Hood Politics by Kendrick Lamar Lyrics Meaning – Traversing the Complexities of Inner-City Blues and Sociopolitical Strife
Lyrics
Every time I call, it’s going to voicemail
Don’t tell me they got you on some weirdo rap shit, nigga?
No socks and skinny jeans and shit, ha
Call me on Shaniqua’s phone!
I been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo
Your home boy, your block that you’re from, boo boo
Lil hoes you went to school with, boo boo
Baby mama and your new bitch, boo boo
We was in the hood, 14 with the deuce-deuce
14 years later going hard, like we used to on the dead homies
On the dead homies
I don’t give a fuck about no politics in rap, my nigga (my nigga)
My lil’ homie Stunna Deuce ain’t never comin’ back, my nigga (my nigga)
So you better go hard every time you jump on wax, my nigga (my nigga)
Fuck what they talkin’ ’bout, your shit is where it’s at, my nigga (my nigga)
Came in this game, you stuck your fangs in this game
You wore no chain in this game, your hood, your name in this game
Now you double up, time to bubble up the bread and huddle up
Stickin’ to the scripts, now here if them Benjamins go cuddle up
Skip, hop, drip, drop, flip, flop with the white tube sock
It goes “Sherm Sticks, burn this”
That’s what the product smell like when the chemicals mix
50 nigga salute, out the Compton zoo, with the extras
El Cos, Monte Carlos, Road Kings, and dressers
Rip Ridaz, P-Funkers, Mexicans, they fuck with you
Asians, they fuck with you, nobody can fuck with you
I been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo
Your homeboy, your block that you’re from, boo boo
Lil hoes you went to school with, boo boo
Baby mama and your new bitch, boo boo
We was in the hood, 14 with the deuce-deuce
14 years later going hard, like we used to on the dead homies
On the dead homies
Hopped out the Caddy, just got my dick sucked
The little homies called and said, “the enemies done cliqued up”
Oh, yeah? Puto want to squabble with mi barrio?
Oh, yeah? Tell ’em they can run it for the cardio
Oh, yeah? Everythin’ is everythin’, it’s scandalous
Slow motion for the ambulance, the project filled with cameras
The LAPD gamblin’, scramblin’, football numbers slanderin’
Niggas names on paper, you snitched all summer
Streets don’t fail me now, they tell me it’s a new gang in town
From Compton to Congress, set trippin’ all around
Ain’t nothin’ new, but a flu of new Demo-Crips and Re-Blood-licans
Red state versus a blue state, which one you governin’?
They give us guns and drugs, call us thugs
Make it they promise to fuck with you
No condom, they fuck with you, Obama say, “What it do?”
(Obama say, “What it do?”)
(Obama say, “What it do?”)
I been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo
Your homeboy, your block that you’re from, boo boo
Lil hoes you went to school with, boo boo
Baby mama and your new bitch, boo boo
We was in the hood, 14 with the deuce-deuce
14 years later going hard, like we used to on the dead homies
On the dead homies
Everybody wanna talk about who this and who that
Who the realest and who wack, or who white or who black
Critics want to mention that they miss when hip-hop was rappin’
Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike’d be platinum
Y’all priorities fucked up, put energy in wrong shit
Hennessy and Crown Vic, my memory been gone since
Don’t ask about no camera blocking at award shows
No, don’t ask about my bitch, no, don’t ask about my Vogues
‘Less you askin’ me about power, yeah, I got a lot of it
I’m the only nigga next to Snoop that can push the button
Had the Coast on standby
“K. Dot, what up? I heard they opened up Pandora’s box”
I box ‘em all in, by a landslide
Nah homie we too sensitive, it spill out to the streets
I make the call and get the coast involved then history repeats
But I resolved inside that private hall while sitting down with Jay
He said “it’s funny how one verse could fuck up the game”
I been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo-
I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screaming in a hotel room
I didn’t want to self-destruct
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went running for answers
Until I came home
But that didn’t stop survivors guilt
Going back and forth, trying to convince myself the stripes I earned
Or maybe how A-1 my foundation was
But while my loved ones was fighting a continuous war back in the city
I was entering a new one
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Hood Politics’, a formidable track from his acclaimed album ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, cuts deep into the fabric of street realities juxtaposed against broader political issues. The song, rich in linguistic prowess and layered meanings, is an exploration of authenticity, loyalty, and the struggles endemic to both the hood and the nation at large.
Beyond the initial facade of a groovy beat and street vernacular, Lamar delves into the hypocrisy and cyclical nature of violence and power. He scrutinizes the mirroring between street gang dynamics and the political landscape, providing a stark commentary on how these seemingly disparate worlds are not so different after all.
Authenticity Versus Poseurs: A Lyrical Lancet Into Urban Life
Through the iterative phrase ‘A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo,’ Lamar highlights the dichotomy between those who remain true to their roots and those who have succumbed to inauthenticity. ‘Boo boo’, with its playground origins, disarms with its simplicity while delivering a scathing rebuke of fakeness.
‘Your homeboy, your block that you’re from, boo boo’ – In these lines, the importance of staying genuine in the often unforgiving environment of the hood becomes clear. Kendrick reproaches those who don’t honor their background, or even worse, exploit it for personal gain, paralleling the way politicians often capitalize on their constituencies.
A Piercing Gaze Through the Political Looking Glass
Kendrick cleverly twists the vernacular with double entendres like ‘Demo-Crips and Re-Blood-licans’ to equate political parties with street gangs – alluding to ideological warfare akin to the territorial disputes of the Compton streets. The cynical view of a bipartisan system as rival factions fighting over power while the community suffers is a potent one.
The weaving of local gang politics with national issues serves to expose systemic failures and the perception that politicians, much like gang leaders, exploit their ‘territory’ without concern for the collateral damage – a juvenile game amplified on a larger scale.
The High Cost of Keeping It Real
‘So you better go hard every time you jump on wax, my nigga’ – In these earnest lines, Lamar stresses the urgency and the weight of responsibility on those speaking for the streets. There’s no room for dilution of the message when lives and real struggles are the underlying themes.
The constant tension between maintaining integrity within the music industry and representing the harsh realities of the hood encapsulates the high stakes Lamar navigates, where every verse needs to resonate authentically with those living the experiences he articulates.
The Folklore of the Hood: Chronicles and Camaraderie
Hood Politics delves into the camaraderie and oath of loyalty necessary for survival, as evident when Kendrick reminisces about ’14 with the deuce-deuce’ – a reference to being armed and ready even at a young age. It’s a stark reminder of childhoods steeped in a combative world where innocence is a luxury few can afford.
This sobering account of coming-of-age rituals among the backdrop of violence masterfully interlaces personal history with communal narrative, making the track not merely a song but a testament to enduring brotherhood and a shared, unspoken code.
Unveiling the Talking Drums: The Song’s Coded Message
Lamar’s seemingly cryptic lines carry the gravity of coded messages or ‘talking drums’ used as a means of covert communication within African and African-American cultures. ‘I heard they opened up Pandora’s box’, hints at unleashing truths and challenges once held at bay, giving the song a prophetic dimension.
‘One verse could fuck up the game’ – These words are a self-aware statement on the power of hip-hop as a transformative tool. Kendrick understands the capacity of his music to provoke debate and effect change, unraveling the song’s deeper message about the influential nature of storytelling in rap.
