Kendrick Lamar: What inspired me as a kid really was, uh, illustrating my thoughts on that sheet of paper Life's to me like a box of chocolates (?) something for something, that's the obvious Flow's so sick, don't you swallow it Biting my style, you (?) Come from the same blocks where they pick cotton Oh, you forgotten, ah, forget it That life ain't sane You see g**ning, drug paraphernalia. You see things from the streets. So what you gon' do? You gon' find something that you love to do and have a pa**ion for it, or you gon' stay, you know, mingling in the streets until something major happens So the moment I defined myself and freed myself was the time I locked myself in the studio and said, "You need to do music." Tonight's for everybody, understand me The plan B is the one in your hearts This here is family, Kendrick Lamar Words like a sword in the hands of a Spartan Marching on Rosecrans in Compton You can't cause conflict or corrupt my spirit I'm on point like period I've been there and gone before you get near it Ooh wee, that boy remind me of a young Martin Luther The way he piece up troopers, then round up shooters Like Malcolm X did, I stand for what I believe in That's family, God and honor From Chicago, my daddy and my momma Came into Compton to accomplish one thing: reign supreme Raise a king named Kendrick
I ain't lying, it stand for "King" and I am one My unborn son and grandson will live royal From the coochee to the soil The meek shall inherit the Earth Well, I've had this world since birth Feel the good kid's hunger The Crips made strong, the Pirus made stronger But it's muscle in my heart I stare in the eyes of Mozart and tell him I'm the genius I love myself, really love myself And I means this with all sole And you can't control greatness 'less you hating With the heart of Satan But even that can't stop it I tell 'em, "Get out my wallet and pa**ion in your logic" Pa**ion in your life, the pa**ion of my Christ is in me And if you say it ain't, you may offend me Damn, that boy good I'm bright as Thomas Edison but I'm Gucci Mane in the hood I stood alone for so long, prolonged my whole career But now I'm here, you can shoot shots and cheer Because I am, we are Kendrick Lamar Getting into that success level where you can go back to your neighborhood and people feel like, you know, uh, they look up to you. Sometimes the most riskiest things you can do can end up being, you know, the most important. Yeah Teriq Tyson: My dream's more vivid than Dr. T's, (?) evolutionary Reporting live, Centennial High, 2014 Kendrick Lamar: I am Kendrick. I am Kendrick. I am Kendrick. I am Kendrick