The Feminine Musique: “These Walls”
The Feminine Musique is a series where writers analyze portrayals of women in music.
Hip-hop is often criticized for its notorious hypersexualization of women, but by looking at Kendrick Lamar's"These Walls," we can see a more nuanced understanding of the genre’s portrayal of women.
Written by Parvathy Vasudev
Kendrick Lamar opens “These Walls” with a story from his own past –– a time he considers one of his lowest points. In this tale of revenge, he describes his own sexual intimacy with a woman, sharing her urges to conceal her own deep sadness. It is not until later in the song that the listener discovers that the woman is depressed because her “baby daddy” is serving a life sentence in prison after killing Lamar’s friend.
Photo courtesy of Metro UK
Perhaps the most attention-grabbing moment of the song happens at the beginning, where a woman’s moaning is followed by the word “sex”. Almost immediately, the chorus kicks in.
If these walls could talk
I can feel your reign when it cries, gold lives inside of you
If these walls could talk
I love it when I’m in it, I love it when I’m in it.”
Photo courtesy of Urban Junkies
Though the woman’s purpose in the song is to serve as a sexual object, Lamar uses lines like “gold lives inside of you” and “I can feel your reign” to reduce vulgarity and degradation. The song creates a distinct interpretation of sex, one that tries to appreciate the woman. As the song continues, the lyrics reiterate this idea:
These walls are vulnerable, exclamation
Interior pink, color coordinated
I interrogated every nook and cranny
These blunt statements could come across as crude, but Lamar presents them anatomically, losing any hint of hypersexuality in the process. Right after Lamar states:
These walls want to cry tears
These walls happier when I’m here
These walls never could hold up
Every time I come around, demolition might crush.
Photo courtesy of Larry Busacca
Though Lamar distinguishes himself here in terms of respect for women, the lyrics aren’t perfect. Presenting the walls of the woman’s vagina as “happier” with the presence of both the man and sex alludes to the prevalent idea that a woman’s purpose is to provide sex for the man, making her inherently dependent on him.
The contrast between honoring women and belittling them makes the end of the song the most climactic moment. Here, we can finally begin to draw conclusions about the nature of Lamar’s attitudes towards women. He reveals a subtle double meaning in the title of the song — while the “walls” he raps about initially refer to the walls of the vagina, the final verse uses “walls” to discuss the confines of a prison instead.
From a creative standpoint, the quick dialogue change from the inner walls of a vagina to a jail cell is brilliant, but the way it represents women leaves much to be desired. The comparison of the walls of a woman’s body to a jail cell only serves to reinforce the idea that women are sexual objects. Though Lamar’s point isn’t to perpetuate this negative representation of women, it happens naturally as he creates different perceptions of the “walls.” As a result, the lyrics raise questions about Lamar’s intentions.
Though "These Walls" doesn't depict women in the best light, it doesn't use the worst light either. Lamar makes a few clear efforts to honor the woman in the song, but his other artistic choices still degrade her. While women have become accustomed to seeing themselves portrayed negatively in various art forms, Lamar's lyricism brings nuance to the issue. Is this a small step towards progress? Maybe. But we must decide whether small steps are enough.