Biography: Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper/song writer born in Compton, California that will
soon be an icon. He is famous for his platinum albums like To Pimp a Butterfly and Good
Kid, M.A.A.D City speaking about stereotypes and peer pressure. When Kendrick was eight, he
witnessed his idols, Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur, film the music video for their hit single
California Love. This moment was very significant in his life making him into what he is
today. When Lamar was a teenager, he attended Centennial High School in Compton, California
where he was a good straight A student who loved to enjoyed writing, first stories and poems,
then lyrics rapping under the name of K-Dot.
[Source: Biography.com]

King Kunta
I got a bone to pick
I don't want you monkey mouth motherfuckers sittin' in my throne again
(Aye aye nigga what's happenin' nigga, K Dot back in the hood nigga)
I'm mad (He mad), but I ain't stressin'

True friends, one question

Bitch where you when I was walkin'?
Now I run the game got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him (King Kunta) Kunta
Black man taking no losses
Bitch where you when I was walkin'?
Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him
When you got the yams (What's the yams?)
The yam is the power that be
You can smell it when I'm walking down the street (Oh yes we can, oh yes we can)
I can dig rapping, but a rapper with a ghost writer
What the fuck happened?
(Oh no) I swore I wouldn't tell
But most of you share bars like you got the bottom bunk in a two man cell (A two man cell)
Something's in the water (Something's in the water)
And if I got a brown nose for some gold then I'd rather be a bum than a motherfuckin' baller
Bitch where you when I was walkin'?
Now I run the game got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him (King Kunta) Kunta
Black man taking no losses
Bitch where you when I was walkin'?
Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him
When you got the yams (What's the yams?)
The yam brought it out of Richard Pryor
Manipulated Bill Clinton with desires
24/7, 365 days times two
I was contemplatin' gettin' on stage
Just to go back to the hood see my enemies and say...
Bitch where you when I was walkin'?
Now I run the game got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him (King Kunta) Kunta
Black man taking no losses
Bitch where you when I was walkin'?
Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him
You goat mouth mammy fucker
I was gonna kill a couple rappers but they did it to themselves
Everybody's suicidal they don't even need my help
This shit is elementary, I'll probably go to jail
If I shoot at your identity and bounce to the left
Stuck a flag in my city, everybody's screamin' "Compton"
I should probably run for Mayor when I'm done, to be honest
And I put that on my Mama and my baby boo too
Twenty million walkin' out the court buildin' woo woo
Ah yeah fuck the judge
I made it past 25 and there I was
A little nappy headed nigga with the world behind him
Life ain't shit but a fat vagina
Screamin' "Annie are you ok? Annie are you ok?"
Limo tinted with the gold plates
Straight from the bottom, this the belly of the beast
From a peasant to a prince to a motherfucking king
Bitch where was you when I was walkin'- [POP]
(By the time you hear the next pop, the funk shall be within you) [POP]
Now I run the game got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him (King Kunta) Kunta
Black man taking no losses
Bitch where was you when I was walkin'
Now I run the game got the whole world talkin' (King Kunta)
Everybody wanna cut the legs off him (Funk, funk, funk, funk, funk, funk)
We want the funk
We want the funk (Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it)
We want the funk (Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it)
We want the funk (Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it)
We want the funk (Do you want the funk?)
We want the funk (Do you want the funk?)
We want the funk (Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it)
We want the funk

King Kunta
In the poem King Kunta, Kendrick Lamar talks about other people are trying to go after
him since hes famous relating to Kunta Kinte, a man who tried to run away from slavery 4 times

and as punishment got his right foot cut off, and how he wants to be better than everyone else
basically trying to diss the other rappers. The song uses poetic devices such as tone, rhythm,
rhyme, and repetition. Kendrick writes, ...I was gonna kill a couple rappers but they did it to
themselves everybodys suicidal they dont even need my help.... This part of the song is
important because hes focusing on the rap industry wanting to kill the competition, but there
is literally no competition since bad raps, lyrics, music, and the behavior of the rappers have
already killed them. Another part of the song says, ...This s**t is elementary, Ill probably go to
jail, if I shoot at your identity and bounce to the left.... This part of the song is important
because Kendrick is saying that the legal system is elementary, and shoot at your identity
refers to attacking African Americans for just being African American.

