Mortal Man
Kendrick Lamar feat. George Clinton & Thundercat Lyrics

The ghost of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it
I hope that my words and music can carry forward the legacy and ideals of Nelson Mandela.

Let these words be your earth and moon you consume every message
I want my lyrics to be the guiding force in your life, the source of inspiration and insight that you constantly absorb.

As I lead this army make room for mistakes and depression
As I take on the role of a leader, I acknowledge that we all make mistakes and go through periods of depression. We must create space for these struggles and support each other.

And with that being said my nigga, let me ask this question
After stating these thoughts, my friend, allow me to pose a crucial question.

When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan?
When things go wrong and life gets tough, do you remain loyal and supportive?

Want you look to your left and right, make sure you ask your friends
I encourage you to turn to those around you, your friends, and ask them the same question.

Do you believe in me? Are you deceiving me?
Do you have faith in me and my message, or are you pretending to support me?

Could I let you down easily, is your heart where it need to be?
If I were to disappoint you, would you handle it well? Is your heart in the right place to truly understand and appreciate my art?

Is your smile on permanent? Is your vow on lifetime?
Are you genuinely happy and committed to this cause? Is your support unwavering and long-lasting?

Would you know where the sermon is if I died in this next line?
If I were to die unexpectedly, would you still be able to find the deeper meaning and message in my music?

If I’m tried in a court of law, if the industry cut me off
If I were to face legal troubles or if the music industry were to reject or abandon me,

If the government want me dead, plant cocaine in my car
If the authorities wanted to eliminate me and fabricated evidence against me,

Would you judge me a drug kid or see me as K. Lamar
Would you believe the false accusations and label me as a criminal, or would you see me for who I truly am, Kendrick Lamar?

Or question my character and degrade me on every blog
Would you doubt my integrity and criticize me endlessly on internet platforms?

Want you to love me like Nelson, want you to hug me like Nelson
I desire for you to love and support me unconditionally, like the way people love and revere Nelson Mandela.

I freed you from being a slave in your mind, you’re very welcome
Through my music, I aim to liberate you from mental slavery and societal constraints. You should be grateful for this freedom.

You tell me my song is more than a song, it’s surely a blessing
You express to me that my music is not just entertainment but a meaningful and impactful blessing.

But a prophet ain’t a prophet til they ask you this question:
However, a true prophet or leader is not fully recognized and validated until they pose this important question to their followers.

When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan?
When faced with adversity and challenges, do you remain loyal and supportive?

Do you believe in me? How much you believe in her?
Do you have faith in me and my abilities? How much trust do you place in the person close to me?

You think she gon’ stick around if them twenty-five years occur?
Do you think she will still stay by my side if I were to face a long prison sentence?

You think he can hold you down when you down behind bars hurt?
Will he be able to support and be there for you when you are dealing with the hardships of being incarcerated?

You think y’all on common ground if you promise to be the first?
Do you believe that you both share the same values and goals if you are the one who promises to take the lead?

Can you be immortalized without your life being expired?
Is it possible to leave a lasting legacy without sacrificing your own life?

Even though you share the same blood is it worth the time?
Is it truly valuable and worth investing your time in someone just because you are related by blood?

Like who got your best interest? Like how much are you dependent?
Who truly has your best interests at heart? How much do you rely on others for your own well-being?

How clutch are the people that say they love you and who pretending?
Can you count on the people who claim to love you, or are they simply pretending and unreliable?

How tough is your skin when they turn you in, do you show forgiveness?
How resilient are you when others betray you? Are you able to forgive and move forward?

What brush do you bend when dusting your shoulders from being offended?
What method or mindset do you adopt when brushing off the negativity and criticisms thrown your way?

What kind of den did they put you in when the lions start hissing?
How did they try to confine and control you when you faced powerful opposition?

What kind of bridge did they burn, revenge or your mind when it’s mentioned?
Did they seek revenge and sever ties with you, or did they simply provoke and challenge your thoughts and beliefs?

You wanna love like Nelson, you wanna be like Nelson
You aspire to love and live with the same compassion and impact as Nelson Mandela.

You wanna walk in his shoes but you peace-making seldom
You desire to emulate his journey but find it difficult to actively pursue peace and reconciliation.

You wanna be remembered that delivered the message
You want to leave a lasting legacy as someone who effectively conveyed an important message.

That considered the blessing of everyone, this your lesson for everyone, say
Your lesson to everyone is to acknowledge and appreciate the blessings that come from considering the perspectives and experiences of everyone.

The voice of Mandela, hope these flows they propel it
As I channel the spirit of Nelson Mandela, I hope that my music can help spread his message and ideals.

Let my word be your earth and moon you consume every message
Allow my lyrics to be your source of guidance and inspiration, absorbing every message I have to offer.

