Institutionalized ft. Anna Wise Bilal & Snoop Dogg
Kendrick Lamar Lyrics

What money got to do with it
What does wealth have to do with an artist's image?

When I don't know the full definition of a rap image?
When I am unaware of the complete meaning of a rapper's portrayal

I'm trapped inside the ghetto and I ain't proud to admit it
I'm confined within the societal and economic limitations of the impoverished neighborhoods, and I'm not proud of it.

Institutionalized, I keep runnin' back for a visit
I am institutionalized, and despite being out of prison, I keep returning for a visit to my old mental state.

Hol' up
Wait a minute

Get it back
Regain your focus

I said I'm trapped inside the ghetto and I ain't proud to admit it
I repeat that I am trapped within poverty-ridden neighborhoods, and it is nothing to be proud of

Institutionalized, I could still kill me a nigga, so what?
I am mentally enslaved, and even when I'm not in prison, I could still kill someone and carry on without feeling the weight of the regressed mind state

If I was the president
If I were the elected head of state

I'd pay my mama's rent
I would provide for my mother's living expenses

Free my homies and them
Release my friends and associates from incarceration

Bulletproof my Chevy doors
Reinforce my car doors to prevent firearms attack

Lay in the White House and get high, Lord
Relax in the White House and smoke marijuana

Whoever thought?
Who would have predicted that?

Master take the chains off me
Release me from mental and societal constraints

Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom
Imitate the sound of a car engine accelerating

Zoom, zoom, zoom
Repeat the imitation of a car engine accelerating

Zoom, zoom, zoom, shit
Imitate the sound of a car engine accelerating, but then the sound cuts off.

Life to me like a box of chocolate
Life is like a box of chocolates

Quid pro quo, somethin' for somethin', that's the obvious
Quid pro quo, exchanging something of value for something else, this is very evident

Oh shit, flow's so sick, don't you swallow it
This is a noteworthy line and should not be taken lightly

Bitin' my style, you're salmonella poison positive
Copying my style is like ingesting salmonella and is hazardous to your health (positive test for salmonella)

I can just alleviate the rap industry politics
I can lessen the impact of politics in the rap industry

Milk the game up, never lactose intolerant
Exploit the rap game for every last drop, never experiencing lactose intolerance (can handle any situation without issue)

The last remainder of real shit, you know the obvious
The only truthful lyrics remaining, you and the audience know it.

Me scholarship? No, streets put me through colleges
I ain't got no academic scholarships. The streets and life experience is what matured me.

Be all you can be, true, but the problem is
Strive for excellence, but the real obstacle is

Dream only a dream if work don't follow it
A dream is simply a thought if action and labor don't accompany it

Remind me of the homies that used to know me, now follow this
This reminds me of those who were my close comrades in the past, now listen to this.

I'll tell you my hypothesis, I'm probably just way too loyal
Here's my theory: I must be excessively devoted

K Dizzle will do it for you, my niggas think I'm a god
Kendrick Lamar will get the job done for you, my associates view me as a deity

Truthfully all of 'em spoiled, usually you're never charged
Honestly, everyone I know has been pampered and indulged. Ordinarily, they get away without facing consequences.

But somethin' came over you once I took you to them fuckin' BET Awards
But something changed within you once I brought you to the BET Awards

You lookin' at artists like the harvests
You are gazing at the musicians like they are crops to be harvested

So many Rollies around you and you want all of them
Various Rolex watches are in your vicinity, and you desire all of them

Somebody told me you thinkin' 'bout snatchin' jewelry
A person informed me that you are considering stealing jewelry

I should've listened when my grandmama said to me
I should have paid heed to my grandmother's words of wisdom

Shit don't change until you get up and wash your ass nigga
Things won't improve until you get up and start taking action

Oh now, slow down
Hold on now, take a moment.

And once upon a time in a city so divine
Once upon a time in a city so wonderful

Called West Side Compton, there stood a little nigga
Named West Side Compton, there was a young black male who resided there

He was five foot something, God bless the kid
The gentleman was around five feet in height, God bless him

Took his homie to the show and this is what they said
He brought his buddy to the concert, and this is the conversation that ensued

Fuck am I 'posed to do when I'm lookin' at walkin' licks?
What the hell should I do when I'm staring at easy theft opportunities?

The constant big money talk 'bout the mansion and foreign whips
The constant boasting of wealth regarding mansions and automobiles imported from other countries

The private jets and passports, presidential glass floor
Private jets and passports and the luxurious glass flooring within the presidential vehicle

Gold bottles, gold models, givin' up the ass for
Displaying gold bottles and models who are willing to have sex for money

Instagram flicks, suckin' dick, fuck is this?
Images on Instagram depicting sexual activities for money, what kind of life is this?

One more sucker wavin' with a flashy wrist
Another foolish person flaunting a shining wrist

My defense mechanism tell me to get him, quickly because he got
My natural instinct encourages me to steal swiftly because he already has much wealth

It's a recession, then why the fuck he at King of Diamonds?
It is a period of slow economic activity, why is he at the strip club known as King of Diamonds?

No more livin' poor, meet my .44
I refuse to live in poverty any longer and will use my firearm for protection

When I see 'em, put the per diem on the floor
When I see them, I will throw my daily allowances onto the ground

Now Kendrick, know they're your co-workers
Now, Kendrick, remember that they are your colleagues

But it's gon' take a lot for this pistol go cold turkey
However, it will require significant effort to stop me from using my weapon

Now I can watch his watch on the TV and be okay
Now, I can watch him flaunt his watch on television and be content.

But see I'm on the clock once that watch landin' in LA
But see, once that watch arrives in Los Angeles, I will be on the lookout for it.

Remember steal from the rich and givin' it back to the poor?
Recall the idea of stealing from the wealthy and giving it to the indigent?

Well, that's me at these awards
Well, that's me at these award ceremonies.

I guess my grandmama was warnin' a boy
I assume that my grandmother was providing me with a warning.

Shit don't change until you get up and wash your ass, boy
Things will not change until you take action, young man.

He was five foot something, dazed and confused
He remained a short young man, unsure and disoriented

Talented but still under the neighborhood ruse
Despite possessing numerous skills, he remains constrained by the influence of his community.

You can take your boy out the hood but you can't take the hood out the homie
A person can physically depart from the impoverished area but the culture and ideals of the area remain present.

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

Hollywood's nervous
Hollywood is anxious.