reincarnated

What your gaze reflects
The night, you and me

I got this fire burnin' in me from within
Concentrated thoughts on who I used to be, I'm sheddin' skin
Every day, a new version of me, a third of me demented
Cemented in pain, juggling opposing kinds of fame
I don't know how to make friends, I'm a lonely soul
I recollect this isolation, I was four years old
Truth be told, I've been battling my soul, tryna navigate the real and fake
Cynical about the judgement day

I did bad, slight progression last year and it fucked me up
Reincarnated on this earth for a hundred plus
Body after body, lesson after lesson
Let's take it back to Michigan in 1947
My father kicked me out the house 'cause I wouldn't listen to him
I didn't care about his influence, only loved what I was doing
Gifted as a musician, I played guitar on the grand level
The most talented where I'm from, but I had to rebel

And so I'm off in the sunset, searchin' for my place in the world
With my guitar up on my hip, that's the story unfurled
I found myself with a pocket full of money, and a whole lot of respect
While the record vendors loved me
I was head of rhythm and blues
The women that fell to they feet, so many to choose
But I manipulated power, as I lied to the masses
Died with my money, gluttony was too attractive, reincarnated

Another life had placed me as a black woman in a chillin' circuit
Seductive vocalist as the promoter hit the curtains
My voice was angelic straight from heaven, the crowd sobbed
A musical genius what the articles emphasized
Had everything I wanted but I couldn't escape addiction
Hair on needles had me in fetal position, restricted
Turned on my family, I went wherever cameras be
Cocaine, no private planes for my insanity

Self-indulged, discipline never been my sentiments
I needed drugs, to me, an eight-ball was like penicillin
Fuck love, my happiness was in that brown sugar
Sex and melodies gave me hope when nobody's lookin'
My first assistant was a small-town scholar
Never did a Quaalude 'til I got myself around her
My daddy looked the other way, he saw sin in me
I died with syringes pinched in me, reincarnated

My present life is Kendrick Lamar
A rapper looking at the lyrics to keep you in awe
The only factor I respected was raising the bar
My instincts sent material straight to the charts, huh
My father kicked me out the house, I finally forgive him
I'm old enough to understand the way I was livin'
Ego and pride had me looking at him with resentment
I close my eyes hoping that I don't come off contentious

I'm yelling, "Father, did I finally get it right?" Everything I did was selfless
I spoke freely when the people needed me, I helped them
I didn't gloat even told them no when the vultures came took control
Of my fleshly body when the money changed
"Son you do well but your heart is closed
I can tell residue that linger from your past creates itself"
Father I'm not perfect I got urges, but I hold them down
"But your pride has to die," okay father show me how

Tell me every deed that you done and what you do it for
I kept one hundred institutions paid, "Okay, tell me more"
I put one hundred hoods on one stage, "Okay, tell me more"
I'm tryna push peace in LA, "But you love war"
No, I don't, "Oh, yes, you do," okay then tell me the truth
"Every individual is only a version of you
How can they forgive when there's no forgiveness in your heart?"
I could tell you where I'm going, "I could tell you who you are"

You fell out of heaven 'cause you was anxious
Didn't like authority, only searched to be heinous
Isaiah fourteen was the only thing that was prevalent
My greatest music director was you
It was colors, it was pinks, it was reds, it was blues
It was harmony and motion
I sent you down to earth 'cause you was broken
Rehabilitation not psychosis

But now we here now, centuries you manipulated man with music
Embodied you as superstars to see how you moving
You came a long way from garnishing evil-ish views
And all I ever wanted from you was love and approval
I learned a lot, no more putting these people in fear
The more that word is diminished, the more it's not real
The more light that I can capture, the more I can feel
I'm using words for inspiration as an ideal

"So can you promise that you won't take your gifts for granted?"
I promise that I'll use my gifts to bring understanding
"For every man, woman and child, how much can you vow?"
I vow my life just to live one in harmony now
"You crushed a lot of people keeping their thoughts in captivity"
And I'm ashamed that I ever created that enemy
Then let's rejoice where we at
I rewrote the devil's story just to take our power back, 'carnated