And if you ridin' with me nigga
And if you're supporting and standing by me, my friend

I been wrote off before, I got abandonment issues
I have faced rejection and disregard in the past, which has left me with feelings of being abandoned and unvalued.

I hold grudges like bad judges, don’t let me resent you
I tend to hold onto resentment and grudges like stubborn and biased judges. Please don't allow me to resent you.

That’s not Nelson-like, want you to love me like Nelson
This behavior is not in line with the spirit of Nelson Mandela. I want you to love and support me unconditionally, as he would.

I went to Robben’s Island analyzing, that’s where his cell is
I visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, in search of deeper understanding and insight.

So I could find clarity, like how much you cherish me
I sought clarity and perspective on how much you truly value and appreciate me.

Is this relationship a fake or real as the heavens be?
Is our connection genuine and authentic, as pure and truthful as the heavens above?

See I got to question it all, family, friends, fans, cats, dogs
I find myself questioning everything, from my own family and close friends, to my fans and even the most trivial things like pets.

Trees, plants, grass, how the wind blow
I even question the natural world around me, from trees, plants, and grass to the way the wind blows.

Murphy’s Law, generation X, will I ever be your ex?
I reflect on the unpredictability and chaos of life, questioning whether I will ever be able to move on from being a part of Generation X in your eyes.

Floss off a baby step, mobbed by the mouth a bit
I boast and show off minor achievements, but this attracts criticism and negativity from others.

Pause, put me under stress
These thoughts and uncertainties momentarily pause and overwhelm me, causing additional stress.

Crawled under rocks, ducking y’all, it’s respect
To escape the judgment and criticism, I hide and avoid confrontations, but this is simply my way of showing respect and preserving my peace.

But then tomorrow, put my back against the wall
However, the very next day, I find myself cornered and forced to confront challenges and obstacles.

How many leaders you said you needed then left ‘em for dead?
How many leaders and figures of inspiration did you claim to need, only to abandon and forget them?

Is it Moses, is it Huey Newton or Detroit Red?
Are you seeking leaders like Moses, revolutionary leaders like Huey Newton, or influential figures like Malcolm X?

Is it Martin Luther, JFK, shooter you assassin
Are you looking for visionary leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., or do you view me as the person who will help bring change, potentially facing assassination like JFK?

Is it Jackie, is it Jesse, oh I know, it’s Michael Jackson, oh
Are you expecting me to be a powerful and influential leader like Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, or even Michael Jackson?

That nigga gave us Billie Jean, you say he touched those kids?
Even though Michael Jackson gifted us with iconic songs like 'Billie Jean,' there are accusations that he sexually abused children. What are your thoughts on this?

When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan?
When faced with adversity and challenges, do you remain loyal and supportive?

The ghost of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it
Drawing on the spirit of Nelson Mandela, I hope my music can carry forward his legacy and message.

Let my word be your earth and moon you consume every message
Allow my lyrics to be your source of guidance and inspiration, absorbing every message I have to offer.

Do you believe in me? How much you believe in her?
Do you have faith in me and my abilities? How much trust do you place in the person close to me?

You think she gon’ stick around if them twenty-five years occur?
Do you believe that she will remain by my side if I were to be imprisoned for a long time?

The voice of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it
Drawing on the spirit of Nelson Mandela, I hope my music can carry forward his legacy and message.

Let my word be your earth and moon you consume every message
Allow my lyrics to be your source of guidance and inspiration, absorbing every message I have to offer.

As I lead this army make room for mistakes and depression
As I take on the role of a leader, I acknowledge that we all make mistakes and go through periods of depression. We must create space for these struggles and support each other.

And if you ridin' with me nigga, let me ask this question nigga
And if you're supporting and standing by me, my friend, allow me to pose this important question.

I remember you was conflicted
I recall a time when you felt torn and unsure.

Misusing your influence
You were not using your power and influence wisely.

Sometimes I did the same
At times, I behaved similarly.

Abusing my power, full of resentment
I misused my authority and was filled with bitterness.

Resentment that turned into a deep depression
This bitterness eventually transformed into a profound state of sadness and hopelessness.

Found myself screaming in the hotel room
I ended up in a hotel room, screaming out my frustrations.

I didn’t wanna self destruct
I desperately didn't want to completely ruin myself or my career.

The evils of Lucy was all around me
I felt overwhelmed by the wicked influences and temptations that surrounded me.

So I went running for answers
In search of clarity and solutions, I went seeking answers.

Until I came home
Eventually, I found my way back home.

But that didn’t stop survivor’s guilt
However, my return home did not alleviate the guilt I felt for surviving while others suffered.

Going back and forth trying to convince myself the stripes I earned
I constantly struggled with internal conflict, trying to convince myself that I deserved the success I had achieved.

Or maybe how A-1 my foundation was
Or perhaps trying to convince myself of the strength and solidness of my own foundation.

