The Blacker the Berry
Kendrick Lamar
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Everything black, I don't want black I want everything black, I ain't need black Some white some black, I ain't mean black I want everything black Everything black, I don't want black I want everything black, I ain't need black Some white some black, I ain't mean black I want everything black Six in the morning, fire in the street Burn baby burn, that's all I wanna see And sometimes I get off watching you die in vain It's such a shame they may call me crazy They may say I suffer from schizophrenia or something but homie you made me Black don't crack my nigga I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015 Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean Been feeling this way since I was 16, came to my senses You never liked us anyway, f*ck your friendship, I meant it I'm African-American, I'm African I'm black as the moon, heritage of a small village Pardon my residence Came from the bottom of mankind My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide You hate me don't you? You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture You're fuckin' evil I want you to recognize that I'm a proud monkey You vandalize my perception but can't take style from me And this is more than confession I mean I might press the button just so you know my discretion I'm guardin' my feelins, I know that you feel it You sabotage my community, makin' a killin' You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black Imagine now, big gold chain full of rocks How you no see the whip, left scars pon' me back But now we have a big whip, parked pon' the block All them say we doomed from the start, cah' we black Remember this, every race start from the block, just remember that I'm the biggest hypocrite in 2015 Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean I mean it's evident I'm irrelevant to society That's what you're telling me, penitentiary would only hire me Curse me till I'm dead Church me with your fake prophesizing that I'mma be another slave in my head Institutionalize manipulation and lies Reciprocation of freedom only live in your eyes You hate me don't you? I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself Jealous of my wisdom and cards I dealt Watchin' me as I pull up, fill up my tank then peel out Muscle cars like pull ups, show you what these big wheels bout I'm black and successful, this black man meant to be special CAT scans on my radar bitch, how can I help you? How can I tell you that I'm making a killin'? You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black Imagine now, big gold chain full of rocks How you no see the whip, left scars pon' me back But now we have a big whip, parked pon' the block All them say we doomed from the start, cah' we black Remember this, every race start from the block, just remember that I'm the biggest hypocrite in 2015 When I finish this if you listenin' I'm sure you will agree This plot is bigger than me, it's generational hatred It's genocism, it's grimy, little justification I'm African-American, I'm African I'm black as the heart of a fuckin' Aryan I'm black as the name of Tyrone and Dareous Excuse my French but f*ck you, no f*ck ya'll That's as blunt as it gets I know you hate me, don't you? You hate my people, I can tell because it's threats when I see you I can tell because your ways deceitful Know I can tell because you're in love with the Desert Eagle Thinkin' maliciously, he get a chain then you gone bleed him It's funny how Zulu and Xhosa might go to war Two tribal armies that want to build and destroy Remind me of these Compton crip gangs that live next door Beefin' with Piru's, only death settle the score So don't matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers Or tell Georgia State "Marcus Garvey got all the answers" Or try to celebrate February like it's my B-Day Or eat watermelon, chicken and Kool-Aid on weekdays Or jump high enough to get Michael Jordan endorsements Or watch BET cause urban support is important So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street? When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me? Hypocrite!
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: Jeffrey Campbell, Kendrick Duckworth, Stephen Noel Kozmeniuk, Matthew Jehu Samuels, Zale Epstein, Alexander Izquierdo, Brent Andrew Kolatalo, Ken Lewis, Terrace Martin
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
15 facts about this song
Release Date"The Blacker The Berry" by Kendrick Lamar was released on February 9th, 2015.
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Album AppearanceThe song is embedded in the album "To Pimp a Butterfly." It is the 13th track on the album.
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Grammy RecognitionThe song won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 2016.
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Inspirational SourceThe title 'The Blacker The Berry' is inspired by the novel of the same name written by American author Wallace Thurman. This novel was a groundbreaking work of the Harlem Renaissance.
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GenreThe song is a part of the Hip-Hop/Rap genre.
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Producer CollaborationThe song was produced by Boi-1da and Terrace Martin. It also features vocals from Jamaican dancehall singer Assassin.
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Social CommentaryThe song provides a social commentary on racial tensions, specifically focusing on hypocritical self-hatred within the Black community and acts of violence perpetrated against Black people.
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Sample TrackThe chorus of "The Blacker The Berry" samples a line from a 1988 hip-hop song, "Ya Don't Quit" by Ice-T.
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Artistic AchievementThe track is highly praised for its powerful lyrics, Kendrick’s intense delivery, and the jazz influenced instrumental.
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Album Release StrategyThis was the second song to be released from "To Pimp a Butterfly", following "i" which was a much more upbeat and positive song. The contrast between the two songs was a strategic move on Lamar's part, demonstrating the diversity and range of the album.
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Chart Ranking"The Blacker the Berry" peaked at no. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Controversial ReceptionThough acclaimed, the track was also subject to controversy due to its explicit lyrics and strong racial themes.
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Music Video AbsenceUnlike many other songs from "To Pimp a Butterfly", "The Blacker the Berry" did not receive an official music video.
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Personal ExpressionLamar has described the song as "angry" and "ignorant". It provides a window into Lamar's personal experience and feelings about race in America.
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Griot InfluenceThe song's structure follows the tradition of the West African Griot, a storyteller who uses music to catalogue history and spread social commentary.
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Citation
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