Swimming Pools
Pour up (drank), head shot (drank)
Sit down (drank), stand up (drank)
Pass out (drank), wake up (drank)
Faded (drank), faded (drank)
Now I done grew up
Round some people living their life in bottles
Granddaddy had the golden flask
Back stroke every day in Chicago
Some people like the way it feels
Some people wanna kill their sorrows
Some people wanna fit in with the popular
That was my problem
I was in the dark room
Loud tunes, looking to make a vow soon
That I'm a get fucked up, fillin' up my cup

I see the crowd mood

Changing by the minute and the record on repeat
Took a sip, then another sip, then somebody said to me:
Nigga why you babysittin' only 2 or 3 shots?
I'm a show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
I wave a few bottles, then I watch em all flock
All the girls wanna play Baywatch
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Pool full of liquor I'm a dive in it
Pour up (drank), head shot (drank)
Sit down (drank), stand up (drank)
Pass out (drank), wake up (drank)
Faded (drank), faded (drank)
Okay, now open your mind up and listen to me, Kendrick
I'm in your conscience, if you do not hear me
Then you will be history, Kendrick
I know that you're nauseous right now
And I'm hopin' to lead you to victory, Kendrick
If I take another one down
I'm a drown in some poison abusin' my limit
I think that I'm feelin' the vibe
I see the love in her eyes, I see the feelin'
The freedom is granted as soon as the damage of vodka arrive
This how you capitalize
This is parental advice
Then apparently, I'm over influenced by what you are doin'
I thought I was doin' the most then someone said to me
Nigga why you babysittin' only 2 or 3 shots?
I'm a show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
I wave a few bottles, then I watch em all flock
All the girls wanna play Baywatch
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Pool full of liquor I'm a dive in it
Pour up (drank), head shot (drank)
Sit down (drank), stand up (drank)
Pass out (drank), wake up (drank)
Faded (drank), faded (drank)
I ride, you ride, bang
One chopper, one hundred shots, bang
Hop out. Do you, bang
Two chopper, two hundred shots, bang
I ride, you ride, bang
One chopper, one hundred shots, bang
Hop out. Do you, bang
Two chopper, two hundred shots, bang
Nigga why you babysittin' only 2 or 3 shots?
I'm a show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
I wave a few bottles, then I watch em all flock
All the girls wanna play Baywatch
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Pool full of liquor I'm a dive in it
Pour up (drank), head shot (drank)
Sit down (drank), stand up (drank)
Pass out (drank), wake up (drank)
Faded (drank), faded (drank)

Swimming Pools
In the poem Swimming Pools Kendrick Lamar talks about the art of peer pressure and
how he used to be pressured into alcohol in the past, but if you truly understand the meaning to
the song then you can learn that Kendrick is talking about the things that he has seen in the past
and how he has indulged in that type of lifestyle. Kendrick uses a lot of poetic devices in this
poem using rhyme, rhythm, tone, oxymoron, and imagery. In the hook of the song in Swimming

Pools it says, from someone who is telling Kendrick what to do, to get a swimming pool full of
liquor and to dive in it. This part of the hook is important because its the main message. This
poem is telling the listeners that the things around us are force feeding us all these and we are
swallowing it. Another part in the poem, specifically in the bridge of the song, he says ...I ride,
you ride, bang. One chopper, one hundred shots, bang. Hop out, do you, bang. Two chopper, two
hundred shots, bang.... This part of the poem uses alliteration, imagery,and repetition. The
bridge is important because Kendrick is making us imagine that we are running away from
someone in a helicopter trying to shoot at us, probably meaning the people trying to pressure us,
chasing us and telling us what to do, what we are, and who we are.