J. Cole and the conditioning of the proletariat
J Cole here exhibits the prime conditioning the bourgeois elite do to the proletariat under the conditions of late stage capitalism. Cole clowns those who clown millionaires despite being broke, this is due to the conditioning the bourgeois elite do to classes below them to set them against each other. He points out that people throw stones knowing that any good proletariat is conditioned to want to be able to get to the level of the high class despite the systematic conditions of late stage capitalism making sure they rarely if ever can do so.
Through a Marxist- Leninist lens we can interpret these lines as alienation. Under the material conditions of late stage capitalism individuals will often compromise creativity, morals, integrity, and identity to reach a state of monetary prosperity. The labor of music or passions becomes detached from the soul that people put into it simply to achieve the ability to live under the harsh conditions we are subject to.
Cole here also says that society condemns the wealth in the open but in private they would do anything to achieve it. This is true. Capitalism encourages ruthless ambition and the betrayal of your ideals to achieve the level of status. Therefore the proletariat is trapped in a moral contradiction. Capitalism outwardly promotes authenticity to yourself and your identity while inwardly rewarding betrayal of yourself and ruthless competition.
Cole here also glorifies hustle culture. Hustle culture is the natural result of late stage capitalism stripping back the idea of what’s ok so that the proletariat are ok with working long hours for a lack of pay to promote this idea of hustling. The idea behind hustle culture is that of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” an idea echoed heavily by the Reagan administration. Workers are encouraged to glorify exhaustion and sacrifice in pursuit of material and financial success, often internalizing the values of the bourgeoisie elite instead of developing class consciousness. Because of this collective class solidarity is weakened heavily because individuals become focused on competing with one another rather than recognizing their shared exploitation.
Sorry I didn’t include a thesis statement or something idk if this coherent I’m lowkey blasted