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“DUCKWORTH.” is a street tale about how Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith was planning a second robbery at a local KFC where Kendrick’s father, nicknamed “Ducky,” was working back in the ‘90s. The robbery could have resulted in Ducky’s death, but his generosity caused Top Dawg to refrain from harming him....
[Intro: Bēkon & Kid Capri]
It was always me versus the world
Until I found it's me versus me
Why, why, why, why?
Why, why, why, why?
Just remember, what happens on Earth stays on Earth!
We gon' put it in reverse
[Bridge: Ted Taylor (Sampled)]
Darling, I told you many times
And I am telling you once again
Just to remind you, sweetheart
That my—
[Verse: Kendrick Lamar]
Oh, Lamar
Hail Mary and marijuana, times is hard
Pray with the hooligans, shadows all in the dark
Fellowship with demons and relatives, I'm a star
Life is one funny ma'fucker
A true comedian, you gotta love him, you gotta trust him
I might be buggin', infomercials and no sleep
Introverted by my thoughts; children, listen, it gets deep
See, once upon a time inside the Nickerson Garden projects
The object was to process and digest poverty's dialect
Adaptation inevitable: gun violence, crack spot
Federal policies raid buildings and drug professionals
Anthony was the oldest of seven
Well-respected, calm and collected
Laughin' and jokin' made life easier; hard times, mama on crack
A four-year-old tellin' his nanny he needed her
His family history: pimpin' and bangin'
He was meant to be dangerous, clocked him a grip and start slangin'
Fifteen, scrapin' up his jeans with quarter pieces
Even got some head from a smoker last weekend
Dodged a policeman, workin' for his big homie
Small-time hustler, graduated to a brick on him
Ten-thousand dollars out of a project housing, that's on the daily
Seen his first mill' twenty years old, had a couple of babies
Had a couple of shooters, caught a murder case
Fingerprints on the gun they assumin', but witnesses couldn't prove it
That was back when he turned his back and they killed his cousin
He beat the case and went back to hustlin'
Bird-shufflin', Anthony rang
The first in the projects with the two-tone Mustang, that 5.0 thing They say 5-0 came, circlin' parking lots and parking spots
And hoppin' out while harrassin' the corner blocks
Crooked cops told Anthony he should kick it
He brushed 'em off and walked back to the Kentucky Fried Chicken
See, at this chicken spot, there was a light-skinned nigga that talked a lot
With a curly top and a gap in his teeth, he worked the window
His name was Ducky, he came from the streets, The Robert Taylor Homes
Southside Projects, Chiraq, the Terror Dome
Drove to California with a woman on him and five-hundred dollars
They had a son, hopin' that he'd see college
Hustlin' on the side with a nine-to-five to freak it
Cadillac Seville, he'd ride his son around on weekends
Three-piece special with his name on the shirt pocket
'Cross the street from the projects, Anthony planned to rob it
Stuck up the place before, back in '84
That's when affiliation was really at gears of war
So many relatives tellin' us, sellin' us devilish works, killin' us, crime
Intelligent, felonious prevalent proposition with 9's
Ducky was well-aware
They robbed the manager and shot a customer last year
He figured he'd get on these niggas' good sides
Free chicken every time Anthony posted in line, two extra biscuits
Anthony liked him and then let him slide, they didn't kill him
In fact, it look like they're the last to survive, pay attention
That one decision changed both of they lives, one curse at a time
Reverse the manifest and good karma, and I'll tell you why
You take two strangers and put 'em in random predicaments
Give 'em a soul, so they can make their own choices and live with it
Twenty years later, them same strangers, you make 'em meet again
Inside recording studios where they reapin' their benefits
Then you start remindin' them about that chicken incident
Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence?
Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin' life
While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight
*Gunshot*
[Outro: Kendrick Lamar]
Thgifnug a ni eid dna rehtaf a tuohtiw pu werg I elihW
Efil 'nivres eb dluoc gwaD poT ,ykcuD dellik ynohtnA fi esuaceB
Ecnedicnioc morf eb dluow reppar tsetaerg eht thguoht reveohW?
Tnedicni nekcihc taht tuoba meht 'nidnimer trats uoy nehT
Stifeneb rieht 'nipaer yeht erehw soiduts gnidrocer edisnI
Niaga teem me' ekam uoy ,sregnarts emas meht ,retal sraey ytnewT
Ti htiw evil dna seciohc nwo rieht ekam nac yeht os luos a me' eviG
Stnemaciderp modnar ni me' tup dna sregnarts owt ekat uoY
Yhw uoy llet ll'I dna ,amrak doog dna tsefinam eht esreveR
Emit a ta esruc eno ,sevil yeht fo htob degnahc noisiced eno tahT
Noitnetta yaP—
Erac tuB
—Tpecnoc etalucammi ,siht ekil eno ecnis retrauq eniacoC
AND ym edisni ytlayor tog ,ytlayoL
—Tog I ,tog I ,tog I ,tog I
So, I was takin' a walk the other day…
DUCKWORTH. was written by Simon Mavin & John Richard Cornwall & Perrin Moss & Paul Bender & Nai Palm & Johnny Flippin & King Gizmo & George Williams & Earl Shelton & Don Robey & Bill Curtis & 9th Wonder & Kendrick Lamar.
DUCKWORTH. was produced by 9th Wonder & Bēkon.
Kendrick Lamar released DUCKWORTH. on Fri Apr 14 2017.
9th Wonder has produced tracks for a myriad of artists over the years, most notably “Threat” for his Roc Nation/Jamla partner Jay Z, “Rain” for Mac Miller, “The Season / Carry Me” for Anderson .Paak and “Think Good Thoughts” by Drake. He has also worked with Rapsody, Big K.R.I.T and TDE producer Te...
Despite first asking him for a beat back in 2010, Kendrick’s first collaboration with 9th was on the Actual Proof posse cut “Super Genius” released in January 2011. Later that year, Kendrick also featured alongside Warren G and Murs on 9th Wonder’s song “Enjoy (West Coastin')” from his album The Won...
On the day this album was released, 9th Wonder released three video snippets of the “DUCKWORTH” instrumental being played on his Maschine.
The posts created so much hype that the hashtag #DuckWorth trended on Twitter, as can be seen in the snapshot 9th Wonder posted to Instagram.
The first thing I asked [Kendrick] was, is this a true story? He said yes, it’s a true story. Top Dawg has confirmed that it’s a true story. The beauty of that is, he chose to tell that story, and we’re like four albums in. Usually, people will tell that story the first time.
9th Wonder actually did this before on Murs' “Walk Like a Man,” while 40 flipped the same sample three times for Drake’s “Tuscan Leather”.
Top himself didn’t know I was going to do it or even execute it in that fashion, to be the last song or to be anywhere. Just making it make sense. I remember playing it for him, he flipped because further than the song, when you really can hear your life in words that is so true to you and that effe...
Yes—all the songs on DAMN. except “HUMBLE.” were leaked on Audio Premieres hours prior to DAMN.’s midnight release.
There are 3 different beats made with 3 different samples in this song. These are Ted Taylor – “Be Ever Wonderful”, September – “Ostavi Trag” and Hiatus Kayote – “Atari”. Also there is one drum sample which is The Fatback Band – “Let the Drums Speak.”