Rigamortus by Kendrick Lamar Lyrics Meaning – Deciphering the Intricacies of Lyrical Genius
Lyrics
Real quick, Ali mmm
Got me breathing with dragons
I’ll crack the egg in your basket
You bastard i’m Marilyn Manson with madness
Now just imagine the magic I light to asses
Don’t ask for your favorite rapper
(He dead) , yes, sir (Amen) , church
(He dead) , I killed him (Amen) , bitch
And this is rigor mortis and
It’s gorgeous when you die
Ali recorded and I’m Morpheus
The matrix of my mind i’m out the orbit
You an orphan and a hairdresser combined
I’m on the toilet when I
Rhyme, if you the shit, then I decline
I climax where you begin and then
I end on cloud nine
And that’s important when you morph into
An angel in the sky
And don’t be forging all my signatures
My listeners reply
And tell me that you biting style
You got a hell of an appetite
And I’ma be here for a while
Just buckle up before the ride
Or knuckle up if you can fight
We always making ’em duck or die
A suit and tie is suitable
And usual in suicide
CSI just might investigate
This fucking parasite (He dead, amen)
That’s what they telling me
Aim it at your celebrity
This is studio felony
Ferragami so many and cool
Enough for the ’70s
Nigga, payback’s a bitch, and bitch
You been livin’ in debt with me
Dead ’em all and especially
Leave a call on his mother voicemail that
Say that he rest in peace
Bigger chopper the recipe
Wrestling? That’s irrelevant
Rather rest at your residence
Whistling to the melody
Couldn’t think of a better D
Better be on your P and Q
It’s just me, Jay Rock, Soul, and Q
Solar system and barbecue
Nothing else you can do
(He dead) , yup-yup (Amen) , I killed him
(He dead, amen) , amen
Got me breathing with dragons
I’ll crack the egg in your basket
You bastard i’m Marilyn Manson
Don’t ask for your favorite rapper
(He dead) , yup-yup (Amen) , I know
(He dead) , for sure (Amen) , amen
Got me breathing with dragons
I’ll crack the egg in your basket
You bastard i’m Marilyn Manson
Don’t ask for your favorite rapper
I wrapped him and made him Casper
I capture the likes of NASA
My pedigree to fly past ya
I’ll pass the weed to the pastor
We all are sinners
Won’t you send us to Bible study faster?
Your hypocritist reaction a blasphemy
I assassin my casualty
And it’s casually done
And tell ’em my salary come
In lump sum one hundreds
Don’t talk to me ’bout no money
The sun is under my feet
And I come in peace to compete
I don’t run if you’d rather leap
My statistics go up in weeks
And I go visit the nearest creek
And I get busy on many MC
Really ballistic, anybody can see
Any assistance, everybody deceased
Some persistence, recognize I be
Really too vicious, the permanent beast
And the demolition breaking up the street
Better partition, better dot your T
And I gon’ mention how the far you see
Putting my dick in the rap industry
Everybody bitching, getting mad at me
Recognize Kendrick in the battery
And I’m charged up, and the catastrophe
Is charged up, and the audacity
Of y’all fucks never could hassle me
And y’all luck just ran out, you’ll see
(He dead) , yup-yup (Amen) , I know
(He dead) , for sure (Amen) , amen
Got me breathing with dragons
I’ll crack the egg in your basket
You bastard i’m Marilyn Manson
Don’t ask for your favorite rapper
(He dead) , yup-yup (Amen) , I know
(He dead) , for sure (Amen) , amen
In the fiercely competitive realm of hip-hop, few artists have managed to leave an indelible imprint as Kendrick Lamar has with his explosive track ‘Rigamortus.’ It’s a composition that violently shakes the foundations of the genre, lyrically strutting with an air of confidence and unapologetic rawness. The title itself, a play on the term ‘rigor mortis,’ the post-mortem stiffening of the body, lays the groundwork for a deeper dive into the themes of competition, mortality, and supremacy that Lamar intricately weaves together.
