englishHip-Hop, Rap, Conscious Hip-Hop
DNA. Lyrics
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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