Black Panther
Kendrick Lamar Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wait

King of my city, king of my country, king of my homeland
King of the filthy, king of the fallen, we living again
King of the shooters, looters, boosters, and ghettos poppin'
King of the past, present, future, my ancestors watching
King of the culture, king of the soldiers, king of the bloodshed
King of the wisdom, king of the ocean, king of the respect
King of the otimistic and dreamers that go and get it
King of the winners, district, and geniuses with conviction
King of the fighters, king of the fathers, king of the belated
King of the answer, king of the problem, king of the forsaken
King of the empathy, you resent me, king of remorse
King of my enemies, may they father feed, I rejoice
King of the skyscrapers, dodging haters, broke religion
Nine faces, go against 'em, I erased 'em with precision
I embrace them with collision
Kings did it, king vision, Black Panther, King Kendrick
All hail the king, I dropped a million tears
I know several responsibilities put me here
I don't pedal backwards but I live old-fashioned
The lens that I'm looking through
Won't prescribe me the right glasses, masses are now free
Ashes I'm dumping out, 'bout to spread all 'cross seas
Sisters and brother in unison, not because of me
Because we don't glue with the opposition, we glue with peace
But still'a fuck up your organization if any beef
What do you stand for?
Are you an activist? What are your city plans for?
Are you an accident, are you just in the way?
Your native tongue contradicting what your body language say
Are you a king or you joking, are you a king or you posing?
Are you a king or you smoking bud rocks to keep you open?
Because the king don't cry, king don't die
King don't lie, king give heart, king get by, king don't fall
Kingdom come, when I come, you know why




King, king, king, king
I am T'Challa!

Overall Meaning

In "Black Panther," Kendrick Lamar embodies the persona of the main character T'Challa from the Marvel superhero film of the same name. Lamar uses his lyrics to explore what it means to be a king and shows pride in his African heritage. At the beginning of the song, he declares himself as a king of multiple things, from cities, countries, and homelands, to the past, present, future, and culture. Lamar also touches on the violent and gritty aspects of being a king, such as being a king of the "shooters, looters, boosters, and ghettos poppin'" and the "bloodshed."


Lamar then goes on to question what it means to be a king and whether individuals claiming to be a king are true to that label. He asks if they stand for something, are activists, and have city plans. Lamar emphasizes that a king does not cry, die, or lie and gives his heart to his people. He commands respect, and his kingdom will come when he comes, referring to his reign as a king in the music industry.


Overall, "Black Panther" is a powerful track that showcases Lamar's lyrical prowess and his awareness of his African roots. Lamar highlights the complexity of what it means to be a king, both the good and the bad, and challenges listeners to question their own positions of power and leadership.


Line by Line Meaning

King of my city, king of my country, king of my homeland
I am the leader of my home, city, and country.


King of the filthy, king of the fallen, we living again
I am the ruler of the downtrodden and impoverished, but together we are rising back up.


King of the shooters, looters, boosters, and ghettos poppin'
I am in charge of the ones who use guns, rob from others, and sell drugs in the ghetto.


King of the past, present, future, my ancestors watching
I am the ruler of time and everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, watched over by my ancestors.


King of the culture, king of the soldiers, king of the bloodshed
I am the leader of the people, the warriors, and the violence that comes with it.


King of the wisdom, king of the ocean, king of the respect
I am the leader of knowledge and philosophy, water symbolizes my power, and those around me look up to me.


King of the otimistic and dreamers that go and get it
I am the ruler of those who are optimistic and dreamers who strive to achieve their goals.


King of the winners, district, and geniuses with conviction
I am the leader of those who are successful, my district, and individuals who possess creativity and strong beliefs.


King of the fighters, king of the fathers, king of the belated
I am the ruler of the fighters, fathers, and those who have passed away.


King of the answer, king of the problem, king of the forsaken
I am in charge of solving problems, creating more, and those who have been left behind.


King of the empathy, you resent me, king of remorse
I am the ruler of empathy, though some may not appreciate it, I feel remorse for my actions.


King of my enemies, may they father feed, I rejoice
I am the leader of my enemies, and though they may pass away, I still find joy in life.


King of the skyscrapers, dodging haters, broke religion
I am the ruler of the tall buildings, avoiding those who despise me, and rejecting religion that has lost its way.


Nine faces, go against 'em, I erased 'em with precision
Nine people who opposed me, I eliminated with precision.


I embrace them with collision
I accept my enemies, even if it may cause conflict.


Kings did it, king vision, Black Panther, King Kendrick
Other rulers have accomplished great things, and I will do the same as the Black Panther, King Kendrick.


