Beyonce and Kendrick ‘Freedom’ – A Deep Dive!

Beyonce and Kendrick ‘Freedom’ – A Deep Dive!

i’m keep your name [Music] Meet me at the finish line 48 revolution Hoping that you see the sign Meet me at the finish line 
40 acres Give me mic lemonade Welcome people So I am going to the cowboy 
concert this Thursday [Music] And I’m so excited So I was like what can I do like 
that’s going to help prepare for that   so one of my uh patrons um Brenda shout out Brenda um asked for me to react to uh Beyonce 
featuring Kendrick Lamar um Freedom [Music] which I guess is at the BET performance which 
was electric I haven’t watched that for a really   long time So that’s the first thing I’m going 
to watch What I’m going to look at after that though is I’m going to watch um my reaction to 
the Renaissance concert Uh probably not all of it but I’m going to watch some of it And I’m also 
going to watch um my reaction to uh Cowboy Kaire cuz I’m really interested to find out whether 
or not my opinion has changed in terms of like   what some of my favorite songs will be So what 
are some what are some of the ones I that like I really really want to hear because I I still 
don’t know what the track list is Um the track   list the set list is going to be for the concert 
Um I’ve tried my best to kind of keep you know you want to be surprised You know what I mean but 
don’t I mean obviously there are certain things I   have seen like with roomie um and you know with 
blue and her deja vu strut and stuff So there’s definitely some things I have seen some of the 
some of the costumes Um but I still don’t know   from song to song Like I’ve got no idea as 
to what exactly is going to be on there So um I’m just intrigued to find out what like 
what my favorites were when I first heard it Um and obviously what my thoughts are now So 
for this reaction this is Beyonce featuring Kat So let’s see Oh let’s remind ourselves 
anyway um what this performance is saying which was it was electric I do remember that it 
was an electric performance Okay let’s do this [Music] The outfits I’m about outfits man [Music]   Sick When the architects of our republic wrote 
the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence they were signing 
a promisory note This note was a promise that all men yes black men as well as white men would 
be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness We refuse 
to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt So we’ve come to cash this check A 
check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice Wow Trying to rain Trying to rain on the thunder I’m white blue [Music] and true I’m a ring 
I’m on the sweet [Music] tears going away May the last one burning singed I came [Music] too change myself I’m breathing 
right in [Music] I’m keepers [Music] [Music] I’m right I’m right through your borders   Call me bulletproof Forgive me I’ve 
been running blind and true I’m wait [Music] I’m telling these tears going away May the last one burn into flame Freedom Freedom loed Freedom I break chains by myself in hell I’m keep on [Music] [Music] Meet me at the finish line Reution Hoping that you see the sign Meet me at the finish line Give 
me all the time Keep that in mind Formation Formation Exclamation 
for a mission Fellow America [Music] six red lights aiming in my direction my 
possession Yeah I keep running jumping the spot [Music] to be I can be I got to 
be for me nation prophecy on me dropping me wicked me open correctional 
gates in the high desert open our mind as we cast away oppression open the streets 
and watch our beliefs you my name inside   these concrete I’m praying for every 
freedom freedom I can’t move [Music] Where are you i can’t change myself in keeping [Music] you I said “Oh what you want from 
me is the truth.” You see I finally [Music] moveed [Music] That was beyond like that was so captivating That 
was so captivating Bearing in mind I’ve seen this before It’s not even like I haven’t I’ve seen that 
before but still that was so captivating And you know what’s interesting because like I this year 
in particular I’ve really started looking at like   MCing and like rap lyrics and and stuff even 
more so than I ever have done particularly with Kendrick Lamar like I’m just hanging on to every 
single word Where whereas before if I’m if I’m being really honest like when Beyonce’s on stage 
I really ain’t taking notice of anyone Like I I   recently went back to listen to um Destiny’s Child 
Um I say recently it’s on it’s on the channel It’s probably a couple years ago actually Um and what’s 
his name um this Jermaine Depri like is on that track and I I had no idea what Jermaine Depri said 
on that track I was actually reacting to the song I had to actually had to put the song back to like 
oh hang on um he said something So I’m quite used to just being like I know what it’s fine like you 
know Um so it’s interesting for me that I’m so interested and so intrigued So I do want to find 
out a bit more exactly what he said Uh and I also want to find that as well if because again looking 
at the performance you know you’ve got obviously her her coming into a speech with uh Martin Luther 
King Um and again I mean and he as well man even like just listening to those words of how how 
amazingly articulate he was like and you know at such a time that was so divisive like I mean it 
cost him his life you know um but to to come into a a speech like that that talks about all people 
yes black people too uh brown people anybody that actually it’s all about you know the the the the 
strength and and the quality of their character   not about the color of their skin Um and that 
we refuse to believe that the bank of the bank of justice is is corrupt What is that what he say 
he’s bankrupt Um it’s bankrupt You know big words man Big big words So to come in on that and then 
you’ve got what looks very tribalistic in terms of like you know how they’re dressed and like you 
know with the white paint and stuff how that sits   against the light Um and then they’re in water and 
I don’t know with all the red light and stuff as well like I don’t know whether there’s any links 
towards I don’t know like the underground railroad I don’t I don’t know So I want to find out like 
what symbolism because I know for a fact Beyonce is very intentional about her art I know that 
Kendrick is very intentional too and his little verse before he comes into his main verse as well 
I want to know exactly what that means as well Um and that was 2016 Like that’s nearly 10 years 
ago and it’s only now that I’m actually like dissecting that performance up Apart from just 
being sick and loving the song and what Freedom   meant like in terms of what the performance what 
the visuals represented I haven’t really delved apart from just being like it looked great sounded 
