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