Kendrick Lamar – Gang Member lyrics

[Verse 1]
When I jumped off the porch, I was forced into last resorts of a temper gone short
And, of course, when that took it's course, I was hoarse from yelling out
Demons that fought inside of me taught society how to rejoice
The killers on sight of me, privacy obviously was lost
And the fraud piracy of the streets in my odyssey caught
A bullet that probably destroyed
A good kid in a mad city, slightly annoyed
I walked down the street with no heat
And run into beef when I’m just a vegan
Reekin' the scent of a saint
Sinner smell it then start squeezing
Palace, that's tumblin’ straight
Hit my melon, apparent reason
Probably was because of my cousin causing the blood
That was bloodin' in public and Kendrick seen with him last weekend, cousin
But you ain't no kin to me, 'stead of Kendrick, I'm Kennedy
Assassinate my character, sure that's your remedy
Fair enough, I got enemies but I don't bang
But that's the repercussions like when your cousin is causing the blood
Then you’re by yourself at the Compton parade, he said:

[Pre-Chorus]
Aye, look, homie, I gang-bang (pump, pump)
A gang member, I’m active, I do my thing (pump)
I do my stuff (pump)
I'm really from the sect, tho (pump, pump)
And if you is or ain’t, I still need to know


[Chorus]
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay

[Verse 2]
I seen 'em from afar then I seen a piece of my jaw
Like on the ground, you know the sound when you hear the people in awe
Sympathetic 'cause they like seeing you tryna fight back at a pack of piranhas
I promised three of 'em, beat the black of my back in pyjamas, was almost needed
I should’ve went to sleep and seen some sheep when I greeted the pavement
Got up and seen the shock on their faces like "damn it, he made it"
My luck in the palm of a cherry bomb and they waitin' to blow up on me, my homies are not alarmed
Then I heard someone's firearm make a sound like it waved around my direction
I'm guessing this is the part where my heart expected to drop in a second, look at the thoughts
I'm made in the shortest amount of time and in back of my mind I'm like "this the loss I'ma take"
My fate was distraught, a cape and some superpowers can't save me
I'm probably pushing up daisies before I can make my way to the car
Cross cancel and right before I seen the black glove raisin' the handle, he said:

[Pre-Chorus]
Aye, look, homie, I gang-bang (pump, pump)
A gang member, I'm active, I do my thing (pump)
I do my stuff (pump)
I'm really from the sect, tho (pump, pump)
And if you is or ain't, I still need to know

[Chorus]
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay

[Verse 3]
Bitch, I'm bustin' back
I'ma borrow my uncle's strap in a minute
Jump in a Civic then wear that bitch on my lap
I was timid but now I'm tempted
And tenants alert me on where you at
I'm a menace when I'm offended
Relentless, I will react
Then somebody sent the dispatch
Of an officer, got his mind made on offin' ya
That's a fact when you're black and undeveloped
Your profile is a felon
I'm bellin' down Boulevards with my basketball and a backpack
Gym shoes and my nap sack
Hair nappy, my ball cap backwards
And then I look back, strobe lights on my tail pipe
Turned left then I turned right
Turned death 'cause the sirens is loud as the colors of pink and yellow on Wesley Snipes
Pray to God I don't get sniped
Pray to God that the sunlight stay shining for 30 more minutes
Hope that a witness around when I'm 'bout to cut off the engine
Vengeance of hatred is what I'm facin'
Even though being a criminal ain't my memo
But this is what he said when I dropped the window:

[Pre-Chorus]
Aye, look, homie, I gang-bang
By the time you hear the next shot, you'll learn that L.A.P.D. is the biggest gang (pump)
I do my stuff (pump)
I'm really from the sect, tho (pump, pump)
And if you is or ain't, I still need to know

[Chorus]
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay
Where you from, where you stay or where your grandma stay