great they looked great Do you know what I mean so   yeah let’s find out exactly what I got Okay so 
let’s see what the AI is going to tell us here So Beyonce and Kendrick Mar’s collaborations 
often delve into themes of black resilience   identity and social justice The performance of 
freedom at the 2016 BT awards for example was powerful and politically charged exploring themes 
of slavery the black lives matter movement and the African diaspora Lamar’s Super Bowl Super Bowl 
halftime show which included a cameo from Sam Jackson as Uncle Sam Tom further highlighted these 
themes using symbols and stage design to address   issues like mass incarceration and the disparities 
within the um cerole system Let’s elaborate right freedom as a protest song freedom performance 
at the BET Awards resonated deeply with the audiences evoking images of black struggle and 
resistance The lyrics and the accompanying visuals including the use of imagery from Lemonade 
solidified its image as a song of liberation and hope Of course the image from Lemonade 
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Um symbolism in Kendrick Okay we’ll come back to I don’t buy that Like 
how can you be a culture but it’s your culture i just don’t understand Okay AI Okay you did what 
I wanted to do Beyonce’s freedom performance to Kendra Lamar at the 2016 BET still got this on uh 
at the 2016 BET Awards was a powerful statement about freedom resistance and the black experience 
in America particularly in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and the political 
climate surrounding the upcoming election Here’s a   breakdown of the key elements and the significance 
that I’m not quite sure how to help you with that I didn’t ask you anything Alexa So number one 
freedom and its message The song freedom itself is about the fight for freedom and self-determination 
in the face of adversity The performance emphasize the themes of resilience and the struggle for a 
better future particularly for black communities Two political and social commentary Martin 
Luther King Jr quote “The performance began with an audio clip of Martin Luther King Jr I 
have a dream speech connecting the message of   freedom to the ongoing struggle for equality Did 
they recognize happening right now water imagery The stage setup include a pool The stage setup 
including a pool of water evokes the imagery of baptism and cleansing suggesting the need to be 
reborn and free from the shackles of oppression Okay that’s the water right okay Okay Okay Okay 
Dancers and red lighting The red lighting and the danc’s movements created a sense of unity 
and power symbolizing the collective struggle for liberation Parallels to Lemonade The 
performance echoed the themes of Lemonade particularly its focus on the black experience 
resilience and the fight against systemic racism Okay Three Kendrick Lamar’s contribution Kendrick 
Lamar’s presence on stage amplified the message of resistance and added a layer of political 
commentary through his lyrics and stage presence context of the 2016 election The performance 
occurred during a highly charred political   climate with the upcoming election and the 
Black Lives Matter movement dominating headlines The performance served as a call to action 
and a reminder of the ongoing struggle for   freedom and justice In essence Beyonce’s freedom 
performance at the 2016 BT Awards was a powerful statement about the ongoing struggle for freedom 
resistance and the black experience in America It was a call to action a reminder of the need 
for change and a celebration of resilience I mean you’re going to think when someone is at 
such a level that they and you see all the time with like certain artists that don’t really give 
a crap about their art They just want to make the money Do you know what I mean like they’re not 
interested in making political statements or   things that can educate or move people they’re 
not interested in using their platform to to help have a cultural shift or at least have a 
conversation Do you know what I mean like you   haven’t ne necessarily agree with me like but 
at least ask yourselves questions about certain things And I’m I’m just like again at the time 
when it came out there was a lot going on with the Black Lives Matter movement I remember that Um 
and and and again I know what the song represented but I didn’t know what the performance did So 
again the Lynx Lemonade brilliant cuz again it was on the album Um the the kind of um the 
power and the resilience like you get that from um I said there’s a very tribal collective as 
soon as the dancers start walking through I wasn’t sure what the the red light meant aside 
from just being quite like you know powerful I mean it’s quite it’s quite all consuming 
this light Um um but then the water like I said I wasn’t quite sure what the water 
represented but again cleansing baptism   um you know being reborn like um that again is um 
is so powerful It’s just so powerful Uh I wonder whether there was anything on her costume that 
was stitched in that we didn’t see cuz I I know   that there’s probably there’s probably something 
as deep as that when it comes to Beyonce Um what I do want to do is pull up Kendrick’s lyrics Oh 
it’s already on Genius Ah I was coming to Genius anyway to look at the actual song itself but uh 
okay So Freedom Anthem dedicated to black women The song brings Beyonce’s visual album to an apex 
with the scene hope and features the mothers of Trayvon Martin Michael Brown and Eric Garner 
pictured with photos of their deceased sons Throughout the song Beyonce all loses 
to herself as a force of nature who   can empower other women like herself to 
break free of the bonds society places on them She addresses her struggle 
with infidelity as a black woman as   well as alluding to the history of slavery 
inflicted upon African-Americans including current issues and the Black Lives Matter 
movement Beyonce and her writers musicians   and producers sonically referenced the 
musical memories of all those periods Wow Beyonce is joined by Kendrick Lamar in 
their first ever collaboration While Beyonce focuses on women’s issues Kendrick continues to 
touch on institutionalized racism a major theme of his critically acclaimed 2015 album to Pimper 
Butterfly which I still yet to listen to However Kendrick also brings women to the forefront 
alluding to Tupac’s Dear Mama and Ride for Me while sending a message of empowerment to his own 
mother In Kendrick’s verse he employs a style of writing that counts down from 10 to 5 before 
switching to a syllable count to further the   countdown This gives the impression that Kendrick 
is counting down towards something significant Within context of the song and the final bars 
