Myself As An Academic Writer: Kendrick Lamar

I have never considered myself a great or even a good academic writer. Having me answer to a certain prompt when I simply didn’t care about the topic was like asking me to run a marathon without any training. When I pick up a pen and paper, it is conviction that flows through any of my writing. It is a reflection of not only the struggles that I have overcome but what I aim to make of my opportunities in the future. The image that describes myself as a writer is one of rapper Kendrick Lamar as he spews an intense freestyle with his hands extended towards the crowd. The Compton native creates an artistic connection to his audience not only through his poetry but his gesture, a physical connection to the people through the extension of his

Lamar however, took it upon himself to be educated and to use his gift of writing and music to tell people about how he was able to “escape” what may have been his future and unfortunately the reality of many teenagers in his hometown. He uses his story to tell kids growing up in Compton that they can do it too whatever situation they are in or have been through. It inspires not only them but millions of other people of all cultures around the

However harsh it may sound, these individuals will rarely and maybe never be the kinds of people that I would care to pour my heart out to. And inversely, I will just be another name, another “Employee ID number” that happened to be placed in one of their classes they have to give a grade for. Because there is no special connection or shared life experience between the writer and the audience, I, as the writer have no motivation to answer to the prompt. I gain no intention of trying to inspire my audience because I don’t know them or the kind of lives they have led. Most importantly, I know that whatever the prompt is, it won’t necessarily alter their lives in a drastic way.

If given an academic writing prompt, I am always stumped because these topics are not ones that I can speak with much conviction about. I could never get emotional and have a life changing epiphany about why Hamlet is mad or not. That’s just not a part of what I believe I am made to do. I have always been bad at writing in school and don’t plan on being the next great writer any time soon. And although Professor Don’s efficacy factor says that you can only achieve anything if you believe that you can, I will never write a scholastic essay in which words just flow through my brain as I answer the