Kendrick Lamar Explains “Control” Lyrics, “King Of New York” Line

    Kendrick Lamar says that he was not aware that his verse on Big Sean’s “Control” would generate the amount of interest it did when it was released earlier this month.

    “Honestly I didn’t know it would be so much speculation behind it,” Kendrick Lamar says during an interview with Los Angeles radio station Power 106. “I just wanted to rap. If anybody knows me doing music, I wanna just rap.”

    In addition to saying on “Control” that he was trying to murder J. Cole, Drake, Big Sean and a host of other rappers, he also referred to himself as a descendant of late rapper Tupac Shakur.

    “I’m Makaveli’s offspring,” Lamar raps on “Control,” likely referring to Tupac Shakur’s 1996 release as Makaveli, The Don Killuminati (The 7 Day Theory). “I’m the King of New York, King of the Coast, one hand, I juggle them both.” 

    Several New York rappers, including Raekwon and Papoose, said that Kendrick Lamar’s claim was unwarranted.

    During his Power 106 interview, Kendrick Lamar says that the “King Of New York” lyric was misinterpreted.

    “The irony of that line is that the people that actually understood it and got it was the actual kings of New York,” Kendrick Lamar says. “Me sitting down with them this past week, and them understanding that it’s not about actually being the King of whatever Coast. It’s about leaving a mark as great as Biggie, as great as Pac.”

    In the interview snippet above, Power 106 says it will air the rest of radio host Big Boy’s interview with Kendrick Lamar tomorrow (August 28) at 10:20 am EST.

    RELATED: Kendrick Lamar Says He’s “Trying To Murder” Drake, J. Cole, Wale On Big Sean’s “Control”

    140 thoughts on “Kendrick Lamar Explains “Control” Lyrics, “King Of New York” Line

    1. I heard Big Sean and EMINEM had a three way with Ariana Grande. She came with Sean to Detroit and got that p***Y pounded. Mr Porter also hinted that it happened. This is also why she sings good cause EM and SEAN worked out her throat with jizzzzz

    2. Angela Yee from the Breakfast Club also was in a 3 way with EMINEM and ROYCE when she worked at Shade 45. They worked her out and when she wanted to stop, they fired her, hence her job at POWER105. #Factsonly

    3. Ohhhh man! I can’t wait to see Drake’s reaction when he finds out Rihanna been sleeping with EMINEM! He aint want war with Slim. He’ll rap circles around Drake that he will cry to Wayne and beg to return to Degrassi. #facts

      1. @COMPTON You know Ice Cube wrote all of Easy E rhymes? Oh iight. Gotta teach these new school n***as. Dumb f**ks #facts only

      2. You want facts? Eazy E was killed because he spoke out against some powerful people. Sometimes its best to keep quiet and not keep it real.

      3. kendricks from Compton, he’s supposed 2 represent.. did ice cube write all the eazy e raps when he got kicked out NWA too? go suck a bag of dicks to who it may concern.. ice cube woulda meant and stood behind his raps too

    4. 1 album in and he’s totally infatuated with himself. Fall back rookie, and study the vets who have logged more time in than your young ass.

      1. You’re acting like Good Kid Maad City is his only material, dude has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than that, he aint a rookie but he’s still young and hot and got a lot left to give before his career is done.

      2. ^^ Lol

        Cosign. The dude IS infatuated with himself. You never had Em or Jay talking about how great they were on interviews or songs. The PEOPLE talked about how good they were.

    5. Picture plenty pussies throwing pellet guns at me
      Paranoia making it more than difficult for me to sleep
      Pinnacle, I know I be, centerfold, I know I got
      But they hate to frame me as the Mona Lisa of Hip-Hop
      So retaliation is a must, when we bend the block
      My niggas dump’n out the roof,
      Drive past, guns blast, shooting up the charts too
      Uh, me K-D-O-T, put TNT inside my suit
      Walk inside the label, struck a match, and then I blew, bomb
      C4 everywhere, C4 everywhere
      I got three whores with me, it smells like Dior and derrire
      Decoys die slow, you can detour to Heaven’s stairs
      Or walk inside Hell’s dungeon, I just might derail something
      They pussies, I smell something
      You douche on the daily, niggas, you pushin’ up daisy
      I push the gas on the Mercedes, nigga
      Came in this game with a Rolie chain, and a dream
      Became reality, made some casualties, my choppers scream

    6. pussy way out joell got in his ass it wont be a response lil nigga had too have THAT SITDOWN WITH YOU KNOW WHO KING HOV now you dick riders can fall back

    7. Kendrick is an incredibly skilled MC who more or less caught a lot of cats off guard. I’m from NYC and I took no offense, I was raised with thicker skin than most and I can certainly recognize a diss when I hear it. If niggas want to take offense to something, there’s a long list of wack shit out there to speak on or take offense to. You won’t find Kendrick on any of those lists.

