The best type of art is polarizing.

Take hip-hop as an example. Even more specifically, the rapper Kendrick Lamar.

Ask your average person what they think of Kendrick’s music, and I can almost guarantee that they don’t like it. The vocals on the tracks are nothing like what we’re used to considering “music”, the lyrics seem to be superficial, and the word choice is rarely what someone outside of an urban environment would use on a daily basis.

But talk to one of Kendrick’s many fans, and they’ll proclaim him as possibly the great artist of all time.

Neither opinion is wrong. They’re just different.

I would venture to guess that the majority of the people who dislike Kendrick Lamar’s music, and the genre in general, have never taken the time to try to understand what it’s all about.

I used to like hip-hop music because it was associated with the basketball culture that I grew up in. I liked the beats, and I occasionally found a song that spoke to me about hard work and perseverance.

But after taking the time to better understand some of Kendrick Lamar’s music, I’ve been amazed by the level of complexity. The metaphors, integrated themes, character development, and plot lines rival any great movie I’ve ever seen. Add in some intricate instruments and cadences, and the albums he produces are works of art.

Yet the vast majority of Americans will never see him as more than a hood rapper who talks about sex, drugs, and violence.

And it’s the same for any worthwhile art.

Not everyone is going to agree with anything we do. Which is just fine.

You can’t please everyone.

-Brandon