ELEMENT.

Track 4 on DAMN.

Producers

On “ELEMENT.,” Kendrick asserts himself as the most dominant rapper in the game, taking his contemporaries to task and daring them to call him out on wax. Kendrick delves… Read More

Apr. 14, 20171 viewer3.2M views

ELEMENT. Lyrics

[Intro: Kid Capri & Kendrick Lamar]
New Kung Fu Kenny
Ain't nobody prayin' for me
Y'all know, what happens on Earth stays on Earth
Here we go!
I don't give a fuck, I don't give a fuck
I don't give a, I don't give a, I don't give a fuck

[Verse 1]
I'm willin' to die for this shit
I done cried for this shit, might take a life for this shit
Put the Bible down and go eye for an eye for this shit
D-O-T my enemy, won't catch a vibe for this shit, ayy
I been stomped out in front of my mama
My daddy commissary made it to commas
Bitch, all my grandmas dead
So ain't nobody prayin' for me, I'm on your head, ayy
Thirty millions later, know the feds watchin'
Auntie on my Telegram like, "Be cautious!"
I be hangin' out at Tam's, I be on Stockton
I don't do it for the 'Gram, I do it for Compton
I'm willin' to die for this shit, nigga
I'll take your fuckin' life for this shit, nigga
We ain't goin' back to broke, family sellin' dope
That's why you maney-ass rap niggas better know

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[Chorus]
If I gotta slap a pussy-ass nigga, I'ma make it look sexy
If I gotta go hard on a bitch, I'ma make it look sexy
I pull up, hop out, air out, made it look sexy
They won't take me out my element
Nah, take me out my element

[Verse 2]
I'm allergic to a bitch nigga, ayy
An imaginary rich nigga, ayy
Seven figures ho, that's slimmer than my bitch figure, ayy
Goin' digital and physical on all y'all, ayy
Bunch of criminals and money in my phone calls, ayy
We okay, we let the A1 fly
Relocate, jump on the same G5
Checkin' for me heavy 'cause I go, yeah, I go, yeah
They never been ready, yeah, I know, yeah, know, yeah
100K spread across the floor, 'cross the floor, yeah
None of y'all fuckin' with the flow, yeah, the flow, yeah
Years in the makin', and don't y'all mistake it
I got 'em by a landslide, we talkin' about races
You know this'll never be a tie, just look at they laces
You know careers take off, just gotta be patient
Mr. One through Five, that's the only logic
Fake my death, go to Cuba, that's the only option

[Chorus]
If I gotta slap a pussy-ass nigga, I'ma make it look sexy
If I gotta go hard on a bitch, I'ma make it look sexy
I pull up, hop out, air out, made it look sexy
They won't take me out my element
Nah, take me out my element

[Bridge]
Damned if I do, if I don't (Yuh)
Goddamn us all if you won't (Yuh)
Damn, damn, damn, it's a goddamn shame
You ain't front in line, get out the goddamn way

[Verse 3]
Niggas thought they wasn't gonna see me, huh?
Niggas thought that K-Dot real life
Was the same life they see on TV, huh?
Niggas wanna flex on me and be in L.A. for free, huh?
Next time they hit the 10 freeway, we need a receipt, huh?
'Cause most of y'all ain't real, most of y'all gon' squeal
Most of y'all just envy, but jealousy get you killed
Most of y'all throw rocks and try to hide your hand
Just say his name and I promise that you'll see Candyman
Because it's all in your eyes, most of y'all tell lies
Most of y'all don't fade, most of y'all been advised
Last LP I tried to lift the black artists
But it's a difference 'tween black artists and wack artists

[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar & Kid Capri]
If I gotta slap a pussy-ass nigga, I'ma make it look sexy
It's the one and only, the world's greatest, the Kid Capri
If I gotta go hard on a bitch, I'ma make it look sexy
I pull up, hop out, air out, made it look sexy
They won't take me out my element
Nah, take me out my element

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About

Genius Annotation

On “ELEMENT.,” Kendrick asserts himself as the most dominant rapper in the game, taking his contemporaries to task and daring them to call him out on wax.

Kendrick delves into his personal journey of self-sacrifice and family tribulations that has so far accumulated in his life; how the struggles his family and himself have endured have influenced & carried him to where he stands today: at the top of the game.

Prior to the album release, LeBron James jammed out to this song on his Instagram story. LeBron is a huge Kendrick fan, and was instrumental in the release of his last project, untitled unmastered.

A music video, directed by Jonas Lindstroem, was released on June 27, 2017.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Why does Kendrick's flow in the beginning of the third verse sound so familiar?

Genius Answer

The flow in the first 4 lines of this verse is taken from Juvenile’s 1998 break out single Ha, in which every bar almost sounds rushed, and all end in “Ha”, as Kendrick’s first four bars of the third verse do.

Have James Blake and Kendrick Lamar worked together before?

Genius Answer

While they haven’t worked together officially, James Blake did provide a remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “m.A.A.d. City.” Listen below.

Who is Ricci Riera? What are some notable production credits of his?

Genius Answer

Ricci Riera is one third of the production group T.H.C, who are in-house producers for Top Dawg Entertainment.

Some notable production credits are:

-“U With Me?”, Drake
-“sdp interlude”, Travis Scott

Who is Bekon? What else has he produced?

Do Sounwave and Kendrick work together often?

Did this song leaked ahead of it's release?

I heard this song's video clip's scenes taken from a photograph artist's works?