of the verse Kendrick is likely counting down to   freedom from oppression Yasin B employs a similar 
writing style and mathematics along with issues affecting black women Social equality justice are 
major motives of this song On June 26 2016 Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar opened the 2016 BET Awards 
with a rousing edition of the original Freedom The live performance featured a visual theme 
of water and fire The costume and choreography also featured references to slavery and African 
tribal influence keeping in theme with the song The live version features tweaks and added bars of 
Kendrick’s vers The lyrics here Okay here they are Okay So we’ve got the intro for Martin Luther 
King Jr So I’m going to read this out because   actually it’s been a long time that I’ve actually 
read uh Martin Luther King Jr.’s words So when the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent 
words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence they were signing a promisory note 
This note was a promise that all men yes black men as well as white men would be guaranteed 
the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness We refuse to believe that the 
Bank of Justice is bankrupt So we’ve come to cash this check A check that will give us upon demand 
the riches of freedom and the security of justice What a I mean that’s just part of it And that’s 
just part of it Wow And that’s how you open your performance Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous I 
have a dream speech originally spoken in 1963 is revitalized 53 years later This intro contains 
excerpts from various parts in MLK’s speech generally grouped in the early parts of his speech 
The metaphor of a check and old money was common in political discourse at the time The Washington 
Post highlights it it is a deliberate call back to Abraham Lincoln Malcolm X also used the metaphor 
that same summer in saying “A bill is owed to us and must be collected.” The inclusion of this 
legendary human rights activist words draws a parallel between the racial oppression in MLK’s 
time to the oppression in modern times Kendrick has acknowledged and praised MLK among other human 
rights activists in his songs before In Backseat Freestyle he directly references this particular 
speech Martin had a dream Martin had a dream Kendrick had a dream like like this be performance 
of freedom he also draws a parallel from MLK’s 1963 dream to his own modern day dream so verse 
one trying to rain on the rain on the thunder till the storm I’m new trying to rain on the rain 
on the thunder till the storm I’m new the thunder and storm may represent the pain of deception and 
infidelity in families and especially marriages that personal narrative is the driving force 
of lemonade Here the storm and thunder also represent the cloud of racial oppression that 
has hung over African-Americans since times of   slavery In the last few years our conversation 
has been reawakened by the high-profile deaths of Mike Brown Tamir Rice and Eric Garner at the 
hands of police These are some of the cases which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement which has 
given new momentum to the quest for racial justice Beyonce has supported the Black Lives Matter 
movement since its inception Her unapologetically   black Super Bowl performance complete with 
dancers in Black Panther berets performing black power salutes led to right-wing commentary 
labeling her as racist and anti-up I remember I remember this well Seems Queen Bee is doing 
more than trying to rain on the biggest parade She’s succeeding Wow I’m a walk I’m a march on the 
regular painting white flags blue So I would take that to mean that listen I’m not I’m not sitting 
around like I’m happy to march and I’m happy to   these these these white flags of surrender like 
I’m happy to paint them blue that that’s where I stand actually that’s what I imagine like a 
song formation being invites others to join her and march for freedom inspiring others to change 
their opinions from apathy to activism is like painting white flags blue among naval ships a 
white flag symbolizes either truth or surrender But Beyonce isn’t giving up Rather than 
surrender be fights for the marriage Her   pres I keep forgetting that in like cuz this song 
came out in Lemonade So the the links that she’s making between like her relationship and what 
she’s fighting for within that and also what people fight for for their freedom in general Like 
the parallels are just so powerful because as much as like the racial tension and racial equality 
and social justice are just much bigger than me you like all of us like it’s huge within your 
own home The the sanctity of your marriage and the and the success of your relationship and 
stuff is just so important So it’s just it’s just really interesting having that that kind 
of duality between those two themes really and them both being quite important to whoever is 
looking at it at the time Um yeah Be fights for her marriage Her her perseverance creates new life 
Blue Ivy Oh good point Blue embodies and extends the love share between her parents Beyonce’s 
fight and faith in her personal life mirror the determination of the black community as they 
battle for change Both of these struggles yield a family founded on strength persistence and most 
importantly belief in a brighter future Wow it’s getting deep guy O refrain Lord forgive me I’ve 
been running running blind in truth Blind running in a physical sense refers to running a trail a 
path you’ve never experienced or seen before One   in which you’re unsure of the destination This 
could be an admission of guilt from Beyonce who may feel like she hasn’t done enough in the past 
to be vocal about issues affecting black women While she focused on her career with her last 
album Beyonce she’s ready to take up the fight   on Lemonade As a mother she’s realized she has a 
bigger duty to protect her black child just like the mothers of Trayvon Martin Michael Brown 
and Eric Garner who appear in the music video collaborator and model Winnie Harlow told W 
magazine said of the conversation shared Harlo said I wanted to thank her for acknowledging 
me as a strong black woman and uplifting and   continuing to empower us all that made her so 
happy added she said that’s exactly what she wanted to do and she feels even more responsible 
now that she has blue you know I hear often yeah like and to be fair I wasn’t even expecting to get 
so deep with this one song but I hear often that um that Beyonce you know that she remembered that 
she was black Do you know what I mean like I like Beyonce maybe before she before the whole black 
stuff and stuff and you know because she wears   weave and it’s blonde and and whatever Um and I 
