Mister_Jay_Tee
Proud Member
This song, unreleased as of now, but leaked since 2020, paints a vivid picture. Note these details from Genius:
On “Pray,” Kendrick Lamar reflects over “the voices of art” and personifies a song by Michael Jackson and a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., respectively. In each of the first two verses, Lamar mentions two dates that relate to the lives of each man—The Jackson 5’s “ABC” released on February 24, 1970, and MLK delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.
Kendrick uses every verse to explore how the media is quick to dismiss an artist’s contributions to society due to their personal shortcomings—he specifically delves into Jackson’s pedophilia accusations and King’s marital infidelity. In the final verse, Kendrick establishes that artists bring meaning to the world regardless of their individual imperfections.