But while my loved ones was fighting the continuous war back in the city
Meanwhile, my loved ones were still battling the ongoing struggles and conflicts in our hometown.

I was entering a new one
I found myself navigating a different kind of war and challenge.

A war that was based on apartheid and discrimination
A battle against systemic oppression and racial discrimination.

Made me wanna go back to the city and tell the homies what I learned
These experiences inspired a desire to return to my community and share the knowledge and insights I had gained.

The word was respect
The underlying lesson and message I discovered was the importance of respect.

Just because you wore a different gang color than mines
I realized that despite the differences we may have, such as different gang affiliations, respect should still be extended to each other.

Doesn’t mean I can’t respect you as a black man
Regardless of our differences, we should still hold respect for one another as fellow black men.

Forgetting all the pain and hurt we caused each other in these streets
We should be willing to forgive and move forward, leaving behind the pain and hurt we have inflicted upon each other in our community.

If I respect you, we unify and stop the enemy from killing us
By showing respect to one another, we can come together and prevent outside forces from destroying our community.

But I don’t know, I’m no mortal man, maybe I’m just another nigga
However, I don't have all the answers. I'm just a human being, perhaps nothing more than an ordinary person.

Shit and that’s all I wrote
And that's the entirety of what I have to say on the matter.

I was gonna call another nigga but, it ain’t really a poem
I had originally planned to reach out to someone else, but this isn't really a poem or artistic creation.

I just felt like it’s something you probably could relate to
I simply felt like this might be something you can connect with and understand.

Other than that, now that I finally got a chance to holla at you
Besides that, now that I have the opportunity to speak with you,

I always wanted to ask you about a certain situa
There has always been a specific situation I wanted to discuss with you.

About a metaphor actually, you spoke on the ground
It's actually about a metaphor you mentioned in your lyrics, specifically related to the ground.

What you mean ‘bout that, what the ground represent?
I'm curious to know what you intended the ground to symbolize in your lyrics.

The ground is gonna open up and swallow the evil
In my interpretation, the ground represents the force that will ultimately eliminate evil.

That’s how I see it, my word is bond
This is my personal understanding and belief, and I stand firmly by it.

I see and the ground is the symbol for the poor people
I understand, and I see the ground as representing the marginalized and disadvantaged individuals in society.

The poor people is gonna open up this whole world
The oppressed and impoverished will be the catalyst for major global changes and transformations.

And swallow up the rich people
They will metaphorically devour the wealthy and privileged classes.

'Cause the rich people gonna be so fat, they gonna be so appetizing
This is because the rich will become excessively indulgent and enticing.

You know what I’m saying, wealthy, appetizing
Do you understand? The rich will become desirable and attractive due to their wealth and excess.

The poor gonna be so poor and hungry
On the other hand, the poor will remain impoverished and hungry.

You know what I’m saying it’s gonna be like
Do you understand what I'm trying to convey?

There might be some cannibalism out this mutha, they might eat the rich
There could even be a metaphorical sense of cannibalism, with the poor figuratively consuming the wealthy and powerful.

Aight so let me ask you this then
Alright, I have another question for you then.

Do you see yourself as somebody that’s rich
Do you consider yourself to be part of the wealthy class?

Or somebody that made the best of their own opportunities?
Or someone who has successfully made the most of their own chances and opportunities?

I see myself as a natural born hustler
Personally, I view myself as an innate hustler, always driven to succeed.

A true hustler in every sense of the word
In every sense of the term, I embody the characteristics and mentality of a true hustler.

I took nothin’, I took the opportunities
I started with nothing and seized the opportunities that came my way.

I worked at the most menial and degrading job
I was employed in the lowest and most demeaning positions.

And built myself up so I could get it to where I owned it
But through hard work and determination, I was able to elevate myself to a position where I owned my own ventures.

I went from having somebody manage me
Initially, I had someone managing my career.

To me hiring the person that works my management company
But eventually, I took charge and employed the person who now oversees my management company.

I changed everything I realized my destiny in a matter of five years
In a short span of five years, I completely transformed my life and recognized my true purpose in life.

You know what I’m saying I made myself a millionaire
I became a self-made millionaire, as you may know.

I made millions for a lot of people
I generated enormous wealth for many individuals.

Now it’s time to make millions for myself
However, now I want to focus on securing wealth for my own benefit.

By my faith in God, by my faith in the game
I have maintained my sanity and stability through my unwavering faith in God and my passion for my craft.

And by my faith in all good things come to those that stay true
Furthermore, I believe that if you remain loyal and authentic, good things will naturally come your way.

You know what I’m saying, and it was happening to me for a reason
Do you understand what I'm trying to convey? These successes and opportunities came my way for a purpose.

You know what I’m saying, I was noticing
I became aware of, and acknowledged, these blessings.