Que reflejan tu mirada
La noche, tú y yo

I got this fire burnin' in me from within
Concentrated thoughts on who I used to be, I'm sheddin' skin
Every day, a new version of me, a third of me demented
Cemented in pain, juggling opposing kinds of fame
I don't know how to make friends, I'm a lonely soul
I recollect this isolation, I was four years old
Truth be told, I've been battling my soul, tryna navigate the real and fake
Cynical about the judgement day

I did bad, slight progression last year and it fucked me up
Reincarnated on this earth for a hundred plus
Body after body, lesson after lesson
Let's take it back to Michigan in 1947
My father kicked me out the house 'cause I wouldn't listen to him
I didn't care about his influence, only loved what I was doing
Gifted as a musician, I played guitar on the grand level
The most talented where I'm from, but I had to rebel

And so I'm off in the sunset, searchin' for my place in the world
With my guitar up on my hip, that's the story unfurled
I found myself with a pocket full of money, and a whole lot of respect
While the record vendors loved me
I was head of rhythm and blues
The women that fell to they feet, so many to choose
But I manipulated power, as I lied to the masses
Died with my money, gluttony was too attractive, reincarnated

Another life had placed me as a black woman in a chillin' circuit
Seductive vocalist as the promoter hit the curtains
My voice was angelic straight from heaven, the crowd sobbed
A musical genius what the articles emphasized
Had everything I wanted but I couldn't escape addiction
Hair on needles had me in fetal position, restricted
Turned on my family, I went wherever cameras be
Cocaine, no private planes for my insanity

Self-indulged, discipline never been my sentiments
I needed drugs, to me, an eight-ball was like penicillin
Fuck love, my happiness was in that brown sugar
Sex and melodies gave me hope when nobody's lookin'
My first assistant was a small-town scholar
Never did a Quaalude 'til I got myself around her
My daddy looked the other way, he saw sin in me
I died with syringes pinched in me, reincarnated

My present life is Kendrick Lamar
A rapper looking at the lyrics to keep you in awe
The only factor I respected was raising the bar
My instincts sent material straight to the charts, huh
My father kicked me out the house, I finally forgive him
I'm old enough to understand the way I was livin'
Ego and pride had me looking at him with resentment
I close my eyes hoping that I don't come off contentious

I'm yelling, "Father, did I finally get it right?" Everything I did was selfless
I spoke freely when the people needed me, I helped them
I didn't gloat even told them no when the vultures came took control
Of my fleshly body when the money changed
"Son you do well but your heart is closed
I can tell residue that linger from your past creates itself"
Father I'm not perfect I got urges, but I hold them down
"But your pride has to die," okay father show me how

Tell me every deed that you done and what you do it for
I kept one hundred institutions paid, "Okay, tell me more"
I put one hundred hoods on one stage, "Okay, tell me more"
I'm tryna push peace in LA, "But you love war"
No, I don't, "Oh, yes, you do," okay then tell me the truth
"Every individual is only a version of you
How can they forgive when there's no forgiveness in your heart?"
I could tell you where I'm going, "I could tell you who you are"

You fell out of heaven 'cause you was anxious
Didn't like authority, only searched to be heinous
Isaiah fourteen was the only thing that was prevalent
My greatest music director was you
It was colors, it was pinks, it was reds, it was blues
It was harmony and motion
I sent you down to earth 'cause you was broken
Rehabilitation not psychosis

But now we here now, centuries you manipulated man with music
Embodied you as superstars to see how you moving
You came a long way from garnishing evil-ish views
And all I ever wanted from you was love and approval
I learned a lot, no more putting these people in fear
The more that word is diminished, the more it's not real
The more light that I can capture, the more I can feel
I'm using words for inspiration as an ideal

"So can you promise that you won't take your gifts for granted?"
I promise that I'll use my gifts to bring understanding
"For every man, woman and child, how much can you vow?"
I vow my life just to live one in harmony now
"You crushed a lot of people keeping their thoughts in captivity"
And I'm ashamed that I ever created that enemy
Then let's rejoice where we at
I rewrote the devil's story just to take our power back, 'carnated