untitled 02 | 06.23.2014. by Kendrick Lamar Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Dualities within the Compton Poet’s Lament
Lyrics
Pimp-pimp hooray
Hooray
Pimp-pimp hooray
Pimp-pimp
I’m sick and tired of being tired
I can’t pick a side, the Gemini
Prophesize if we living, I
Promise momma not to feel no lie
Seen black turn ’em Burgundy
Hundred of them, I know I’m greedy
Stuck inside the belly of the beast
Can you please pray for me?
Get God on the phone
Said it won’t be long
I see jiggaboos, I see Styrofoams
My hood going brazy
Where did we go wrong?
I see jiggaboos, I see Styrofoams
Get Top on the phone
Tell the squad come home
We gon’ ball again ‘fore he call us home
World is going brazy
Where did we go wrong?
It’s a tidal wave, it’s a thunderdome
Get God on the phone
I just got a raise (I just got a raise)
Spent it all on me (I spent it all on me)
Diamonds all appraised (diamonds all appraised)
And I’m bossing up (and I’m bossing up)
Bitch get out the way (bitch get out the way)
I’m the only way
We can fornicate
Ah, pimping and posing
Look what I drove in, ah
Having these hoes and I know that I’m chosen, ah
I live by the code and me and my bros and
Ah, my dollars ain’t foldin’, you was never the homie
Seen black turn ’em Burgundy
Hundred of them, I know I’m greedy
Stuck inside the belly of the beast
Can you please pray for me?
Get God on the phone
Said it won’t be long
I see jiggaboos, I see Styrofoams
My hood going brazy
Where did we go wrong?
I see jiggaboos, I see Styrofoams
Get Top on the phone
Cornrow Kenny, he was born with a vision
All morning with the mixed dashboards triple digits
Parallel park like an alien, can’t visit
Slideshow for the nice show, ten bitches
Fine nose with a blindfold, King Kendrick
(Hello Billy)
So many plays on me I finesse
Palisade views with some sex
I lost a lot of love for missionary
This the first time I confess
Me and Top is like a Kobe and Phil
A father figure fuck with him, you get killed
Fuck with me and he will kill you himself
TDE the mafia of the west
Move in silence, yeah, we juggin’ like that
Act of violence, yeah, we juggin’ like that
I did a lot of dumb shit in my past
Lord forgive me, hoping I don’t relapse
Dave just bought a new nine eleven
Almost thought I’d seen another plane crash
Q just bought a brand new McLaren
Rock-a-lack about to buy the projects
Moosa got his son dripping in gold
Ali ’bout to let his hair down on hoes
Me, I’m about to let my hair down on hoes
Top billing that’s a million a show
Might blow the whole Remy on Soul
Might tell Obama be more like Punch
Sounwave caught a Grammy last year
Mack wop, bet he do what he want
Fuck you niggas, level two I’m not done
2Teez told me that I am the one
I can put a rapper on life support
Guarantee that’s something that none of you want
Ten homies down and they all serving life
Water’s like twenty-five hundred a month
What if I empty my bank out and stunt?
What if I certified all of these ones?
Bitch I get buck, I’m as real as they come
Shit is amazing, I’m feeding my cravings
You know that you want me come here now lil’ baby
I’m fuckin, I’m crazy
Serving it like I belong in the basement
Alive at the Days Inn
Yay and my relative like cherry soda
Pistol and poverty, come get to know us
(Get Top on the phone)
Who doing the drums?
Man put that nigga on the drums man
Yep all day, mortal man and Kunta
Alright, from the top!
In the throes of Kendrick Lamar’s discography, a standout track titled ‘untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.’ emerges as a lyrical labyrinth of raw emotion and societal critique. A cipher of self-reflection, this song sits heavily on the hearts of listeners as an abyss of the human condition, woven into the tapestry of modern hip hop.
Beyond the haunting chants of ‘pimp-pimp hooray,’ Kendrick delves into the complexities of identity, societal pressures, and existential angst. With its blend of jazzy beats and expressive palms, ‘untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.’ is a masterful display of Lamar’s rhetorical prowess as he paints the struggles of inner-city life and the perennial pursuit of spiritual solace.
Navigating the Gemini’s Psyche: Kendrick’s Dual Struggle
Throughout the song, Lamar grapples with dualities—personal and communal, sin and salvation. The Gemini mention isn’t trite; it’s symbolic of his inner conflict and the larger dichotomy afflicting his community. It reflects the oscillation between material success and spiritual decline, underscoring a reckoning with his internal demons and external adversaries.
The symbolism of the colors, shifting from ‘black’ to ‘burgundy,’ signifies both a loss of innocence and the bloodiness of vicious life cycles. By examining his own greed within the belly of the beast, Lamar pleads for divine intervention in a world gone mad, invoking a call to a higher power in the chorus, pressing for the urgency of saving grace.
A World on the Brink: Dissecting the Chorus’s Cryptic Cry
The song’s chorus is a distress signal to the divine in the face of encroaching chaos. Lamar’s mention of ‘jiggaboos’ and ‘Styrofoams’ simultaneously evokes the caricatured depictions of black individuals and the culture of drug abuse. The repeated plea—Get God on the phone—embodies an urgent need for intervention in a community witnessing the disintegration of their societal fabric.
With each request for spiritual connection, Lamar underscores the anticipation of a reckoning (a ‘tidal wave,’ a ‘thunderdome’) that’s about to be unleashed. Portraying his neighborhood as ‘going brazy,’ he contemplates the departure from tradition and virtue, exploring the causalities of systemic failure and the potential of imminent redemption.
Deciphering Kendrick’s Cryptic Astrological Allusions
The artist’s reference to ‘Cornrow Kenny with a vision’ isn’t mere braggadocio but a proclamation of prophetic insight. With otherworldly prowess (‘Parallel park like an alien’), Lamar’s vision extends beyond the mere physical realm into the depths of life’s existential puzzles.
The astrological themes represent not just the date of the song’s inception but the fateful alignment of events and experiences in his environment. By layering these notions with ‘trip digits,’ the song echoes numerological influences and the burden of seeing beyond the veil, even when it leads to uncomfortable truths.
‘Pimp-pimp hooray’: The Anthem of Disillusionment
Arguably the track’s most memorable line, ‘pimp-pimp hooray,’ is not a celebratory chant but a satirical twist on an exuberant expression. It encapsulates the glorification of pimp culture and the subtle indictment of how society often revels in its own degradation.
Far from glorification, this refrain serves as an ironic counterpoint to the weighty themes expressed throughout the song. It is a mocking salute to a system that commodifies and exploits, ultimately holding up a mirror to the flaws and failings of the culture that it examines.
The Song’s Hidden Meaning: A Glimpse into the Artist’s Soul
On the surface, ‘untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.’ may seem like another narrative in the extensive gospels of street life. However, its veiled meaning reflects Kendrick Lamar’s introspective battle with his rise to fame against his intrinsic identity. The struggle of maintaining authenticity in an industry and society accustomed to facades is at the crux of this composition.
The ‘belly of the beast’ isn’t just a physical space but an allegory for the music industry and the world at large—environments that often demand the sacrifice of soul for success. Kendrick’s call to his squad, and perhaps to himself, to ‘ball again’ before the final judgement, is an acknowledgment that success and legacy are transient, and the true victory lies in remaining grounded to one’s roots and ethics.
