Damn
LOYALTY.
Kendrick Lamar
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
25
End
130
Internal
103
Multi
145
Slant
5
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Rihanna]
Bad girl RiRi✦ now
Swerve, swerve, swerve, swerve, leave it now
On your pulse like it’s EDM
Gas in the bitch like it's premium
Haul ass on a bitch all in the fast lane
Been a bad bitch way before✦ any✦ cash came
I’m established, hundred carats✦ on my name
Run the atlas,✦ I'm a natural, I'm alright
[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna & Both]
I'm a savage,✦ I’m an asshole, I'm a king
Shimmy✦ ya, shimmy✦ ya, shimmy✦ ya, rah (Yeah)
You can tell your nigga✦ he can meet me outside✦ (Yeah)
You can babysit him when I leave him outside✦
Ain't no other✦ love like the one I know
I done been down so long lost hope
I done came down so hard I slowed✦
Honestly forever, all a real nigga✦ want
[Pre-Chorus: DJ Dahi & Kendrick Lamar]
I said I'm geeked✦ and I'm fired✦ up (Fired,✦ fired)✦
All I want tonight✦ is just to get high up (Yeah)
All I want is, all I want is
[Chorus 2: Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar & Rihanna]
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
10-4, no switchin'✦ sides,✦ feel somethin'✦ wrong
You actin'✦ shifty,✦ you don't vibe with me no more, I need
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
[Verse 4: Kendrick Lamar]
Tell me who you're loyal to
Is it money?✦ Is it fame? Is it weed? Is it drink?
Is it comin'✦ down with the loud pipes✦ in the rain?
Big chillin', only✦ for the power✦ in your name?
Tell me who you're loyal to
Is it love for the streets when the lights get dark?
Is it unconditional when the 'Rari✦ don't start?
Tell me when your loyalty✦ is comin'✦ from the heart
[Verse 5: Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar & Both]
Tell me who you're loyal to
Do it start with your woman✦ or your man? (Mmm)
Do it end with your family✦ and friends? (Mmm)
Are you loyal to yourself in advance?
I said, "Tell me who you're loyal to"
Is it anybody✦ that you would lie for?
Anybody✦ you would slide for?
Anybody✦ you would die for? (That's what God for)
[Pre-Chorus: DJ Dahi & Kendrick Lamar]
I said I'm geeked✦ and I'm fired✦ up (Fired,✦ fired)✦
All I want tonight✦ is just to get high up (Yeah)
All I want is, all I want is
[Chorus 2: Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar & Rihanna]
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
10-4, no switchin'✦ sides,✦ feel somethin'✦ wrong
You actin'✦ shifty,✦ you don't vibe with me no more, I need
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty✦ (Loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty,✦ loyalty)✦
[Outro: Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar & Rihanna]
(Mmm)
It's so hard to be humble (Mmm, mmm)
It's so hard to be
Lord knows I'm tryin'
Lord knows I'm dyin', baby✦
Technical Breakdown
7.4
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres5.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm7.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control7.5
Performance and control
Computed Score7.38
Production
— DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Top DawgBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
The verse prioritizes rhythmic punch and melodic cadence over complex lyrical density, utilizing repetition and flow-switching as primary drivers rather than intricate wordplay.
B+
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
7
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
5.5
Wordplay
7.5
Delivery
Repetitive cadenceInternal rhyme stackingDynamic vocal layeringRhythmic syncopation
Rhyme Architecture: The verse employs a high-density internal rhyme scheme, particularly in the triplet repetition of 'shimmy ya,' which sets a percussive, syncopated pocket for the subsequent aggressive bar.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"You can babysit him when I leave him outside"
① The literal act of watching a child or someone incapable of managing themselves.② A dismissive insult labeling the opponent's partner as immature or fragile after a physical altercation.
"I done came down so hard I slowed"
① Physical acceleration and subsequent deceleration in a vehicle or lifestyle.② A reference to the 'chopped and screwed' aesthetic common in southern hip-hop culture, linking technical pace to the history of the genre.
Excellent rhythmic placement on the pocket
High-energy delivery that bridges pop and rap aesthetics
Effective use of repetition to build momentum
Lyrical content leans into genre tropes rather than subversion
Limited depth in metaphor beyond the braggadocio archetype
Dependency on flow-state to compensate for simpler vocabulary