Institutionalized
#KendrickLamar Lyrics

What money got to do with it
What does wealth have to do with creating an authentic rap image?

When I don't know the full definition of a rap image?
As a trapped ghetto inhabitant, I am ignorant of the full meaning and scope of what's involved in portraying an idealized rap image.

I'm trapped inside the ghetto and I ain't proud to admit it
I'm confined to a ghetto environment and I'm not proud of it.

Institutionalized, I keep runnin' back for a visit
Institutionalized in the ghetto system, I still return to my roots despite my aspirations to rise above it.

Institutionalized, I could still kill me a nigga, so what?
Despite my desire to escape the ghetto life, I still struggle to avoid the inducements to commit violence, which have become a part of my cultural heritage.

If I was the president
If I had the highest administrative position of power.

I'd pay my mama's rent
I would use my power and leverage so that my mother's living expenses were taken care of.

Free my homies and them
I would use my power to free my friends who have been incarcerated.

Bulletproof my Chevy doors
I would upgrade my car's security by adding bullet-resistant doors.

Lay in the White House and get high, Lord
I would relax and enjoy myself in the comforts of the presidential residence while getting high.

Who ever thought?
Who would have imagined this was possible?

Master take the chains off me
Freedom from all forms of oppression and servitude.

Life can be like a box of chocolate
Life is whimsically unpredictable and diverse, like the random selection of chocolates in a box.

Quid pro quo, somethin' for somethin', that's the obvious
Give and take, tit-for-tat, it's straightforward and apparent.

Oh shit, flow's so sick, don't you swallow it
My rhymes are so unique and powerful, don't miss a single word.

Bitin' my style, you're salmonella poison positive
Copying my unique style is detrimental to your reputation.

I can just alleviate the rap industry politics
I have the ability to reduce the often unfair politics that exist within the rap industry.

Milk the game up, never lactose intolerant
Take advantage without limit of the opportunities that the music industry offers.

The last remainder of real shit, you know the obvious
The remaining small amount of real and truthful music is evident.

Me scholarship? No, streets put me through colleges
I earned my education through my experiences in the street, rather than through scholarship programs.

Be all you can be, true, but the problem is
You should strive to become the best version of yourself, but the obstacle lies in the fact that mere dreams cannot prosper without hard work.

A dream's only a dream if work don't follow it
A dream remains an unrealized fantasy if it's not backed by hard work and perseverance to materialize it.

Remind me of the homies that used to know me, now follow this
This situation reminds me of my old friends who knew me before I became famous, now pay attention to what I'm saying.

I'll tell you my hypothesis, I'm probably just way too loyal
My theory is that I'm probably too faithful to my friends.

K Dizzle would do it for you, my niggas think I'm a god
My friends believe I would go above and beyond for them, like an all-powerful deity.

Truthfully all of 'em spoiled, usually you're never charged
In reality, all of them are pampered, and they usually receive what they want without charge.

But somethin' came over you once I took you to the fuckin' BET Awards
Something changed in you after I took you to an event featuring the best of Black entertainment.

You lookin' at artists like the harvests
You covet and admire the amazing and fruitful lifestyles of other famous people.

So many Rollies around you and you want all of them
There are so many Rolls Royce watches around you, and your desire is to own all of them.

Somebody told me you thinkin' 'bout snatchin' jewelry
Someone told me that you're contemplating stealing expensive jewelry.

I should've listened what my grandmama said to me
I regret not heeding the advice my grandmother gave me.

Shit don't change until you get up and wash your ass nigga
Things won't get better until you stop procrastinating and take action, my friend.

Oh now, slow down
Take it easy and relax.

And once upon a time in a city so divine
Once upon a time in a magnificent city.

Called West Side Compton, there stood a little nigga
In West Side Compton resided a young boy.

He was 5 foot something, God bless the kid
He was not very tall, but still a remarkable individual.

Took his homie to the show and this is what they said
He took his friend to a show and this is what occurred.

Fuck am I 'posed to do when I'm lookin' at walkin' licks?
What should I do when I see vulnerable targets who are easy to rob?

The convicts talk 'bout matchin', money and foreign whips
The criminals I know discuss obtaining matching watches, cars, and foreign luxuries.

The private jets and passports, presidential glass floor
The conversation also revolves around private jets, travel documents, and floors made of transparent glass in presidential suites.

Gold bottles, gold models, sniffin' up the ass for
The illicit lifestyles they dream of include expensive alcohol served in gold bottles, gold-digging models, and cocaine ingestion through the rectum, as depicted in recent Instagram posts.

Instagram flicks, suck a dick, fuck is this?
The superficiality of social media displays of opulence makes me question the true value of it all.

One more suck away from wavin' flashy wrist
I'm only one more blowjob away from owning a flashy watch that might gain me temporary respect and admiration.

My defense mechanism tell me to get him, quickly because he got it
My instincts prompt me to harm someone who seems vulnerable because he possesses something valuable.

It's the recession, then why the fuck he in King of Diamonds?
If we're in a period of financial hardship, then how come he can afford to be throwing lavish parties in a high-end strip club?

No more livin' poor, meet my .44
I refuse to revert to a state of poverty and intend to use my gun if necessary to maintain my wealth.

When I see 'em, put the per diem on the floor
When I encounter someone I perceive to be a threat, I will empty my pockets and throw my daily allowance at their feet.

Now Kendrick, know they're your co-workers
Kendrick, you must remember that they're your professional peers.

But it's gon' take a lot for this pistol go cold turkey
However, it will take a considerable amount of effort for me to abandon violent tendencies completely.

Now I can watch his watch on the TV and be okay
I can make myself content watching someone else's watch on television.

But see I'm on the clock once that watch landin' in LA
But when I receive that watch in Los Angeles, I'll be held accountable for its safekeeping and the implications it carries.

Remember steal from the rich and givin' it back to the poor?
You may recall the Robin Hood principle of redistributing wealth from the elite to those in need?

Well that's me at these awards
That's what I'm doing at these music award shows.

I guess my grandmama was warnin' a boy
My grandmother's warnings have turned out to be valid.

She said
She warned me.

Took his show money, stashed it in the mozey wozey
He took his earnings from performing and hid them in a concealed location.

Hollywood's nervous
The entertainment industry is apprehensive about me.

Fuck you, goodnight, thank you much for your service
I'm leaving, and I don't care about your opinion of me. Thank you for the opportunity to perform, but I have better things to do.