If I told you I killed a nigga at 16, would you believe me?
Or see me to be innocent Kendrick you seen in the street
With a basketball

from Kendrick Lamar (Ft. MC Eiht) – M.A.A.d City Lyrics on Rap Genius

Kendrick has now built up this persona of the “good kid” to the point that fans of his music would be in disbelief if they were to find out that Kendrick actually committed some pretty serious crime. Of course, it was the influence of his city that made him anything but an innocent child.

The wording of this suggests this question is not to the fans, but rather to those Kendrick grew up with — those who saw Kendrick “in the street with a basketball and some Now & Laters”. Perhaps even they too are unaware of some of the things Kendrick had done.

This “killing” mentioned by Kendrick does not have to be literal, although it may be. In Ab-Soul’s Outro on Kendrick’s Section 80, he gives us the analogy of “a newborn baby killing a grown man”. In saying this Kendrick is showing that his innocence was corrupted to the most extreme of levels, leaving him fighting since birth. There is also his claim that “as a kid he killed two adults” in Hol' Up.

Despite the metaphorical killings referenced above, Kendrick may also be saying he ‘killed’ Dave by being responsible for his death, as he died seeking revenge for K.Dot.

To help improve the meaning of these lyrics, visit "M.A.A.d City" by Kendrick Lamar (Ft. MC Eiht) Lyrics and leave a comment on the lyrics box