Music is an excellent source of entertainment, and with the different genres available, audiences get to choose songs and genres that are preferable to them in alignment with their preferences. In addition, music is also a vital tool that can be used to convey information about critical issues in society and appreciate the good in society. In light of some of the different albums that have gained acclamations for pinpointing societal ailments in the U.S., this essay will look into the album ‘4 Your Eyez Only’ by Jermaine Cole. J. Cole, as he is popularly known, is an American rapper who grew up in North Carolina despite being born in Germany. His album ‘4 Your Eyez Only’ is a studio album released in December 2016 by Interscope Records and comprises 10 songs. The Album was positioned at the top in the U.S. Billboard 200 within its first few days of release and in Canadian Billboard Charts. Since its release, the Album has also had positive reviews, with most fans citing its prowess in songwriting and its ability to highlight societal issues. Multiple organizations and individuals in the U.S. are known to advocate for the rights of minority communities against different forms of racial injustices, and the album ‘4 Your Eyez Only’ has been an essential tool in demonstrating the various forms of racial discrimination against African American citizens.
Extra-judicial killings of African American citizens in the U.S. are one of the different forms of racially discriminatory practices that the community has endured for the longest time. Extra-judicial killings of innocent African Americans in the U.S. have been caused by several people, among them the police or white civilians, and they have been on the rise over the last decade. Consequently, these killings have prompted Civil rights movements and affected community members to demonstrate on the streets to advocate for the rights of minority community members. Cole is very vocal about racial discrimination in the USA, citing instances where he has suffered racial discrimination himself or his friends. Therefore, he has demonstrated and advocated against extra-judicial killings of black people through a few of his songs. In his music, ‘Change,’ Cole sings about the killing of his African American friend, James, and demonstrates an instance of racial discrimination against black people through extra-judicial killings (Cole, 2016). Elsewhere During the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Cole was among the many individuals who showed support to the bereaved community and the predominantly African American community. The artist wrote a tribute song in memory of Brown and performed the song on television to demonstrate his concerns about the increasing police brutality cases against the black people community (Pearce, 2018). In short, through music, artists such as Cole can be able to voice their concerns on matters of extra-judicial killings of black people in the U.S. by the police and their white counterparts as they increasingly discriminate against African Americans.
Racial profiling is another form of racial discrimination against African Americans in the U.S. In instances where crimes take place, African Americans are more likely to get accused of committing crimes than any other person from another ethnic community would. Racial profiling instances vary among individuals, from accusations of theft to murder to selling of drugs. In his song ‘Neighbors, ‘ Cole sings about how the police raided the building where he went to record his music in search of drugs shortly after he moved into a new and better neighborhood (Cole, 2016). This song is an illustration of a racial profiling instance of an African American individual moving into a new neighborhood where his neighbors mistrust and judge him because of his ethnic background. Through this song, Cole also demonstrates that, evidently, in the U.S., specific neighborhoods in some areas are also associated with white people, and black people are deemed incapable of affording them. According to Harding ( 2020), Cole also demonstrates racial profiling through stereotyping of African Americans, where they are given specific labels by society, often forcing them to be defensive in their acts. Cole believes that he must incorporate lyrics in his songs that the white audience relates to avoid alienating them and this audience developing misconstrued labels towards him as he attempts to remain authentic in his music. In summary, music allows artists to demonstrate different instances of racial profiling towards the African American people.
In conclusion, Discrimination destroys society by causing divisions among the community members where some members feel unappreciated and that their lives do not matter. The killing of innocent African American community members by the police makes the community members feel as though their lives do not matter because they are the same individuals who are supposed to be safeguarding their lives against criminals. Racial profiling leads to the arrest of innocent African American civilians while possibly letting go of the real criminals. Although ending discriminatory acts may not be as simple since these practices have existed for a long time, creating awareness in the community allows the affected community members to fight for their rights and strive to make the world a better place for future generations. Through artistry and the release of musical albums, musicians such as Jermaine Cole lend a voice to the minority community members by highlighting the social ailments that are racial injustices. Therefore, music helps portray society for what it is by identifying the right and the wrong.
References
Cole, J. (2016). 4 Your Eyez Only. [Album]. Interscope Records
Harding, L. (2020). Exploring systems of racial oppression in the works of J. Cole and Esi Edugyan | The Classic Journal.
Exploring Systems of Racial Oppression in the Works of J. Cole and Esi Edugyan
Pearce, S. (2018, February 22). J Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only review – unsparing, unflinching raptivism. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/10/j-cole-4-your-eyez-only-review-unsparing-unflinching-raptivism
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