Then, he performed at Coachella this past Sunday 4/16. He played video clips on the big screens of himself as a star in a golden-age Hong Kong kung fu movie. He dressed himself in Chinese garb and displayed large Chinese characters.
After that, in the "DNA" video, he does a similar thing.
At first, on the album, I had no problems with Kendrick giving himself a bizarre nickname. But after watching the Coachella performance and the DNA video, I don't feel quite right, and although maybe some on the forum aren't the perfect people to speak on this issue, I would still like to hear your opinions.
Is this:
- cultural appropriation and Orientalist BS?
- benign aesthetic experimentation?
I love Kendrick and his music. I'm sure he doesn't have bad intentions. But that doesn't stop this from feeling weird to me.