King's Dead

## Single by Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake

"**King's Dead**" is a song by American rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Future and English singer James Blake, from the soundtrack album of the Marvel Studios superhero film *Black Panther* and Jay Rock's third studio album *Redemption*. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.

It was released by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records on January 11, 2018 as both the soundtrack's second single and as the lead single from *Redemption*. Rock's version omits the interlude Lamar's closing verse. The accompanying music video was directed by Dave Free and Jack Begert, released to Rock's YouTube channel on February 15, 2018.

## Background

In an interview, Jay Rock said, "I was in the studio working on my album, and me and Kendrick was, like, right across from each other. I come over, he playing this beat, and I'm like 'This beat hard right here.' He's like 'Yeah, Mike Will did this. You got something for it?' I was like 'Yeah.' He was like 'I'm working on this *Black Panther* project.' I'm like 'Black Panther? Man, what you doing? Some revolutionary type shit? What's going on? Talk to me.' He's like 'Nah, nah, nah. It's for the Marvel superhero.'" He didn't know that Future was going to be on it, and upon hearing it, said, "I swear to god, dawg, when I first heard that, dawg, I said 'This is outta here, it's a hit record.'"

## Critical reception

In a review for *Pitchfork*, Briana Younger wrote, "Some soundtrack songs exist solely to capture the mood of a film; the best, however, have an excitement all their own. "King's Dead," the latest single from the *Black Panther* OST, is one of those moments. It’s an enormous posse cut featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, James Blake, and an addictive Mike Will Made-It and Teddy Walton-produced beat. The result is as raucous as it is potent."

## Personnel

**Performers**

* Jay Rock – vocals
* Kendrick Lamar – vocals
* Future – vocals
* James Blake – vocals

**Technical**

* Matt Schaeffer – record engineering, mix engineering
* Mike Bozzi – master engineering
* Eric Manco – record engineering

**Production**

* Kendrick Lamar – production
* Teddy Walton – production
* Sounwave – additional production
* 30 Roc – uncredited co-production
* Twon Beatz – uncredited co-production

## Lyrics

### *Black Panther: The Album* version

**Lyrics**
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]

Miss me with that bullshit (Bullshit)

You ain't really wild, you a tourist (A tourist)

I be blackin' out with the purist (The purist)

I made a hundred thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I made five-hundred-thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I bought a '87 for the weekend (The weekend)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

[Verse: Jay Rock]

And it's like that, lil' bitch

MVP, I don't get no sleep, no, I don't like that, lil' bitch

Bust that open, I want that ocean, yeah, that bite back, lil' bitch

Do it bite back, lil' bitch? Need two life jackets, lil' bitch

I ain't gon' hold you, I ain't gon' press you, never control you

I ain't gon' front you, keep it one-hundred, I don't know you

Boss like Top Dawg, bossed my life up, crossin' over

Stutter steppin', got a Hall of Fame in all my posters

I've been ready, my whip been ready, my bitch been ready, my clique been ready

My shit's been ready, my check's been ready, my shot's on full, that's Armageddon

I got pull, I hope y'all ready, my tank on full, you know, unleaded

I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it

My name gon' hold up, my team gon' hold up, my name gon' hold up, my team gon' hold up

My shots gon' fire, my team gon' roll up, ménage à trois, my queen gon' roll up

I hope y'all ready, you know I'm ready, I reign all day, you know, confetti

I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, skrrt

[Chorus: Future, *Kendrick Lamar*]

*Miss me with that bullshit (Bullshit)*

You're not a gang member, you's a tourist (*A tourist*)

I be blackin' out, I be blackin' out

Bought an '83 Cutlass for the weekend (*For the weekend*)

I got a hundred-thousand, then I freaked it (*Then I freaked it*)

I made five-hundred-thousand, then I freaked it (*Then I freaked it*)

I put a Rolls Royce on my wrist, oh yeah

Fuck his baby mama, tryna sneak diss

I took her to my penthouse, then I freaked it (*Then I freaked it*)

I haven't made my mind up, should I keep it? (*Should I keep it?*)

I got big dawg status, it ain't no secret

[Bridge: Future, *Jay Rock*]

La di da di da, slob on me knob

Pass me some syrup, fuck me in the car

La di da di da, mothafuck the law

Chitty chitty bang, murder everything

*Bitch, I'm on a roll, and I put that on the gang*

[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, miss me with that bullshit (Bullshit)

You ain't really wild, you a tourist (A tourist)

I be blackin' out with the purist (The purist)

I made a hundred thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I made five-hundred-thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I bought a '87 for the weekend (The weekend)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

[Segue: James Blake, *Kendrick Lamar*]

Changes

Is you gon' do somethin'?

