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.
The Heart Pt. 2
Kendrick Lamar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sitting in the studio thinking about which mood would go
Right now, freestyle or write down, whatever
It still'll come up clever
I just need to free my thoughts, and Lord knows that I know better
But I ain't perfect, I ain't seen too many churches
Or know them testament verses
You should either hear me now or go deaf
Might end up dead, swallow blood, swallow my breath
Fuck a funeral, just make sure you pay my music respect nigga
I mean that from the bottom of my heart
You see my art, is all I have
And victory tastes sweet, even when the enemy can throw salt
Still knock them out the park like a fucking tow car
Let bygones be bygones, but where I'm from
We buy guns and more guns, to give to the young
I'm living the life of a nigga trapped nigga
Inside the system all you envision is trap niggas
My uncle doing life inside prison he wasn't wrapped too tight
He told me rap about life, not rap niggas
That's why I'm shaking my head when you rap dissin'
My stomach start turning, my nerves get to twitching
I start evaluating, then my final intuition
Is that you wishing a come up, would just come up
We used to beefing over turf, fuck beefing over a verse
Niggas dying, motherfuck a double entendre
And this is Comp-ton, lions in the land of the triumph
Wrap saran our defiance, ban our alliance
Put burners in the hands, of the black man
One hood with 20 four-four's like a cloned Kobe Bryant
You probably heard I wanna be heard and wonder who I am
You probably even listen to Faith, and think I know Zion
But really I'm just caught in the loop, of understanding the truth
Because it seem like it's always clashing with science
I got a big fear of flying
My future so bright I'd probably go blind before I blink twice, I ain't lying
I swear to God half of ya'll just don't know Kendrick
The school of hardknocks, we was the first ones in attendance
You walking down the block, he got shot, you are no eye witness
You just mind your business
You just turn your head, kneel down and then tie your tennis
It's kind of scary ain't it?
You can't act like no bitch, that only got Tyler Perry famous
Just let me explain this, why you pick up that stainless
Cuz your pops wasn't anxious
To see you and you hate it
So much you probably had your burner tucked at graduation
So if you see him on 'em bleachers then you kill him
Facing 25 to life with a murder charge
Your enemies was the prey and now you pray to God
I pray these bars get farther than Compton
And if our record never break, I still won't break my promise
I promise to keep it honest
Secret society all we ask is trust
And all we lack is communication like service sucks
The people scared of annihilation when Kingdom Come
And I'm like
The Kendrick Lamar OD in less than a month, alright?
Gotta keep it pushing
Can't let the government tell me how my future looking
I'm on Rosecrans and Central trying to duck the central bookins'
If the fucking pigs get behind me then you know I'm bookin'
Never will I surrender
I been a warrior when I came out my mom's placenta
In the gutter lane like I'm Master Splinter
How splendid, I guess my project had did it
Got all these niggas approaching they mixtapes different
They said seven tracks, I said fifteen
Called it an EP, they said I'm trippin'
But little did they know, I'm tryna' change the rules
That we've been confined to, so the corporate won't make decisions
Uppity bitches, handling business
Killing our dreams, stealing our vision
Out in Haiti, adolescents barely have a home
In L.A everybody think they fucking on
Hop on twitter, perpetrate we doing big shit
Who we hanging with and bragging about the iPhone
I swear to God most of y'all cats just don't know Kendrick
You barely know yourself, so I guess most of y'all should be offended
Ain't doing this for my health I'm tryna' purchase my momma dem' Benzes
Occupying my time with riches, justifying my time ambitions
Just to coincide, just to go inside, plus we idolize why we living
Look the mastermind, took the master's mind
Just the perfect time, just to master mine
Just to match the grind with precision
Look the mastermind, took
Cause of you we are Overly Dedicated
The Heart is a rap song by Kendrick Lamar featuring Ab Soul and Jay Rock. In the song, Kendrick is in the studio contemplating whether to freestyle or write down his thoughts. He knows that he needs to release his thoughts but acknowledges that he is not perfect, having not gone to church or memorized religious verses. He urges his critics to take note of his music or risk ending up dead, either by attempting to live his lifestyle or figuratively dying by not acknowledging his art. Kendrick also speaks on the violence that pervades his neighborhood and his fear of flying. He depicts Compton as a place where people buy guns for young people, rather than beefing over turf. He raps about the fear of being shot, the need for self-defense, and the lack of communication between people.
