Cole’s good time with friends is halted by the emergence of the police - a solemn reminder that harmless fun for Black people can have dangerous consequences. “Neighbors” highlights the impact of anti-Black sentiment from some members of the white community. We'll help you if you've felt too insecure Just some shit to get from back and forth Thankful that they friend's a platinum star As Cole describes in the song, the neighbors became paranoid of these visitors: One of the in-house producers, Elite, told Complex in a December 2016 interview that several of Cole’s artists, who are predominantly African American, frequented the property to make use of the basement space, nicknamed “Sheltuh.” Elite said some of the artists arrived by Uber and that they’d occasionally smoke marijuana on the porch. That's why I moved away, I needed privacy “But one thing is for sure though, the fame is exhaustin' He explains his desire for seclusion in the song’s first verse: While recording his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), Cole rented out a house in a wealthy North Carolina suburb, turning its basement into a safe, haven-like studio for the artists and producers from his label Dreamville Records. Inspired by true events, the story in Cole’s “Neighbors” highlights how the American Dream for Black individuals is just that - an unattainable ideal.Ĭonsidering his status as a Black man, it’s completely un-ironic that the song begins with Cole addressing an accusation of criminality: “I guess the neighbors think I'm sellin' dope.” These systems not only halt racial progress, but also counteract the pursuit of the American Dream for Black citizens. Cole emphasizes that the criminalization of Blackness and the oppression associated with it negates this flawed idea. This backwards notion implies that Black people must work hard and accumulate wealth in order to escape the clutches of racism. Many who believe America has entered into a “post-racial” era following the presidency of Barack Obama, argue that issues of racism will diminish as Black Americans move up the socioeconomic ladder. However, this harsh reality is often ignored by those unaffected. This truth is self-evident: The perceived threat of Blackness is so pervasive in America that merely existing as a Black person is enough to be unjustly locked away from society or killed.
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