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.
Opposites Attract
Kendrick Lamar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people
I'm inspired
So get inspired
And so he said
Why you couldn't be a con artist
Why you couldn't, why you couldn't be mischievous
Or just a lil devious the moment that we first started
Why you never ask for nothing, just a lil time
Why you let me use yours 'cause I don't got mines
Why you always lift me up, when I'm completely giving up
Or when niggas holla what's up, you give a dry response
Why you giving me your last knowing you ain't got it
Why you always buy me something when you going shopping
Why you tell me that you love me
Why you always thinking of me when my company rather than going club hopping
Why you treatin' my momma like she your momma too
Why you making promises that you'll forever do
Whatever just to make me happy, wanting us to have a family
These are exactly the reasons why I cheat on you
Sometimes
We hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Sometimes I, sometimes I feel we share
Nothing in common, it ain't fair
But where do we seem to fall
Where do we seem to fall
Tender love and care, once upon a time
Once upon a time, we was there
And so she said
Why you gotta be so mean to me
Why you don't know what you mean to me
Why you always playing games
Why I feel like you ashamed
Out in public curse me out and make a scenery
Why you got other bitches rolling their eyes at me
My text messages poppin up saying "Hi Daddy"
Why you treat me like I'm nothing
Why you always outta function
I be wanting to go out but you don't ever ask me
Why you slip and say her name when we having sex
Why you always assuming that I still love my ex
Every time we get into it I'm the one that's feeling stupid
You don't need me, you gon' leave me
That's ya favorite threat
Why you never know how it feel to be lonely
Why I feel I'm the last option after ya homies
Why you always gotta know that I will never let you go
Even though you get violent and put your hands on me
Sometimes
We hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Hurt people that love us
Love people that hurt us
Sometimes I, sometimes I feel we share
Nothing in common, it ain't fair
But where do we seem to fall
Where do we seem to fall
Tender love and care, once upon a time
Once upon a time, we was there
In the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s song “Opposites Attract,” he explores the complexities of romantic relationships. Lamar points out the confusions and contradictions of love and why they tend to appear in certain relationships. He addresses how people tend to hurt those who love them, love those who hurt them, and why we tend to fall into certain patterns of behavior. He acknowledges the importance of recognizing these cycles and patterns before we can make the necessary change to break them.
The song begins with Lamar admitting the self-destructive aspects of love, where we tend to hurt those who love us and love people who hurt us. He notes that this discrepancy causes people to go through an emotional rollercoaster, and he encourages others to get inspired and make changes in their behavior. In the following lines, Lamar highlights his insecurities, questioning why his significant other always puts his needs first, while he doesn’t have much to offer her in return. At the same time, he recognizes that his partner loves him unconditionally, which often leads them both to take the other for granted.
In the second verse, Lamar switches the focus to his partner, who complains about his behavior. She questions why he has to be so mean to her, why he always plays games, and why he gets angry with her in public. She also wonders why he constantly reminisces about his ex and why he violently puts his hands on her. The whole song concludes with the fact that no matter how much they hurt each other, they are still in love and share a tender love and care that once nurtured their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We hurt people that love us
We are capable of causing pain and harm to those who love and care for us
Love people that hurt us
We often find ourselves drawn to those who cause us pain and suffering
Hurt people that love us
We may unconsciously act out and hurt those who love us due to personal issues or our own pain and hurt
Love people
Despite the hurt and pain we may experience, we still have the ability to love and care for others
I'm inspired
The artist is feeling inspired and motivated to express their thoughts and feelings about their relationships
So get inspired
The singer is urging others to also seek inspiration and express themselves
And so he said
The singer is transitioning to a different perspective or voice
Why you gotta be so kind hearted
The artist questions why their partner has to be so compassionate and loving, making them vulnerable to harm
Why you couldn't be a con artist
The artist wonders why their partner couldn't be more deceitful and manipulative to protect themselves from harm
Why you couldn't, why you couldn't be mischievous
The artist questions why their partner couldn't be more playful and less serious in their approach to the relationship
Why you never ask for nothing, just a lil time
The singer is questioning why their partner never asks for anything from them except for their time and attention
Why you let me use yours 'cause I don't got mines
The artist wonders why their partner is so generous and willing to share with them even though they don't have much themselves
Why you always lift me up, when I'm completely giving up
The singer is questioning their partner's unwavering support and encouragement even when the singer is feeling hopeless
Or when niggas holla what's up, you give a dry response
The singer is feeling jealous and suspicious of their partner's interactions with other people, including when they give a nonchalant response to others
