Joyner Lucas - Charles Battiste
Joyner Lucas
Lyrics:
I'm Not Racist
Devil's Work
Question: How does Joyner Lucas use contrasting perspectives and emotional appeals in “I’m Not Racist” and “Devil’s Work” to challenge listeners’ beliefs about race, justice, and morality, and what effect does the structure of each song have on how those messages are received?
The songs "I’m Not Racist" and "Devil’s Work" use emotional intensity and different viewpoints to make listeners see the uncomfortable truths that exist in society according to Joyner Lucas. The song "I’m Not Racist" uses its two opposing viewpoints which show a white conservative perspective and a Black viewpoint to create direct confrontational parts. This structure allows listeners to hear arguments that may seem offensive or biased but also realistic which reflect conversations that occur in everyday life. The back-and-forth format shows how each viewpoint contains contradictions because it demonstrates that people fail to understand each other through insufficient communication. The song "Devil's Work" presents a personal and reflective tone because Lucas uses the song to create a prayer which he offers to God. He expresses his frustration and confusion about why positive important figures without harmful attributes die too early while bad people continue to live. The emotional appeal presents a more sorrowful and introspective experience than the direct approach which "I’m Not Racist" presents. The songs both discuss injustice because "I’m Not Racist" highlights racial social divisions while "Devil’s Work" develops into greater moral themes and human loss and life unpredictability.
The structure of each song determines how listeners will understand its message and emotional content. In "I'm Not Racist" the conversational format allows listeners to experience a real argument which creates a dual effect of better engagement and increased discomfort. The absence of a traditional chorus keeps the focus on the dialogue itself, forcing the listener to pay attention to every line and perspective being presented. The message becomes more immediate when delivered through this approach because it represents actual racial discussions from everyday life. "Devil's Work" uses a continuous monologue structure which resembles prayer and confession. The steady rhythm of the repetition establishes Lucas's serious questioning because it highlights the emotional impact of his statements. The lyrics which both songs contain show authority through their direct opposition to social norms because they require listeners to examine the main topics which the songs present. The two songs use emotional appeal as their main connection point, but they achieve this through distinct methods, with one song using direct confrontation and the other song using thoughtful examination. Lucas established his song structure and style for all his songs, which he used to show his capacity for showing complex concepts through various methods. The deliberate structure choice empowers both songs to create enduring effects on the audience while promoting serious reflection about the themes he explores.
Prompt 1: The most noticeable feature of both songs shows how Joyner Lucas uses unfiltered words to describe his true feelings. The first line of "I'm Not Racist" establishes an aggressive tone through its opening words which show his character's disrespectful attitude toward Black people. "I don't have pity for you Black niggas" Joyner uses this line to create a shocking experience which forces listeners to recognize existing racial bias. The song presents its counterargument through the line "You don't know what its like to be in a frying pan" which uses metaphor to show the pressure Black people experience from systemic oppression. The two opposing lyrics show different ways people understand situations which creates an emotional connection between the two parties involved in the conversation. The song "Devil's Work" uses visual elements to create a more spiritual atmosphere which develops through the line "I'm staring at this Bible as I keep glancing. Dear Lord, I got questions and I need answers" Lucas speaks to God in a questioning tone. The repeated mentions of choosing between good and evil refer to divine choices and create a powerful feeling of ethical uncertainty. The artist uses his personal experiences with death by mentioning deceased people to make his work feel real and emotionally powerful which makes listeners consider the actual human loss. Lucas uses urban language together with symbolic imagery to create more powerful messages in his songs through his use of both elements.
Prompt 5: The point of view in both songs produces different meanings for their content. In “I’m Not Racist,” Joyner Lucas uses multiple voices to show different viewpoints which he will not judge until later. The listener must decode the message while they identify the present bias. The song “Devil's Work” presents a single viewpoint which Lucas uses to address God while he shares his deep personal feelings of frustration and grief. This method establishes a closer bond between the audience and the performer which creates a more personal connection. The emotional impact of both songs would disappear if the music switched to new perspectives because “Devil's Work” needs to preserve its single voice. The story of “I’m Not Racist” would lose its complex and powerful effect if it presented only one character's viewpoint.
Works Cited
Lucas, Joyner. “I’m Not Racist Lyrics.” Genius, https://genius.com/Joyner-lucas-im-not-racist-lyrics.
Lucas, Joyner. “Devil’s Work Lyrics.” Genius, https://genius.com/Joyner-lucas-devils-work-lyrics.
