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Kendrick Lamar (born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth June 17, 1987) is a rapper from Compton, California. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy collective along with members Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. His music is largely influenced by the works of 2Pac, Jay-Z, Nas, DMX, The Notorious B.I.G., Mos Def, Eazy-E and Eminem.
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. Read Full BioKendrick Lamar (born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth June 17, 1987) is a rapper from Compton, California. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy collective along with members Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. His music is largely influenced by the works of 2Pac, Jay-Z, Nas, DMX, The Notorious B.I.G., Mos Def, Eazy-E and Eminem.
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". 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", lead single from his critical 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 a number of accolades over the course of 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 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.".
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. Read Full BioKendrick Lamar (born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth June 17, 1987) is a rapper from Compton, California. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy collective along with members Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. His music is largely influenced by the works of 2Pac, Jay-Z, Nas, DMX, The Notorious B.I.G., Mos Def, Eazy-E and Eminem.
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". 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", lead single from his critical 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 a number of accolades over the course of 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 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.".
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Average Joe
by Kendrick Lamar
The hardest thing for me to do
Is to get you to know me
Within sixteen bars
That's the hardest thing
Who is K. Dot? A young nigga from Compton
On the curb writing raps next to a gunshot
On the corners where the gangsters and the killers dwell
The fraudulent tender scars that get unveiled
Everyone I knew was either crip or piru
Cousins in elementary, relatives in high school
With that being said, each one of their rivals
Was aiming something at my head, I needed survival
Got jumped, got jacked, shot at, shot back
And I don't even push a line, I'm just tryna push these rhymes
In the midst of staying neutral and discrete
My momma said you're judged by the company you keep
But what you can consider, that if it goes down
They'll kill you if you kill me, it gets deep nigga
So if you ask what I'm doing
I'm tryna duck the influence of my city that's blue-and, real talk, and
This is why they fuck with me
Real talk nigga, believe it
This is why they fuck with me
Do what I do, y'know?
I'm no gangster, no killer, I'm just your average Joe (know that)
But one thing you should consider, I'm the realest you know
I was walking from Centennial
When an unidentified vehicle rolled up, and I was like hol' up
Where you from? (I don't bang)
Where you stay? (Westside) that's a piru gang to be exact
Well aware they had blue across they hat
Dropped backpack and ran inside of the cul-de-sac
Shots rang out, hoping to God I wasn't wet
Crossed to cross Rosecrans and ran inside of the yet
Chirped the homies on the I-95, they said they already knew
What happened, and meet 'em outside the garage
Never seen that many guns in my life
I was paranoid like a fiend in the night, but needed revenge
Grabbed the nine-ball, opened up the door, then got in
Somebody said fall back, we gon' make these niggas suffer
You my brother like a frat, and that's just to remind you
Thought about that so long I had failed my finals, fuck, but
This is why they fuck with me
I told you, nigga
This is why they fuck with me
You fake, nigga
I'm no gangster, no killer, I'm just your average Joe (you fake)
But one thing you should consider, I'm the realest you know
I don't do black music, I don't do white music
I do everyday life music
Give 'em cuts like a nigga pierced a knife through it
You say you through, but I've been through it, now that's cold
And this is for my county building children
In Hub City on hubcaps, no power-steering
I use perseverance in this mad city
Where the niggas drink Remy and hold semis for cutthroats
Bernie Mac died, it's no joke
Don't ask why if you don't know about these killers and thieves
Seven grams of weed, you smoke that, but I'm high off life
I could fall out the sky like twice
And land in the land of the AKs
And the minivans where the fan never on
'Cause it's hotter than a lunatic's underarms in a straitjacket
In other words, we get it cracking, but I keep it cool, y'know?
This is why they fuck with me
This is why they fuck with me (real talk)
I'm no gangster, no killer, I'm just your average Joe (c'mon)
But one thing you should consider, I'm the realest you know
So there you have it
But I'mma leave you with this
An O.G. once told me
A real gangster is either dead or in jail
Or behind the scenes getting real money, I'm gone
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., THE ADMINISTRATION MP INC
Written by: KENDRICK DUCKWORTH, KENDRICK LAMAR, WYATT COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Kendrick Lamar
The hardest thing for me to do
Is to get you to know me
Within sixteen bars
That's the hardest thing
Who is K. Dot? A young nigga from Compton
On the curb writing raps next to a gunshot
On the corners where the gangsters and the killers dwell
The fraudulent tender scars that get unveiled
Everyone I knew was either crip or piru
Cousins in elementary, relatives in high school
With that being said, each one of their rivals
Was aiming something at my head, I needed survival
Got jumped, got jacked, shot at, shot back
And I don't even push a line, I'm just tryna push these rhymes
In the midst of staying neutral and discrete
My momma said you're judged by the company you keep
But what you can consider, that if it goes down
They'll kill you if you kill me, it gets deep nigga
So if you ask what I'm doing
I'm tryna duck the influence of my city that's blue-and, real talk, and
This is why they fuck with me
Real talk nigga, believe it
This is why they fuck with me
Do what I do, y'know?
I'm no gangster, no killer, I'm just your average Joe (know that)
But one thing you should consider, I'm the realest you know
I was walking from Centennial
When an unidentified vehicle rolled up, and I was like hol' up
Where you from? (I don't bang)
Where you stay? (Westside) that's a piru gang to be exact
Well aware they had blue across they hat
Dropped backpack and ran inside of the cul-de-sac
Shots rang out, hoping to God I wasn't wet
Crossed to cross Rosecrans and ran inside of the yet
Chirped the homies on the I-95, they said they already knew
What happened, and meet 'em outside the garage
Never seen that many guns in my life
I was paranoid like a fiend in the night, but needed revenge
Grabbed the nine-ball, opened up the door, then got in
Somebody said fall back, we gon' make these niggas suffer
You my brother like a frat, and that's just to remind you
Thought about that so long I had failed my finals, fuck, but
This is why they fuck with me
I told you, nigga
This is why they fuck with me
You fake, nigga
I'm no gangster, no killer, I'm just your average Joe (you fake)
But one thing you should consider, I'm the realest you know
I don't do black music, I don't do white music
I do everyday life music
Give 'em cuts like a nigga pierced a knife through it
You say you through, but I've been through it, now that's cold
And this is for my county building children
In Hub City on hubcaps, no power-steering
I use perseverance in this mad city
Where the niggas drink Remy and hold semis for cutthroats
Bernie Mac died, it's no joke
Don't ask why if you don't know about these killers and thieves
Seven grams of weed, you smoke that, but I'm high off life
I could fall out the sky like twice
And land in the land of the AKs
And the minivans where the fan never on
'Cause it's hotter than a lunatic's underarms in a straitjacket
In other words, we get it cracking, but I keep it cool, y'know?
This is why they fuck with me
This is why they fuck with me (real talk)
I'm no gangster, no killer, I'm just your average Joe (c'mon)
But one thing you should consider, I'm the realest you know
So there you have it
But I'mma leave you with this
An O.G. once told me
A real gangster is either dead or in jail
Or behind the scenes getting real money, I'm gone
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., THE ADMINISTRATION MP INC
Written by: KENDRICK DUCKWORTH, KENDRICK LAMAR, WYATT COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them.
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