don’t know I’ve I’ve never my my thought about it has always been that you know you can’t change 
the world until you’ve got people listening And I feel like she’s been so good at her craft which is 
why I’m so excited about going to another Beyonce concert because she’s still so good at her craft 
Like when people turn around to me and say that Beyonce can’t sing I’m just like you you are just 
willfully wanting to say that because that doesn’t even make sense to me at this point Like how is 
that even in question like you might say that her   style of singing isn’t to your the tambber of her 
voice maybe doesn’t doesn’t appeal to you but even then I’m like that you’re you’re willfully wanting 
to dislike something because of your like I’m not I mean okay actually that takes away people’s 
agency So I’m not going to say that because people   may very well just not like her voice may not like 
her music But I just I I find it really difficult to understand that because then when I listen to 
people who don’t who don’t rate her but then they show me who they do rate I’m like but then how can 
that voice I don’t understand Like you might even if you don’t even if you like you don’t get it or 
she’s not your fave but there are people actually actively hate her voice and like I don’t really 
understand that So anyway the point I’m trying to   make is in my opinion she has continued to deliver 
over the last like three decades Like as long as I’ve been like listening to music and stuff and 
wanting to kind of download and and buy music   and all that kind of stuff like Beyonce has been 
Beyonce Destiny Sh like she has been like she’s been there and been and continued to be the person 
that people have been like I want to follow in those footsteps I’m inspired by you know since 15 
to let us been strut in this game like she’s been around man So for me someone that is able to build 
their craft and and continue to deliver excellence to the point where you’ve got other people within 
the industry that look to you your peers as in as inspiration like wow I think it’s only at 
that point then really once once you’ve kind of dominated every thing that you could dominate 
that you then you you you kind of surpass the need for for things to be successful I remember 
watching whenever she’s releasing an album and stuff like her um her kind of nervousness her kind 
of anxiety about releasing something new I was so scared and I already envisioned like the worst 
things that that could happen I’m like people are gonna hate it Why didn’t I say anything but no I 
mean it’s just things that we all go through It’s just human I was just really nervous because this 
was a huge risk When I landed I I saw it actually live on iTunes and you know you’re just waiting 
for the first comment The next morning I just was Thank you Lord Jesus Because you’ve got this new 
thing That was great But then that was that I mean like you know who knows how long your longevity 
is going to continue Like look at like little   Naz X I was watching a video um regarding him 
just the other day and like how like people are looking at like the downfall of him and stuff and 
what’s happened with his like his sales and that   kind of stuff nobody knows um how what what your 
longevity is going to be like So the fact that she’s taken that success and then she’s decided 
that actually I’m going to use this platform that I’ve got now that I now that I’ve amassed the 
power in which that I’ve got because of who I am now because of what I have what I have been to 
the world for so long I’m going to use that and   I’m going to I’m going to not just educate myself 
I’m going to educate people through my music and my artistry So I don’t I’ve never seen it a case 
as you know Beyonce has you know has not embraced her blackness I’ve never never seen it like that 
at all I’ve just seen her as creating music that’s   steeped in R&B Um and has always had those roots 
those those those amazing like like gospelesy R&B riffy roots like always throughout every element 
of what she has produced Um but she’s now at a point like she said she’s now a mom She’s got 
blue and she’s got the power and the status   and and the and the flexibility now to be like 
I’m going to talk and that’s exactly what she’s done And I find it quite sad in a way that like 
you know I know that there are some people that   um are not going to cowboy Carter have never 
listened to Cowboy Carter cuz they’re just like why would I listen to any of this like hillbilly 
and it’s like you know there’s so much to learn if people are willing to be open just to just to soak 
in art and just see what what is she what is she talking about why has she chosen this and and what 
what is that all about so um yeah going through this is actually really I think Lemon is going to 
be an album that I I actually go back and revisit um in in terms of all of the lyrics and stuff 
because I don’t think I’ve ever gone through it   like with with a fine tooth comb all these years 
later Uh I’m a rain I’m a rain on this bit of love Um I’m a rain I’m a rain on this bill of love Tell 
the sweet I’m new Beyonce decided to forgive and move forward after experienced personal pain 
She’s chosen family and love ahead of anger   and separation There’s an explicit connection 
between bitter love and sweet in this couplet and bitter love to the sweet I’m new There is an 
explicit connection between bitter love and sweet in this couplet While Beyonce could have settled 
on a bittersweet ending she’s chosen to leave the bitterness behind and takes only the sweetness 
with her Ooh And again and I’ve never thought about this I’ve listen I’ve sang this song out 
like and I’ve never really thought about like the depth of the lyrics in this As said in the closing 
skit by Jay-Z’s grandmother Hattie Hatty White I had my ups and downs but I always find the inner 
strength to pull myself up I was served lemons but I made lemonade Rain could also be heard as 
it’s homophone rain because Beyonce is choosing to take her husband’s suspected infidelity in stride 
and rain over the rough patch in her relationship rather than letting it get in her way by raining 
over her She is the queen after all Oh I love I love that too Yeah Yeah Yeah That double plan 
words Yeah I love that Um Oh I’m telling these tears going full away Fall away Oh Oh When the 
last one burn into flames and the last t into flames The pre chorus represents the power and the 
determination of black women Rather than fall to despair black women have formed the black lives 
matter movement All three founders are women to take action on racism and oppression Um I mean 
it’s a shame what then came out about some of those uh to be fair But um in terms of what the 
