Kendrick Lamar's Most Powerful Quotes and Lyrics That Will Inspire Your Life

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, professionally known as Kendrick Lamar, is an American rapper, songwriter, and producer, widely known for his incredibly inspirational and motivational rap music.

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Kendrick Lamar has received much praise for his great music talent and skills – 12 Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Music (to name a few). Besides, in 2016, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

Lamar is a true role model and his wisdom and philosophy extends beyond the mic. If you’re not yet convinced, check out the following list of his most powerful quotes and lyrics to inspire you to be the best you can be.

"The message I’m sending to myself..."

Full Quote: "The message I’m sending to myself -- I can’t change the world until I change myself first."

This is a message that we should all send to ourselves. If you want the world to change for the better, you should try to become better yourself. Nobody’s perfect, so there will always be aspects that you can improve, whether it’s toward yourself or others.

Do small acts of kindness as often as possible -- whatever is in your reach or power. Any gesture will count, whether you help an old lady cross the street or pay for someone’s meal. It all starts with you!

"If I speak the good into existence..."

Full Quote: "If I speak the good into existence, that instant my dreams will unlock, money flow like water, I’ll just wait at the dock." "Cut You Off"

In this lyric from Cut You Off, Kendrick refers to positive thinking and its benefits.

Many people will have probably read The Secret or watched the documentary. Its main idea is that positive thinking and energy attract good things in life. Positive energy will govern your thoughts and actions so you can achieve anything you want.

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Of course just thinking about something won’t make it suddenly appear. But at first you have to have a dream, firmly believe in it, then take action. If you always say “I will never have that”, you’re probably right.

"Take advantage, do your best..."

Full Quote: "Take advantage, do your best. Don't stress, you was granted everything inside this planet. Anything you imagine, you possess." – "Blessed"

Just because you’re not where you thought you’d be 10 years ago doesn’t mean you’ll never get there. For some of us, the things we want come later in life. Some of us just have to work harder than others.

So keep on believing, be grateful and work with what you have. Don’t stress about the fact that you’re not moving at the same pace as others. Progress is still progress, no matter how small. Stay on the right track and one day, you may have everything your heart desires.

"I live this life at a pace that anyone can go..."

Full Quote:"I live this life at a pace that anyone can go. Know your place, and dedicate your role."  – "See No Evil"

In this lyric, Kendrick is basically telling us that if he could do it, we can too. He is no superhuman, he is moving at a pace that anyone can.

Just as stated before, speed is not the most important thing in achieving your goals. What matters most is to always know your best interest and keep your eyes on the prize. You have to know exactly what you’re going for, dedicate yourself entirely to your dream and make sure you don’t miss any opportunity that comes along.

"Life will put many red lights in front of you..."

Full Quote: "Life will put many red lights in front of you, but sometimes we must push on the gas and trust God."

Life can challenge us at any given second and we’ll have to face all kinds of obstacles. Sometimes you will be lucky enough to immediately find a solution for your problem, but other times you’ll just have to take a leap of faith and believe that everything will be ok.

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Some things will simply be beyond your control -- they will slow you down, but they don’t necessarily have to stop you from moving forward. So hit the gas and speed away!

"We all get distracted, the question is..."

Full Quote: "We all get distracted, the question is, would you bounce back or bounce backwards?" - "Growing Apart (To Get Closer)"

No one can be 100% focused at all times. You’re going to get distracted every now and then. Even the hardest working people can falter and lose their way. We’re human, and sometimes we’re going to waste some time on stuff that doesn’t really matter.

Getting distracted, in this case, can also mean experiencing failure and noone is immune to that. Whatever the case, what really matters at the end of the day, is whether you choose to get back on track and move forward or just wander off.

"The hardest thing..."

Full Quote: "The hardest thing for – not only an artist but for anybody to do is look themselves in the mirror and acknowledge, you know, their own flaws and fears and imperfections and put them out there in the open for people to relate to it."

It’s not unusual for people to see themselves differently from who they really are. It is indeed very hard to accept our fears and flaws. And once we do, it seems even harder to present ourselves “naked” in front of others because we’re afraid of being judged.

The truth is, everyone you know already has an opinion about you and they already judge. So you might as well be yourself and own up to it. It’s the ones who have the courage to admit and accept who they are that inspire, not the ones who hide behind a mask.

"We hurt people that love us, love people that hurt us."

It’s ironic how often we cling to toxicity and reject the ones who actually care for us. We take for granted the people who love us and end up hurting them in the process. And we ruin ourselves while chasing the ones who hurt us.

Once in a while we have to take a step back to realize who is really worthy of our affection and sacrifices. We need to start appreciating the ones who love us before it’s too late.

"Consequences from evil will make your past haunt you."

This quote can have two meanings. One can refer to the consequences of the evil that has been levied onto us. We never truly forget the ones who have harmed us, do we? We can find ways to maybe forgive and move on, but we never really forget.

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On the other hand, this quote can make reference to our own past mistakes and wrongdoings. We all have to pay our dues sooner or later, one way or another. Karma has a way of settling scores and there’s really no escaping it.

"The sky can fall down, the wind can cry now."

Full Quote: "The sky can fall down, the wind can cry now. The strong in me, I still smile. – "i "

It’s easier to be said than done, but you mustn’t let anything take your smile away.

Smiling in the face of adversity is your superpower. Whenever you’re going through hardship, take a few seconds to look in the mirror and smile even if it’s through tears. You might look like a crazy person for a moment, but it'll help you stay strong. Your sadness or rage will fade away a lot faster.

Nothing can take you down as long as you keep your ability to smile. Besides, it’s what makes you beautiful. Never let it go!

We hope that you enjoyed these quotes and lyrics from Kendrick Lamar and that they will inspire you to change your mindset and become stronger and wiser.

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