Genius Meanings
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Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Drake) – Poetic Justice
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Kendrick explained “Poetic Justice” in a 2012 interview with Complex magazine, saying:
If you listen to ‘Poetic Justice,’ it’s a song about a chick saying these legs are poems. On
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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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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, 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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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 – 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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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 – 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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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 – Mortal Man
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Inspired in part by a 2014 trip to South Africa, “Mortal Man” name-checks leaders from Nelson Mandela, to Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Moses.
At the back-end of the song
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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 – 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 (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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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 – i (Album Version)
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“i” is the first single from Kendrick’s third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick received two Grammys for the studio version of the song at the 57th Grammy Awards for Best
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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 – 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 – Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
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Kendrick Lamar’s two-part “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” depicts life in an urban ghetto. From beginning to end, Lamar breaks down the stories that pulled him away from gang
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Kendrick Lamar – FEEL.
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On “FEEL.,” Kendrick catalogs the wide range of feelings, particularly the negative ones, that his stardom has elicited.
He feels like nobody is looking out for him, yet cites a
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Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle
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In the outro of the previous song, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, one of Kendrick’s friends asks him to rap. “Backseat Freestyle” serves as a flashback. The freestyle is not
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