D' Evils of Lucy

40 x 30 hand embellished canvas print

D' Evils of Lucy is a tribute to Kendrick Lamar, Grammy Award winning rapper, writer, and 2018 Purlitzer Prize recepient. This piece is an examination of the concepts of temptation and free will. In this episode we find our hero Kendrick Lamar on top of the rap game yet constantly faced with the endless temptations of Lucy.

According to Lamar, Lucy is symbolic of all the things that can be detrimental to not only himself but the people around him. When asked about what kind of things Kendrick replied: “Everything that we glorified in the hood – smoking, drinking, women, violence – was at my feet times 10. All of it's there. In the neighborhood we wanted to have power, and with success comes power. That is temptation at its highest.”

Lucy ultimately represents all of the evil desires and wishes that Kendrick has. Kendrick’s love for Lucy is a metaphor for the acceptance of evil into our lives. Lucy is a romanticised form of Lucifer (a.k.a Satan). The devil offers great fame and power, but requires Kendrick to turn against his people and give in completely. This gets him the fame and fortune, but at what cost?

I remembered you was conflicted
Misusing your influence, sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screamin' in the hotel room
I didn't wanna self destruct
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went runnin' for answers
Until I came home - Kendrick Lamar