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The chorus is an example of taking the easy way out of “conquering” fear by getting high. While the immediate effect of being “high” could take away the fear, it only lasts a night and the cycle will continue to repeat itself. The only true way to conquer your fears is to tackle them head on and overcome the “weakness” to break the cycle.

Kendrick has long promoted sobriety, rapping on his 2010 track, “H.O.C.”:

I don’t even smoke, I don’t even smoke

“Two puffs” is probably a reference to common smoker etiquette—take two puffs and pass to the left.

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The flow Kendrick employs here is reminiscent of Juvenile’s 1998 hit song “HA,” while the lyrics allude to people assuming that fame has changed him. Kendrick used this Juvenile flow before, on his 2007 song “On My Momma.”

People expect Kendrick not to be as present in Compton since he’s become rich and famous, but he’s still K-Dot, a kid from Compton trying to improve his city.

The last two lines may also be a shot at Drake. Drake featured on DJ Khaled’s 2016 song “For Free” and alluded to one of Kendrick’s previous one-liners on the track, rapping:

And like your boy from Compton said
You know this dick ain’t free!

Of course, Drake reps his hometown Toronto, but still lives in Calabasas, California, north of Los Angeles.

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Kendrick presents the image of “America the free” as false, something especially evident during Donald Trump’s presidency. This decrease in liberties, along with an institutional racism that prevents minorities from advancing, promotes a sense of artificial freedom.

The “poison” discussed here refers to the destruction that the War on Drugs and the crack epidemic brought upon his community in South Central during the ‘80s and '90s. He was born in 1987—in the middle of Reagan’s second term, which expired in 1989. Reagan passed aggressive legislation that saw the number of people behind bars for nonviolent drug violations increase from 50,000 in 1980 to more than 400,000 by 1997.

“False freedom” and “force-feed ‘em” also comprises multi-syllabic rhyme and alliteration; a technique that Kendrick is known for.

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On “BLOOD.,” Kendrick is shot by a blind lady he’s trying to help. The blind woman can be thought of as representing consequences of the damnation referenced in the Book of Deuteronomy. The duality of obeying God and being blessed, or disobeying him and being damned—giving into “wickedness” or admitting your “weaknesses” and submitting yourself to God—play a major role throughout the album.

The outro is sampled from a clip of FOX News reporters criticizing Kendrick’s “Alright” performance at the 2015 BET Awards. Kendrick later responded to the criticism on TMZ Live, saying:

How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred? The overall message is ‘we’re gonna be alright.’ It’s not the message of ‘I wanna kill people.’

Kendrick talked about the song in an interview with Zane Lowe at Coachella, and he kept the mystery behind the song secret:

What I can I say about that, without saying about that. It is… one of the most interesting pieces on the record. Man, I don’t even think I can find the wit… to tell you about that record, without telling you about that record. There’s a new life, its a new life.
Lowe: Is it the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?
I can’t tell you that. That’s what I can’t tell you. Come on now, that’s the whole thing.
Lowe: I had to ask though.
(laughs) I know. That’s the whole thing.

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On “LOYALTY.,” Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna muse on the value and necessity of complete loyalty and honesty in both platonic and romantic relationships. The song marks the first collaboration between the two artists.

The chorus interpolates Jay Z’s infamous Roc-A-Fella Records maxim from 2000’s “Get Your Mind Right Mami,” a line that Kendrick previously referenced on “The Heart Part 2”; while Rihanna alludes to ODB’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” in verse three.

In the outro, Rihanna references the struggle of staying humble within success, which may be a nod to the first single from this album, “HUMBLE.”

A music video, directed by Dave Meyers, was released on July 28, 2017.

The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 2018 Grammys held on Jan. 28, 2018.

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There are several theories surrounding the identity of the blind woman. On “FEAR.,” Kendrick’s cousin Carl teaches from the Book of Deuteronomy where the Hebrews are warned about the consequences that lead to damnation for not keeping the commandments—the woman may represent those consequences. The choice of obeying God and being blessed or disobeying him plays a major role throughout the album.

The gunshot on “BLOOD.” may represent Kendrick being shot because he “lost” his way, while on “DUCKWORTH.,” the scenario is reversed and Kendrick lives as a result of his father Ducky and label owner Top Dawg getting along.

Some fans have also theorized that the walk Kendrick is on is a continuation of his 2016 God Is Gangsta music video that features “u” and “For Sale? (Interlude)” from To Pimp A Butterfly. Fans also theorize that the woman is Lady Justice, who is a representation of blind justice, as Kendrick may believe the judicial system is unjust.

In a Beats 1 interview with Zane Lowe, Kendrick refused to speak on the deeper meaning of this skit, opting instead to let the art speak for itself. When asked whether it represented “the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning,” he refused to answer but confirmed it is the right question to ask.

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Kendrick labels himself as the greatest rapper of all time and compares himself to Michael Jordan, who is widely considered to be the greatest player in NBA history. Lamar also declared himself to be the greatest on the previous song, “ELEMENT.” Additionally, he made similar claims in the lead-up to DAMN.’s release. On his March 2017 single, “The Heart Part 4,” he said:

Yelling, ‘One, two, three, four, five
I am the greatest rapper alive’

On the album’s lead single, “HUMBLE.,” he says:

If I quit this season, I still be the greatest

The wordplay between “Mike” and “mic” is also worth noting; as well as a possible reference to Francis Lawrence’s 2007 film, I am Legend. Furthermore, Kendrick has a song titled “Michael Jordan,” which was one of his first singles released in 2010, along with an official music video.

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This line may be a nod to 2Pac’s “Changes”:

It ain’t a secret, don’t conceal the fact
The penitentiary’s packed, and it’s filled with blacks
But some things will never change

It’s not surprising that Joey would quote 2Pac—he’s Joey’s favorite rapper.

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