Compton Lyrics

[Produced by Just Blaze]

[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar]
Now everybody serenade the new faith of Kendrick Lamar
This is King Kendrick Lamar

King Kendrick and I meant it, my point intended is raw
Fix your lenses forensics would've told you Kendrick had killed it
Pretend it's a massacre and the masses upon us
And I mastered being the master at dodging your honor
And the chapter that read at 25 I would live dormant like five in the morning
They raid your spot while Kendrick's performing
And if they take everything, know I got

[Chorus]
Compton, Compton
Ain't no city quite like mine


[Verse 2: Dr. Dre & Kendrick Lamar]
Ay, Dre what's happening wit' it, my nigga?
Still I'm at it, peel the plastic off it, you can feel the magic
Still I'm laughing at the critics talking, I can see 'em gagging
When I'm back in the back of my city, back in the 'bach
With a batch of them banging Dre Beats with me, look where I'm at
It's the murder cap' and I'm captain at birthing this gangsta rap
It's a wrap when I'm done and I come a long way from a hundred dollars a month
To a hundred mil' in a day, bitch I'm from

[Chorus]
Compton, Compton
Ain't no city quite like mine


[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar]
So come and visit the tire screeching, ambulance, policeman
Won't you spend a weekend on Rosecrans, nigga?
Khaki creasing, crime increasing on Rosecrans, nigga

Kendrick Conan, nigga
Where you sword at, hand on the cross and swore that

I do it big as Rasputia for them shooters
Kama Sutra scream fuck your position and make you hold that
I'm trying to stay grounded like four flats
But I know flats and Piru Crip tats


[Bridge]
Will swarm on me like a beehive
Hop in the G ride
From the West to the Eastside
Know that's just how Compton roll

[Verse 4: Dr. Dre & Kendrick Lamar, Both]
And that's a given
I pass the blunt then pass the torch of course that's my decision

I crash the Porsche then you report that you see me in Benzes
I must report that we import the narcotics you bought it
Then talked about it when crack
hit the speakers, the music business
I blow up every time we throw up a record
Depending on what you expecting, I'm sure it's bigger than your religion
Perfected by niggas that manifested music to live in

[Chorus]
Compton, Compton
Ain't no city quite like mine


[Verse 5: Dr. Dre]
So tell that gangster throw his set high
Roll it up in a blunt, I'ma take you on the next high
I did exactly what I wanted that's what made them checks fly
In my direction, you never questioned when I said I
Would be a mogul before I visit 2Pac and Left-Eye
Eazy and Aaliyah when I see you we gon' test drive
A Lambo in heaven but for now I'm on the redeye
Flying back to my city cuz I'll forever standby


[Chorus]
Compton, Compton
Ain't no city quite like mine


[Verse 6: Kendrick Lamar]
Now we can all celebrate
We can all harvest the rap artists of N.W.A

America target our rap market, as controversy and hate
Harsh realities we in made our music translate
To the coke dealers, the hood rich
And the broke niggas that play
With them gorillas that know killers
That know where you stay
Roll that kush, crack that case, ten bottles of rosé
This was brought to you by Dre
Now every motherfucker in here say:
"Look who's responsible
For taking Compton international
I make 'em holla"

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

As a closing track for the album, Kendrick teams up with the executive producer and West coast legend Dr. Dre.

Other than “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, this is the only track from present-day Kendrick’s perspective. In an interview with Google Play, Kendrick spoke on the song:

I wrote the lyrics the day I met Dre. I easily got inspired, I just started writing. And that was actually the first studio session I had with Dre. That’s the last song on the album for a specific reason. That’s the first song I did with Dre, that was the start of my new life.

The song acts as an epilogue to the story, in which Kendrick is looking retrospectively upon the events of the narrative/his own life experiences and conveying how he’s turned himself away from a potential life of crime, alcoholism, violence etc. instead becoming someone he’s more proud of and someone who can try to tell the younger generations living in similar situations that they can turn their lives around too. The album then comes full circle by including the lines that precede the albums first track.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Kendrick Lamar say about "Compton"?
Genius Answer

Lamar told Complex in October 2012:

One of the reasons why it’s the perfect song is that the history behind that song is incredible. It was the first song I ever recorded with Dre. It was the first time meeting him and actually walking in the studio, that was the beat that was playing. He was testing me out, to see if I could—that’s really me rapping, better than here. That was the first song. It was a great experience. I’ll never forget that exact moment.

Producer and co-writer Just Blaze added:

We always knew that the record was gonna be about Compton. Even before we made the decision to definitely make it a Dre and Kendrick record. Originally that was for Detox. We were trying to figure out who we were gonna put on it and there were a couple of revisions.

According to Songfacts, Kendrick told BBC radio:

It came to a point where I had to really snap out of fan mode and become a professional because after we were introduced, he said he liked my music and I said that I’m a fan of his work,“ he recalled. "Then he said, ‘Okay, now write to this, write a full song to this’. Right after I said ‘Man, Dr. Dre, you’re the greatest’ and he was like, ‘Yeah man, you’re good too, you could be something… alright now write to this beat’. And that beat ended up being the first song I did with him and ended up on my album called Compton.

Comments