Kendrick Lamar
I can tell you what it is
I can tell you what it isn't no more K dot
My mother had named me Kendrick
Fuck a stage name
That's the name that I was given
The only thing that I can
Identify within this business
I'm just a good kid from
Compton that want to rap
Weighing my options
Pick up a Bible or a strap?
I never killed a man, never sold any crack
All I ever did was try to
Keep my city on the map
But this monkey on my back
Y'all don't want me to win
I'm tryna follow dreams
You want me to follow trends
So just to get a dollar, will I sell my soul?
I look the Devil in the eye and tell him
"Hell no" they say anything worth having
Is worth the wait well, I want the world
Tell me how long that takes
There's no time like now
I can cut my patience short
Or give 'em some more gowns
I don't even want the crown
I just want a peace of mind, and nigga
When I get it you won't get a piece of mine
Won't you mind your own business?
A rich nigga buy anything you sell him
A broke nigga believe anything
That you tell him well I'm a broke nigga
But still I wouldn't listen to you
Even if your hand was on
A Bible quote, nigga, pfttuh
See I was brought up different
Whatever that my pops said
For sure I'd listen
You said you did dirt, but I can't dig it
It don't concern you if you wasn't born in it
Oh no oh oh i swear we got to fast-forward
Before time flies by
My new saying for '0-10 is, why lie?
And if you ain't trying to win, then why try?
Now you can low ball or give me high five
This is I nigga, look into my eye
Nigga, I am Kendrick lamar
Nigga, my name is Kendrick lamar
I said my name is Kendrick lamar
I changed the name cause I was
Tired of being like y'all
Now finally I'm ready to tell
The world who I are, pfttuh
And that used to be a hell of a task
Now I'm ahead of my class
So go ahead and harass
My character like it don't carry a confidence
That can marry a Halle Berry
Or Angelina with no cash
I'm bout to cash in my thoughts
Give you a compass, then tell you get lost
What I'm bout to accomplish is
Something that you can't fathom
Once the Eves come
They quick to stare at him
Hoping I don't take their bitch
But I'm on some other shit
When I'm done, I'm tryna run the government
These are big dreams
Transition from a rapper to a human being
You can't 'school' a dean
I be tutoring artist-es
Leave 'em with no audience
All cause they all a facade, my God
Y'all be out partying
I be stealing your audience
All because who I are, Lamar
But my first name, it gotta be Kendrick lamar
Nigga, my name is Kendrick lamar
I changed the name cause I was
Tired of being like y'all
Now finally I'm ready to tell
The world who I are, now let's go
But we can't go backwards