      However, shout out to the real who had the testicular fortitude to respond.

      1. LOL and I bet you think Juicy J album is better than MADD City? LMFAO kill yourself you swag f*g

      2. nah homie juicy j whack

        im listening to tech biggie celph titled method man apollo brown

        i listen to hip hop bobby

      3. redman ,royce, gibbs, black hippy, rugged man , pac , eminem

        hieroglyphics, juru the damaja , im not gon list any more rappers

        i kno my shit , probly more than …go listen drake or sumshit

    8. kendrick can say that hes the king of whatever city until people in their cities actually step their bars up..hes running the rap game right now no matter who its against..and im live in NY

    9. on top of that their wasnt one revelant person in NYC who responsed which just shows why my city is full of bitch rappers

      sure a bunch of NYC rappers beasted on that response like joell and couple others. but jayz nas fab few others shuold of came out swinging and ethered it but didnt. kendrick is that dude in rap right now

      1. Your comment illustrates your complete lack of understanding of not only NY hip hop, but hip hop in general. Before you respond, identify what makes an MC relevant. Think hard too

      2. jay and nas had no reason to respond because he gave them props when he said “who’s the best mc kendrick, jigga and nas” and challenged everyone else

      3. @ legendary- it dontmatter kendrick called out NY as a whole nas and Jay are from NY and should of had an issue w that statement wether or not kendrick upped them or not.

    10. shouldn’t he had left lyrics like that for his own album or material? smh. why on big sean weak ass shit?

    11. get off kendricks nuts he just a underground rapper turned rap star

      section 80 not even fully listenable let alone maddcity

    12. his music should sound like hiipower , the recipe , the jig is up , hol’ up , fuck your ethnicity, rigamortus , and every schoolboy kendrick collab

      songs like bitch dont kill my vibe dont fly

    13. lupes first two albums are better than both section 80 and madcity

      kendrick aint the king of shit

      this is hip hop not just good music

      1. F&L is a classic and the Cool is very close. Many say the Cool also is. To say those albums are just good its obvious you’re just riding Kendrick.

      2. I’d put Kendrick’s material on par with Food and Liquor. Section 80 and GK spoke on a lot of shit, same as F&L and The Cool. Kendrick pulled off two dope concept albums, and rappers rarely do that now. (Props to Lupe for his concepts on The Cool, too)

    14. kendrick like a introductory rapper

      hip hop is so much bigger than kendrick lamar

      nothing better then the underground

    15. the artifacts – thats them
      ron contour and factor – saffron
      apollo brown and hassaan mackey – daily bread

      all better than maddcity

    16. Who gives a f*ck whether you think other albums, underground and/or otherwise, are better than GKMC or #section80? sometimes people need a bridge to open up their understanding of that type of music.

    17. Tyler > Kendrick

      Kendrick is so overrated. Hes ok, his Maad City album was dope, but hes not gonna save Hip Hop. Hip Hop doesnt need to be saved. There are still tons of great rappers all over the place, people just want to dwell on the whack ones.

      1. nigga you stupid for even mentioning that fire hydrant or a rapper named tyler, the only thing dot nigga creates is rat piss…nigga kill yourself online once,then jump off the highest story in yo house, if you dont die then a lesson should be learned.

      2. U saying Tyler only makes rat piss?? I guess u prefewr shit like French Montana or 2 CHainz u shitheaded ghetto scumbag…

      3. Pidgeotto Go on and suck an aids infected penis and then sit on it, you’ll learn a lesson AND die eventually u pokemon-lover fag…

    18. its not about how well you think his work is or this verse. The point is he challenged everybody that’s been on this look at what i got bs look at what i smoke drink or whatever (simple sht) and said i dont care about your bread or fame …where’s your bars at? The only mfkas butt hurt are the ones that know they’ve been on that bullshit. He challenged mfkas to step their sht up PERIOD.

