Kendrick Lamar has been praised by fans for “Auntie Diaries”, one of the tracks from his newly released album Mr Morale & The Big Steppers.
The track, which discusses Lamar’s two transgender relatives, covers topics such as transphobia and homophobia.
On it, Lamar also wrestles with his own prejudices, and the usage of homophobic slurs in his early work.
The track has already proved divisive, with some listeners criticising the use of a homophobic slur within its lyrics, as well as the misgendering of the trans people referred to in the song. However, others have defended these aspects, saying that they were deliberately used to explore the nature of prejudice.
“‘Auntie Diaries’ is the first song in major support of the trans community from a rap artist as big as Kendrick and I can’t voice how happy I am for it,” wrote one person, in a tweet that has been liked nearly 10,000 times.
“So nice to hear kdot speak on these kind of issues like religion and transphobia/homophobia. Hes really using his platform in a great way. ‘Auntie Diaries’ is one of his best songs ever, people that are mad about the f slur are missing the whole point of the song,” another wrote.
“The song is groundbreaking for accepting progressive ideals in hip-hop and I appreciate Kendrick for that.”
Sports writer Khari Thompson wrote: “Yo ‘Auntie Diaries’ could be some REAL barrier-breaking stuff in hip-hop. Kendrick talking openly about his aunt and cousin transitioning and ‘choosing humanity over religion.’”
“‘Auntie Diaries’ is beautiful,” someone else wrote. “Kendrick isn’t being homophobic at all, he’s speaking on his ignorance and struggles with accepting his trans auntie. he’s telling a story about his personal growth while also publically showing support for the lgbt community.”
Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Kendrick Lamar photographed in 2018
(Getty Images for BET)
“We are not about to ‘cancel’ Kendrick over ‘Auntie Diaries’,” another person wrote. “The most powerful man in hip-hop wrote a whole song supporting trans rights and acknowledging the homophobia he participated in.
“In a genre that has a history of homophobia, this moves the convo in the right direction.”
Mr Morale & The Big Steppers is out now.