In “I’m Not Racist” Joyner Lucas directly uses contrasting perspectives to depict a confrontation between a white man and a black man. The white man has more conservative, stereotypical beliefs, “All the Black guys’d rather be deadbeats than pay your bills,” (I’m Not Racist). The music video also shows this, supporting the lyrics perspective. The man tries justifying his perspective several times with lines like, “I’m not racist, my sister’s boyfriend’s Black,” (I’m Not Racist). The way the situation is set up plays to emotional appeals. By showing confrontation and aggression, the listeners feel discomfort but engaged. “Devil’s Work” points to a structural problem within society. It starts with a religious tone to portray a feeling of betrayal. He Joyner Lucas uses lines like, “We supposed to be your children, I thought we family,” and “You’re supposed to be my Father,” (Devil’s Work). These lines not only suggest unhappiness within a religious perspective but also a political and societal one. There is an idea that the government is not doing enough for people along with the emotions that follow and how it is unfair to the public. Also, while it illudes to blaming the government for several major issues in America, such as homelessness, the lyrics create an image of him questioning God for why this is happening to people. From this we should consider that he is upset with other people or large figures in society and how they are negatively affecting society, whether they are a political or religious figure. He is upset with the system that was created. Both of these songs make listeners think about their own beliefs, emotions, and whether they believe in what is being stated in the lyrics. It questions their personal experiences by him stating his observations. “I’m Not Racist” and “Devil’s Work” does this with two moods, aggression vs desperation respectively, but they both achieve the effect of self-reflection within the audience.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Lucas, Joyner. “I’m Not Racist Lyrics.” Genius, https://genius.com/Joyner-lucas-im-not-racist-lyrics.
Lucas, Joyner. “Devil’s Work Lyrics.” Genius, https://genius.com/Joyner-lucas-devils-work-lyrics.
I think Joyner Lucas uses both of these songs to really make people stop and think about what they believe by making everything feel real and kind of uncomfortable at the same time. In “I’m Not Racist,” the back-and-forth between the two perspectives feels like a real argument you could actually hear in real life, which is what makes it hit harder. When he says, “I don’t have pity for you Black niggas,” it’s meant to be shocking and show how those kinds of beliefs actually exist (Lucas). Then when the other side responds with “You don’t know what it’s like to be in a frying pan,” it shows the pressure and struggles that people don’t always see or understand (Lucas). That contrast kind of forces you to think more instead of just picking a side right away. Also, the fact that there’s no real chorus keeps all the focus on what’s being said, so every line actually matters. On the other hand, “Devil’s Work” feels way more personal since it’s like he’s talking directly to God the whole time. When he says, “Dear Lord, I got questions and I need answers,” you can really feel how frustrated and confused he is about how unfair things can be (Lucas). The structure of that song makes it feel more like he’s thinking out loud instead of arguing with someone. Overall, Lucas uses both perspectives and emotion to make people really step back and think about race, justice, and what’s right or wrong instead of just ignoring it.
ReplyDeleteYour post does a really good job explaining how Joyner Lucas uses different perspectives and emotions in both songs, and I like how you pointed out the contrast between the argument style and the prayer style. One thing I would add is that in "I’m Not Racist" the structure kind of makes the listener feel uncomfortable on purpose because you are hearing strong and biased opinions and then immediately hearing the other side respond. That back and forth makes it feel real and can make people reflect on things they have heard or even thought before. It is not just showing misunderstanding, it is making the listener question where they stand in the conversation. In "Devil’s Work" the structure feels more controlled and emotional because he keeps building on his questions to God like "Dear Lord, I got questions and I need answers" ("Devil's Work"). He also brings up specific people which makes the message feel more personal and real. This makes the listener focus more on fairness and why bad things happen instead of arguing between two sides. I think this is important because one song leaves you thinking about your own beliefs while the other pushes you to think about justice and morality. I think your post explains the differences well and these examples just show even more how the structure affects the message!
ReplyDeleteHey, CJ, excellent song and artist choice. To answer the question of multiple perspectives, "I'm not Racist" is built on that principle. The song and music video is set so the first half of the song is a white man's perspective on stereotypes towards black people and the second half is the opposite with a black man speaking on white stereotypes. It attempts to appeals to emotion with the repeated line "I'm not racist....". Immediately following the I'm not racist line is another stereotype, showing the line used as a pillow to the blatant racism. In "Devil's Work" Joyner Lucas discusses the scarcity of good people and how they typically are dealt bad hands. He starts off as him talking to God, and the rest of the songs follows as him questioning God on the bad things happening to good people.
ReplyDeleteJoyner Lucas uses a white supremacist perspective in the first section of "I'm Not Racist", and points out a series of negative stereotypes against black people. He then contrasts this voice with a black perspective showing what black americans experience and explains the reality of how those stereotypes come to be. For example the white voice states, "And you'd rather sell drugs than get a job" (Lucas), while from a black person's perspective, "Tryna find a job but ain't nobody call me back yet / Now I gotta sell drugs to put food in my cabinet" (Lucas). This is one example of how the song is written in a way where there is a confrontational tone between the two voices. In the "Devil's Work", the song comes from a frustrated perspective and the audience is God. He writes, "Dear Lord, I got questions and I need answers," addressing his struggles to understand why bad things happen to good people, while bad people get to continue on with their lives. He highlights an unfairness with life, social injustice, and racism within the song.
