It seems that I was born two years early because Kendrick Lamar is set to be taught in classrooms for years to come.

The famous rapper Kendrick Lamar, known for his inspirational songs for the black community, will be one of the newest authors added to the IB reading list for his most recent and successful album, “DAMN.”

Why couldn’t this have happened when I was learning in school? All I’ve ever done in English class is read the books about dystopian societies, and these lucky kids get to actually listen to one of the best rappers in the game.

The album “DAMN” was the fourth album released by Kendrick in April 2017. Personally, I loved this album. The album has a subtle, yet strong message since he raps about “the perfect world” while driving us through the album as he discusses how modern life is shaped by these predetermined forces. If teachers shape a part of the curriculum around the album, I would be more than happy and very interested in analyzing the lyrics and meaning. If only I could stay back and retake Mr. Laub’s junior English class again, but of course not any other class, because who would want to retake junior year?

Kids these days have it easy. They get to learn about Kendrick Lamar, one of the greatest rappers of all time, not just struggle through Macbeth and Huckleberry Finn, two books that might be the most uninteresting, broken English books on the planet.

All that aside, I think putting Kendrick Lamar on the IB reading list was a fantastic idea because kids will finally get out of the Falls Church bubble and learn about what is happening in other communities around our country, right now, not in the 1600s.