I was punching the right buttons and it was happening
I made the right moves and decisions that led to these positive outcomes.

So it’s no problem, you know I mean it’s a problem but I’m not finna let them know
So, there's no need to worry. I mean, of course, there are always challenges, but I won't show my adversaries that they faze me.

I’m finna go straight through
Instead, I will persevere and overcome any obstacles that come my way.

I like to think that at every opportunity
Personally, I prefer to believe that in every situation

I've ever been threatened with resistance it’s been met with resistance
Whenever I have encountered resistance and opposition, I have always fought back with equal force.

And not only me but it goes down my family tree
This resilience and fighting spirit is not unique to me, but it runs through my entire family history.

You know what I’m saying, it’s in my veins to fight back
Do you understand? It is simply part of my nature and heritage to fight back and resist.

I wanted to ask you what you think is the future for me and my generation today?
I wanted to inquire about your perspective on the future, specifically regarding me and my generation.

I think that niggas is tired-a grabbin' shit out the stores
Personally, I believe that people are exhausted from resorting to looting and stealing.

And next time it’s a riot there’s gonna be bloodshed for real
If another riot occurs, I fear that there will be actual violent conflicts resulting in loss of life.

I don’t think America can know that
I don't believe that the United States is aware of or prepared for the potential bloodshed.

I think American think we was just playing and it’s gonna be some more playing
Many Americans underestimate the seriousness of the situation, thinking that we were simply playing around and that more of the same will continue.

But it ain’t gonna be no playing
However, it won't be a game or a trivial matter.

It’s gonna be murder, you know what I’m saying
It will result in violent acts and loss of life, do you understand what I'm trying to convey?

It’s gonna be like Nat Turner, 1831, up in this muthafucka
It will be similar to the events led by Nat Turner in 1831, shaking things up and sparking a revolution.

That’s crazy man. In my opinion only hope that we kinda have left
That's astonishing, man. In my opinion, the only hope we really have left

Is music and vibrations
Lies in the power and influence of music and the energy it generates.

Lotta people don’t understand how important it is
Unfortunately, many people fail to comprehend the true importance and impact of music.

Sometimes I be like, get behind a mic
Sometimes I feel like I need to step up to the microphone

And I don’t know what type of energy I’mma push out
Without knowing what kind of energy I will emit or project through my music.

Or where it comes from. Trip me out sometimes
It can be overwhelming and perplexing at times, not knowing the source or origins of this energy.

Because the spirits, we ain’t really rappin’
The truth is, when we rap, it's not just us speaking but also the spirits and souls of our deceased loved ones.

We just letting our dead homies tell stories for us
We are giving voice to the stories and experiences of our departed friends and family members.

Damn
Wow, that's powerful.

I wanted to read one last thing to you
Before we finish, there's one more thing I want to share with you.

It’s actually something a good friend had wrote describing my world
It's actually a description of my world that a close friend of mine wrote.

The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it
The caterpillar symbolizes individuals who are trapped and limited by the environment they grew up in.

Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city
The caterpillar's sole purpose is to consume its surroundings to survive and protect itself from the chaos and madness of the city.

While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
During this process of consumption, the caterpillar starts to learn and adapt, finding new strategies for survival.

One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly
One realization that stands out is how the world rejects and disregards the caterpillar, while simultaneously celebrating the transformed butterfly.

The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar
The butterfly symbolizes the hidden potential, creativity, and inner beauty that exists within the caterpillar.

But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak
However, due to its pessimistic perspective and tough experiences, the caterpillar views the butterfly as fragile and vulnerable.

And figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits
Therefore, the caterpillar finds a way to exploit and manipulate the butterfly for its own gain.

Already surrounded by this mad city
Trapped within this chaotic and challenging city environment,

The caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him
The caterpillar then starts to build its cocoon, which becomes like an institution or a prison for it.

He can no longer see past his own thoughts
The caterpillar becomes so consumed by its own perspective and limitations that it cannot comprehend anything beyond its current state.

He’s trapped
It becomes trapped and confined by its own mindset and circumstances.

When trapped inside these walls certain ideas start to take roots
While confined within these limiting walls, certain ideas and perspectives begin to form and solidify.

Such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city
One notable idea is the longing to return home, to the community, and introduce new concepts and possibilities to this chaotic city.

The result? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant
The outcome? Wings start to develop, breaking the cycle of feeling trapped and stagnant.

Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations
Once it is free, the butterfly brings enlightenment and sheds light on various situations.

That the caterpillar never considered, ending the eternal struggle
The butterfly reveals insights and solutions that the caterpillar never contemplated, thereby ending its eternal struggle and stagnation.

Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different
Despite their stark differences in appearance and nature,

They are one and the same
They are fundamentally interconnected and represent different stages or phases of the same being.