Kendrick Lamar's "The Heart Part 5" Video Hidden Meanings
Spot 7 Easter Eggs in Kendrick Lamar's "The Heart Part 5" Video
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"The Heart Part 5" uses an easily-identifiable sample of Gaye's "I Want You" single — the leading track off his 1976 album of the same name. Similar to the classic song, the lyrics from Lamar's track allude to giving love and wanting it to be reciprocated, too — specifically, from his own people. "(I want, I want, I want, I want) / But I want you to want me too (I want, I want, I want, I want) / I want the hood to want me back (I want, I want, I want, I want)," he raps.
The message behind the sample connects to the deepfake technology Lamar employs to portray the select famous Black celebrities in his video. In reference to the quote Lamar shares at the start of the music video ("I am. All of us."), he represents these figures while seemingly calling for more compassion to their complex circumstances. In a time where vulnerability in hip-hop, especially among Black men, is not often widely-represented, Lamar's use of Gaye's sample alongside these figures calls for more love for those who may need it most.
Another hidden meaning inspired by Gaye's song is the deep shade of red used as the backdrop for the music video; it's a nod to the same colour used for Gaye's "I Want You" album cover.