mission was for um you know I think that still had um you know merit But I think what ended up 
happening things were hijacked and yeah Beyonce leads by example commanding her own emotions 
and representing the strength necessary to   bring about change Her declaration links to a bar 
in Kendrick’s following verse addressed to his own mother But mama don’t cry for me Ride for me Don’t 
cry for me Ride for me Beyonce allows herself the freedom of feeling her pain rather than bottling 
up or pretending it’s not there And then she turns that passion towards the protection of her 
daughter Using passionate lyricism she empowers the protesters who march to protect America’s 
black youth from police brutality In the music video the mothers of Trayvon Martin Michael 
Brown and Eric Garner are pictured holding   photos of their of their deceased sons Leslie 
Mcbaden Michael Brown’s mother cries in the video I remember the video well Then you got the chorus 
Freedom Freedom I can’t move Freedom Cut me loose Say “Yeah freedom Freedom Where are you cuz I 
need freedom too I break chains or by myself When let my freedom rot in hell.” Beyonce rallies her 
listeners around liberation but in particular the liberation of black women African-American women 
are often at the forefront of civil rights but their needs are repeatedly pushed to the side in 
favor of the needs of black men as if their needs are the needs of the whole or take precedent 
This trend is continued with the Black Lives   Matter movement The hashtag Black Lives Matter 
was started by female community organ organizers Alicia Gaza and Opai to uh Tomti But even though 
the organizers were both women the deaths of black women at the hands of police only started to get 
attention with the death of Sandra Bland Remember that Sandra Bland the deaths of women like um Raka 
Boyd were largely ignored In the video for Freedom the mothers of black men who died at police hands 
join with young black women who’ve been ridiculed for their appearance or or their politics Beyonce 
unites them to say that black women will be the makers of their own liberation Listen like I 
cannot believe I’m on the dawn of going to see Cowboy Carter and I’m still finding out things 
about Beyonce that like like I mean again on a on a surface level these are things that I’m 
I was aware of but there’s a lot here that’s   even deeper than what I than what I knew Um hey 
I’mma keep running cuz the quitter don’t quit on themselves These lyrics speak explicitly to black 
women Strength and perseverance are major themes in lemonade Which again can be quite you know 
need also need to be careful with that because   sometimes when you’re seen as strong persevering 
and stuff people don’t allow you the space to be vulnerable Um and I know that’s something that 
like a lot of black women who are seen as the strong sometimes even when they’re trying to like 
just explain themselves or whatever can come seen as aggressive and stuff and it’s not they’re not 
at all They’re just being like like anyone else   would be but their perception is strong powerful 
So everything strong and powerful and it doesn’t necessarily provide and and hold space for them 
to be vulnerable and therefore to be protected Um just as Beyonce isn’t quitting on her marriage and 
surrendering to her partner’s infidelity the women   of the Black Lives Matter movement won’t give up 
on fight for justice and equality because that would be quitting on themselves As h as Hilton 
writes for the New Yorker as Beyonce sings we see various shots of black mothers holding 
photographs of their sons boys and men who have   lost their lives to accidental police shootings 
It’s in those moments that Beyonce displays most profoundly what Butler called hyper empathy 
the ability to identify with and feel the pain of others which of course has always been at the 
heart of black music and black style You look at spirituals like you know you you feel you feel it 
like you were in it Do you know what I mean like absolutely Is this still is still the performance 
um I’m a wade I’m a I’m a wade I’m a wave through the waters till the tide don’t move So this is 
reference to the 19th century negro spiritual wade in the water Yeah Yeah Although the song relates 
to the Israelites esca escaping Egypt in Exodus uh 14 is associated with the underground railroad 
and was believed to be part of coded instruction to find the way to freedom in the north or south 
um or southern slave states Wade in the water Wade in the water children’s gone trouble the world 
The book Pathways to Freedom uh Maryland and the Underground Railroad explains how Harriet Tubman 
escaped enslavers how Harriet Tubman escaped enslavers by getting into the water so that her 
scent couldn’t be picked up by tracking dogs Beyonce will not only wade into the shallow waters 
but she’ll wave through them moving easily like a wave to the water Oh I love that I cannot believe 
it’s taking this long for me to kind of get into these lyrics I’m a riot I’m a riot through 
your borders Call me bulletproof Beyonce ups the auntie from the first verse She was content 
to march Now she’s going to riot In May 2015 it was reported Beyonce and Jay-Z had wired tens 
of thousands to assist in bailing out Baltimore riot protesters Wow I didn’t even know that she 
did that Didn’t know that she did that Imagine like I know I’m going crazy right all people 
all people are asking for or all people have ever asked for is equality It’s not for special 
treatment Like I’ve never looked at like any of my white counterparts and thought do you know what 
i need to be treated better than you I need to be given more than you I deserve more than you Your 
ancestor did X Y and Z Therefore all I’ve ever looked at and I imagine what a lot of people have 
always looked at is that that we now have a system that is fair and that we don’t have corruption 
that means that based on who you are and what you look like will depend on how society treats you 
And I think that for a lot of people they’ve you know it’s almost like an impossibility that that 
certain things that have been so entrenched in the world not even just whether it’s in the UK or 
America just around the world that it’s impossible that those things could still could still continue 
So the the kind of the sentiment that’s kind of built up or that I feel has built up a lot more 
since even this era is that you know you’re you’re asking for too much now You’ve you’ve requested 
too much right now now that now that we are as in like as in white people as in like we are um 
there’s an imbalance shift and now that actually you know you’re the special treatment that you’re 
asking for is too much Um and I just find that so odd because like I said it’s it’s not that it’s 
just it’s just people wanting to be treated the   same That’s it That that that that that was how 
