I understand the connection between Kung Fu and Hip Hop in the music video of “Doves in the Wind” by SZA similarly to how Audre Lorde views the relationship between action and poetry. As Lorde explained poetry to be a way of pointing out issues in one’s reality which could eventually lead to changing the future, SZA speaks her truth about her highly sexualized social reality and criticizing how men have been treating women. In this sense, she is metaphorically performing kung-fu by bringing an important issue to light and even creating change by giving her listeners a new understanding of sex. In the music video, Kendrick Lamar seems to be somewhat of a teacher to SZA, as he presents many trials and “fights” that SZA must overcome and raps the line “Solana (SZA’s real name), middle fingers up, speak your truth” perhaps suggesting that he has been a constructive influence on SZA through his kung fu/poetry/music. Then the final blow that SZA deals Kendrick would suggest that, through this song, she returns the favor now as they are now kung-fu practitioners of equal standing.
I also think it is interesting why SZA chose kung-fu as a metaphor for poetry. Kung-fu has been often used in Hip-Hop for the same reason, but so has magic, voodoo, superpowers, and etc. Are there differences between the main tropes for poetry, or do they all follow the same framework set forth by Lorde?
I really enjoyed the multitude of connections you drew from different sources, from last week’s reading of Audre Lorde to “Doves in the Wind” by SZA. It helped me draw a closer connection between action and poetry through the parallels of the two sources you pointed out.