How the Bigger Picture Is Relevant
On May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an African American male by the name of George Floyd was wrongfully murdered by a police officer, Derik Chauvin, during an arrest. Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and forty six seconds while Floyd was struggling and repeatedly stating that he couldn’t breathe. About six minutes into Chauvin’s hold, Floyd fell unresponsive, and was later pronounced dead. The video footage taken of Floyd’s death went viral and led to a massive outpour in national protests. Many people spoke out on the wrongful death and expressed their frustration and disappointment in their justice system in more ways than one. Atlanta rap artist, Lil Baby, expressed his frustration in the song he wrote, “The Bigger Picture,” which addressed the systematic racism, injustice, and even his experience with the justice system as a young African American man.
Relationship Between Sound, Color, and Text
Lil Baby took control of today’s sound by igniting a light in not only his Atlanta community, but throughout the nation. The Bigger Picture’s music video was just as strong as the words that were written. The video opens up with the protestors chanting the slogan, “I can’t breathe,” a phrase that originated from the death of Eric Garner, another unarmed black man who was wrongfully killed in 2014. This phrase has now been linked with unconstitutional racism and the oppression towards African Americans. The video also opens up with recordings of news feeds on protests that have been happening which amplifies the importance of what’s happening in our nation. Throughout the music video, the picture continues to shift between black and white and color. Original black and white television ended in 1967 which was around the same time as the Civil Rights era. The Civil Rights era was a time where African Americans were pursuing the same equal and just rights as their white counterparts. This continuous shift shows that not much has changed since then, and African Americans continue to find themselves still fighting for much of the same things. Lil Baby’s message is just as important. He states in his message, “I find it crazy the police will shoot you and know that you dead, but still tell you to freeze.” This makes a reference to how police will shoot first and then ask questions later. That is a huge issue in predominantly African American communities. Lil Baby’s overall message is that we need to address these issues and begin making change.
Structure of the Media and Its Theme
The structure of this form of media is around systemic racism. Systemic racism is formed around the roots of how this country was created. It was created on the basis of slavery which shaped the construct of African American lives for generation after generation. Lil Baby made a comparison of the mass incarceration system to the treatment of dogs. He said that you are given the same small space as dogs, told when to eat, and when not to eat. His words depict images that the shackles that African Americans were brought over in are very similar to the handcuffs that our justice system, which was created to serve and protect us, locks many African Americans up in. Lil Baby says, “I be judging by the mind and heart. I ain’t really into faces.” This statement places emphasis that this is a national problem, and it’s bigger than the surface. These words run with the chorus of his song which states that “it’s bigger than black and white. It’s a problem with the whole way of life.” This whole way of life ties back in with how systemic racism was created in the first place. It’s a psychological issue that has been planted into our subconscious. This means that it is possible to be unintentionally racist. That’s how systemic racism was structured around the song to extract the theme.
Its Impact on Its Purpose
Ultimately, the video’s purpose is to bring awareness to the Bigger Picture. We’re living in an unjust system where racial prejudice and bias still exist, but the problem is bigger than race. The United States has a complex set of issues not just between African Americans and white people, but social constructs, racial affiliations, sexuality, and political differences. The Bigger Picture brings awareness. It’s a step. Lil Baby says, “It can’t change overnight. But we gotta start somewhere. Might as well go ‘head start here. We done had a hell of a year.” We need to look at the progress we aim to make and the change we seek in the years to come. It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but it can happen. We have to start somewhere. That was the purpose of this song and video.
Conclusion
The Bigger Picture was a message and a testimony to our nation that we can do better. Lil Baby took control of today’s sound and made it into something purposeful and meaningful. He addressed systemic racism and brought awareness to the complex issues that the United States has through his words and imagery in the music video. This is a song that may never get old.
Works Cited
King, N., & Pearson, V. (2020, October 21). Lil baby on taking music apart to see ‘the bigger picture’. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/923944010/lil-baby-my-turn-bigger-picture-criminal-justice
Miki Hellerbach·TRACKS·June 13, 2., Also, S., & Tracks. (2020, June 13). Lil baby Drops Black Lives Matter protest song, “the bigger picture”. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2020/06/music/tracks-lil-baby-the-bigger-picture/
Holmes, C. (2020, June 12). Lil baby always had a lot to say — you just weren’t paying attention. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lil-baby-the-bigger-picture-1014126/
George Floyd: What happened in the final moments of his life. (2020, July 16). Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52861726
Says:, A., Says:, S., Says:, A., Says:, T., Says:, S., Says:, P., . . . *, N. (2021, January 08). The decline of black and white TV: National science and Media Museum. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/the-decline-of-black-and-white-tv/
Jordyn Hill Digital Media Literacy 