I understood Black Lives Matter Not because you know like other people’s lives didn’t matter but 
to say that everyone’s lives should matter there   wouldn’t need to be something that said because 
I remember one of my friends saying to me like oh um you know if black lives matter so much like why 
is that why is it so much black and black crime   and I’m like so where’s the white and white crime 
when’s the last time you anyone even mention that where’s white and white crime you know so it’s 
really easy to kind of pinpoint an area where yeah I would say that there needs some work on that but 
that actually isn’t what we’re talking about We’re   talking about the the same services and the same 
things that that should be for everybody Um that can showcase like biases to people like which is 
why there are you know an in an an insurmountable amount of people and definitely inproportionate 
a disproportionate amount of people um you know within uh certain cultures that are incarcerated 
Do you know what I mean like heftier sentences   like you know how does that how how does how do 
those visible things you’ve only got to look at what’s happening in the world right now I mean 
and how people have you know rallied rallied for certain people and not rallied for others you know 
so it yeah it’s just crazy to me that like people can can um I don’t I don’t know whether people 
still now like will will have the same kind of mentality and stuff but like I said I know that 
the this movement was completely hijacked by you   um fraudulent activity and stuff and um and 
sometimes all you need is a reason Look at look at Los Angeles right now Um so anyway I digress 
Let me get to uh Kendrick’s bit Uh what you want from me is the truth you seek Oh father can you 
hear me uh what you want from me is the truth you see Uh father can you hear me no stranger to guess 
to guest questioning no stranger to questioning his faith Kendrick once again called upon God for 
direction With all the inequality within the world Kendrick isn’t sure how to handle the racism 
and discrimination An untitled 01 um I guess 19th of August 2014 Kendrick states “I made to a 
pimp a butterfly for you told me to use my vocal to save mankind for you God may need Kendrick to 
make another to pimp a butterfly to help empower   the black community again What you want from me is 
the truth You see ah father can you hear me okay Okay Okay And then we’ve got the live breakdown 
Okay Verse three Meet me at the finish line 40 acres Give me mine 40 acres and a mule has been 
mentioned by Kendrick previously on depfly in both Wesley’s theory and for free Additionally 40 
acres and a mule were given to formerly enslaved African-American farmers after the civil 
war during the reconstruction era as a part of agrarian reform In an article by Henry Louie 
Gates Jr on PBS breaks down the significance of the concept The promise was the first systematic 
attempt to provide a form of reparations to newly freed slaves and it was astonishingly radical 
for its time protoocialist in its implications The idea was radical but it served as a finish 
line for those who were oppressed for so long Though it was ultimately overturned by the 17th 
president of the United States Andrew Johnson the   phrase and step toward racial equality lived on 
40 acres in the mule I actually forgot about that the effects on slavery and sharecropping 
Kendrick draws a parallel from this mid   1800s piece of history to modern day In his own 
fight for racial equality he likes he likens his efforts as a socially aware rapper to that of 
a slave fighting for freedom Kendrick portrayed himself as a slave in his 2016 Grammy performance 
of the blacker the berry and all right I haven’t seen that performance I need to watch that as well 
Meet me at the finish line 48 because give me mine Okay Revolution televised Hoping that you see 
the signs So I mean I’m sure he mentioned again the revolution being televised in his Super Bowl 
performance as well Um hoping that you see the   signs So you know we’re this is this is around 
Yeah Hoping you’re watching I’m hoping you’re picking up on the signs here The revolution 
will not be televised is a 197 1971 poem and song written by um Gil Scott Heron uh it became 
an anthem for black power movements at the time Kendrick also referenced his poem on hill power 
Media coverage of the black struggle in America has dra dramatically increased in recent years 
Movements such as black lives matter protest   have widely discussed on television even 
in pop music which is usually apolitical Huge stars like Beyonce are starting to to stir 
controversy by becoming vocal about these issues Citizens are also starting to play a part in 
televising the revolution by exposing corruption   and wrongdoing on the internet eg by cell phone 
footage a police brutality or leaking information The revolution today is in fact being televised 
In this context is also a meta comment on the live performance being broadcast to the world as part 
of the BET Awards The performance is not just a song and dance number but a signpost for viewers 
everywhere to be moved by the themes of the song Kendrick explicitly referenced the BT awards 
on the black as the berry and institutionalized Dear me at the finish line for the kids Give me 
mine again Lemonade all the time Keep keep that in mind Formation formation exclamation formation 
Kendrick boasts about Beyonce’s success with Lemonade Beyonce’s 2016 album of the same name and 
which freedom is the 10th track Although released exclusively on title for a limited time it sold 
485,000 copies in its first week 653,000 including additional equivalent album units and debuted 
at number one on the Billboard charts Experts   estimated the album netted anywhere between 3 
to6 million dollars in a day in its release week Wow Formation is the lead single and final track 
on Lemonade and is another black power feminist anthem I slay I slay lemonade all the time Keep 
in mind information Yeah Fellow great Americans Hello This is heritage for my medicine 10 Hail 
Marys I meditate for practice The Hail Mary is a Christian prayer and is often recited 10 times 
as part of the Rose Bee’s Mysteries A meditation on the life and death of Jesus There are four 
mysteries The joyful mysteries the luminous mysteries sorrowful mysteries and the glorious 
mysteries I this is brand new information to me   According to Kendrick he meditates in his own 
way by starting each day staring at himself in the mirror for 10 minutes Uh it started when I was 
9 years old talking to myself in the mirror I saw something a little different than I just than 
just what the eye can see in the physical form   I saw my soul in the mirror It’s scary to realize 
