He began to gain major recognition in 2010 after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated. The following year, Lamar independently released his first studio album Section.80, which included his debut single, "HiiiPoWeR" which was produced by J. Cole. By that time, he had amassed a large Internet following and collaborated with several artists in the hip-hop industry, including The Game, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne and Drake.
Lamar secured a major-label record deal with Aftermath and Interscope Records, in 2012. His major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was released in October 2012 to critical success. The record contained the top 40 singles "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", and "Poetic Justice". It debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Lamar won his first Grammy Award for "i", the lead single from his critically acclaimed third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). The album drew on free jazz, funk, soul, and spoken word debuted atop the charts in the U.S. and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 58th ceremony. In 2016, Lamar released untitled unmastered., a collection of unreleased demos that originated during the recording sessions for Butterfly.
Lamar has received several accolades throughout his career, including seven Grammy Awards. In early 2013, MTV named Lamar the number one "Hottest MC in the Game", on their annual list. Time named Lamar one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.
Lamar's fourth album, DAMN. was released on April 17, 2017, to widespread critical acclaim. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, earning Lamar his third consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album was supported by the lead single, "Humble.". Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for DAMN.
Lamar's fifth album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was released on May 13, 2022, his first album in five years.
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Kendrick Lamar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jumped into a pit of flames and burned to coal
Drowned inside the lake outside away you flow
And that means the world to me
Somebody said you bumped your head and bled the floor
Jumped into a pit of flames and burned to coal
Drowned inside the lake outside away you flow
And this I know
I got 100 on my dash, got 200 in my trunk
Name in the grab bags, put my Bible in the trunk
Taaka vodka on the top of my binocular I'm drunk
How can I make them popular, pop em' when I want
See I'm livin' with anxiety, duckin' sobriety
Fuckin' up the system I ain't fuckin' with society
Justice ain't free, therefore justice ain't me
So I justify his name on obituary
Why you wanna see a good man with a broken heart?
Once upon a time I used to go to church and talk to God
Now I'm thinkin' to myself, hollow tips is all I got
Now I'm drinkin' by myself, at the end of Section Park
Watch you when you walk inside your house
You threw your briefcase all on the couch
I plan on creeping through your fuckin' door and blowin' out
Every piece of your brain until your son jump in your arms
Cut on the engine, then sped off in the rain
I'm gone
Somebody said you bumped your head and bled the floor
Jumped into a pit of flames and burned to coal
Drowned inside the lake outside away you flow
And that means the world to me
Drove alone, with a bottle of his own grippin' the handle
Lit off henny, I'm tryna dismantle
These wicked ways, I've engaged in such a gamble
Cause I could speak the truth and I know the world would unravel, wait
That's a bit ambitious maybe I'm trippin'
Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I exist in a different dimension
Not to mention when I close my eyes I see the distance
It's such a scary sight so I rarely go to sleep at night
I watch the sun rise then I watch the sun fall
Studied the son of God but still don't recognize my flaws
I guess I'm lost, the cost of being successful is equal to being neglectful
I pray my experience helps you
As for me I'm tryna sort it out
Searching for loop holes in my bruised soul
But who knows?
I just need a little space to breathe
I know perception is key, so I am king
The other side has never mortified my mortal mind
The borderline between insanity is father time
I fall behind my skeleton they tell me that I'm blind
I know that I'm intelligence, my confidence just died
Carpe diem, seize the day, I can't compromise
A tape worm couldn't cure this gluttonous appetite
A couple drinkers they seein me as I pacify
But couldn't fathom the meaning of seein' sacrifice
I'm passin' lives on a daily, maybe I'm losing faith
Genocism and capitalism just made me hate
Correctionals and these private prisons gave me a date
Professional dream killers reason why I'm awake
I'm sleep walkin', I'm street stalkin', I'm outta place
Reinforcing this heat barking, these are the brakes
Before I blink do I see me before them pearly gates?
Or is this just a mirage or a facade
Wait
The lyrics to Kendrick Lamar's "untitled 05 | 09.21.2014." speak to different themes of pain, loss, and anxiety. The opening lines employ vivid imagery to describe the physical harm suffered by someone close to the singer. The repetition of these lines throughout the song highlights the weight of this person's pain and the impact it has on the singer. In the second verse, Kendrick explores his own feelings of anxiety and disillusionment with society. He describes feeling like he is "duckin' sobriety" and "fuckin' up the system," which suggests that he is struggling to reconcile his own sense of morality with a world he perceives as corrupt. The verse ends on a violent note, with Kendrick imagining himself "creeping through your fuckin' door and blowin' out every piece of your brain until your son jump in your arms." This imagery speaks to feelings of anger and desperation, which are compounded by his fears of being trapped in a world that doesn't value justice.
