englishHip-Hop, Rap, Conscious Hip-Hop

DNA. Lyrics

by Kendrick Lamar

Lyricist: Kendrick Lamar

27 views • Published on Sep 27, 2026

DNA. Lyrics

I got, I got, I got, I got Loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA Cocaine quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA I got hustle though, ambition, flow, inside my DNA I was born like this, since one like this Immaculate conception I transform like this, perform like this Was Yeshua's new weapon I don't contemplate, I meditate, then off your fucking head This that put-the-kids-to-bed This that I got, I got, I got, I got Realness, I just kill shit 'cause it's in my DNA I got millions, I got riches buildin' in my DNA I got dark, I got evil, that rot inside my DNA I got off, I got troublesome, heart inside my DNA I just win again, then win again like Wimbledon, I serve Yeah that's him again, the sound that engine in is like a bird You see fireworks and Corvette tire skrrt the boulevard I know how you work, I know just who you are See you's a, you's a, you's a— Bitch, your hormones prolly switch inside your DNA Problem is, all that sucker shit inside your DNA Daddy prolly snitched, heritage inside your DNA Backbone don't exist, born outside a jellyfish, I gauge See my pedigree most definitely don't tolerate the front Shit I've been through prolly offend you This is Paula's oldest son I know murder, conviction, burners Boosters, burglars, ballers, dead, redemption Scholars, fathers dead with kids And I wish I was fed forgiveness Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, soldier's DNA Born inside the beast My expertise checked out in second grade When I was 9, on cell, motel, we didn't have nowhere to stay At 29, I've done so well, hit cartwheel in my estate And I'm gon' shine like I'm supposed to Antisocial, extrovert And excellent mean the extra work And absentness what the fuck you heard And pessimists never struck my nerve And that's a riff, gonna plead this case The reason my power's here on earth Salute the truth, when the prophet say I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA This is why I say that hip hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA I live a better life, I'm rollin' several dice, fuck your life I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA I live a better, fuck your life 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 This is my heritage, all I'm inheritin' Money and power, the makin' of marriages Tell me somethin' You mothafuckas can't tell me nothin' I'd rather die than to listen to you My DNA not for imitation Your DNA an abomination This how it is when you're in the Matrix Dodgin' bullets, reapin' what you sow And stackin' up the footage, livin' on the go And sleepin' in a villa Sippin' from a Grammy and walkin' in the buildin' Diamond in the ceilin', marble on the floors Beach inside the window, peekin' out the window Baby in the pool, godfather goals Only Lord knows, I've been goin' hammer Dodgin' paparazzi, freakin' through the cameras Eat at Four Daughters, Brock wearin' sandals Yoga on a Monday, stretchin' to Nirvana Watchin' all the snakes, curvin' all the fakes Phone never on, I don't conversate I don't compromise, I just penetrate Sex, money, murder, these are the breaks These are the times, level number 9 Look up in the sky, 10 is on the way Sentence on the way, killings on the way Motherfucker, I got winners on the way You ain't shit without a body on your belt You ain't shit without a ticket on your plate You ain't sick enough to pull it on yourself You ain't rich enough to hit the lot and skate Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate Gonna be your fate, gonna be our fate Peace to the world, let it rotate Sex, money, murder, our DNA

Meaning of DNA.

Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA” is a dizzying, almost hallucinatory exploration of inherited trauma, ambition, and the complex legacy of violence within Black America. The track isn't simply a boast; it’s a deeply unsettling autopsy of self, dissecting the layers of identity forged through hardship and circumstance. Lamar uses jarring juxtapositions – “Cocaine quarter piece” alongside “war and peace,” “power, poison, pain and joy” – to illustrate how seemingly contradictory forces are inextricably woven into his being, mirroring the inherited struggles of generations. The repeated mantra “I got, I got, I got, I got” establishes a relentless cycle, a primal instinct driving him forward despite the darkness he acknowledges within his DNA. The song’s central conceit—the idea of "DNA" as a repository for both positive and destructive impulses – is powerfully unsettling. Lamar doesn't shy away from depicting a lineage riddled with crime, betrayal ("Daddy prolly snitched"), and loss (“scholars, fathers dead with kids”), yet he simultaneously possesses an undeniable drive to succeed and innovate, symbolized by the “Wimbledon” tennis metaphor and references to wealth and status. The inclusion of biblical allusions – "Immaculate conception," "Yeshua’s new weapon" – elevates this personal struggle into a broader commentary on faith, responsibility, and the burden of history. Ultimately, "DNA" isn't about celebrating power; it’s about confronting its origins, acknowledging its corrupting influence, and attempting to transcend it through relentless self-awareness and an almost unnerving determination to “shine like I’m supposed to,” a poignant and profoundly uncomfortable reflection on the American experience.

Tags:

kendrick lamardnaintrospectionhip hopwest coast rap

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