you can take your mind somewhere totally different What it does for me is it lets me know who I am 
and who I always will be and where I came from and what I’m trying to do with myself and the 
people around me as far as inspiring others and   continuing to be positive It’s a tricky thing but 
it works It lets you know who you are for real In partnership with the third line in the verse this 
likely references Tupac song Hail Mary Channel 9 News tell me I’m moving backwards Another subtle 
jab at Fox News who stated that Kendrick’s All Right music video and BET performance had 
done more damage to African-American youth   than racism That’s interesting This isn’t the 
first time Kendrick mentioned Channel 9 in the second part of Sing about Me I’m dying of thirst 
He portrayed a child dying who later reveal who’d later reveal the value of death in his hometown 
Compton Thirst He portrayed a child dying who’ later revealed the value of death in his hometown 
Compton Additionally moving backwards references how throughout the first few bars here Kada 
is literally counting backwards 10 Hell Marys Channel 9 News eight blocks Ah yeah I did hear 
I did read that earlier but I completely missed that again So yeah 10 Hell Marys a meditative 
practice Channel 9 news some moving backwards   Eight blocks left Death is around the corner Being 
raised in a poverty-stricken area such as Compton comes with many downsides including getting 
killed Compton has the highest crime rates in   the greater Los Angeles area Kendrick has to be 
careful as death is literally around the corner This could be a reference to Tupac’s death around 
the corner which Kendrick later remix and Labour   mate lab with Labour mate JRock Seven misleading 
statements about my persona Six red lights aiming in my direction Six headlights refers to the 
six head six lights on a police car Ah Kendra Lamar addressed the anti- police sentiment within 
the black community on his single or right and we hate and we hate popo one dead in the street for 
show As an outspoken critic of police brutality Kendrick has received severe backlash from 
the media Fox News affiliate Geraldo Rivera in his commentary on the Mars Allright drastically 
misconstrued the message behind Kendrick’s music   claiming he has done more damage to the black 
community than racism In response to Riviera Kendrick decrieded the misinterpretation of his 
music pointing out the overall positivity of All Right how can you take a song that’s about hope 
and turn it into hatred the message the overall message of All Right is we’re going to be all 
right It’s not a message of I want it people I think his attempt is really just is really 
diluting the real problem which is the sense acts of of these young boys out here and I think 
for the most part is avoiding the truth This is reality This is my world This is a this is what I 
talk about in my music You can’t dilute that Five asking me what’s in my possession Yeah Kendrick 
continues his lyrical countdown going from 10   down to five but he stops there There’s a similar 
countdown in Beyonce’s countdown The count goes from set five to zero There’s 5 in it um is slang 
for police The term originated within the pop and television cop drama Hawaii 5 which ran from 1968 
980 and was remade in 2010 The 5 part of the show title is in reference to Hawaii being the 50th 
state in the US Oh okay Didn’t know that Yeah I keep running jump in the aqueduct Fire marshaled 
hazardous smoke alarms on the back of us Kendrick gives a visceral and physical representation the 
desperate stress many African-Americans feel when   confronted by police in America Fire hydrants and 
smoke alarms are common methods of riot control used to control protesters This is reminiscent 
of civil rights era protests where powerful water hoses and smoke bombs are used to disperse crowds 
My mama don’t cry for me write for me tra for me live for me breathe for me sing for me obviously 
guiding me I could be more than I got to be stole from me lie to me nation hypocrisy Kendrick’s 
references to his mother embody this song’s   overall theme about empowering black women Like 
Beyonce said in the pre chorus I’m telling these tears gone fall away fall away when the last one 
burning to flames His cries are eerily similar to sing about me I’m dying of thirst I may allude to 
Tupac song for dear mama and ride for me This set of lines uses syllables with accents in groups 
of threes continuing his lyrical countdown in his verse J there is so much in this man and I 
cannot believe it’s only now that I’m hearing this like stole from me lied to me nation hypocrisy 
Americans stop America stole from Kendrick’s ancestors through the use of slave labor and then 
lied to their descendants like Kendrick with the   promise of equal access to the American dream in 
March 2016 it was revealed a former Nixon domestic policy adviser admitted to Harper Bizarre then 
Harper magazine in 94 that the war on was really a war on Africa African-American communities You 
want to know what this was really about the Nixon campaign in 1968 and and the Nixon White House 
after that had two enemies The anti-war left and black people You understand what I’m saying we 
knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either   against the war or black But by getting the public 
to associate the hippies with and blacks with and then criminalizing both heavily we could disrupt 
those communities We could arrest their leaders raid their homes break up their meetings and 
vilify them night after night on the evening   news Did we know we weren’t lying about them 
of course we did Wow Wow Wow Cold on me drive on me wicked my spirit inspired me Like Kendrick 
explains that the spirits of past icons motivates him The spirits are like African-American leaders 
like Malcolm X Tupac Kendrick’s Idol and Martin   Luther King Jr who have all taken stances on 
black empowerment like Kendrick has On Mortal Man Kendrick’s interview with Tupac explained 
deeper about spirits Because the spirits we ain’t even really rapping We’re just letting our dead 
homies tell stories for us But the actions taken by past activists Kendrick draws inspiration from 
them and hopes to make an impact as big as they did Open correctional gates in higher desert It 
is common for prisons to be built in the middle of the desert like the high desert state prison in 
California Did not know that by comparing slavery to open prison gates Kendrick shows the false 
self-confidence the African-American community has been given This simile displays African-Americans 
as being free Yet they are still not given the chance to succeed because of the position 
they’ve been placed in Oh my god Oh my god I just I’m I’m just flawed that it’s taken me 