All hail the king, I dropped a million tears
I am the ruler of all, and I am not afraid to show my emotions.


I know several responsibilities put me here
I am aware of the many duties I have as a leader, and that is why I am here.


I don't pedal backwards but I live old-fashioned
I am moving forward but still hold onto traditional values.


The lens that I'm looking through
The perspective I have on life.


Won't prescribe me the right glasses, masses are now free
My viewpoint is not always correct, and now the people are liberated and can make their own choices.


Ashes I'm dumping out, 'bout to spread all 'cross seas
I am disposing of my past and spreading my new ideas across the world.


Sisters and brother in unison, not because of me
The people are coming together as one, not just because of me.


Because we don't glue with the opposition, we glue with peace
We do not bond with those who oppose us, but with peaceful solutions.


But still'a fuck up your organization if any beef
However, if there is any conflict, I will still disrupt your plans.


What do you stand for?
What are your values and beliefs?


Are you an activist? What are your city plans for?
Are you engaged in change, and what progress do you have in store for your hometown?


Are you an accident, are you just in the way?
Are you a mistake, or are you a hindrance to progress?


Your native tongue contradicting what your body language say
Your words do not match how you act or feel.


Are you a king or you joking, are you a king or you posing?
Are you really a leader, or are you just pretending to be?


Are you a king or you smoking bud rocks to keep you open?
Are you really in control or are drugs clouding your judgement?


Because the king don't cry, king don't die
A true leader does not show weakness or give up easily.


King don't lie, king give heart, king get by, king don't fall
A ruler speaks the truth, stays steadfast, and perseveres.


Kingdom come, when I come, you know why
I will bring forth a new era when I arrive, and you will understand my purpose.


King, king, king, king
I am the supreme leader.


I am T'Challa!
I am the Black Panther, T'Challa.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kendrick Lamar, Mark Spears, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@jorgedelgado8505

RIP Prince
RIP Nipsey Hussle
RIP Juice WRLD
RIP Kobe Bryant
RIP Pop Smoke
RIP Huey (rapper)
RIP Malik B (The Roots)
RIP Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman)
Legends never die 😥😥😥😥💔💔💔💔💔💔🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀



@shari4128

King T'challa has died
Now I know he is Chadwick Boseman, the actor who brought a quiet dignity and slow-burning intensity to the Jackie Robinson story. And the drive and will to survive to the James Brown story that both humanized and showed the depth and deprivation of James Brown the man, the human being.

I've have been trying to piece together WHY Chadwick Boseman's death, at such a young age, has gutted me so. I mean I did not know him, personally, but I knew him. He embodied the dream.

He took an adult kid who loves superheroes to a world where people who look like me had never been stuffed in the hull of slave ships laying head to feet in their own filth, filled with terror. A world where we had never been bridled like beast to work in the hot sun. A world where our children had never been taken from us like puppies never to know the name, the face, or smell of their parents, like my great, great grandfather.

He took us to a place where our lives had always mattered and our narrative was not a forgotten aside but the center of the story. When the lights in the theater went dark and we saw Wakanda we saw a world we could only dream about. Not because of its futuristic look or it's amazing vibranium but because it was a world in which our intellect, our beauty our flourishing was still intact. Where we had never known the fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The humiliation of being forced off the street and sent in the back door. A world where we were the good guys and the bad guys, a world where we were free and human and that world was fucking fantasy.

And so that's why Chadwick Boseman's death has gutted me so. And I am gutted because his young beautiful, smart black life has ended too soon. I feel for his family and friends and for all of us. I am also angered that the filthy mouth of hate continues to spew in this world while Chadwick's light is transformed into the plane of the ancestors. And I pray that it is true that, "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."

WAKANDA FOREVER AND EVER



All comments from YouTube:

@FKAkingsley

A visual.

@ajleary9141

KING! 👑👐

@cycy805

bITCH I KNoW

@icelord098

A Movment. 💕✊🏾

@laveshpaliwal5477

Hey! would you mind having a look into my channel, i would surely appreciate it.

@yop201

I just saw the movie in Belgium, its... Amazing. The best Marvel's movies in far. And I don't say that because I'm black. It was more than a regular movie. I'm still shook 😵. (Sorry for my english)

23 More Replies...

@m3rrys0ngstr3ss

RIP Chadwick Boseman. May your star shine brighter than ever.

@Twanboyyy3

💔💔💔

@arnon3662

T_T

@mattedbymangos

RIP

More Comments

More Versions