(*What you want?*)

[Refrain: Kendrick Lamar]

Red light, green light, red light, green light

Red light, green light, they like

[Verse: Kendrick Lamar]

We like fast cars, fast money, fast life, fast broads

Egotistic, goin' ballistic, why God?

Born warrior, lookin' for euphoria

But I don't see it, I don't feel it, I'm paraplegic

Tapped in when I'm maxed in Comp-Town with the MAC-10s

And the pumps in the background I was absent

Never OG, standout, I was lackin'

Everything else, but doubt in the Magnum

Holdin' Magnums with a Magnum

N\*\*\*a, ad-lib and I sing out loud

Never had friends, never had ends, never had hope

They was like, "Nope," I was like, "Bùyào, bùyào"

(Yeah, God)

Tee off the day, know we off the, be off the, eat off your plate

Throw me off, I be, "Off ya head"

Well ate, on C4, I'm way off the edge

Fuck integrity, fuck your pedigree, fuck your feelings, fuck your culture

Fuck your moral, fuck your family, fuck your tribe

Fuck your land, fuck your children, fuck your wives

Who am I? Not your father, not your brother

Not your reason, not your future

Not your comfort, not your reverence, not your glory

Not your heaven, not your angel, not your spirit

Not your message, not your freedom

Not your people, not your neighbor

Not your baby, not your equal

Not the title y'all want me under

All hail King Killmonger

[Refrain: Kendrick Lamar]

Red light, green light, red light, green light

Red light, green light, they like, we like

Fast cars

### *Redemption* version

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

Still in the projects

Still in the projects

If you fall-all-all-all

There's no king of the projects

[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]

Miss me with that bullshit (Bullshit)

You ain't really wild, you a tourist (A tourist)

I be blackin' out with the purist (The purist)

I made a hundred thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I made 500 thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I bought a '87 for the weekend (The weekend)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

[Verse: Jay Rock]

And it's like that, lil' bitch

MVP, I don't get no sleep, no, I don't like that, lil' bitch

Bust that open, I want that ocean, yeah, that bite back, lil' bitch

Do it bite back, lil' bitch? Need two life jackets, lil' bitch

I ain't gon' hold you, I ain't gon' press you, never control you

I ain't gon' front you, keep it one hundred, I don't know you

Boss like Top Dawg, bossed my life up, crossin' over

Stutter steppin', got a Hall of Fame in all my posters

I've been ready, my whip been ready

My bitch been ready, my clique been ready

My shit's been ready, my check's been ready

My shot's on full, that's Armageddon

I got pull, I hope y'all ready

My tank on full, you know, unleaded

I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it

I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it

My name gon' hold up, my team gon' hold up

My name gon' hold up, my team gon' hold up

My shots gon' fire, my team gon' roll up

Ménage-à-trois, my queen gon' roll up

I hope y'all ready, you know I'm ready

I reign all day, you know, confetti

I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it

I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, skrrt

[Chorus: Future, *Kendrick Lamar*]

Miss me with that bullshit (*Bullshit*)

You're not a gang member, you's a tourist (*A tourist*)

I be blackin' out, I be blackin' out

Bought an '83 Cutlass for the weekend (*For the weekend*)

I got a hundred thousand and I freaked it (*Then I freaked it*)

I made 500 thousand and I freaked it (*Then I freaked it*)

I put a Rolls Royce on my wrist, oh yee-ee

Fuck his baby mama, tryna sneak diss

I took her to my penthouse, then I freaked it (*Then I freaked it*)

I haven't made my mind up, should I keep it? (*Should I keep it?*)

I got big dawg status, it ain't no secret

[Bridge: Future, *Jay Rock*]

La di da di da, slob on me knob

Pass me some syrup, fuck me in the car

La di da di da, motherfuck the law

Chitty chitty bang, murder everything

*Bitch, I'm on a roll, and I put that on the gang*

[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, miss me with that bullshit (Bullshit)

You ain't really wild, you a tourist (A tourist)

I be blackin' out with the purist (The purist)

I made a hundred thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I made 500 thou', then I freaked it (I freaked it)

I bought a '87 for the weekend (The weekend)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want (What you want)

## References

1. ↑ "Jay Rock - New Music W/ Kendrick Lamar & Future - 'Black Panther' Soundtrack, And More!". *YouTube*. January 16, 2018.
2. ↑ Cowen, Trace (June 19, 2018). "Jay Rock Had No Idea Future Was Already on "King's Dead" When He Rapped on It". *Complex*.
3. ↑ ""King's Dead" [ft. Kendrick Lamar, Future, & James Blake]". *Pitchfork*. January 12, 2018.