GNX
wacced out murals
Kendrick Lamar
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
29
End
244
Internal
98
Multi
300
Slant
6
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Post-Chorus: Deyra Barrera]
Que reflejan tu mirada✦
La noche, tú y yo
[Verse 2]
Ridin'✦ in my GNX with Anita✦ Baker✦ in the tape deck, it's gon' be a sweet love
Fuck apologies, I wanna✦ see y'all geeked✦ up
Don't acknowledge me, then maybe we can say it's fair
Take it to the internet and I'ma✦ take it there
Miss my uncle Lil' Mane, he said that he would kill me if I didn't make it
Now I'm possessed by a spirit✦ and they can't take it
Used✦ to bump Tha Carter✦ III, I held my Rollie chain proud
Irony,✦ I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down
Whatever,✦ though, call me crazy,✦ everybody✦ questionable
Turn me to an eskimo,✦ I drew the line and decimals
Snoop posted✦ "Taylor Made," I prayed it was the edibles
I couldn't believe it, it was only✦ right for me to let it go
Won the Super✦ Bowl and Nas the only✦ one congratulate✦ me
All these niggas✦ agitated,✦ I'm just glad they showin'✦ they faces✦
Quite frankly, plenty✦ artists, but they outdated✦
Old-ass flows, tryna✦ convince me that you they favorite
This is not for lyricists, I swear it's not the sentiments
Fuck a double entendre, I want y'all to feel this shit
Old soul, bitch, I probably built them pyramids
Ducking strays when I rap battled in the Nickersons
Where you from? Not where I'm from, we all indigenous✦
Against✦ all odds, I squabbled up for them dividends
Against✦ all odds, I showed✦ up as a gentleman
I done lost plenty✦ friends, sixteen to be specific
Put that on my kids' children, we gon' see the future✦ first
They like, "Dot big trippin'," I just want what I deserve
What bridge they done burnt? All of them, it's over✦ with
I'm doin' what COVID✦ did, they'll never✦ get over✦ it
[Chorus]
Yeah, nigga,✦ go and up your rank
Know you a god even✦ when they say you ain't
Yeah, nigga,✦ keep your feelings out the way
Never✦ let no one put smut up on your name
Yeah, nigga,✦ keep your head down and work like I do
But understand everybody✦ ain't gon' like you
Yeah, nigga,✦ if they say it's love, you've been lied to
A couple rules✦ of engagements, here to guide you
[Verse 3]
Niggas✦ from my city✦ couldn't entertain old boy
Promisin' bank transactions✦ and even✦ bitcoin
I'll never✦ peace it up, that shit don't sit well with me
Before✦ I take a truce, I'll take 'em to Hell with me
If that money✦ got in the hands of a crash dummy✦
Could jeopardize my family✦ and burden✦ the ones✦ who love me
Niggas✦ mad 'cause I decided not to pretend
Y'all stay politically correct, I'ma✦ do what I did
Ain't no sympathy here, this shit's hilarious✦
It's a lot of opinions,✦ but no power✦ to carry✦ it
2025, they still movin'✦ on some scary✦ shit
Tell 'em quit they job and pay the real niggas✦ they severance
Don't insult my intelligence, I'm not just for the television
Teleport to Bullis Road and dig up all my relatives
Okay,✦ nigga,✦ let's settle it, these niggas✦ been fake loyal
Since y'all pandering to choose a side, let me do it for you
Okay,✦ fuck your hip-hop,✦ I watched the party✦ just die
Niggas✦ cackling about—✦ while all of y'all is on trial
Niggas✦ thought that I was antisocial when I stayed inside✦ of my house
You better✦ off to have one woman,✦ everything tricky✦ right now
You niggas✦ live in denial✦
Ayy, fuck anybody✦ empathetic to the other✦ side, I vow
A bitch nigga✦ love bitch niggas,✦ they exist with 'em in style
Exterminate✦ 'em right now
Make Katt Williams and them proud, the truth 'bout to get loud
No juice inside✦ of my cup, I sober✦ up and knock 'em all off
Don't let no white comedian talk about✦ no Black woman,✦ that's law
I know propaganda work for them, and fuck whoever✦ that's close to them
The niggas✦ that coon, the niggas✦ that bein' groomed, slide on both of them
You ever✦ ate Cap'n Crunch and proceeded to pour water✦ in it?
Pulled✦ over✦ by the law, you ridin'✦ dirty,✦ so you can't argue with 'em?
Then make it to be a star, bare your soul and put your heart up in it?
Well, I did
Whacked the murals out, but it ain't no legends if my legend ends
Technical Breakdown
8.6
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres8.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm8.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity8.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.61
Production
— Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Craig Balmoris, Dahi, Frano, Tyler Reese, M-Tech, Tim MaxeyBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Kendrick leverages personal historical referents and sharp cultural meta-commentary to frame his trajectory as a transition from a disciple of the culture to its objective judge.
A
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
8.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Auto-biographical narrativeMeta-textual commentary on hip-hop hierarchyMultisyllabic internal rhyme clustersDynamic register shifts
Rhyme Architecture: Kendrick utilizes a dense AABB / AAAA internal cluster pattern, frequently employing mid-line assonance to bridge the gap between end-rhymes, particularly in the triplets regarding 'chain proud', 'Wayne down', 'questionable', and 'decimals'.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Turn me to an eskimo, I drew the line and decimals"
① The literal imagery of 'eskimo' implies being frozen or cold-hearted in one's focus.② Refers to the act of calculating profit margins and boundaries (decimals) while chilling out under pressure.
"Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles"
① A literal reference to hoping Snoop Dogg was under the influence of marijuana.② A dismissal of his peer's actions as a lapse in judgment or clarity caused by external substances rather than malice.
"Old soul, bitch, I probably built them pyramids"
① A metaphorical claim of ancestral wisdom and timelessness.② A critique of modern artists who claim legacy; Kendrick asserts he possesses the foundational 'architect' status of the genre.
Exceptional integration of anecdotal history with current cultural discourse
High-density rhyme pockets that maintain conversational clarity
Effective deployment of ironic juxtaposition concerning artistic lineage
Occasional reliance on 'namedropping' as the primary mechanism for establishing status
The dismissive pivot regarding 'double entendres' can be perceived as slightly performative given his own heavy use of them