The Blacker the Berry

Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Album: To Pimp a Butterfly
Released: 3/7/2015
Length: 5:29
Format: AAC

Lyrics

(They want us to bow) Everything black, I don't want black
(Down to our knees) I want everything black, I ain't need black
(And pray to a god) Some white, some black, I ain't mean black
(That we don't believe) I want everything black

Everything black, I want all things black
I don't need black, I want everything black
I don't need black, our eyes ain't black
I ain't own black, I want everything black

Six in the morn, fire in the street
Burn, baby, burn, that's all I wanna see
And sometimes I get off watching you die in vain
It's such a shame, they may call me crazy
They may say I suffer from schizophrenia or something, but, homie, you made me
Black don't crack, my nigga

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015
Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean
Been feeling this way since I was sixteen, came to my senses
You never liked us anyway, fuck your friendship, I meant it
I'm African American, I'm African
I'm black as the moon, heritage of a small village, pardon my residence
Came from the bottom of mankind
My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide
You hate me, don't you
You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture
You're fucking evil I want you to recognize that I'm a proud monkey
You vandalize my perception but can't take style from me
And this is more than confession
I mean I might press the button just so you know my discretion
I'm guarding my feelings, I know that you feel it
You sabotage my community, making a killing
You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot

I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black
Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black
And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black
Imagine now, me gold chain full of rocks
How you no see the whip, left scars 'pon me back
But now we have a big whip parked 'pon the block
All them say we doomed from the start, cah' we black
Remember this, every race start from the black, just remember that

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015
Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean
I mean it's evident that I'm irrelevant to society
That's what you're telling me, penitentiary would only hire me
Curse me till I'm dead
Church me with your fake prophesizing that I'mma be another slave in my head
Institutionalize manipulation and lies
Reciprocation of freedom only live in your eyes
You hate me, don't you
I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself
Jealous of my wisdom and cards I dealt
Watching me as I pull up, fill up my tank, then peel out
Muscle cars like pull ups, show you what these big wheels 'bout, ah
Black and successful, this black man meant to be special
CAT scans on my radar, bitch, how can I help you
How can I tell you I'm making a killing
You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot

I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black
Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black
And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black
Imagine now, me gold chain full of rocks
How you no see the whip, left scars 'pon me back
But now we have a big whip parked 'pon the block
All them say we doomed from the start, cah' we black
Remember this, every race start from the black, just remember that

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015
When I finish this, if you listen, I'm sure you will agree
This plot is bigger than me, it's generational hatred
It's genocism, it's grimy little justification
I'm African American, I'm African
I'm black as the heart of a fucking Aryan
I'm black as the name of Tyrone and Darius
Excuse my French, but fuck you, no fuck y'all
That's as blunt as it gets
I know you hate me, don't you
You hate my people, I can tell 'cause it's threats when I see you
I can tell cause your ways deceitful
Know I can tell because you're in love with the Desert Eagle
Thinking maliciously, he get a chain, then you gon' bleed him
It's funny how Zulu and Xhosa might go to war
Two tribal armies that want to build and destroy
Remind me of these Compton Crip gangs that live next door
Beefing with Pirus, only death settle the score
So don't matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers
Or tell Georgia State Marcus Garvey got all the answers
Or try to celebrate February like it's my B-Day
Or eat watermelon, chicken and Kool-Aid on weekdays
Or jump high enough to get Michael Jordan endorsements
Or watch BET cause urban support is important
So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street
When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me
Hypocrite