Aug 2, 2015

I'm gonna go and tell me theory of what I think is the storyline for TPAB. Think of GKMC as a major motion picture and TPAB as a sequel indie film. Yes, they are connected. Okay here we go.

1.Wesley's Theory
track is an intro of a young Kendrick getting out of gangbanging and getting signed by Dre. He is introduced to all the fame positives and enemies (Lucy who he already sold his soul for fame, Uncle Sam AKA White America and money etc) and he is excited about all the fame and proclaims what he's doing first. Basically the intro to it all.

2.For Free? (Interlude)
Kendrick gets into it with the old ratchet hood rat b---- while moving out of the hood and since he is moving out, he snaps on her and you can clearly tell he was holding it in for a long time as the song gets intense and intense by the minute.

3.King Kunta
Kendrick is on top of the world with all of his fame and praise and money while showing off to n----s who ignored him in the past but want something now (b---- where was you when I was walking?) just an overall triumph song for K Dot. Now we get into the poem that revolves around this album as he goes on. "I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence"
Which lead into

4.Institutionalized
Kendrick is homesick for his hometown in Compton saying he wants to go back to his old ways of gangbanging while reflecting on what his grandmother told him as a young boul.

5.These Walls
So to clear his mind off things he goes out and f---s some girls while pillow talking with them he runs into the girl of the dude who killed his brother in Sing About Me (this is how GKMC and TPAB connect) and knowing that, he f---s her knowing her n----- in jail and out of spite.
Then we get into the poem again
"I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power, full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screaming in the hotel room"

6.u
After the girl leaves he goes into a deep alcoholic thought process and goes border line insane and passes out as he was drinking (hence him not responding to the housekeeping lady)

7.Alright
Kendrick then sees all the police brutality on the news and realizes his people need him so he sobers up while going to the protests to uplift them to keep fighting. Then the poem returns
"I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power, full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screaming in the hotel room
I didn’t wanna self destruct
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went running for answers"

8.For Sale?
Kendrick meets Lucy (Lucifer) again and his conscious reflects on how he sold his soul to him so this is some back story track.
Now the poem
"I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power, full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screaming in the hotel room
I didn’t wanna self destruct
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went running for answers
Until I came home"
So that's what he did"

9.Momma
Kendrick returns back to Compton after all the fame and money as his people were waiting for him meanwhile he comes across a kid who reminded Kendrick of a younger himself and realizes his people look at him differently now.

10.Hood Politics
So he tries to reach back to his old homies from GKMC reflecting on what they did in the past and s--- he used to think with his old conscious. Looking to get a break he goes to South Africa away from his country. Then the poem continues
"I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power, full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screaming in the hotel room
I didn’t wanna self destruct
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went running for answers
Until I came home
But that didn’t stop survivor’s guilt
Going back and forth trying to convince myself the stripes I earned
Or maybe how A-1 my foundation was
But while my loved ones was fighting the continuous war back in the city, I was entering a new one"

11.How Much A Dollar Cost?
While at a gas station in South Africa he comes across a homeless man who is asking him for a dollar and ends up arguing with him and himself accepting he's an a------ the homeless man reveals he's god trying to get his soul back from Lucy but ultimately failed because of the evils within him.
12.Complexion (Zulu Love)
13.The Blacker The Berry
(I'm putting these together because the lowkey connect too well)
Kendrick takes what he learned from talking to God in South Africa to learn to love himself and his skin color while making the single "i" but then in The Blacker The Berry he realizes he is a hypocrite for this because he also acknowledging the black on black killings in the streets and racism at the same time.
14. You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)
Conflicted by all of this he starts acting like not himself until one of his homies realizes how he's acting and gives it to him straight saying he ain't gotta lie to kick it.
15.i
Coming back to America he preforms his song he made while there then he sees a fight in the crowd, stops everything and gives it to them straight that blacks shouldn't be fighting each other using a verse he had in his head.

16.Mortal Man
After everything fame has brought to him and him coming back to himself and selling his soul to Lucy he asks everyone he's interacted with including his fans "when s--- hits the fan is you still a fan?"
Now the poem is in full circle
"I remember you was conflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power, full of resentment
Resentment that turned into a deep depression
Found myself screaming in the hotel room
I didn’t wanna self destruct
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I went running for answers
Until I came home
But that didn’t stop survivor’s guilt
Going back and forth trying to convince myself the stripes I earned
Or maybe how A-1 my foundation was
But while my loved ones was fighting the continuous war back in the city, I was entering a new one
A war that was based on apartheid and discrimination
Made me wanna go back to the city and tell the homies what I learned
The word was respect
Just because you wore a different g--- color than mine's
Doesn’t mean I can’t respect you as a black man
Forgetting all the pain and hurt we caused each other in these streets
If I respect you, we unify and stop the enemy from killing us
But I don’t know, I’m no mortal man, maybe I’m just another n-----" it is then revealed he was reading his poem about all of this to his idol Tupac in a dream and asks him questions and reads another poem. Confused as to why he wasn't responding he repeatedly repeats his name, then he wakes up.
The end.

There's probably a million threads about TPAB but I just wanted to share my storyline for it.

 

Aug 3, 2015

@ElmikoAKAMza I interpreted a few of those songs differently

First this is my perspective
1. Kendrick wasnt banging himself, hes talking about his boys
2. It was his friend's bro who died

On to the songs

Spoiler

Wesley's Theory: Basically spot on

For Free: Girl in For Free might be Sherane/Music industry/America? Same girl he talks about in Wesley's Theory. But now his d-ck aint free. He gettin paid

King Kunta: You got it

Institutionalized: he still wants to hang with his n----s. Sees how they still act when he brings em to award shows/on tour. But he is still instituionalized as well since he wants to be in that envrionment. Uses his young, high voice inflection. Same one used in maad City.

These Walls: You got it

u: Depression and reflection on how he hates himself, and what he has become. Hates all the things he failed to do in the midst of getting $. He doesnt pass out though he is breaking down while the lady is cleaning. In the end he learns to love himself.

Alright: You got it

For Sale: He denies Lucy for all. He doesn't sign. Figures he is gonna escape for a while

Momma: This is when he goes to Africa imo. Motherland=Momma. He talks about Compton first but I beleive he transitions to Africa by verse 2. His perspective changed once he visits Africa.

Hood Politics: while returning from Africa he recognizes how dumb "hood politics" are and how f----- the rap game is. He uses his young *hood* Kendrick voice again

How Much a Dollar Cost: You got it

Complexion: Self explanatory. Uniting all shades of us

Blacker the Berry: Disappointment and frustration with his people. Tl;dr Kendrick is fed up and mad

You Aint Gotta Lie: Give up the tough guy act. Love eachother

i: Through loving himself he is able to show love to his people. His people who only listen and pay attention when he raps. Notice how the crowd goes silent only when he spits

Mortal Man: Do his people love him as much as he loves them? He looks for all the answers in a icon such as Pac but realizes he was just a mortal man like he and doesnt have all the answers. But that is ok. Basically telling the audience he is no better than them and just trying to find his way.

I can go into more detail but im just spitting this out while Im at work lol

 

Aug 2, 2015

One of the things I love about TPAB is all the interpretations that come out of listening to it

 

Aug 3, 2015

I mean still all part of his story.

Are you really who they idolize? To p---- a butterfly.

 

Aug 2, 2015

Yeah I spent like an hour making this got me feeling like

 

Aug 2, 2015

Props for all the effort you put into the thread i'm not reading it all i read first 4 tracks il read the rest in the morning too tired lol