The Art Of Lyricism: Kendrick Lamar

Songs:

Swimming Pools

m.A.A.d city

Throughout my creative endeavors, one of my biggest inspirations has been Kendrick Lamar. Now, this isn’t simply because he seems like a cool guy, or because he’s a great rapper,

But it’s because of the amount of endless work he puts into every bar that he raps. Every single verse is loaded with information. Every single word is written for a reason. And, it’s clear that he has a knack for writing, but he’s also spoken about how painful his writing process is.

(The Heart Pt. 4)

Technical foul, I'm flagrant, I'm foul

They throwin' me out, you throw in the towel

Look at the crowd, they— (Naw, I don't like that)

Look at my smile, I'm smirkin'

Calm but urgent (That ain't the style!)

So many verses, you live in denial 

So many verses, I never run out (What?)

You makin' him nervous, the music is loud

Ho, JAY-Z Hall of Fame, sit yo' punk-ass down!

The more I listen to Kendrick, the more I am inspired to make sure every word I say means something, that every shot that makes the final cut is on screen for a reason. If somebody were to ask me about a creative decision, I should be able to answer the question.

But, apart from Kendrick’s precision in writing, the skill he has that inspires me the most is his ability to tell a personal anecdote about his life, whether it be about being a big shot rapper, or as a good kid in the mad city of Compton, then zoom out, and tackle a bigger problem, all while keeping perfect flow and rhyme scheme, and making the entire world move to the beat.

So today, I want to look at some of Kendrick’s biggest songs that the whole country jammed out to, all the while overlooking the greatest lyricism the world has seen to date. This is the Art of Lyricism.

m.A.A.d city

m.A.A.d city from his album “Good Kid Maad City” was one of Kendrick’s earlyish hits, and during 2012 and 2013 it had multiple stints on the Billboard top 100 list. It was a massive song, but I suspect that wasn’t because of the packed lyrics, but instead of the energetic delivery over a heavy beat. If a parent heard their kid listening to this, it would probably just sound like an angry man yelling about murder and drugs, but in reality, this song holds some of the best storytelling in all of hip hop. In this song, Kendrick tackles the topic of growing up surrounded by gang violence, and doing his best to avoid it, hence being a Good Kid in a Maad City.

Every time I'm in the street, I hear—

YAWK! YAWK! YAWK! YAWK!

Brace yourself, I'll take you on a trip down memory lane

This is not a rap on how I'm slingin' crack or move cocaine

This is cul-de-sac and plenty Cognac and major pain

Not the drill sergeant, but the stress that weighin' on your brain

It was me, L Boog, and Yan Yan, YG Lucky ride down Rosecrans

It got ugly, wavin' yo' hand out the window – check yourself!

This introduction serves as a warning that not only is this different from your typical rap song, but that these are actual vivid memories, true stories from his childhood, not stories of him “slingin’ crack” or “moving cocaine,” many of which are present in many other popular rap songs. Kendrick keeps a theme of being as real and honest as possible in all of his music, contrary to many other artists who like to brag about murders they didn’t commit, which misrepresents themselves and glorifies violence.

Kendrick references the cul-de-sac that he grew up on in Compton, and Cognac refers to alcoholism used as a coping mechanism that he grew up around. Major Pain references a lighthearted comedy movie that came out when Kendrick was a kid, however he uses the movie’s title to create juxtaposition, describing the major pain he grew up with. He also makes a play on the lead character’s last name. The drill sergeant in Major Payne is played by Damon Wayans, which Kendrick uses as a homophone when he says the stress that’s “wayan” on your brain.

The line calling out L Boog, Yan Yan, and YG Lucky riding down Rosecrans is a callback to another true story on the album that comes prior to maad city called “The Art of Peer Pressure,” where he is riding in a Toyota with friends being pressured into breaking into a house and committing theft as a young kid.That final line is an allusion to an Ice Cube song called “Check Yo’ Self:

You better check yo self before you wreck yo self

Cause I'm bad for your health

I come real stealth

The fact that this much information can be deduced from the first six lines of this song is really impressive, and if you look through the rest of the song it continues to be packed full of anecdotes, metaphors, references and callbacks.

Fresh outta school 'cause I was a high school grad'

Sleepin' in the living room of my momma's pad

Reality struck, I seen the white car crash (could be referencing AoPP)

Hit the light pole, two hopped out on foot and dashed

My pops said I needed a job, I thought I believed him

Security guard for a month and ended up leavin'

In fact, I got fired, 'cause I was inspired by all of my friends

To stage a robbery the third Saturday I clocked in (true story)

Not only are Kendrick’s lyrics, as he calls them, “extra prolific”

(Black Friday)

I like my raps extra prolific

Since freestyling on lunch tables and park benches

But the way he crafts his albums is absolutely genius. Kendrick uses many methods to connect one song to another, but in Maad City specifically he uses a skit to connect the song to the next one called “Swimming Pools”, which is about alcoholism.

This song is, as I said, about drinking and what surrounded him as a teenager. He once said in an interview with Complex that he’s

“coming from a household where you had to make a decision—you were either a casual drinker or you were a drunk. That’s what that record is really about, me experiencing that as a kid and making my own decisions.”

Now I done grew up 'round some people livin' their life in bottles

Granddaddy had the golden flask

Backstroke 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 a dark room, loud tunes

Lookin' to make a vow soon

That I'ma get messed up, fillin' up my cup I see the crowd mood

Changin' by the minute and the record on repeat

Took a sip, then another sip, then somebody said to me

The thing I love about this song is the way Kendrick moves from one setting to another. First, he talks about his childhood, referencing his grandfather and father growing up in Chicago. Then he moves onto drinking, mentioning the reason he used to drink as a teenager. Finally, to introduce the chorus, he puts you in the same dark room he’s in at a party with a drink in his hand.

From the way Kendrick uses stories from his childhood in Compton, to articulating his perspective on issues like drinking, to putting you in his shoes through his lyrics and making instant classics like it’s nothing, when it’s all said and done I would be surprised if Kendrick isn’t considered one of the greatest lyricists of all time. Regardless, we get to watch a legend develop his craft right in front of us, so if I were you I’d be listening closely.