In the beginning of the video we see that the video will be in black and white. The fact that the video is in black and white can be interpreted in two ways. It shows how this song could divide the races and that is why you can see the two colors clearly and it also shows how the song is going to be “black and white” or honest about the situations it talks about. You also hear Kendrick screaming. The way he screamed was a representation of the screams of the mothers in the street after time and time again of black males being killed by police. Kendrick says “I remember you was conflicted…miss using your influence,” in the context of the whole album it is clear that he is acting as his own conscious talking to himself. Before this album his music didn’t really have meaning and everyone was listening to his music mindlessly so he was “miss using” his influence that he had on the youth by not speaking on real world topics for the youth to learn from. Also right after he says “miss using your influence,” there is a visual of 3 young black boys riding their bikes downhill. So because of what Kendrick used to rap about they chose to follow him and their lives are going downhill. But this a direct contrast from later in the video after Kendrick has rapped a positive message those same 3 boys are seen going uphill and looking up at Kendrick because no he has turned around his message. Throughout the video Kendrick is floating through the streets which could be seen as him rising from the street life to deliver a positive message. The hook of the song “we gone be alright” is a direct message to the black community because of the deaths of so many of our black brothers and sisters to police violence. He is saying we have been here before, referring to how many of us died in slavery, and we made it through so we will make it through this as well. The second verse’s first 4 bars are the devil speaking to Kendrick saying that he is his friend and he can give Kendrick anything he wants. The devil knows the influence Kendrick has on his audience and the devil wants that control. As the man of faith that he is, Kendrick can “see the evil” and sees right through the devil’s attempt to tempt him. Kendrick is no longer afraid of the devil because he knows the God has him even with all the wrong he has done. He is now using his platform to glorify God and we begin to see more boys look up at Kendrick. At the end of the video Kendrick is standing on top of the street light with all these kids looking up at him and the police officer shoots him and he falls from the top with his finger symbolizing the power their index finger on the trigger of the gun. So we see how the video wants to convey a sense that the police are killing us that are being watched by the most people, for example Alton Sterling.
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