Why you giving me your last knowing you ain't got it
The singer is questioning their partner's selflessness and willingness to give even when they don't have much to give
Why you always buy me something when you going shopping
The artist is questioning why their partner always buys them gifts and indulges them even when it may not be financially responsible
Why you tell me that you love me
The artist is questioning their partner's expressions of love and affection towards them
Why you always thinking of me when my company rather than going club hopping
The singer is questioning why their partner always wants to spend time with them instead of going out and partying with other people
Why you treatin' my momma like she your momma too
The singer is questioning why their partner is so close to their mother and treats her as if she is their own mother
Why you making promises that you'll forever do
The artist is questioning their partner's promises and commitments to the relationship and their future together
Whatever just to make me happy, wanting us to have a family
The artist is questioning their partner's desire to make them happy and start a family together
These are exactly the reasons why I cheat on you
The artist reveals that these same qualities that they once admired and questioned are now the reasons why they cheat on their partner
Sometimes I, sometimes I feel we share
The singer expresses their doubts and uncertainty about the shared connection and compatibility they have with their partner
Nothing in common, it ain't fair
The artist feels that they have nothing in common with their partner, which is unfair to both parties
But where do we seem to fall
The singer is questioning where their relationship may eventually lead or where it has gone wrong
Tender love and care, once upon a time
The singer reminisces about the love and care that they once shared with their partner
Once upon a time, we was there
The singer confirms that there was a time when their relationship was filled with love, care, and tenderness
And so she said
The artist transitions to a different perspective or voice
Why you gotta be so mean to me
The artist questions why their partner is often cruel and hurtful towards them
Why you don't know what you mean to me
The singer is frustrated and hurt that their partner doesn't seem to understand how much they mean to them
Why you always playing games
The singer is frustrated with their partner's tendency to play games and manipulate them in the relationship
Why I feel like you ashamed
The artist senses that their partner is ashamed of them or their relationship
Out in public curse me out and make a scenery
The artist is hurt and embarrassed by their partner's tendency to curse them out and cause a scene in public
Why you got other bitches rolling their eyes at me
The artist is jealous and frustrated that their partner may be attracting the attention of other women
My text messages poppin up saying "Hi Daddy"
The singer is upset and hurt by the fact that other women are sending inappropriate messages to their partner
Why you treat me like I'm nothing
The artist is upset and hurt by how their partner treats them as if they are unimportant and irrelevant
Why you always outta function
The singer is frustrated that their partner is often absent or unavailable during important events or functions
I be wanting to go out but you don't ever ask me
The singer wishes that their partner would ask them to go out and spend time together more often
Why you slip and say her name when we having sex
The singer is hurt and suspicious that their partner may be thinking or fantasizing about someone else while they are having sex
Why you always assuming that I still love my ex
The artist is upset that their partner may be jealous or suspicious of their past relationships and may not fully trust them
Every time we get into it I'm the one that's feeling stupid
The artist feels that they are often the ones who feel embarrassed or guilty after arguments or fights with their partner
You don't need me, you gon' leave me
The singer is afraid and convinced that their partner may not need them or love them anymore, and may leave them soon
That's ya favorite threat
The singer is familiar with their partner's tendency to threaten or imply that they may leave or end the relationship
Why you never know how it feel to be lonely
The artist is frustrated that their partner may not understand how lonely they sometimes feel in the relationship
Why I feel I'm the last option after ya homies
The artist feels like they are always the last priority or option after their partner's friends and acquaintances
Why you always gotta know that I will never let you go
The artist is frustrated that their partner assumes that they will never leave or end the relationship, despite the issues and problems they may be experiencing
Even though you get violent and put your hands on me
The singer is revealing that their partner may be physically violent and abusive towards them, despite their assurances that they will never leave them
Sometimes I, sometimes I feel we share
The artist expresses their doubts and uncertainty about the shared connection and compatibility they have with their partner
Nothing in common, it ain't fair
The singer feels that they have nothing in common with their partner, which is unfair to both parties
But where do we seem to fall
The singer is questioning where their relationship may eventually lead or where it has gone wrong
Tender love and care, once upon a time
The singer reminisces about the love and care that they once shared with their partner
Once upon a time, we was there
The artist confirms that there was a time when their relationship was filled with love, care, and tenderness
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, William T. Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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