Assignment 23- Jasir Rahman- La Musica Narrativa

This is the perfect playlist for those who enjoy narratives and lyricism in their music.  They descend into more and more tragic songs in this order, but you could probably reverse the order if you would like to crescendo into more upbeat songs (although the stipulation is that you have to listen to the 4 Your Eyez Only tracks in the correct order of "Change" and then "4 Your Eyez Only").

"Duckworth" by Kendrick Lamar - The more I listen to this track the more tightly written I realize it is.  It tells the story of how Kendrick Lamar and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith's paths intersected long before Kendrick was signed onto TDE.  Kenny Duckworth, Lamar's father, worked at a KFC which was robbed by Tiffith the year before.  Tiffith had evaded murder charges and was planning on robbing the same shop.  Fortunately, Kenny recognized Tiffith and provided free chicken and extra biscuits to get on his good side and avoid getting robbed and potentially killed.  The omniscient narrator throughout the track is revealed to be Kendrick, as he makes the realization that if Kenny hadn't had such forethought then Tiffith would've killed his father, causing Tiffith to get a life sentence and never start Top Dawg Entertainment, and Kendrick would not have a father figure.  The positive outcome of this story relative to those that follow why I placed it at the top of the playlist.

"Ross Cappichioni" by Joyner Lucas - Initially, the song is from Cappichioni's perspective as he navigates being bullied in high school and finds someone who he thinks is a friend.  Their friendship develops throughout the song until Cappichioni gives his friend a ride in his Uncle's old car to the notorious east side of Detroit.  Then comes the twist, he is betrayed and shot by his friend as part of a gang initiation.  Then the song's timeline reverses and retells the story from the perspective of his shooter.  The parallelism in rhyme schemes demonstrates the two very different worlds the characters in the story come from.  Having Ross Cappichioni placed at this point in the album begins the descent into the tragic story of the 4 Your Eyez Only tracks, as Cappichioni suffered but his fate is left ambiguous as the police arrive (although a Google search will tell you he survived and proper justice was enforced).

"Once an Addict" by J. Cole (yes we are rounding it out with 3 Cole tracks, but he's a lyrical genius with a lot to say and it's my playlist) - Cole gets personal in this track, talking about his mother's struggle with substance abuse during his youth.  He discusses the pain he felt seeing her in her drunken state, with her being his only role model in life.  Cole would stay out late and try to avoid confrontation as it would stave off the pain, hoping that addiction resolves with time.  Looking back, he wishes that he would've interfered more so maybe he could help his mother.  This provides a bit of context regarding Cole's homelife before we enter into the final 2 tracks.

Note to a potential future listener:
The album 4 Your Eyez Only is meant to be listened to in its entirety for the full impact to be felt.  If you are only going to listen to 2 songs from the track, they are "Change" and "4 Your Eyez Only."  While "Change" can function on its own without "4 Your Eyez Only," it is much more powerful when they are both experienced either within the context of the album or one after the other, and "4 Your Eyez Only" may be a bit confusing for those who don't know the context of the album or "Change." 
Also, spoiler warning for the album.

"Change" by J. Cole - This track is the crux of J. Cole's 2016 album 4 Your Eyez Only.  Cole takes on the perspective of James McMillan Jr, a formerly convicted African-American who has turned back to a life of crime.  We learn that he has good intentions, he has a baby girl on the way who he wants to support.  He has premonitions about his fate if he continues this life, but he is hopeful that he can fall out of a vicious cycle of incarceration and perhaps death.  At the end of a track, McMillan is involved in a botched drug deal and is killed in a shootout.  The song slows as the full weight of the tragedy (which is much more powerful if the whole album is listened to) is understood by the listeners, and we transition to his funeral.  He was 22.

"4 Your Eyez Only" by J. Cole - This 7-minute track that shares its name with the album it's on is chilling.  It is a concept track in which Cole takes the perspective of James McMillan Jr, a character based off of one of Cole's childhood friends.  McMillan died in the aforementioned song "Change" and this is a prerecorded track meant for his daughter in the event of his untimely death.  He laments over the circumstances that lead him to make this track and expands the message to a critique of the criminal justice system. 

Placing the songs from 4 Your Eyez Only at the bottom of the playlist rounds out the overall narrative theme because they provide a more developed overall narrative as they work in tandem.