The Heart, Pt. 3

One, two, one, two, one two, ch-ch-ch-ch
Mm
Nah, one, two, one, two, one two
One, two
Turn the headphones up, Ali
One, two
You mix with Dre, right?
Turn the headphones up

When the whole world see you as 'Pac reincarnated
That's enough pressure to live your whole life sedated
Find the tallest building in Vegas and jump off it
But I could never rewrite history in a coffin
So I'm talking to God, "Can you wash all these demons off me?"

This last year been quite similar to Aaliyah
Controlled my own destiny, only rapper that steered a G5
G's give high-fives to me and say, "Kendrick, just persevere"
The presence of being real
As I lay in this four-corner room, staring at candles
Thinking, "How can I make an example for this generation of Compton?"
My biggest fear is not feeling accomplished or turning back to that same accomplice

My past life was a child with no act-right tryna smile in a room of killers, turn into a crash site
Influenced by niggas that spoke the gang culture fluent
Assuring that some blossom early and some truant
Thank God for the album I idolized
"It's Dark and Plus Hell is Hot", that's the start of this crazy ride
Two young niggas, me and Dave inside the garage
That thought we was Jay and Dame, that's the lane that we tried to drive

Truthfully, I just started rappin' to get away
I never thought that your favorite rapper would want a verse
My nigga got hit 25 times with a K
Make the decision, ride the beat or ride in a hearse
Now Punch is my mentor, Top Dawg is the coach
Jay Rock is my older brother, I was there when he wrote
His name on his record deal, we had figured the coast
Would live on a pedestal once the shit hit the store

Found ourselves scrambling, tryna figure it out
Soul told me that the record shop 'bout to go in a drought
Q ain't got a place to stay and 'bout to sleep on the couch
We eating off each other tray, the dollar-menu amount

Meanwhile, the coast going hard at each other
The younger rappers had wanted some of the OGs' comfort, but I ain't need it
I never screamed out "The New West", I didn't believe it
They brung each other down, I was planning out my achievements, huh

I need to separate myself to stand out, huh
I need a better way to take your fans now, huh
I need to kill you motherfuckers dead
Three hollow-tips aimed at your head
I'll be damned if the chopper jam now

And we never asked for no handout
In the midst of it all, I recall a call when you said how
We could never resolve in the Hall of Fame, and I went to trial
With a Bible and rifle, I play the game as I "blam-blaow!"
Holler back at me, nigga
And if they said that I'm the one, why you asking me, nigga?

'Cause when the whole world see you as 'Pac reincarnated
Enough pressure to make you just open the Book of David
And pray to God that you make it or live your life in The Matrix
'Cause falling off is a sickness, I heard that it's quite contagious

I need to separate myself to stand out, huh
I need a better way to take your fans now, huh
I need to kill you motherfuckers dead
Three hollow-tips aimed at your head

I'll be damned if the chopper jam now
And we never ask for no handouts
I'll take you back to that pack of Black & Milds in my hand now (Soul)
In the midst of it all, was cooking, them pots and pans out
Looking forward as four was forced to form a new clan now
Fast-forward as I wait in line for this passport
The homies was still poor, with work in a Jansport (ugh)

Whoever thought that Rosenberg would mention me to Dre?
Even Vanessa from XXL had told him press play
And there goes my fate, now, I'm on stage with Snoop
Gave me the torch and I ran with it in hot pursuit
Rapped with my forefathers, even wreck it with Gaga, too
Lyricist of the year, fuck am I 'posed to do? Rock!

Laughing at you niggas out there who thought we was flukes
Exaggerated shit that we rapped had came true
Thought I was aggravated when Warner had let me loose
I was honored, see, they was haunted when Mike Jones didn't recoup

Cool, 'cause niggas won't outdo us in the booth
Even when my album leak, fans still buy it for proof
I came, I saw, I conquered
No shame, I blame all of this on Compton
Thinking 'bout when Sherane tried to set me up
Cold game, full circle, they set up her

I put my life in these 12 songs, my fight in these 12 songs
The fight to ignite any wrong and right that I prolong
The story, the short film, the glory of Him and them
The worry of mothers that don't recover when babies killed
The trial and the tribulations, the newer Miseducation
The view of a body wasted, you knew somebody ain't make it
The angry, the adolescent, the reason I ask this question
Will you let hip-hop die on October 22nd?

Will you let hip-hop die on October 22nd?