Trap speaks the minimal language of opulence, glory, and escapism. This is why making a mumble-esque post- To Pimp a Butterfly trap song filled with ad-libs from some of rap’s youngest trap stars makes sense. Glover's not allowing you to eat the pie without tasting the crust to enjoy this black joy is to also confront the dread of black pain to know this country's history is to know it's built upon stolen bodies, stolen culture, and merciless force. While partying, while dancing, while trying to find pleasure in your personal paradise, you can’t ignore the darkness.
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Here lies what I believe was Glover’s overarching intent: to find the most absurd, painstaking way of saying, “Don’t get caught slipping.” I consider this description fitting of “This Is America,” except the nano-dystopia occurs within a warehouse and focuses on the state of America rather than Earth. It is, in its way, a nano-dystopia a world gone horrifically wrong inside just one house.” “ Mother! rises to the occasion of the present moment, emanating a sense of deep dread and rolling panic over the course of its runtime. Vulture critic Abraham Riesman said this about the movie: It doesn’t do this with ease or grace, but through extreme absurdity within swirling madness. Without giving away any spoilers, Mother! dares the viewer to question humanity's relationship with art, obsessive worship, and Mother Earth. The scenes that follow took me back to the second half of Mother!, the extremely controversial and deeply analyzed film by Darren Aronofsky. Often it feels as if the only way black men and women go viral is through the latest dance craze or the latest recorded murder. By following the execution with a dance, Glover is showing us how black youth express joy in the midst of madness. There’s no innocence to be broken when guns are accessible, and murder is everywhere. Not because of movies, video games, or gangsta rap, but because it's in their classrooms, on their cellphones, and right outside their homes. The children who remove Glover’s gun and dispose of the body appear to represent how grotesque acts of violence are commonplace, even to kids. “Best-case scenario, the show is just a show that makes people aware.” -Donald Glover (" Donald Glover Can't Save You," 2018) Glover brings forth memories of the past that show the long history of theft, mimicry, and murder associated with America and black identity. It also could be a nod to Thomas Rice, the slave-mimicking, blackface-wearing white man who became renowned for his performance of “Jumping Jim Crow.” Thomas stole the song and dance from slaves and was able to become a moderate sensation in the early 1830s. The illusion of peace isn’t the only mirage Glover was breaking with the first murder by mimicking the Jim Crow pose and following with the execution he visually references a ceiling America created to restrict the growth and destroy the bodies of their black citizens.
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The difference is that you do not have the privilege of living in ignorance of this essential fact." -Ta-Nehisi Coates ( Between the World and Me, 2015) And to varying degrees this is true of all life. You have been cast into a race in which the wind is always at your face and the hounds are always at your heels. "I am sorry that I cannot save you - but not that sorry. The gunshot shatters the peace while the song is swallowed by aggressive bass and menacing percussion, and anarchic elements add to the feeling of sudden catastrophe. When Glover pulls his gun, strikes the Jim Crow-esque pose, and murders the innocent black guitar player execution-style, it's visually disturbing. Illusions are comforting-they are the lies created to escape the truth.
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There's comfort in the saccharine sound and simple sentiment. It’s tranquil as an angel’s hum, like the trap-Gospel version of Biggie’s “Party and Bullshit.” The illusion of peace begins “This Is America.” Melodic guitar strums complement the soft, soulful singing that repeats the desire to party and get paid.