 Genius Meanings
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Kendrick Lamar – PRIDE.
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“PRIDE” is an introspective track that continues the album’s strong religious themes. Consider Proverbs 11:2:
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
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Kendrick Lamar – BLOOD.
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On “BLOOD.,” Kendrick is shot by a blind lady he’s trying to help. The blind woman can be thought of as representing consequences of the damnation referenced in the Book of
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Kendrick Lamar – Alright
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“Alright” provides a moment of hope amid To Pimp a Butterfly’s battle to find higher purpose. After “u” – where Kendrick lays out his burdens – “Alright” responds by detailing how
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Anna Wise, Bilal & Thundercat) – These Walls
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The title “These Walls” plays off the familiar expression “if these walls could talk…” Kendrick’s complex wordplay introduces layered metaphorical and literal walls—the “walls” of
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Kendrick Lamar – Count Me Out
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“Count Me Out” is the first track on the second disc and the 10th track overall from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The track focuses on Kendrick calling out a once-significant
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Kendrick Lamar – DNA.
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On “DNA.,” Kendrick Lamar adopts multiple viewpoints; celebrating, critiquing, and exploring his black heritage and culture. In the music video, Kendrick and actor Don Cheadle
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Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.
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On the ironically braggadocious track “HUMBLE.” Kendrick Lamar challenges his competition. It was released a week after the first promotional single, “The Heart Part 4,” with a
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Zacari) – LOVE.
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“LOVE.” finds Kendrick Lamar musing on the woman in his life; presumably his fiancé Whitney Alford, whom he has been in a relationship with since his high school days. Kendrick
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Kendrick Lamar, Blxst & Amanda Reifer – Die Hard
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In a very Nipsey track, Kendrick opens up about his insecurities and struggles involving honesty and sharing in a relationship. He is having doubts as to whether he will still be
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Terrell Piper – Analysis of the Song "Real" by Kendrick Lamar
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I chose to analyze the song “Real” by Kendrick Lamar. The song is split into three verses which speak about three different people. Kendrick speaks about a girl he loves, a close
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Kendrick Lamar – Rich Spirit
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“Rich Spirit” depicts an irreverent Kendrick talking about his own qualities while trying to stand firm against the criticism against him.
Kendrick utilizes ethereal melodies and
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Kendrick Lamar – HiiiPoWeR
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The first song released from Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80, “HiiiPower” talks of self enlightenment through reflection and active work. It constantly touches on racial subjects
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Jay Rock) – Money Trees
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As explained in this, credits to Feeding Time of KTT for this summary.
K.Dot recaps the story so far. He talks about robbing the house, “Home invasion was persuasive/From 9 to 5 I
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Kendrick Lamar – A.D.H.D
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Kendrick Lamar demonstrates a robust knowledge of drug culture and neurotransmitters on “A.D.H.D.” He mentions such topics as tolerance, endorphins, and cold water extraction. This
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Kendrick Lamar – LUST.
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“LUST.” can be seen as Kendrick Lamar’s perspective on the repetetive nature of life. Centered around themes of sexual intimacy, Kendrick explores the monotonous routine of daily
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Kendrick Lamar – FEAR.
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On “FEAR.,” Kendrick explores three instances of true terror at ages 7, 17, and 27, respectively. In the first verse, he explores the fear he experienced growing up in the hood
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SZA (Ft. Kendrick Lamar) – Doves in the Wind
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In a song “dedicated to vaginas,” SZA enlists fellow TDE mate Kendrick Lamar to talk about how there is so much more to offer than sex and things people do to go out of their way
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Anna Wise, Bilal & Snoop Dogg) – Institutionalized
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While “King Kunta” shows Lamar at a high, confidently claiming his throne atop the rap game with the influence and success he has acquired, “Institutionalized” is the dramatic
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Kendrick Lamar – u
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The sixth track on Lamar’s third album, “u” acts as a complete contrast to its lead single “i,” an anthem of peace, positivity, and prosperity starting with self-love.
With more
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Kendrick Lamar – Mirror
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“Mirror” is the outro to Kendrick Lamar’s fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. He discusses the pressures of fame and the dichotomy of living selfishly despite his
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Kendrick Lamar – King Kunta
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Kunta Kinte is the main character in the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley. Haley’s said that Kunta Kinte was his own great, great, great grandfather and
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Rihanna) – LOYALTY.
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On “LOYALTY.,” Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna muse on the value and necessity of complete loyalty and honesty in both platonic and romantic relationships. The song marks the first
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Kendrick Lamar – N95
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“N95” is the second track on Kendrick Lamar’s fifth and final studio album with Top Dawg Entertainment, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The song’s title refers to N95 face masks
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Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)
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On this lead single from good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick addresses the psychological connection between peer pressure and alcoholism. What sounds like a club anthem is actually an
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Kendrick Lamar – DUCKWORTH.
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“DUCKWORTH.” is a street tale about how Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith was planning a second robbery at a local KFC where Kendrick’s father, nicknamed “Ducky,” was working back in the
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The True Meaning Behind Kendrick Lamar “m.A.A.d. city”
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The track remains an early standout in Kendrick’s career.
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Kendrick Lamar – good kid
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This song kicks off good kid, m.A.A.d city’s back half, depicting the immediate aftermath of K.Dot getting jumped by two guys in hoodies at the end of the previous track, “Poetic
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Anna Wise) – Real
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This song denotes an incredibly important realization that Kendrick Lamar has felt. The song as a whole stresses the importance of loving yourself (and how this is a necessary
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. MC Eiht) – m.A.A.d city
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“m.A.A.d” is an acronym for both “my Angels on Angel dust” and “my Angry Adolescence divided.”
“m.A.A.d” is also a reference to the 90s Compton based hip-hop group “WC and the
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Kendrick Lamar – YAH.
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The song title “YAH.” refers to Yahweh (יהוה), which is believed to be the closest estimation to God’s actual name–in Hebrew, it was said as ‘YHWH,’ as they had no vowels in their
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Kendrick Lamar – The Blacker the Berry
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Released via Empire star Taraji P. Henson’s twitter, this comes the day after Kendrick won Best Rap Song & Performance for “i” at the 2015 Grammy Awards. The song shares the name
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Sampha) – Father Time
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On “Father Time,” Kendrick concerns himself with his daddy issues, while the title refers to time personified, usually as an older man with a scythe or an hourglass.
Kendrick
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Rapsody) – Complexion (A Zulu Love)
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This song is about educating society on beauty standards, especially colorism. Colorism affects the black community profusely due to its roots, which spawn from the history of
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