Last Real Nigga Alive Lyrics - 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 

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