saying, “Things are so messed up with the whole world, and we will be making them better, whether you like that or not.” He’s discussing the real fears Black people have, he’s discussing Rona, he’s talking about how he rapped about what he rapped about because he’s a product of the environment, and he’s talking about how he’s tired of everything going on. Brilliant. This song right here? This is a 4/5.
Photo creds: Lil Baby