Kendrick uses his platform to speak up about the issues faced by his community, such as violence and poverty. He wants his listeners to know that he is not just a rap artist but a voice of a generation that is seeking change. Kendrick's lyrics show his resilience to societal pressures, his desire to see change, and his commitment to his community. He urges his listeners to take action to change their circumstances and not let the government dictate their future.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting in the studio thinking about which mood would go
Contemplating which mindset to adopt in studio
Right now, freestyle or write down, whatever
Deciding whether to improvise or write down thoughts
It still'll come up clever
Regardless, the idea will be clever
I just need to free my thoughts, and Lord knows that I know better
Releasing thoughts and acknowledging knowledge
But I ain't perfect, I ain't seen too many churches
Acknowledging imperfection and lack of religious exposure
Or know them testament verses
Not being familiar with biblical texts
You should either hear me now or go deaf
Listen to the message or disregard it entirely
Or end up dead, die trying and know death
Risk death for a cause
Might end up dead, swallow blood, swallow my breath
Could potentially die for the message I'm conveying
Fuck a funeral, just make sure you pay my music respect nigga
Disregard a formal funeral, but respect the music
I mean that from the bottom of my heart
The message is sincere
You see my art, is all I have
Music is the artist's only possession
And victory tastes sweet, even when the enemy can throw salt
Success is still satisfying even in the face of opposition
Still knock them out the park like a fucking tow car
Dominating and succeeding with ease
Let bygones be bygones, but where I'm from
Forgive and forget, but in my environment
We buy guns and more guns, to give to the young
Gun violence is prevalent and weapons are easily accessible
I'm living the life of a nigga trapped nigga
Living a life of entrapment in a certain environment
Inside the system all you envision is trap niggas
The system perpetuates the trap lifestyle
My uncle doing life inside prison he wasn't wrapped too tight
Uncle is serving a life sentence due to poor judgement/mental state
He told me rap about life, not rap niggas
Encouragement to rap about life experiences
That's why I'm shaking my head when you rap dissin'
Disapproving of diss tracks
My stomach start turning, my nerves get to twitching
Reacting negatively to negative music
I start evaluating, then my final intuition
Reflecting then trusting intuition
Is that you wishing a come up, would just come up
Suspecting ulterior motives behind the music
We used to beefing over turf, fuck beefing over a verse
Past violent conflicts over territory are unimportant compared to lyrical battles
Niggas dying, motherfuck a double entendre
No subtleties about death
And this is Comp-ton, lions in the land of the triumph
Embracing the harsh realities of Compton
Wrap saran our defiance, ban our alliance
Overcoming obstacles with collective resilience
Put burners in the hands, of the black man
Weaponizing the black community
One hood with 20 four-four's like a cloned Kobe Bryant
A formidable force capable of handling adversity
You probably heard I wanna be heard and wonder who I am
Wanting to be recognized for the music
You probably even listen to Faith, and think I know Zion
Assuming the artist is religious based on their music
But really I'm just caught in the loop, of understanding the truth
Dealing with the complexities of reality
Because it seem like it's always clashing with science
Science and truth often contradict each other
I got a big fear of flying
Fear of failure
My future so bright I'd probably go blind before I blink twice, I ain't lying
Anticipating a prosperous future
I swear to God half of ya'll just don't know Kendrick
The public doesn't really know the artist
The school of hardknocks, we was the first ones in attendance
Grew up in a tough environment
You walking down the block, he got shot, you are no eye witness
Living in areas of high gun violence
You just mind your business
Avoiding trouble
You just turn your head, kneel down and then tie your tennis
Ignoring the violence and focusing on mundane activities
It's kind of scary ain't it?
Acknowledging the fear and danger
You can't act like no bitch, that only got Tyler Perry famous
Taking action and not being passive
Just let me explain this, why you pick up that stainless
Justifying violence as self-defense
Cuz your pops wasn't anxious
Environmental and genetic factors may lead to violent tendencies
To see you and you hate it
Feeling neglected and angry
So much you probably had your burner tucked at graduation
Carrying weapons in anticipation of violence
So if you see him on 'em bleachers then you kill him
Violent retribution
Facing 25 to life with a murder charge
Consequences of violent actions
Your enemies was the prey and now you pray to God
Recognizing the effects of violence on both sides
I pray these bars get farther than Compton
Hoping the music spreads beyond his immediate surroundings
And if our record never break, I still won't break my promise
Commitment to the message regardless of mainstream success
I promise to keep it honest
No pretense, just honesty in the music
Secret society all we ask is trust
Expecting trust from his inner circle
And all we lack is communication like service sucks
Lack of communication despite trust
The people scared of annihilation when Kingdom Come
Fear of the unknown and the end of the world
And I'm like
The artist's perspective on the topic
The Kendrick Lamar OD in less than a month, alright?
A prediction of success in the industry
Gotta keep it pushing
Keep moving forward and chasing success
Can't let the government tell me how my future looking
Refusing to be oppressed by the government
I'm on Rosecrans and Central trying to duck the central bookins'
Dodging police surveillance
If the fucking pigs get behind me then you know I'm bookin'
Fleeing from the police
Never will I surrender
Preserving through adversity
I been a warrior when I came out my mom's placenta
Born a fighter
In the gutter lane like I'm Master Splinter
Navigating rough terrain like a ninja
How splendid, I guess my project had did it
Feeling accomplished about the music
Got all these niggas approaching they mixtapes different
Influencing other artists to change their approach
They said seven tracks, I said fifteen
Going against established norms
Called it an EP, they said I'm trippin'
Defying classification
But little did they know, I'm tryna' change the rules
Revolutionizing the industry
That we've been confined to, so the corporate won't make decisions
Breaking free from corporate control
Uppity bitches, handling business
Asserting power and control
Killing our dreams, stealing our vision
Oppression stunting creativity and growth
Out in Haiti, adolescents barely have a home
Highlighting global poverty and lack of resources
In L.A everybody think they fucking on
The illusion of prosperity and success in L.A
Hop on twitter, perpetrate we doing big shit
Exaggerating success on social media
Who we hanging with and bragging about the iPhone
Focusing on material possessions and social status
I swear to God most of y'all cats just don't know Kendrick
The public doesn't really know the artist
You barely know yourself, so I guess most of y'all should be offended
Calling out lack of self-awareness
Ain't doing this for my health I'm tryna' purchase my momma dem' Benzes
Motivation to provide for his family
Occupying my time with riches, justifying my time ambitions
Using wealth to validate his accomplishments
Just to coincide, just to go inside, plus we idolize why we living
Reflecting on the human condition
Look the mastermind, took the master's mind
Turning the tables and seizing power
Just the perfect time, just to master mine
Seizing the perfect opportunity
Just to match the grind with precision
Working hard and smart
Cause of you we are Overly Dedicated
Grateful to supporters for giving him a platform to succeed
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David K
This Track put me on Kendrick back in 2011
"I swear to God most of y'all cats just don’t know Kendrick
You barely know yourself, so I guess most of y'all should be offended
Ain’t doing this for my health I’m tryna' purchase my momma dem' Benzes
Occupying my time with riches, justifying my time ambitions
Just to coincide, just to go inside, plus we idolize why we living
Look the mastermind, took the master's mind
Just the perfect time, just to master mine
Just to match the grind with precision
Look the mastermind, took - (cough)"
qtn
After hearing Pt5 this is still the BEST ONE. Masterpiece.
Sergio Dominguez
On GOD
Ndumiso Mdakane
no lies detected.
Christopher S
The intro plus him just snapping at the end is timeless
Deuce Jackson
On God, best one 💯💯💯
Mallory Joy
Big ol facts
SenseiLoco32
Cuzz killed it. He's got a bright future ahead of him and I can't wait to hear more of him.
ASAP T
Man you were right
AKO Nas ™️
9 years later...
userplwidfu81
@AKO Nas ™️ ong 🙏🏼