Let me start by saying I love this song! I'm not sure if it is the catchy beat, or the fact that I can remember it's release, but I knew as my final song for the first genre I had to go with the Black Eyed Peas. They aren't my favorite, but in this particular song they have a message I can respect and support.
Where is the love? I think it is a valid question. And I don't think we are talking about a fairytale romance either. This song asks the tough questions - why are we in a war? why is society so corrupt? why are we letting children starve? Hard to answer, of course, but these questions need to be asked. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of the big picture so we can reevaluate our own attitudes and decisions.
As you have probably noticed, rap and hip hop are not my favorite types of music to listen to in my free time. And, although I try to avoid it, I sometimes find myself generalizing the message of all rap/hip hop into that of Tupac's "changes." I like "Where is the love?" because it reminds people like me that there is common values that can make their way into any genre. So, is this a hip hop song about faith and prayer?! Why yes it is. While I'm not sure how much the CIA qualifies as a terrorist group, the song is based on real issues, and suggests real solutions. Well, maybe not solutions, but good places to start. They mention, specifically: self control and meditation ("Take control of your mind and meditate") as well as fairness and kindness ("Whatever happened to the fairness in equality/ Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity"). What better action is there? No one who is "irate" can think logically enough to go about solving the issues in their own life or in the community. This song tells us to let go of all the "madness" and remember our human nature. That is to be kind, to be generous, and to seek the help of our Maker. This song breaks the stereotype that political hip hop and rap consist only of hopeless, woe-is-me, I-hate-authority, everyone-else-is-racist messages.
The video and the lyrics are both quite beautiful, please take time to watch and listen. :)
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ReplyDeleteI really like this song! I don't necessarily agree with everything in it, but there were a couple of things that jumped out at me. I loved that they said, "Father, Father, Father help us; we need some guidance from above," because I think that's the answer to their question - God is the only One that can love perfectly, and if we aren't right with Him we can't love the way He wants us to love. I also like the line, "If you never know truth than you never know love." This may not be the way the Black Eyed Peas meant it, but it made me think of John 14:6, where Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Jesus IS the Truth, and until you know Him you can't truly love others in the right way. True love is not in our nature as humans, so we need God working in us and through us in order to really love Him and others. (Disclaimer: this is not to say that Christians always love perfectly, because if we don't obey Christ we will make mistakes. We have to let God lead us in everything we do. But thank God for His grace even when we mess up!)
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I loved the first line: "What's wrong with the world, Momma? People livin' like they ain't got no momma." That was a cute way to put it. :)
--Allie