Analysis: Rich Spirit by Kendrick Lamar

Let’s analyze Rich Spirit and the narration and allusions made by Kodak Black to get to the bottom of how he expresses this very personal message.

The latest music video from Kendrick Lamar shows him coming to terms with the fact that all the money and fame in the world won't save him from the ghosts of his past. The vastness and beauty of his home highlight his sense of isolation and loneliness. He reveals throughout the record that his spending has become an escape from his troubles because of his increasing wealth.

Like the song says, he's well off and has everything he could desire financially. Still, he’s also got a broken phone, which appears numerous times throughout the video and serves as a metaphor for his disconnection from the outside world and his spirit and soul. He has allowed the short-term solutions money can buy to come between him and a thorough grasp of his problems. I'm going to analyze the lyrics of Rich Spirit and the narration and allusions made by Kodak Black to get to the bottom of how he expresses this very personal message via the video's color scheme, clothing, and dancing.

The video effectively conveys the alone, gloomy nature of this procedure. He looks at the curtain as if he hasn't seen the light in ages, and the dance sequence, although fitting the song's mood perfectly, is intentionally awkward in a manner reminiscent of the Joker's dance in the bathroom scene.

The prolonged isolation must have driven Kendrick crazy, and seeing him unravel before our eyes are mesmerizing. Since his shadow is the only other object in the room, the first thought is likely to be, "What the heck is he doing talking to his shadow on the wall?" It's also noteworthy what he's progressing. These shoes include not just the cover art of his record but an image of him as Mr. Morale. On Mother I Sober, it contrasts his superstar status with the lows he experienced when he confronted his past.

The shoes also have the words "I'm sensitive, I feel everything, I feel everybody" printed on them, which may be seen as a symbol of how the money he wasted on things like these boots was a quiet plea for aid for the issues he discusses in the song.

In these early dance sequences, Kendrick is enjoying his first taste of commercial superstardom as the character Kung Fu Kenny, who is at the pinnacle of his career but more lonely than ever. In a subsequent scene, he is on a phone call when the connection suddenly dies. The way he's been dealing with his problems recently makes him feel as if he's letting someone in, but there's no one there. He's dancing away his difficulties at a place where he can't get better.

At the video's conclusion, however, the phone rings, providing him both a means of communication with the outside world and the opportunity to address his trauma in a manner he had been too terrified to do before. He was explaining how this ties in with the song, in which he discards his facade in favor of introspection, starting with the familial propensity for excessive spending he acknowledged at the album's outset.

A dependency on something that he recognizes during the album's second half as the panacea he's always wished it would be. Both Kendrick and Kodak had to overcome their low socioeconomic status, which pushed them to work hard for the things they couldn't have. Kodak stands in contrast to Kendrick, whose leadership is grounded on social awareness and message, as an alternative to Mr. Morale.

Consider how trap music elucidates the extremes of riches, from starting poor to ending up as a famous rapper. Although they don't provide a good example, many people nevertheless look up to and admire successful trap artists. Kodak, like Kendrick, is surrounded by yes men, fans, and big steppers trying to be like him and validating his lifestyle because he's achieved that standard of financial success. However, like Kendrick, Kodak realizes that this validation and his ability to inspire do not make him a savior, even if his lifestyle is what everyone thinks they want.

The interlude explores what it means to be wealthy; hence its title, Rich, is fitting and consistent with the subject. He claims to be financially insecure even though he has unlimited means. He has plenty of money but lacks moral affluence. Kendrick incorporates Kodak's advice in this song. That material success does not guarantee inner fulfillment, and he takes steps to enrich his soul by giving up his phone, going on a fast, and avoiding sexual activity. But it's not all smooth sailing; he still needs to maintain the spiritual equilibrium he's working for, despite criticism and a lawsuit from his cousin.

It requires fortitude, is an ongoing procedure, and does not provide instant results. While it's common for those on the road to recovery to have setbacks, he recognizes that this should not deter him from continuing and takes steps to enrich his soul. Because of this, after the film, the phone rings, restoring the viewer's contact with the outside world. Kendrick can communicate with the outside world and face his trauma in a manner he was previously too terrified to do.