Everybody, just clap your hands if your realMiddle finger up, give a fuck how they feelBe yourself, just show that your realMiddle fingers upJust let me be meThat's the only way I knowJust let me be meThat's the only way I know how to hold it downI just wanna be meNo disrespect, but motherfuck youMy education stopped at a high school degreeBut I can outsmart any high IQDraped in some fly shitCall me Jeff GoldblumCold, my style making my nose runOh, I stare at the mirror then realize that real lies within meSome say I'm crazy cause I think like I need a shrinkAsk too many questions about the stars and Earth shitRather be in the studio then out buying drinksSo if I'm not clubbing, don't think I'm on some jerk shitAnd California on that Jerk shitBut I'd just rather 2-step, like my first stepsJill Scott on my iPod, as my head restsYesJust let me be meThat's the only way I knowJust let me be meThat's the only way I know how to hold it downAnd yeah I know I'm from Compton, CaliBut I don't lace up Chucks or rock pink Khakis And skinny jeans ain't quite the lickI probably would wear 'em but my dick don't fitHa ha ha, I like to joke, got a sense of humor?Still face, play me short like an oompa loompaYou ain't gotta screw up your face in front of the kidsWon't you lighten up like Michael did?I grew up with killa's man, people who killed, manBut my character never could be like them, manAnd they respect that, say that I'm real manNot a fake person, that's the Sims manLive my life through some film, manI ain't acting out shit, I be packing out showsCause' they know that they don't know Kendrick fo' sho.Just let me be meThat's the only way I knowJust let me be meThat's the only way I know how to hold it downAlmost lost my life to the industryHad to look through a photobook to remember meThese label heads ain't nothing but bullshitHave you with professional killa's, chasing hitsLying to yourself, all over an imageMaking records they want, that was wrecking my brillianceMy Mama said, Boy, that don't sound like you.I said, This is the sound, though.My only excuseQuite frankly, I dusted off my shoes with my hankieAnd kicked it like he skate, make these motherfuckers hate meThe reason why they hate, is cause these motherfuckers ain't meAnd you can underrate me, but I know what I'm worthA diamond in God's dirt, a diamond in winterWatch the Simpsons and eating some cereal for dinnerSee, I give you my life, mix it up in a blenderTo make sure that you feel meJust let me be meThat's the only way I knowJust let me be meThat's the only way I know how to hold it down{Kendrick Lamar, what are you trying to say?what are you trying to accomplish?}I think that I finally reached the pinnacleFinding myself as an individualThe world is so typicalI just wanna be higher than thatI used to want to be the messiah of RapInfatuated with becoming a relevant starTrying to say goodbye to the glamorous chains and carsThat I never had, but wrote it in my raps to make you madVanity, they say that it can damage meSo do I really want it?If I didn't, I guess I'm a cool cocaine connectThat means I'll be frontin'Cooking in a laboratory, hoping I can tell a storyThat the whole world can feel, like the ones that came before meKnowing that I'm misunderstoodSo I gotta get my point across like a snitch wouldAnd I would never walk in the shadow that never was really thereOr try to fill the shoes of an invisible pairAnd Dame said he proud of my new found honestyAnd all I could say is, Will the radio care?Yeah, or should I say no?Or should I just stop and come with a whole new approach?You heard my hip-hop when I was 16 years oldWell that was me then, now I'm an adult22, like the smallest of guns that you knowMost determined, but with the smallest of funds to showBut I'm not worriedMy talent should take me places I've never beenThe world should turn as soon as my records spinI wanna be the highest, on top of all the bulls***The negative you bring, the stress, the violenceThe capital punishment, the loud police sirensToo focused, one word, righteousThis is Kendrick Lamar, and soon ya'll know Cloud 9, ya'llThat means I wanna be the highestToo focused, one word, righteousThat means I wanna be the highestToo focused, one word{Too focused, one word}
