Kendrick Lamar – Untitled2 (Blue Faces), Lyrics Review In 5 Points
The same way Untitled (1) has been the preface to To Pimp A Butterfly, Untitled 2 stands as the appendix of an 11 times Grammy nominated work.
This sums up Kendrick’s evolution over his career,
And this sums up his message from Section 80 to TPAB.
1) Patience Is The Key
See I barely have Patience
Patience is key, and he learnt through his career to learn it.
He also learnt not to make his music selfish anymore, and just for the fast money, but really for the ones who need his songs (like ‘I’).
2) About a friend, self-conscious and filled up with expectations
My home girl got a credit card scam
She got a scholarship to college but she don’t give a damn
Intuition got a black woman wishin’[…]
Women don’t prosper chasing education
But you’re talented, and can’t handle it
This recalls Kanye West’s All Falls Down
The concept of school seems so secure
Sophomore, three yurrs, ain’t picked a carurr
She like, fuck it, I’ll just stay down here and do hair
A parallelism that’d match with a great timing, considering the late collaboration with Kanye for No More Parties In LA
3) Blue Faces Pursuing Happiness
But why I’m so sad?
Walking around with them blue faces
They say I’m down on my luck
And it’s something I gotta have
Blue faces
I hit the bank today and tell them color me bad
Blue faces
Get that new money, and it’s breaking me down to the top
In Untitled 2 , Kendrick repeats 3 times Blue Faces, letting imagine a face still sad despite all the green money he gets to enjoy his life, enjoy women, and pay himself drinks..
He actually can’t enjoy a life fleeing as fast as his fast money.
In Untitled 1, he repeats 3 times Hit the bank and withdraw: he emphasizes on the fact that big money talking won’t be the motor of his joy.
Ain’t no money like fast money.
4) Another War, Other Problems, Other Reality – Struggles in Africa
[I don’t see Compton, I see something much worse- Complexion]
You projects ain’t it, I live in a hut
You living to keep warm
I’m living to pay rent
I paid my way through
Praying to Allah
You played your way through dealing with Wi-Fi
Go ish yourself, you talking to strangers
5) Found Joy In Africa – Cape Town!
Along the song, his Blue face does recovers joy and peace of mind
When made his move with shackled feet (of a King Kunta who managed to keep his legs moving and stepping).
Plus, in the album, the most soothing tracks are the ones where he comes back home (Momma) first and connects to his African roots then, in South Africa (Complexion – Zulu Love)
He expresses his connection to his roots and exalts the Blackness with his hair cut Cornrow.
He wears it proudly, like an Afro crown, sitting on his throne, as a NEGUS, just like in the I video.
Plus, this is coming in Africa that he learnt the true value of money (How Much A Dollar Cost), much more than that, the value of his soul
Besides, How Much A Dollar Cost sounds very Egyptian (as mentioned in a previous review)
And, who says Egyptian says Pyramids
The last verse of the song is about his career, his label, his team,about to win these Grammys, about to build a powerful empire, with a Hiii Power for vision.
King Kunta came out of slave ships to “write is own hieroglyphs, build his own pyramids”
And eventually, in a way, relates to those who came from boats looking for hope.
If you notice, his own wording makes a pyramid, Kendrick puts his words into pyramid:
As he says 4 times “You Ain’t Got”, 2 times “Tell Me That”, 1 time “I’m The One”
I’m The One
Tell Me That – Tell Me That
You Ain’t Got – You Ain’t Got- You Ain’t Got – You Ain’t Got
To conclude, the same way Untitled (1) ended with “We don’t die we multiply”,
Untitled 2 pinpoint a message of hope: it’s a song for Blue Faces to find joy and hope
It’s a song made to lift your spirit to look for a Higher Power.
Keeping this message, this spirit, we gon’ be alright:
