Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987), professionally known as Kend… Read Full Bio ↴Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987), professionally known as Kendrick Lamar, 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" 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 Recipe Bonus
Kendrick Lamar Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every morning when I wake up, uh, money on my mind
Good times and get caked up, uh, sunshine coming through my blinds
I’m living but, really though, it’s never enough
10 milli on, that's a must, living in California
Everybody wanna visit for (Women, weed and weather)
They come for (Women, weed and weather)
(For the women, weed and weather)
From all around the world for the (Women, weed and weather)

These niggas’ll kill for that, put it in your grill for that
Still everybody gotta build for that, me? I make mills off that
How the fuck can’t y'all see I ride, when I drive, down the block and
You look outside, H-A-T-E in your eyes, I enter big money for the enterprise
It’s a beautiful day I guess for a bitch to roll with Andre I guess
Roll it up, baby come lift that dress then roll it up for me when I’m stressed

You might catch me in Atlanta looking like a boss
New Orleans and then Miami, party in New York
Texas I be screwed up, Chi town I be really pimping
But nothing like my hometown I’m forever living
Women, weed and weather
(They come for) women, weed and weather
For the women, weed and weather
(From all around the world for the) women, weed and weather
Got that women, weed and weather
Don't it sound clever, come and play
What more can I say? Welcome to LA

My nigga said he wanna fly out to get him
Some, three W's only for a three day run, bitch
Take them motherfuckin' panties off, you ain't no nun, shit
I be living in the sky every time I ride by them hoes
Ribbon in the sky on the radio cause Stevie know I control
Let it breathe, I control, California living 'til I am old
You want to be one, to peak on the chart
So the peons can be gone and pee on their hearts
She in the coupe, she in the Neon cause she on the BS before we can start
Fuck with a nigga, ride with a nigga, let 'em know the priority order me
Hennessy and for my niggas OG Killa, call it Jason Voorhees
Boy he's on his job, boy he sure be having the marks on they mark
Pretty bitches and tire marks, let 'em inhale them pipe exhausts
Let 'em reveal how much it cost for this life controlling my vice
No way hell no, uh uh, if I’m wrong I don't wanna be right
You want to be one, to peak on the chart
So the peons can be gone and pee on their hearts
Women, weed, weather, it’s not my fault
That it's 82 degrees and my top peeled off

You might catch me in Atlanta looking like a boss
New Orleans and then Miami, party in New York
Texas I be screwed up, Chi town I be really pimping
But nothing like my hometown I’m forever living
Women, weed and weather
(They come for) women, weed and weather
For the women, weed and weather
(From all around the world for the) women, weed and weather
Got that women, weed and weather
Don't it sound clever, come and play
What more can I say? Welcome to LA

Known for that homegrown where I come from
Smoke one, palm trees, double D's got 'em topless in the sun
I shall proceed, that's me, muthafuck your opinion
How many ways am I killing 'em? Shit, right around a billion
We on it, that mean we living for the moment
That mean she’ll fuck 'til the morning, time and I got time
And I know that I’m in a position of controlling, anything by that ocean
I'm a boss I’ll buy that ocean, ain't nobody fucking with this

They want that shit, they often feind, I give it to ‘em, but in between
My time, I gotta tie shoestrings, life’s a trip when you want these things
I often slip and then I lean toward three W's in life
You know blow job need an application, eating pussy make appetite
And yeah my type, I like 'em brown, just like my drink, the fuck you think
I don’t fuck with no hand me downs, see if you fuck then it's after me
You know how much I’mma make it work? You know her dress, slip it in her purse
When you discussed your love for lust, just make sure you visit here first, Cali

You might catch me in Atlanta looking like a boss
New Orleans and then Miami, party in New York
Texas I be screwed up, Chi town I be really pimping
But nothing like my hometown I’m forever living
Women, weed and weather
(They come for) women, weed and weather
For the women, weed and weather
(From all around the world for the) women, weed and weather
Got that women, weed and weather

Don't it sound clever, come and play
What more can I say? Welcome to LA

Overall Meaning

In “The Recipe,” Kendrick Lamar raps about the allure of living in California. He starts by talking about his daily routine, which includes waking up with money on his mind and the desire to make 10 million dollars. He notes that people come from all over the world to enjoy the Golden State’s women, weed, and weather, and acknowledges that some will kill for these pleasures. Throughout the verse, he emphasizes his financial success and how he’s made mills off of these sought-after elements of California living.

Despite his success, Kendrick recognizes that it’s never enough and that he still has to work hard to continue earning. He calls out those who hate on him and the jealousy that he receives for his fame and financial success. Still, he revels in the beautiful weather and insists that it’s a great day to be with a woman, particularly Andre 3000, with whom he collaborates on the song. In the second verse, Andre 3000 takes over, similarly praising the state and the fun he has when visiting. He highlights the many places he goes and the many women he encounters.

Overall, the song paints a picture of California as a place of endless opportunity and pleasure. The women, weed, and weather are key components of this vision, along with the money that comes with success in the state. While some may envy Kendrick for his situation, he sees it as the reward for his hard work and dedication to achieving his goals.

Line by Line Meaning

Every morning when I wake up, uh, money on my mind
I wake up thinking about making more money

Good times and get caked up, uh, sunshine coming through my blinds
I enjoy making money and it makes me happy

I’m living but, really though, it’s never enough
Even though I’m successful and wealthy, I’m always striving for more

10 milli on, that's a must, living in California
Having ten million dollars is a necessity to live in California

Everybody wanna visit for (Women, weed and weather)
People flock to California for the combination of attractive women, marijuana, and pleasant weather

They come for (Women, weed and weather)
People are drawn to California because of the appeal of women, weed, and weather

(For the women, weed and weather)
People visit California for the combination of attractive women, marijuana, and pleasant weather

From all around the world for the (Women, weed and weather)
People from all parts of the world come to California for attractive women, marijuana, and pleasant weather

These niggas’ll kill for that, put it in your grill for that
Some people are willing to go to extremes to experience the combination of women, weed, and weather in California

Still everybody gotta build for that, me? I make mills off that
Despite the allure of California, people must still work hard for success there, while I make millions from it

How the fuck can’t y'all see I ride, when I drive, down the block and
It’s evident to everyone that I am successful and wealthy based on the way I live

You look outside, H-A-T-E in your eyes, I enter big money for the enterprise
People who don’t have what I have are jealous and resentful towards me, while I continue to make large amounts of money for my business ventures

It’s a beautiful day I guess for a bitch to roll with Andre I guess
It’s a lovely day for me to hang out with my friend Andre

Roll it up, baby come lift that dress then roll it up for me when I’m stressed
Smoke marijuana with me and have sex with me to relieve my stress

You might catch me in Atlanta looking like a boss
I might be seen in Atlanta looking successful and powerful

New Orleans and then Miami, party in New York
I enjoy partying in different cities such as New Orleans, Miami, and New York

Texas I be screwed up, Chi town I be really pimping
When I’m in Texas I have a good time, while in Chicago I act like a pimp

But nothing like my hometown I’m forever living
However, there’s nothing like my hometown of California, where I plan to live forever

Got that women, weed and weather
There’s a combination of attractive women, marijuana, and pleasant weather in California

Don't it sound clever, come and play
It’s a clever combination that people find attractive and inviting

What more can I say? Welcome to LA
There’s not much more to say except welcome to Los Angeles

My nigga said he wanna fly out to get him
My friend said he wants to fly out to buy some weed

Some, three W's only for a three day run, bitch
We only need three things for a three-day trip - women, weed, and weather

Take them motherfuckin' panties off, you ain't no nun, shit
Take off your panties, you’re not a prude

I be living in the sky every time I ride by them hoes
I feel superior to women when I drive by them in my luxurious car

Ribbon in the sky on the radio cause Stevie know I control
My music is playing on the radio and I have control over my career like Stevie Wonder

Let it breathe, I control, California living 'til I am old
I have control over my life and I plan to live in California until I am old

You want to be one, to peak on the chart
Everyone wants to be successful and reach the top of their industry

So the peons can be gone and pee on their hearts
Once you become successful, you leave behind those who were once inferior to you

She in the coupe, she in the Neon cause she on the BS before we can start
The woman is in my car but she’s difficult and causing problems before we can begin anything

Fuck with a nigga, ride with a nigga, let 'em know the priority order me
Stick with me and let everyone know that I am the top priority

Hennessy and for my niggas OG Killa, call it Jason Voorhees
I’m drinking Hennessy with my friends who are OGs, like Jason Voorhees from the horror movie 'Friday the 13th'

Boy he's on his job, boy he sure be having the marks on they mark
My friend is good at what he does and he leaves a lasting impression on everyone he interacts with

Pretty bitches and tire marks, let 'em inhale them pipe exhausts
Attractive women and the smell of burnt rubber from my car’s exhaust turns me on

Let 'em reveal how much it cost for this life controlling my vice
Let others see how much it costs to maintain my lifestyle that depends on my addictions

No way hell no, uh uh, if I’m wrong I don't wanna be right
I’m so confident in my life choices that I wouldn’t want to be right if I’m proven wrong

Women, weed, weather, it’s not my fault
The combination of attractive women, marijuana, and pleasant weather is not something I control

That it's 82 degrees and my top peeled off
It’s warm enough that I can drive my car with the top down

Known for that homegrown where I come from
The marijuana grown in California is famous

Smoke one, palm trees, double D's got 'em topless in the sun
Smoke marijuana with me and admire the palm trees and women with large breasts who are sunbathing topless

I shall proceed, that's me, muthafuck your opinion
I will continue to do what I want despite others' opinions

How many ways am I killing 'em? Shit, right around a billion
I am very successful at what I do and I’m making a large amount of money

We on it, that mean we living for the moment
We are taking advantage of the opportunities in the present moment

That mean she’ll fuck 'til the morning, time and I got time
This means the woman will have sex with me until the morning and I have plenty of time to enjoy it

And I know that I’m in a position of controlling, anything by that ocean
I am in control of anything that happens near the ocean in California

I'm a boss I’ll buy that ocean, ain't nobody fucking with this
I’m so successful that I could afford to buy the ocean and no one can compete with me

They want that shit, they often feind, I give it to ‘em, but in between
People are addicted to my lifestyle and I provide it for them, however, there are moments of hardship in between my successes

My time, I gotta tie shoestrings, life’s a trip when you want these things
Even though I’m successful, I still have to handle mundane tasks like tying my shoelaces, and life is difficult when you want to maintain a lavish lifestyle

I often slip and then I lean toward three W's in life
I have to make sacrifices and sometimes resort to the combination of women, weed, and weather to maintain my happiness

You know blow job need an application, eating pussy make appetite
Performing oral sex requires skill, and doing so on a woman can lead to arousal

And yeah my type, I like 'em brown, just like my drink, the fuck you think
My preference for women is brown-skinned, like my alcoholic drink

I don’t fuck with no hand me downs, see if you fuck then it's after me
I don’t associate with people who resort to secondhand items, and once you have sex with me, there’s no going back to anyone else

You know her dress, slip it in her purse
You can take off the woman’s dress and put it in her purse for me

When you discussed your love for lust, just make sure you visit here first, Cali
Before you pursue your love for sexual desires, make sure you visit California first

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: KENDRICK LAMAR, ELIJAH MOLINA, GABEL MULLEN D AMICO, UDBHAV GUPTA, ANDREA ESTELLA HERNANDEZ, ERIC MICHAEL CARDONA, BRYAN MATTHEW UJUETA, SYLVESTER JORDAN JR

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