Lyrics by Kendrick Lamar
\u200bi (Album Version) \u200bu 1 Train (Feat. ASAP Rocky, Joey Bad Ass, Yelawolf,... 25 6'7 (Freestyle) A Million Dollar Arm Soundtrack (Snip) A Tale Of 2 Citiez Remix A.D.H.D A.D.H.D. Ab-Soul's Outro Ab-Souls Outro Alien Girl (Today With Her) All Day Alright Autumn Leaves Average Joe B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe Backseat Backseat Freestyle Backwards Bad Blood Bad Blood (Remix) Balance Fasho Barbed Wire BET BackRoom Freestyle BET Cypher Better Off (Feat. Quadron) Beyonce Big Boys Neighborhood (Freestyle) Biggie (Freestyle) Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix) Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (remix) Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe (Remix) (Feat. Jay-Z, Emel... Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe (Remix) (Feat. Jay-Z, Emel... Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe (Remix) (Feat. Jay-Z, Emel... Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (International Remix) Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix) Bitch, Don\u2019t Kill My Vibe Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe Remix Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe Black Boy Fly Black Friday Black Friday (A Tale Of 2 Citiez Remix) Black fridayf Blessed Blessed ft. Schoolboy Q Blow My High (Members Only) Blue Faces Bridget Kelly – Street Dreamin Buried Alive Cartoon & Cereal Cartoon & Cereal Cartoon and Cereal Cartoons & Cereal Celebration Chapter 6 Chapter Six Chapter Ten Cloud 10 Collard Greens Collard Greens (Feat. Schoolboy Q) Collard Greens ft. Schoolboy Q Collect Calls Complexion Complexion (A Zulu Love) Compton Compton Feat. Dr. Dre Compton ft. Dr. Dre (Prod. by Just Blaze) Compton's Finest Comptons Finest (Feat. H.O.P.E.) Control Control County Building Blues Cut You Off Cut You Off (To Grow Closer) Determined Do Yo Gudda (Remix) Don't Kill My Vibe Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix) Don't Understand Don't Understand Double XL Dumb It Down Dying Of Thirst F*ck Your Ethnicity Faith Far from Here Fight The Feeling For Free? For Free? (Interlude) For Sale? For Sale? (Interlude) For The Girlfriends For The Homies Forbidden Fruit (Feat. J Cole) Fragile Fuck Your Ethnicity Funkmasterflex (Freestyle) Get Bizy Get Bizy ft. Kurupt & Bad Lucc (Prod. by Terrace M... Good Kid Good Morning America GQ Man of The Year 2013 Freestyle Growing Apart (From Everything) Growing Apart (To Get Closer) H.O.C H.O.C. Heart Pt. 3 Heaven & Hell Heaven & Hell Heaven and Hell Heaven Help Dem Higher Ground (BBC Radio Freestyle) Hii Power Hiii Power HiiiiPoWeR HiiiPower Hol' Up Hol' Up Holy Ghost (Remix) Homage To DPG ft. LaToiya Williams (Prod. by Focus... Hood Gone Love It Hood Politics How Many Drinks How Many Drinks (Remix) (Feat. Miguel) How Much A Dollar Cost Hub City's Wild Side I I (from California Dreams, 2015) I Am (Interlude) I Do This I Do This (Remix) I Do This (Remix) I Hate You I Want It All I Want It All (Feat. B. Martin, Juicy J) I'm Da Man I'm On 2.0 I'm Da Man I'm On 2.0 Ignorance Is Bliss Im Da Man Institutionalized Interlude Is It Love Jason Keaton & Uncle Bobby Keisha's Song Keisha's Song (Her Pain) Keisha's Song Her Pain Keisha's Song Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar BET Cypher Cypher at the BET Hip Ho... Kendrick Lamar Interlude Track No.9 on Ab-Soul's '... Kendrick Lamar Partynauseous is a duet