this long to really again because like rap and and like I knew he was on the track and stuff 
but it just didn’t it just didn’t feel to me as much as Beyonce’s vocals I mean wow Open our mind 
as we cast away oppression Yeah Open the streets and watch our beliefs Racism discrimination 
and oppression have continued to come to the forefront of the media even more so in the 
streets as they’re assumed too dangerous full   of and riddled with gangster personas Kendrick 
himself is from the hood growing up in Compton California Someone who made it out of the hood 
and is successful He knows the possibilities of a dreamer from the hood but we may not He asks us 
and whoever may may not fully understand what’s happening in the world to change our ways and 
welcome equality By opening the streets one is able to see the reality of the situation 
which is that people with beliefs dreams hope etc live there not the image bigots portray 
them as Wow I the streets and what I believe you cry my name inside the concrete I pray 
forever reads Fighting against oppression and racism has highlighted Kendrick’s recent 
work in particular 2015 to pimp a butterfly As an activist and spokesperson for black 
empowerment Kendrick hopes that when he dies   and his name is carved into tombstone he’ll 
still be known for fighting for freedom Wow How long has that been that’s been an hour 
That has been an hour in trying to understand like and trying to soak in as much from that 
performance as possible Like my plan was to um check out the Renaissance concert which I still 
will do but I’m going to need to recharge my phone   I’m going to need to get a drink um that’s 
just one song off that Lemonade album and what that represents and what what it continues 
to represent for people because we can’t well I don’t know about you guys but I can’t pretend and 
say that like the world is like suddenly better   than it was in 2016 Do you know what I mean like 
if anything there are decidedly more like very visible problems when it comes to things like race 
and and um and you know like financial equality and all sorts and stuff So you know to to to 
listen to watch that back Yeah To watch that back and to have two artists that are using their 
platform to continue to to talk about these things um and to be so intentional in that But again 
it’s so easily missed I’m such a huge Beyonce fan and as much as I got the gist of Freedom and 
what it was trying to say whatever like like all the different specific messages within that like 
like I’d missed them It’s only by going through this today and like looking at what like all 
the different elements of that performance and   then all the different bits of Kendrick’s verse 
and all the different parts of what Beyonce was referencing and and and and not just in terms of 
again racial equality or black empowerment but also like again in the context of her talking 
about her marriage and the infidelity that   happened with her and Jay-Z Um so that’s just one 
song people And when I say that I’m excited to go and see her on Thursday these are the reasons why 
Because she’s continued to show up She’s continued to put out there and continued to to almost like 
allow herself to be villainized to be attacked to be all sorts I mean just I mean don’t get me 
started on what her even daring to bring out a country album like something that she’s steeped 
in like meant for her Actual accolade of it didn’t really matter because the history has already been 
laid But to know that actually all that hard work all that passion all that determination in the 
face of adversity in the face of someone even doubling down to say “Do you know what you see you 
see you you and your Jackson 5 nose like Okay I tell you what Yeah you are not even going to get 
nominated for nothing Yeah you’re not even going   to get nominated for nothing That’s how much that 
we don’t rate you don’t want you don’t need you You’re not even going to get nominated for nothing 
There was a guy I recognize his face but I can’t   remember his name He was like listen you know 
you want to be part of us come be part of us I mean come be part of us You know we’d love to see 
more of you Does it make sense that you have to   say that you have to come and do that in order for 
this body of work to qualify for what it actually is you can miss me with that And even now there’s 
still so many people that that will hate on her because of the fact that she dared that she dared 
to explore her own roots her own musical roots and bring out something which so many people clearly 
love So yeah that was incredible Um and I’m really glad I took the time to um to go through that 
So uh Brenda thank you Um and to anyone else who’s watching with me I hope you enjoyed that too 
because that opened many of my eyes that I thought   was already open to how sick Beyonce was but wow 
And Kendrick too man Like wow Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow Um I would love to know what you guys thought 
of this Um if you did enjoy this reaction then   please do drop me a like and subscribe That’d be 
amazing Thank you Um and if you do want access to my reactions before they come to YouTube then 
please do head over uh to my Patreon uh which is a great way to help support the channel and it’s a 
great way to connect with me more as well But yeah   for now thank you so much for watching if you did 
Um and uh yeah hopefully I’ll see you on the next me

‘Freedom’ from Beyoncé & Kendrick is an anthem, but this deep dive showed me JUST how much!

👉🏾 Do you love you some Beyoncé too? If so, click here for more Beyoncé reactions https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu36EP8LFeo5N9f_HUv2SQwGxIMUzP-Na

So this was last Wednesday night, 11th June, 2025 – the eve before Beyoncé took to Tottenham Stadium in London for the 4th night… and my first time getting to see the monumental ‘Cowboy Carter’ album in FULL Beyoncé Effect! But how, I asked myself, could I best ready myself for such a sure-to-be, incredible experience? Well, my Patreon Member Brenda has asked me to react to ‘Freedom’ Beyoncé and Kendrick’s live BET performance back in 2016… I thought I was ready, but I was not! Let me know what you guys thought below! 👇🏾

Chapters
0:00 – 0:59 ‘Coming Up’
0:59 – 2:45 Intro
2:45 – 18:05 ‘Freedom’ (Live at 2016 BET Awards) Reaction & Review
18:05 – 56:36 ‘Freedom’ (2016 BET Awards) Lyrics Review & Analysis
56:36 – 1:00:00 Final Thoughts
1:00:00 – 1:00:55 Outro

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🐝 If you’re like me, I’ve been a HUGE fan of Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé since I was 13! Come watch more Beyoncé reactions with me here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu36EP8LFeo5N9f_HUv2SQwGxIMUzP-Na

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