2018 Grammys Performance

Producer

Kendrick Lamar has been known to shake up an award show or two in his day, and this highly-anticipated 2018 Grammy Awards performance was no exception. Viewers were… Read More

Jan. 28, 20181 viewer59.8K views

2018 Grammys Performance Lyrics

[Part I: XXX]

[Intro: Bēkon]
America, God bless you if it's good to you
America, please take my hand
Can you help me underst—

[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar]
Yesterday I got a call like from my dog like 101
Said they killed his only son because of insufficient funds
He was sobbin', he was mobbin', way belligerent and drunk
Talkin' out his head, philosophin' on what the Lord had done
He said: "K-Dot, can you pray for me?
Been a messed up day for me
Know that you anointed, show me how to overcome."
He was lookin' for some closure
I can bring him closer
Spiritual, my spirit do no better, but I told him
"I can't sugarcoat the answer for you, this is how I feel:
If somebody killed my son, that mean somebody gettin' killed."
Tell me what you do for love, loyalty, and passion of
All the memories collected, moments you could never touch
I'll wait in front a homie's spot and watch him hit his block
I'll catch the homie leavin' service if that's all I got
I'll chip a homie, then throw the blower in his lap
Walk myself to the court like, "Man, I did that!"
Ain't no Black Power when your baby killed by a coward
I can't even keep the peace, don't you play with one of ours
It be murder in the street, it be bodies in the hour
Ghetto bird be on the street, paramedics on the dial
Let somebody touch my mama
Touch my sister, touch my woman
Touch my daddy, touch my niece
Touch my nephew, man, I promise
You chip the homie, then throw the blower in his lap
Matter fact, I'm 'bout to speak at this convention
Call you back—
{Gunshot}

The screen reads: "This is a satire by Kendrick Lamar"

[Chorus: Bono & Kendrick Lamar]
It's not a place
(Uh-huh)
This country is to me a sound of drum and bass
You close your eyes to look around
It's not a place
(Uh-huh)
This country is to me a thought that offers grace
For every welcome that is sought

[Part II: DNA]

[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]
Run your life, I live a better life, I'm rollin' several dice
Run your life, I live a better life, I'm rollin' several dice
Run your life, I live a--
Run your life (ahh)
This is my heritage, all I'm inheritin'
Money and power, the mecca of marriages
--
Tell me somethin'
Uh, you can't tell me nothin'
I'd rather die than to listen to you
My DNA not for imitation
Your DNA an abomination
This how it is when you in the Matrix
Dodgin' bullets, reapin' what you sow
And stackin' up the footage, livin' on the go
And sleepin' in a villa
Sippin' from a Grammy, walkin' in the buildin'
Diamond in the ceilin', marble on the floor
Beach inside the window, peekin' out the window
Baby in the pool, godfather goals
Only Lord knows I've been goin' hammer
Dodgin' paparazzi, freakin' through the camera
Eat at Four Daughters, Brock wearin' sandals
Yoga on a Monday, stretchin' to Nirvana
Watchin' all the snakes, curvin' all the fakes
Phone never on, I don't conversate
I don't compromise, I just penetrate
Sex, money, murder — these are the breaks
These are the times, level number 9
Look up in the sky, 10 is on the way
Sentence on the way, killings on the way
Won't you tell 'em I got millions on the way

{Gunshot}

[Spoken: Dave Chappelle]
Hi, I'm Dave Chappelle. And I just wanted to remind the audience that the only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America. Sorry for the interruption, please continue...

[Part III: Freestyle]

[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar]
Sir Duckworth or Kung-Fu Kenny?
Got juice, got work, got weight, got plenty
Him, got her, got more, got Benji, yeah
Top off, gettin' topped off in the city
Big Top Dawg and I dance on 'em like Diddy
Pop off and I pop back like Fifty, yeah

[Part IV: New Freezer + Kings Dead]

[Verse 4: Kendrick Lamar]
I gotta dance
I Milly Rock when I get that advance
How can I shop with like 64 M's?
Talkin' to Top about business again
He want some lot with new Bentleys again
I want some top from like two sets of twins
Twenty twin twins, yeah, yeah

[Verse 5: Kendrick Lamar]
Red light, green light, red light, green light
Red light, green light, they like, we like
Fast cars, fast money, fast life, fast broads
Egotistic, goin' ballistic, why God?
Born warrior, lookin' for euphoria, but I don't see it
I don't feel it, I'm paraplegic, tapped in when I'm maxed in
Comp-Town with the MAC 10s and the pumps in the background
Absent, never OG, standout
Lackin' everything else but doubt
Magnum, holding Magnums with a Magnum
Homie, ad-lib and I sing out loud
Never had friends, never had ends, never had hope
They was like, "Nope," I was like, "Boo yaow, boo yaow"
{Gunshot}

[Spoken: Dave Chappelle]
Is this on cable? CBS? It looks like it's singing and dancing, but this brother's taking enormous chances. Rumble, young man, rumble!

[Part V: King's Dead]

[Verse 6: Kendrick Lamar]
Never had friends, never had ends
Never had hope, they was like "nope"
I was like "boo yaow"
{Gunshot}
(Yeah, God)
We off the day
Know we off the, be off the, eat off your plate
Me off, I be, "Off ya head"
Ate, on C4, I'm way off the edge
Burn integrity, burn your pedigree, burn your feelings
Burn your culture, burn your moral, burn your family
Burn your job, burn your land, burn your children, burn your wives
Who am I? Not your father, not your brother
Not your reason, not your future
Not your comfort, not your reverence, not your glory
Not your heaven, not your angel, not your spirit
Not your message, not your freedom
Not your people, not your neighbor
Not your baby, not your equal
Not the title y'all want me under
All hail King Killmonger

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About

Genius Annotation

Kendrick Lamar has been known to shake up an award show or two in his day, and this highly-anticipated 2018 Grammy Awards performance was no exception.

Viewers were treated to another fearless medley with cameos from U2 and Dave Chappelle—plus a small army of dancers and a taiko drum performance to boot.

Kendrick took home the awards for Best Rap Album, Music Video, Rap Song, Rap Performance, and Best Rap/Sung Performance with Rihanna.