Last Real Nigga Alive Songtext

von Kendrick Lamar

Lord have mercy, Jesus Christ
He's just nice, he just likes
Look at the life that I've been through
We the last real niggas alive
Let me tell you when it all started
Game dropped Documentary and made plenty enemies
It was a classic album, but prior to that
Guerilla Black debuted and put the city on wax
A lot of Biggie comparisons, we all was aware of them
But that wasn't my M.O.
, I just thought he was dope
Can't understand why Game would say his name in that manner
Many years went by, still no legitimate answer
Anyway, I put out a mixtape in 12th grade
Hub City threat, minor of the year, DJ Dave
And his brother designed, put together the music
Put it out to the people, the people said I was stupid
With the flow, went to the barbershop to show off my skills
Mike and Himey and some other cat said I was real
Himey was Games barber, the other cat made a statement
Saying that Game was his partner, so I gave him my tape
Said he'd play it for him, hoping that I'd get my big break
But never got a response. anyway
This nigga named? Pop Givs? came to my school with a camera
I freestyled on his DVD for a minute then after
It hit the streets, I was known as K. Dot from Compton
Man Hootie probably was the youngest out that was poppin'
But I didn't have a home yet, Hootie had? in me
Until I met Top Dawg, told Dave that he'd like to meet
Me at the studio, made me freestyle for an hour
Told me come back tomorrow, but I came back in a hour
Jay Rock was in the booth, recording his first mixtape
Was skeptical homie at first because he knew where I stayed
But we got over that, heard the beat, wrote a rap
Did our first collaboration on the Nephew track
He got signed months later, Warner Brothers
We started on his album, he wrote his rhymes on paper
Before Sidekicks became a modern day phone
Same time our buzz was generated from G Malone
He had a song called 200, White Lightnin, the streets loved it
Said that Sony had gave him an unbelievable budget
Now that's a smart nigga, I'm tryna make my raps bigger than life
But not knowing how to market it right
Only cat he knew from the West Coast was playin' was Bishop
And by then this nigga' buzz was tremendous
In the lab, me and Rock tryna perfect our craft
What the fuck? Next thing you know, we came across Lift Me Up
It was a hit when I heard it
But all we had was the instrumental and the hook
But when Rock jump on it for certain, it was to smash
Gave it to? Hoolio?, just to get his opinion
Next thing you know, the record was spinning
That was a good look, it set the coast on fire
Niggas in Garden projects presents Watts Riot
Then these rappers start hating, callin' up to the station
Ask why they record ain't playin', what you niggas complaining, about?
Shit was funny to us tho
Niggas hate to see a nigga from the bottom come up, yo
In the midst of the single poppin' and niggas tryna seek and destroy
I had a situation with Def Jam, premature
Shit went sour after Jay-Z left but they didn't care
I was glad Jay-Z gave me respect
See I was young, fast forward, hot dollah had the streets on lock
Far as radio play, obvious, he got a lot
Beefing' with Daz Dilinger, Jay Rock spoke on it
Which in my opinion, I didn't think the shit was impo'tant
But that's a whole ‘nother story, we hit the lab with Game
And a few other names like Juice and Young, ya boy
Did the cypher freestyle and everybody's like, "Wow"
These Top Dawg niggas ‘bout to make noise"
Surely after Game took us on tour, I love you for that
But right after that, we didn't see him no more
G Malone came with a smash hit with Akon
Mistah FAB battled Royce Nickel with napalm
Then everybody start to scream out the new West
And claim that West Coast legends don't want to see him at best
I think that's just an excuse, because their music ain't tight
Tell ‘em that Ab-soul said it, they can quote him twice
Then Crooked I came with Hip-Hop Weekly, killin' the internet
But he been a threat since Deathrow, then Rocky came about
And all I thought about was Ab-Soul 2-11-2
It finally started to look like the West was makin' moves
Western Union had the whole block boomin' because of Snoop
Matter fact, Bad Luck was my favorite about the group
Then? Problem? took off, another Compton native
We both Compton niggas, but Compton still ain't made it
By this time, Jay Rock and All My Life hit the airwaves
We almost got into some major beef over Lil' Wayne
That part I'mma leave out
Theres certain things that the streets only should know about
Bishop win that game, then had a fight with?
That's when I dropped C4 and had the critics mad at me
Because they didn't see my views, grab the hottest album out and re-do it
That's a goddamn power move stupid
You foolish, don't know shit about this war shit
Theres mo' shit to wanting to be the king of the coast shit
So two weeks ago I finally run into the nigga I gave my mixtape too
And said he was partners with Game
The nigga finally told me what he said
He said he didn't like it
“See, see, look at you, look at you now, I tried to tell him you was tight”
Nigga probably never even gave it to him and shit