with Lady G... Kendrick Lamar Sing About Me Produced by Pac Div. ... Kendrick Lamar: Rapper of the Year - GQ King Kunta Kush & Corinthians Kush & Corinthians Kush and Corinthians (His Pain) Lamar You Ain't Gotta Lie Lamar You Ain't Gotta Lie Last Real Nigga Alive Lets Us Move On (Feat. Dido) Little Johnny LMAO Look Out For Detox Looks Good With Trouble (Feat. Solange) Lunch Table Lunch Table (Freestyle) Lunch Table (L.A. Leakers Freestyle) M.A.A.d City m.A.A.d city Feat. Mc Eiht Members Only Memories Back Then Memories Back Then (Feat. T.I., B.o.B) Michael Jordan Michel Jordan Momma Money Trees Monster Monster Freestyle Mortal Man Murder Murder (Feat. The Game, Scarface) My Mind Drifts My People Never Catch Me No Make-Up (Her Vice) No Makeup Not Coming Down Now Or Never Opposites Attract (Tomorrow W\/O Her) Opposites Attract (Tomorrow Without Her Outrageous P&P 1.5 P&P P&P 1.5 Party Nauseous Partynauseous Pay for It Phone Home Poe Man Dreams Poe Mans Dreams (His Vice) Poetic Justice Poetic Justice feat. Drake Poetic Justicee Power Circle PP 1.5 R.I.P. (Remix) R.O.T.C. (Interlude) Rare Breed Real Real 92.3 Freestyle Real feat. Anna Wise of Sonnymoon Rigamortis Rigamortis Remix Rigamortus Rigamortus (Remix) Rip (Remix) Ronal Reagan Era Ronald Reagan Era Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) Rossi Wine (Prod. by Droop E) Say Whassup (Black Hippy) Sex With Society Shake It Off (Freestyle) She Needs Me She Needs Me (Remix) Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter Sherane A.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter Sherane aka Master Splinter's Daughter Shock The World Sing About Me Sing About Me / I’m Dying of Thirst Sing About Me I'm Dying Of Thirst Sing About Me, I m Dying of Thirst Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst Skill Still Appeal Solo Dolo Solo Dolo Part 2 (Feat. Kid Cudi) Somebody That I Used To Know (Freestyle) Street Dreamin (Feat. Bridget Kelly) Swimming Pools Swimming Pools (Black Hippy Remix) Swimming Pools (Drank) Swimming Pools (Drank) (Extended Version) Swimming Pools (Drank) (Extended) Swimming Pools (Drank) (Single) Swimming Pools (Drank) [Extended Version] Swimming Pools (Remix) Swimming Pools (Replay Remix) Taking Me Down Talib Kweli Interlude Tammy's Song Tammy's Song (Her Evils) Tammy's Song Her Evils Tammy's Song TDE Roll Call (Black Hippy) Temptation Textbook Stuff Thanksgiving The Art Of Peer Pressure The Blacker The Berry The Blacker The Berry (feat. Assassin) The City The City Is Mines The Heart Pt 3 The Heart Pt. 2 The Heart Pt. 3 The Heart Pt. II The Heart Pt. III The Jig Is Up The Jig Is Up (Dump'n) The Recipe The Recipe (Black Hippy Remix) The Recipe (Single) The Relevant The Spiteful Chant These Walls They Say Thirsty Today Track 1 Trip Two Presidents U U \/ For Sale? (God Is Gangsta) U.O.E.N.O. (Black Hippy) U.O.E.N.O. (Remix) Uncle Bobby & Jason Keaton Untitled Untitled 01 (08.19.2014) untitled 01 | 08.19.2014. untitled 02 (06.23.2014) untitled 02 | 06.23.2014. untitled 03 (05.28.2013) untitled 03 | 05.28.2013. Untitled 04 (08.14.2014) untitled 04 | 08.14.2014. untitled 05 (09.21.2014) untitled 05 | 09.21.2014. untitled 06 (06.30.2014) untitled 06 | 06.30.2014. Untitled 07 - 2014-2016 Untitled 07 - Levitate untitled 07 (2014 - 2016) Untitled 07 (Levitate) untitled 07 | 2014 - 2016 untitled 08 (09.06.2014) untitled 08 | 09.06.2014. Untitled 2 Untitled 2 (Blue Faces) Vanity Slaves Vanity Slaves Part 2 Wanna Be Heard War Is My Love Watts R.I.O.T. (Feat. Gee Watts) We Up We Up (Feat. 50 Cent) Wesley's Theory Wesley's Theory Westside Right On Westside, Right On Time What The Deal What The Deal (Freestyle) (Feat. Miguel) Who Shot Ya Who Shot Ya (Freestyle) Writer At War: \u2019s XXL Cover Story XXL Freshman You Ain't Gotta Lie You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) Young & Black