VERSE

search
song-cover

King Kunta

Kendrick Lamar

I got a bone to pick

I don't want you monkey-mouth motherfuckers sittin' in my throne again

Ayy, ayy, nigga, what's happenin'? K-dot back in the hood, nigga!

I'm mad (he mad!), But I ain't stressin'

True friends

One question

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

Kunta, black man taking no losses, oh yeah

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

When you got the yams (what's the yams?)

The yam is the power that be (that be, that be, that be, that be, that be)

You can smell it when I'm walkin' down the street

(Oh yes, we can, oh yes, we can)

I can dig rappin'

But a rapper with a ghost writer?

What the fuck happened? (Oh no)

I swore I wouldn't tell (tell, tell, tell, tell)

But most of y'all sharing bars

Like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell (a two-man cell)

Something's in the water (something's in the water)

And if I gotta brown-nose for some gold

Then I'd rather be a bum than a motherfuckin' baller (oh yeah)

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

King Kunta, black man taking no losses, oh yeah

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him (King Kunta)

When you got the yams (what's the yams?)

The yam brought it out of Richard Pryor (Pryor, Pryor, Pryor, Pryor)

Manipulated Bill Clinton with desires

24/7, 365 days times two, I was contemplatin' gettin' off stage

Just to go back to the hood, see my enemy, and say (oh yeah)

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

King Kunta, black man taking no losses, oh yeah

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

You goat-mouth mammyfucker

I was gonna kill a couple rappers, but they did it to themselves

Everybody's suicidal, they ain't even need my help

This shit is elementary, I'll probably go to jail

If I shoot at your identity and bounce to the left

Stuck a flag in my city, everybody's screamin', "Compton!"

I should probably run for mayor when I'm done, to be honest

And I put that on my momma and my baby boo too

20 million walkin' out the court buildin', woo-woo!

Aw, yeah, fuck the judge

I made it past 25, and there I was

A little nappy-headed nigga with the world behind him

Life ain't shit but a fat vagina

Screamin', "Annie, are you okay? Annie, are you okay?"

Limo tinted with the gold plates

Straight from the bottom, this the belly of the beast

From a peasant to a prince to a motherfuckin' king (oh yeah)

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

By the time you hear the next pop

The funk shall be within you

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

King Kunta, black man taking no losses, oh yeah

Bitch, where you when I was walkin'?

Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin'

King Kunta, everybody wanna cut the legs off him

Funk

Funk, funk

Funk, funk, funk, funk, funk, funk, funk, funk

We want the funk!

We want the funk!

Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it?

We want the funk!

Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it?

We want the funk!

Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it?

We want the funk!

Do you want the funk?

We want the funk!

Do you want the funk?

We want the funk

Now if I give you the funk, you gon' take it?

We want the funk!

LanguageEnglish
Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar is a powerful track that delves into themes of empowerment, resilience, and the struggle against systemic oppression. The song's title references Kunta Kinte, a character from Alex Haley's novel 'Roots,' who represents the enduring spirit of resistance against slavery. Kendrick Lamar uses this metaphor to comment on his own rise in the music industry and the challenges he's faced along the way. He critiques the exploitation of artists, calls out those who undermine his success, and asserts his dominance with bold confidence. The song poignantly addresses the paradox of achieving success while remaining true to one's roots, and it resonates with themes of identity, power, and defiance.

Read more

More like To Pimp A Butterfly

Verse Lyrics is where you learn new languages the rock star way with song lyrics.

© Verse Engineering 2025