The final verses of the song reflect an internal struggle that Kendrick seems to be grappling with throughout. On the one hand, he is searching for a way to speak the truth and make a difference in the world. He recognizes the power of perception and the importance of being king of his own life. On the other hand, he is held back by his own anxieties and doubts about his place in the world. The repetition of the line, "maybe I'm trippin'" drives home this theme of self-doubt. The final lines of the song suggest that Kendrick is facing his own mortality and questioning whether his life has made a difference. The ambiguity of the closing line, "wait," leaves the listener with a sense of uncertainty and speaks to the complexity of the themes explored throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody said you bumped your head and bled the floor
Someone told me that you got hurt and bled on the floor
Jumped into a pit of flames and burned to coal
They also said that you jumped into fire and turned to ashes
Drowned inside the lake outside away you flow
Additionally, they claimed that you drowned in the lake and floated away
And that means the world to me
All these things are very important to me
I got 100 on my dash, got 200 in my trunk
I'm driving really fast and have a lot of things in my car
Name in the grab bags, put my Bible in the trunk
I have important things with me, like my identification and my Bible
Taaka vodka on the top of my binocular I'm drunk
I'm drinking vodka and feeling intoxicated
How can I make them popular, pop em' when I want
I'm thinking about how to make myself more famous and popular
See I'm livin' with anxiety, duckin' sobriety
I'm constantly living with anxiety and avoiding sobriety
Fuckin' up the system I ain't fuckin' with society
I'm rebelling against the system and society
Justice ain't free, therefore justice ain't meSo I justify his name on obituary
I don't believe justice is free, so I take matters into my own hands and justify violence
Why you wanna see a good man with a broken heart?
Why do you want to see me, a good person, suffer?
Once upon a time I used to go to church and talk to God
I used to be religious and pray to God
Now I'm thinkin' to myself, hollow tips is all I got
Now I only have bullets as my solution to problems
Now I'm drinkin' by myself, at the end of Section Park
I'm drinking alone in a park
Watch you when you walk inside your houseYou threw your briefcase all on the couch
I'm watching you and noticing your actions as you come home
I plan on creeping through your fuckin' door and blowin' outEvery piece of your brain until your son jump in your arms
I want to enter your house and kill you until your son witnesses it and jumps to protect you
Cut on the engine, then sped off in the rainI'm gone
I turn on the car and drive away in the rain
Drove alone, with a bottle of his own grippin' the handle
I drive alone, holding a liquor bottle for comfort
Lit off henny, I'm tryna dismantleThese wicked ways, I've engaged in such a gamble
I drink Hennessy and try to get rid of my dangerous behavior
Cause I could speak the truth and I know the world would unravel, waitThat's a bit ambitious maybe I'm trippin'Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I exist in a different dimensionNot to mention when I close my eyes I see the distanceIt's such a scary sight so I rarely go to sleep at night
I have the power to reveal the truth but I'm afraid of the consequences. Sometimes I question my sanity and existence while also struggling with a fear of the unknown
I watch the sun rise then I watch the sun fallStudied the son of God but still don't recognize my flaws
I watch the day pass by and have studied religion, but I still can't see my own faults
I guess I'm lost, the cost of being successful is equal to being neglectfulI pray my experience helps you
I feel lost and realize the price of success is neglecting important things. I hope others can learn from my experience
As for me I'm tryna sort it outSearching for loop holes in my bruised soulBut who knows?I just need a little space to breatheI know perception is key, so I am king
I'm trying to figure things out and find solutions for my problems, but it's not easy. I need some time to be alone and sort through my emotions. I know how important perspective is and I am confident in myself
The other side has never mortified my mortal mindThe borderline between insanity is father timeI fall behind my skeleton they tell me that I'm blindI know that I'm intelligence, my confidence just died
I've never been traumatized to the point of instability. The line between sanity and insanity is time. I struggle to see the world properly and feel like I'm falling behind, but I'm aware of my intelligence, even if my confidence has been shaken
Carpe diem, seize the day, I can't compromiseA tape worm couldn't cure this gluttonous appetite
I live by the motto to seize the day and won't settle for less. I have an insatiable hunger and nothing can satisfy it
A couple drinkers they seein me as I pacifyBut couldn't fathom the meaning of seein' sacrifice
Some people see me drinking and think I'm calming down, but they don't understand what it's like to experience sacrifice
I'm passin' lives on a daily, maybe I'm losing faithGenocism and capitalism just made me hateCorrectionals and these private prisons gave me a dateProfessional dream killers reason why I'm awake
I see people suffer every day and it makes me question my beliefs. I hate the injustices of racism and capitalism, and the prison system has given me a sense of hopelessness. I feel like my ambitions are being destroyed
I'm sleep walkin', I'm street stalkin', I'm outta placeReinforcing this heat barking, these are the brakesBefore I blink do I see me before them pearly gates?Or is this just a mirage or a facadeWait
I feel like I'm not in the right place and am not in control of my actions. I feel like I'm reinforcing destructive behavior and can't stop it. Sometimes I wonder if I'll go to heaven when I die or if my life is just an illusion
Somebody said you bumped your head and bled the floorJumped into pit of flames and burned to coalDrowned inside the lake outside away you flowAnd that means the world to me
Someone told me that you suffered terrible things, and that is very important to me
And this I know
I'm sure of this fact
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mark Anthony Spears, Stephen Bruner, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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