Let Me Be Me

Everybody just clap your hands if you're real

Middle finger up, give a fuck how they feel

Be yourself, just show me you're real

Middle fingers up

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

(That's the only way I know how to hold it down

That's-that's the only way I know how to hold it down)

Uh, I just wanna be me

No disrespect, but motherfuck you

My education stopped at a high school degree

but I can outsmart any high IQ

Draped in some fly shit, call me Jeff Goldblum

Cold, my style making my nose run

Oh, I stare at the mirror, then realize

that real lies, within me

Some say I'm crazy cause I think like I need a shrink

Ask too many questions about the stars and Earth shit

Rather be in the studio than out buying drinks

So if I'm not clubbing, don't think I'm on some jerk shit

And California on that jerk shit

But I'd just rather two-step like my first steps

Jill Scott in my iPod as my head rests, yes

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

(That's the only way I know how to hold it down

That's-that's the only way I know how to hold it down)

And yeah I know I'm from Compton, Cali'

But I don't lace up Chucks or rock tan khakis

And skinny jeans ain't quite the lick

I probably would wear 'em but my dick don't fit

Ha-ha-ha, I like to joke, got a sense of humor?

Stale face, play me short like an Oompa-Loompa

You ain't gotta screw up your face in front of the kids

Won't you lighten up like Michael did?

I grew up with killers man, people who killed man

But my character never could be like them man

And they respect that, say that I'm real man

Not a fake person, that's the Sims man

Live my life through some film man?

I ain't acting out shit, I be packing out shows

cause they know they'll know Kendrick fo' sho', and oh

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

(That's the only way I know how to hold it down

That's-that's the only way I know how to hold it down)

Almost lost my life to the industry

Had to look through a photo book to remember me

These label heads ain't nothing but bullshit

Have you with professional killers, chasing hits

Lying to yourself all over an image

Making records they want, that was wrecking my brilliance

My mama said, boy that don't sound like you

I said, this is the sound though, my only excuse

Quite frankly, dusted off my shoes with my hankie

and kicked it like he skate, make these motherfuckers hate me

The reason why they hate, cause these motherfuckers ain't me

And you can underrate me, but I know what I'm worth

A diamond in God's dirt, a diamond in winter

Watching Simpsons and eating some cereal for dinner

See I give you my life to mix it up in a blender

to make sure that you feel it

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

Just let me be me, hmm

That's the only way I know

(That's the only way I know how to hold it down

That's-that's the only way I know how to hold it down)

Kendrick Lamar, what are you trying to say?

What are you trying to accomplish Kendrick Lamar?

Kendrick Lamar, what are you trying to say?

What are you trying to accomplish Kendrick Lamar?

Is this really you? Is this who you are?

What are you trying to say?

What are you trying to accomplish Kendrick Lamar?

Who are you?

What are you trying to accomplish Kendrick Lamar?

Kendrick Lamar, what are you trying to say?

What are you trying to accomplish Kendrick Lamar?

I think that I finally reached the pinnacle

of finding myself as an individual

The world is so typical

I just wanna be higher than that

I used to want to be the messiah of rap

Infatuated with becoming a relevant star

Trying to say goodbye to the glamorous chains and cars

that I never had, but wrote it in my raps to make you mad

Vanity, they say that it can damage me

So do I really want it?

If I didn't, I guess I'm a cool cocaine connect

That means I'll be fronting, hmm

Cooking in a laboratory, hoping I can tell a story

that the whole world can feel, like the ones that came before me

Knowing that I'm misunderstood

So I gotta get my point across like a snitch would

And I would never walk in the shadow that never was really there

or try to fill the shoes of an invisible pair

And Dame said he proud of my newfound honesty

and all I could say is, will the radio care?

Yeah, or should I say no?

Or should I just stop and come with a whole new approach?

You heard my Hip Hop when I was sixteen years old

Well that was me then, now I'm an adult

Twenty-two like the smallest of guns that you know, most determined

but with the smallest of funds to show, but I'm not worried

My talent should take me places I've never been

The world should turn soon as my record spin

I wanna be the highest, on top of all the bullshit

The negative you bring, the stress, the violence

The capital punishment, the loud police sirens

Too focussed, one word, righteous

And this is Kendrick Lamar

and soon y'all know cloud nine y'all

And that means I wanna be the highest

Too focussed, one word (righteous)

Mm, yeah

That means I wanna be the highest

Too focussed, one word

Too focussed, too focussed, one word

Too focussed, too focussed, one word

Too focussed, too focussed, one word

Too focussed, one word

Too focussed, too focussed, one word