Analysis Of The Song Crooked Smile

Seven-year old Aiyana slept in the living room couch of her Detroit-bound home, when a swarm of SWAT team members invaded the site. In a matter of seconds, a bullet released by the officer Joseph Weekley, stroke Aiyana in the head. Her family had to witness the bloody scene for dreadful, lingering moments, while her father was forced to lie on the floor surrounded by his child’s blood. In the song, “Crooked Smile”, dedicated to the young victim, the artist, J. Cole, approaches the damaging outcomes of judgement, and the divisions it has imposed onto society. Prior to the first verse, the song’s hook projects the ambience of the tune:“You were the one that was trying to keep me way down, but like the Sun know you know I found my way back ‘round.” The line depicts oppression of an …show more content…
The artist commences to criticize the negligence of the American system towards the common people: “Seem like half the race is either on probation, or in jail-Hey officer, man, we don’t want nobody getting killed, just open up that cell.” The use of an overstatement to describe his observations, suggest his concern for the human race amid the massed-out violence and incarceration of individuals of color (“the race”). The comparison of two differentially valued problems in our society paved way for the union of this song’s absolute message. In its entirety , “Crooked Smile”, communicates a single idea: the collateral damages of the modern world ambient. From insecurity to violence and much of the tragedies we see on the news, all originate from our prejudistic nature; the differences in color, size and race, which are responded to with hate towards one another. Cole believes it is time to embrace flaws and not subdue them; In order to end the promote of violence, it is crucial that we destroy the social segregation we’ve created out of hate for those different from