With its jazzy instrumental backbone crafting a relentless pace, ‘Rigamortus’ pushes Lamar’s lyrical agility to the forefront, challenging contemporaries and critics alike to keep up with his dizzying intellect. This article aims to unravel the tight coils of meaning layered within the verses of this modern classic, to understand not just the narrative Lamar is conveying, but also the indomitable spirit that has cemented his place in the pantheon of rap virtuosos.
Breathing Fire with Dragons: A Testament to Rap’s Battle Culture
Right from the outset, ‘Rigamortus’ thrusts listeners into the midst of a fiery lyrical battlefield. ‘Got me breathing with dragons’ Lamar asserts, immediately aligning himself with mythic beasts known for their fiery breath and immense power. Here, the dragons represent the pinnacle of hip-hop artists, those who command the genre with fiery verses and an untouchable presence. By placing himself amongst these creatures, Lamar claims his seat at the table of rap deities – a move both bold and daring.
‘I’ll crack the egg in your basket, you bastard’ – with this line, Lamar not only assures the listener of his predatory prowess, but also signifies that no one, not even the most protected (‘your basket’) are safe from his lyrical rampage. The ‘egg’ could also symbolize the fragility of the egos he’s up against; they are but delicate shells awaiting the strike of his verbal acumen.
The Esoteric Elegance of ‘Rigamortus’
Lamar’s verse ‘this is rigor mortis and it’s gorgeous when you die’ unfurls a paradoxical beauty found in the demise of his competitors. The natural process of death juxtaposes the artistic creation, suggesting that there’s something poetically just about the fall of an emcee when it’s at the hands of a superior lyricist. Lamar uses ‘rigor mortis’ as a macabre metaphor for his immutable grip on the game—once he sets himself upon you, there’s no escaping.
The invocation of the Matrix’s Morpheus serves a dual purpose — asserting a guiding role in this new reality of hip-hop, while also signaling an awakening from the illusion that anyone else could claim the throne. The lines that follow are a blend of intellect and braggadocio, reinforcing that he operates on a different intellectual plane (‘I’m out the orbit’) compared to his adversaries.
Lyrical Leaps and Linguistic Bounds
As Kendrick boasts about his endurance in the rap game (‘And I’ma be here for a while’), the lyrics of ‘Rigamortus’ challenge the status quo and make profound statements on the transitory nature of success within the industry. His command to ‘buckle up before the ride’ serves as a fair warning: Kendrick’s journey is unorthodox and unpredictable, and one must be prepared for the tumultuous voyage he has in store.
The song’s pace mirrors the intensity of its message. Lamar’s high-velocity delivery is a technical showcase of his skills that also symbolizes the swift rise and fall of artists in the music business. ‘We always making ’em duck or die’ – in just this one line, he captures both the physical and figurative response he draws from competitors.
Uncovering the Veiled Message: Beyond the Bravado
Beyond the braggadocious exterior of ‘Rigamortus’ lies a hidden meaning – a reflection on the cost of fame and the soulfulness of art. Kendrick forces listeners to contemplate the juxtaposition of religious iconography with the secular sinfulness of the rap industry, most poignantly captured in the lines ‘I’ll pass the weed to the pastor’ and ‘Your hypocritist reaction a blasphemy.’
The song transcends a mere competitive diss track, instead commenting on the vices and misdirection of society at large. Kendrick’s iterative pronouncement ‘(He dead)’ followed by ‘Amen’ serves as both a confirmation of his lyrical kills and a mock-prayer for the fallen — a ceremonial utterance that evokes irony in its repetition.
Reciting Verses from the Book of Kendrick: Memorable Lines that Resonate
‘Putting my dick in the rap industry / Everybody bitching, getting mad at me / Recognize Kendrick in the battery’ – with these lines, Lamar unapologetically claims his dominance over the rap game, symbolized by a raw and unfiltered invasion of a space that both reacts with adoration and hostility to his authority.
Lamar repeatedly reinforces his distinguished status by declaring his permanence (‘Really too vicious, the permanent beast’) and his control over his listeners (‘My listeners reply’). His words, laced with power and certainty, are designed not just to resonate, but to echo eternally in the annals of hip-hop history.
