Kendrick Lamar quotes
1987 – · Contemporary, 21st century · Rapper, songwriter, producer
About Kendrick Lamar
Born in 1987 in Compton, Kendrick Lamar gained recognition for introspective, socially engaged lyrics about identity, resilience and moral struggle. Renowned for narrative skill and technical flow, he combines sonic experimentation with sharp social commentary rooted in West Coast hip‑hop traditions.
Works: good kid, m.A.A.d city; To Pimp a Butterfly; DAMN.
Quotes
“We all get distracted, the question is, would you bounce back or bounce backwards?”
Source: Growing Apart (To Get Closer), song (lyrics) · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line appears in published lyric transcriptions for Kendrick Lamar’s “Growing Apart (To Get Closer),” credited to him as performer and writer.
- What remains uncertain
- The exact wording supplied here is a variant/paraphrase of the transcribed lyric rather than a verbatim, independently verified quote.
This line frames distraction as a fork: it’s not neutral but a moment that can lead to recovery or to slipping back. It comes from Kendrick Lamar’s song “Growing Apart (To Get Closer),” where he weighs ambition, temptation and moral responsibility. The contrast turns a lyric into a prompt for action.
“Just let me be me, that’s the only way I know.”
Source: Let Me Be Me, chorus (lyrics) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The phrase appears as the chorus of Kendrick Lamar’s song “Let Me Be Me” in published lyric transcriptions (e.g., Genius), establishing him as the author.
This line stakes a claim for unapologetic selfhood: being oneself is presented not as a choice but as the only lived mode. It’s the chorus of Kendrick Lamar’s song “Let Me Be Me,” where repetition turns a personal plea into an emphatic artistic stance within hip-hop culture.