Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: hip-hop
Song Meaning of “Illuminate (feat. Kendrick Lamar)” by Ab-Soul
‘Illuminate (feat. Kendrick Lamar)’ by Ab-Soul is a song that explores the complex power dynamics that arise in relationships between rappers and their audiences. The track paints a vivid portrait of a rapper developing and maintaining a strong connection with their fanbase who can lift them to new heights of success, while also noting the pitfalls they must navigate to ensure this relationship remains healthy. Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar explore the intricacies of how a fan can be someone’s only source of light and strength in dark situations. They acknowledge how a rapper’s success can be derived from the collective passion of their fans, and how that passion can go both ways. But at the same time, Ab-Soul and Kendrick also issue a reminder that a artist should never let their fame blind them to the potential for their fan’s adoration to turn to ire, as these same people could quickly turn off the light they create. Essentially, ‘Illuminate’ is a song about the cyclical nature of a rapper’s relationship with their audience, and how in this relationship, once their power and influence is illuminated, it must be used wisely or risk being extinguished.