Kendrick Lamar Quotes

What gives me an advantage in my upbringing is the duality of seeing one of the most beautiful moments of me being 6 years old, to the most tragic moment of being 13 or 14, and make that connection so the person [listening] can really see the conflict. It was a mindfuck, for sure. I would wake up one morning, and it would be cartoons and cereal and walking back from school. And at 4 P.M., we’d be having a house party ‘til 11 P.M. . .. and people [were] shooting each other outside the door. That was my lifestyle. And it’s not only mine; it’s so many other individuals.’ And I wanted to tell that story.

I fight the world, I fight you, I fight myself
I fight God, just tell me how many burdens left
I fight pain and hurricanes, today I wept
I'm tryna fight back tears, flood on my doorsteps
Life a livin' hell, puddles of blood in the streets
Shooters on top of the building, government aid ain't relief
Earthquake, the body dropped, the ground breaks
The poor run with smoke lungs and Scarface

A piece of mine's
That's what the white man wanted when I rhyme
Telling me that he selling me just for $10.99
If I go platinum from rapping, I do the company fine
What if I compromise? He said, it don't even matter
You make a million or more, you living better than average
You losing your core following, gaining it all
He put a price on my talent, I hit the bank and withdraw
Hit the bank and withdraw, hit the bank and withdraw
Put myself in the rocket ship and I shot for the stars
Look at what you accomplishing, what he said to the boy
I'ma make you some promises that you just can't ignore
Your profession anonymous as an artist if I don't target your market
If you ain't signing your signature when I throw you my wallet
A lot of rappers are giving their demo all in the toilet
Your world tour, your master's, mortgage, I need a piece

If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?
I mean I write poems in these songs dedicated to you
When you're in the mood for empathy, there's blood in my pen
Better yet where your friends and them?

Beat your ass and hide the bible if God watching

My focus hold these thoughts and dreams
Control this pen (look over your shoulder)
Boldest lines in rhymes and things
Devote my time and mind it seems
Supposed to shine, remind I'm king
Provoke the blind and bomb the fiends
The pro's the con's, the diamond rings
The forward time, but I'ma bring
The soul divine and cross between
What's your's and mine's, the gold, the green
The roads that show just what it mean
That grabbed Shakur and by the wing
And fly before my vocal scream

The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it
Its only job is to eat or consume everything
Around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city
While consuming its environment the
Caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
One thing it noticed is how much the
World shuns him, but praises the butterfly
The butterfly represents the talent,
The thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar
But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the
Butterfly as weak and figures out
A way to pimp it to his own benefits
Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar
Goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him
He can no longer see past his own thoughts
He's trapped
When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots,
Such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city
The result?
Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant
Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that
The caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle
Although the butterfly and caterpillar are
Completely different, they are one and the same.

What's fair when the hearts and the words don't reach?
What's fair when the money don't take things back?
It's rare when somebody take your dreams back? (And I'm trippin' and fallin')
I care too much, wanna share too much
In my head too much, I shut down too
I ain't there too much, I'm a complex soul
They layered me up, then broke me down
And moralities dust, I lack in trust (and I'm trippin' and fallin')

I'm sick and tired of being tired
I can't pick a side, the Gemini
Prophesize if we living, I
Promise momma not to feel no lie
Seen black turn 'em Burgundy
Hundred of them, I know I'm greedy
Stuck inside the belly of the beast
Can you please pray for me?
Get God on the phone
Said it won't be long

I remembered you was conflicted
Misusing your influence, sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screamin' in the hotel room
I didn't wanna self destruct, the evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went runnin' for answers

Now, in a perfect world, I probably won't be insensitive
Cold as December, but never remember what winter did
I wouldn't blame you for mistakes I made or the bed I laid
Seems like I point the finger just to make a point, nowadays
Smiles and cold stares, the temperature goes there
Indigenous dispossession, feel like we belong here
I know the walls, they can listen, I wish they could talk back
The hurt becomes repetition, the love almost lost that
Sick venom in men and women overcome with pride
A perfect world is never perfect, only filled with lies
Promises are broken and more resentment come alive
Race barriers make inferior of you and I
See, in a perfect world, I'll choose faith over riches
I'll choose work over bitches, I'll make schools out of prison
I'll take all the religions and put 'em all in one service
Just to tell 'em we ain't shit, but He's been perfect, world

I woke up this morning and figured I'd call you
In case I'm not here tomorrow, I'm hoping that I can borrow
A peace of mind, I'm behind on what's really important
My mind is really distorted, I find nothing but trouble in my life
I'm fortunate you believe in a dream
This orphanage we call a ghetto is quite a routine
And last night was just another distraction or a reaction
Of what we consider madness, I know exactly what happened
You ran outside when you heard my brother cry for help
Held him like a newborn baby and made him feel
Like everything was alright and a fight he tried to put up
But the type of bullet that stuck had went against his will
As blood spilled on your hands, my plans rather vindictive
Everybody's a victim in my eyes
When I ride, it's a murderous rhythm and outside became pitch black
A demon glued to my back whispering, "Get 'em"
I got 'em, and I ain't give a fuck
That same mentality that told my brother not to duck
In actuality, it's a trip how we trip off of colors
I wonder if I'll ever discover a passion like you and recover
The life that I knew as a young'n in pajamas and dun-ta-duns
When thunder comes it rains cats and dogs

Sorry I didn't save the world, my friend
I was too busy buildin' mine again
I choose me, I'm sorry

Where was your presence, where was your support that you pretend?
You ain't no brother, you ain't no disciple, you ain't no friend
A friend never leave Compton for profit or leave his best friend
Little brother, you promised you'd watch him before they shot him
Where was your antennas, on the road, bottles and bitches
You faced time the one time, that's unforgiven
You even FaceTimed instead of a hospital visit
You thought he would recover, well
The surgery couldn't stop the bleeding for real
Then he died, God himself will say "you fuckin' failed"
You ain't try

Hail Mary, Jesus and Joseph
The great American flag
Is wrapped and dragged with explosives
Compulsive disorder, sons and daughters
Barricaded blocks and borders
Look what you taught us
It's murder on my street, your street, back streets
Wall Street, corporate offices, banks
Employees and bosses with homicidal thoughts
Donald Trump's in office, we lost Barack
And promised to never doubt him again
But is America honest or do we bask in sin?
Pass the gin, I mix it with American blood
Then bash him in, you crippin' or you married to blood?
I'll ask again—oops—accident
It's nasty when you set us up
Then roll the dice, then bet us up
You overnight the big rifles, then tell Fox to be scared of us
Gang members or terrorists, et cetera, et cetera
America’s a reflection of me
That's what a mirror does