![]() ![]() Kendrick explains that the yam is the power of the streets. Then I’d rather be a bum than a motherfuckin’ baller (Oh yeah!)” Something’s in the water (Something’s in the water) Like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell (A two-man cell) I swore I wouldn’t tell, but most of y’all sharing bars I can dig rappin’, but a rapper with a ghostwriter? You can smell it when I’m walkin’ down the street “Yams” is perhaps one of the most important in the whole song, and Kendrick elaborates on it in his first as well as second verse. He also calls himself King Kunta and claims that everyone is waiting to cut off his legs. When you got the yams-(What’s the yams?)”Īs documented by many artists who’ve lived in poverty but got sudden fame and wealth due to their success, Kendrick notes the sudden interest people have been taking in him even though they did not believe in him when he was still struggling. Kunta, black man taking no losses, oh yeah King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin’ That is another reason why Kendrick Lamar is also popular among old-school hip-hop heads as he keeps it real. He’s picking a bone with his homies and colleagues to raise the bar high in rap. Yet, he still recognizes those that came before him and those who are still in the industry. In Big Sean’s “Control”, he explains that there is a fire in him to be the best. However, Kendrick is not trying to diss anyone in particular in these lines. In the intro, Kendrick calls out all his competition and declares that he’s back in the rap game. This is quite evident as he repeats that often. Kendrick Lamar has always had a great respect for the rap game. I’m mad (Hey mad!), but I ain’t stressin’ I don’t want you monkey-mouth motherfuckers And perhaps, he just may end up establishing one in Hip-Hop and in contradictions. He’s the king of the rap game, but still a Black man in modern America, struggling to establish his identity. Apart from that, the title in itself is an oxymoron. That might mean that everyone is waiting for him to fail. ![]() In the track, Kendrick also mentions that everyone’s trying to cut off his feet. As hard as one might find it to believe, this is a true story that depicted the horrendous dehumanization that went along with the system of slavery. For that, his master slave-owner retaliated by cutting off his foot. He even refused to accept the new name that his master gave him and thus, reinforced his African identity in his face. Kunta Kinte was a slave who tried to escape a plantation four times. The title of the song, King Kunta, is a reference to Kunta Kinte from Alex Haley’s “Roots: The Saga of an American Family”. They are often multi-layered and laden with numerous-entendres. There’s never one meaning to Kendrick’s songs. Just like his idol, Tupac Shakur, Kendrick is interested in “keeping it real”. It’s Kendrick reclaiming his throne from those who claim to be the king of the rap game but forgot about the place of its evolution. In a sense, the third track on the album, “King Kunta” is a wake-up call to all the rappers who have lost the connection to their roots. And his love for Hip-Hop got him off the streets, yet he never forgot them. All in all, he had seen what was happening to the black community. He was not affiliated to any gang but people close to him were. But Kendrick took a leap of faith with his creativity and what resulted was nothing short of pure genius in the form of music.īorn in Compton, Kendrick grew up witnessing the grim realities of the hood. There have been many instances of artists becoming formulaic in their approach to their craft once establishing themselves in the mainstream. This genre-bending multi-layered album showcased the rapper’s lyrical genius as well as his boldness. Yet, it was still certified platinum by the RIAA and topped the charts in U.K., U.S.A., and Australia. The album was first leaked accidentally by Interscope records. And he has the numbers along with critical acclaim/praises from the realest of Hip-Hop critics and Emcees to show for it. In it, he exceeded the expectations of most critics and fans. ![]() “To Pimp a Butterfly” was Lamar’s follow-up to “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”. Ever since, he has been dominating the mainstream hip-hop scene along with the likes of J. Kendrick made his way into the mainstream with his second studio album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”. It’s no surprise that he’s been praised by many of the greats of the game such as Eminem and Ice Cube. In the industry, he is known for his lyricism and otherworldly creative ability. Kendrick Lamar, also known by his stage name K.Dot, is an American Hip-Hop artist. Unpacking the Emotional Journey of "Never Going Back Again" by Fleetwood Mac: A Deep Dive into the Lyrics and Their Meaning ![]()
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