ReplyDeleteJoyner Lucas uses contrasting perspectives and emotional appeals in “I’m Not Racist” and “Devil’s Work” to challenge listeners’ beliefs about race, justice, and morality in distinct but powerful ways. He uses two-sided dialogue in “I’m Not Racist” to show white people who stereotype him and complain about him before he shows Black people who provide historical knowledge with their personal experiences. The two contrasting elements create a situation where listeners must face their hidden biases because they must learn that people become separated through misunderstandings and failures to show compassion. The emotional appeal creates discomfort through its presentation of opposing viewpoints which compels the audience to evaluate their existing beliefs. Lucas uses a different method in “Devil’s Work” through his continuous vocal performance which addresses God with an angry and sad tone. He creates emotional impact through his description of actual events and his inquiry about the reasons behind enduring injustice which results in feelings of sorrow and ethical uncertainty. The song structure which resembles a prayer or plea creates an emotional connection to the message that makes it feel more intimate than direct argumentation. The different structural elements of dialogue and monologue lead to distinct ways of understanding each message which one way supports critical evaluation and the other way leads listeners to reflect on their emotional and ethical values.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Lucas, Joyner. “I’m Not Racist Lyrics.” Genius, https://genius.com/Joyner-lucas-im-not-racist-lyrics.
Lucas, Joyner. “Devil’s Work Lyrics.” Genius, https://genius.com/Joyner-lucas-devils-work-lyrics.
Joyner Lucas uses contrasting perspectives in "I'm Not Racist" by having two sides to his song. The start of the song is the viewpoint of a stereotypical, racist, white person. One thing that stood out to me about the song, although much did, was how they both saw 2pac. The second half of the song is the point of view of the black man speaking out about how the white people make it about them; like bringing "Screaming, "All Lives Matter," is a protest to my protest, what kind of shit is that?" This shows how it's like an argument, but they see two different sides. Going back to how they both see 2Pac, the "white man" states "But you ride 2Pac's dick like he was a fuckin' god, oh, my God /And all you care about is rappin' and stuntin' and bein ratchet," but the black man contradicts that statement by stating "Yeah, I praise 2Pac like he was a fuckin' god/ He was fighting for his life way before he fuckin' died," This stood out to me because it shows 2Pac getting judged just based off how he looks and might see "T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E" and assume that being a thug is what his music and his message surrounds rather than what he actually stood for.
ReplyDeleteIn "Devil's Work," it expresses Lucas' frustration. This song is seen as him speaking to God, but it shadows him speaking out about the government. It shows frustration by mentioning lots of names that were failed by the justice system. One of those being Emmit Till, who was falsely accused of trying to hit on a white woman and was later lynched, while being 14. "But if you took Emmett Till, at least take Dylann Roof" Dylann roof being a racist whom shot up a church in hopes of a "race war", the lyric is strong and shows that emotional appeal that Lucas shares, the frustration of basically saying constantly in "devil's work" "if you took him for something he did not do, why not take someone who caused casualties to also be 'taken'".
I think Joyner Lucas uses both songs to really make people think, even if it feels uncomfortable. In “I’m Not Racist,” the two perspectives make it feel like a real argument, like something people actually say in real life. When he says, “I don’t have pity for you Black people,” it sounds very harsh, but I think he does that on purpose to show how some people truly think, even if it’s wrong. Then the other side responds with, “You don’t know what it’s like to be in a frying pan,” which shows the pressure and struggles that Black people experience. In “Devil’s Work,” the tone is much more emotional and personal, especially when he says, “Dear Lord, I got questions and I need answers,” because it feels like he is honestly confused and looking for understanding. Instead of arguing with someone, he is talking to God and questioning why bad things happen to good people. I think the structure of each song matters because “I’m Not Racist” feels like a back-and-forth debate, while “Devil’s Work” feels more like a serious prayer. Both songs make people think about race, justice, and morality, just in different ways. Overall, I think Joyner Lucas is trying to get listeners to stop ignoring these issues and really think more deeply about them.
ReplyDeleteHey Cj great song choices. I think you can also look at how Joyner pictures the two men. The young black man has dreadlocks. Wears casual street clothes, which is what people usually think a Black person looks like. The white man wears a red hat, which led me to think of the MAGA hats implying that he might be conservative. By dressing them like this Joyner Lucas is making the audience think about what side they align with. The way they look is like the opposite of what they say in the song.It shows how fast people judge someone just by how they look. It is like they are playing parts that society gave them of being themselves. The stereotypes make the conversation feel real but uncomfortable because they are like real problems.
DeleteWhile in devils work Joyner Lucas is basically crying out to God. I assume he feels deserted or abandoned he speaks about how life is not fair and why do Good people die. He is walking in the church seeming hopeless and alone in this world! Sorry for the late response!