Uh, Martin had a dream
Martin had a dream
Kendrick have a dream
[Chorus]
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or die from lead shower
I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower
So I can fuck the world for seventy-two hours
[Verse 1]
Goddamn, I feel amazin', damn, I'm in the Matrix
My mind is livin' on cloud nine and this 9 is never on vacation
Start up that Maserati and, vroom, vroom, I'm racin'
Poppin' pills in the lobby and I pray they don't find her naked
And I pray you niggas is hatin', shooters go after Judas
Jesus Christ, if I live life on my knees, ain't no need to do this
Park it in front of Lueders, next to that Church's Chicken
All you pussies is losers, all my niggas is winnin', screamin'
[Chorus]
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or die from lead shower
I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower
So I can fuck the world for seventy-two hours
Goddamn, I got bitches (Okay), damn, I got bitches (Okay)
Damn, I got bitches (Yeah), wifey, girlfriend, and mistress
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or die from lead shower
[Verse 2]
I got twenty-five lighter on my dresser, yes, sir
Put fire to that ass, body cast on a stretcher
And her body got that ass that a ruler couldn't measure
And it make me cum fast, but I never get embarrassed
And I recognize you have what I've been wantin' since that record
That Adina Howard had, pop it fast to impress her
She rollin', I'm holdin' my scrotum, imposin'
This voice here is golden, so fuck y'all, I goes in, and
[Chorus]
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or die from lead shower
I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower
So I can fuck the world for seventy-two hours
[Post-Chorus]
Goddamn, I got bitches, damn, I got bitches
Damn, I got bitches, wifey, girlfriend, and mistress
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or, nigga, it's go time
I roll in dough with a good grind
And I run that ho with a baton
That's a relay race with a bouquet
They say, "K, you gon' marry mines"
Biatch, no way, biatch, no way
Biatch, no way, biatch, okay
I'm never livin' life confined
It's a failure even if I'm blind
I can tell you who, what, when, where
How to sell your game right on time
Biatch, go play, biatch, go play
Biatch, go play, biatch, I look like O.J.
Killin' everything from pussy to a motherfuckin' Hit-Boy beat
She pussy poppin' and I got options like an audible, I be
C-O-M-P-T-O-N, I win, then ball at your defeat
C-O-M-P-T-O-N, my city mobbin' in the street, yellin'
[Chorus]
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or die from lead shower
I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower
So I can fuck the world for seventy-two hours
[Post-Chorus]
Goddamn, I got bitches, damn, I got bitches
Damn, I got bitches, wifey, girlfriend, and mistress
All my life, I want money and power
Respect my mind or die from lead shower
About
In the outro of the previous song, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, one of Kendrick’s friends asks him to rap. “Backseat Freestyle” serves as a flashback. The freestyle is not something present-day Kendrick Lamar truly believes in, but reflects the attitude and beliefs of young people caught up in a corrupt society (i.e. a mad city). According to legend, K.Dot recorded the track in just two takes.
“Backseat Freestyle" is being in the mind state of being 16 years old, and not having no cares in the world. Not giving a damn about nothing, but life and money and what you see in front of you. It’s not me talking now, it’s me talking then.”
This song was produced by Hit-Boy of G.O.O.D. Music who originally created the beat for singer Ciara. She never responded to him, so he sent it to K.Dot. Kendrick mentions Ciara in the album’s opening song.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Lamar told Complex in October 2012:
That’s really the start of ‘The Art of Peer Pressure.’ It flows into the album. It’s about me and my homeboys really getting in the backseat and starting our day. Sometimes we’ll rap, it takes away from everything else. That’s one of the feelings that the record produces.
Producer Hit-Boy added:
I was just at the crib—I work out of my crib—and Kendrick came through. As soon as that beat came on, he was like, ‘That’s the one! This is going on my album.’ He went out on the road and ended up recording out there. Kendrick [changed the beat I gave him by] looping this one part from the beginning that wasn’t that way when I first gave him the beat. So he’s hearing what he wanted to hear. He definitely had a hand in making it how he wanted it to sound. As soon as he finished it, he hit me like, ‘Yo, we got one. This shit is crazy.’
- 3.Backseat Freestyle
- 5.Money Trees
- 7.good kid
- 8.m.A.A.d city
- 11.Real
- 12.Compton
- 13.The Recipe
- 14.Black Boy Fly
- 15.Now or Never
- 16.Collect Calls