    19. IS HE CRAZY? LEAVING MARK LIKE BIGGIE OR PAC? HE REALLY WANTS TO BE LIKE TWO OF THE MOST OVERRATED RAPPERS OF ALL TIME? HE WANTS TO DIE? OKAY THEN

    20. Al these bitches never mentioned screaming and shouting like My sweet 16 B.S. All up and emotional
      This is hip hop,this is entertainment.
      Who’s what, its all an opinion no facts HA!

    21. NY rap is weak right now. Think about it who is holding it down? Im not talking about older rapper im talking next gen? A$AP Rocky has a southern Flow.A$AP Ferg sounds like Bone Thugs all you have is Joey BadA$$. Cassidy Mills Ortiz Papose have been in the game way longer then Kenderick and havent had his success. You cannot deny he has a fan base you cannot deny HIS First album is platinum in a era where that doesn’t happen all the time. Kendrick only spit a verse and ni**as came back with whole songs. 6 min diss tracks Buddens has two songs Ortiz came at him its a reaction off of one verse. Why did it take Kendrick calling you out to give out your best work. You should have been spitting like that way before Kendrick drop that verses.

      1. no nigga has had such success in a short period of tym like my boi kendrick…. nigga gat real skillz. DUDE you are the king of all coasts

    22. Lets compare 50 and Rozay catalog.

      port of miami = great
      trilla = great
      deeper than rap = classic
      Teflon Don = classic
      GFID = classic

      GRODT = classic
      the massacre = average
      Curtis = garbage
      BISD = garbage.

      50 stans keep talkin bout numbers, the music is whats important and Ross has released better shit than 50.

      Bawse!!!!!!!!

      1. Rick Ross fans exist? I’m not even a 50 stan but I never knew someone thought his music was decent. Why don’t you listen to a rapper who isn’t a former cop and see if you’ll change your mind.

      2. port of miami = garbage
        trilla = garbage
        deeper than rap = average
        Teflon Don = great
        GFID = average

        GRODT = classic
        the massacre = classic
        Curtis = average
        BISD = average.

    23. Nigga, the true kings of new york didn’t have to say shit, coz the NY got soldiers that handle pricks like you.

      You say you just want to rap. Then rap nigga. What? Niggas done ripped your ass into pieces, and this is how you respond?

      I thought you was lyrically superior, what’s going on now baby? Can’t handle the soldiers?

      1. Ayo, all of the responses were weak as fuck except for Joel’s, your “soldiers” like Papoose took Kendrick’s verse and ran with that shit for some publicity. Plus how you gonna have Kendrick respond to like 30 desperate ass niggas?

    24. AFTER LISTENING TO THE “CONTROL”-RESPONDS OF ORTIZ/PAPOOSE/CASSIDY/ETC. I MUST SAY: KENDRICKS VERSE IS WHAT I EXPECT FROM MOTHERFUCKERS TALKING ABOUT “HARDCORE”-RAP.

      1. Ayo in case you live under a rock or in ya “golden era of hip-hop way back in the 90’s” mindset….Kendrick overall is the new star of hip-hop. Dude’s got the most hyped verse of the year, an acclaimed debut album, and he was part of that whole circus act at the VMA’s with Robin Thicke, Miley Trash, and 2 Chainz (though to son’s credit, he was the one normal lookin dude there).

        If he ain’t a star in hip-hop then nobody in the new school is.

    25. Cassidy and Meek should realize that Black Thought is the king of their city! Papoose should realize that he had an album 12 years in the making -HA! Plus some wack songs

      1. Yea Black Thought is dope Sigel could claim it as well. Cassidy is a nice mc but he aint on their level Meek is wack as fuck

      2. If you base it purely on catalogue, off music alone, Black Thought is the undisputed. If you factor in street image, getting arrested and that kinda nonsense you could say Sigel. If it’s someone who talks a lot but barely puts out any music it’s Gillie.

    26. HOW LONG are you guys going to still go about saying old school rappers name compared to Kendrick? This is new school, he will never compare to old school because he doesn’t have the experience they have! It makes no sense to compare them when they are in two different eras, two different styles, and one is a rookie while the other is legend or close to legend status. Plus whoever said Royce da 5’9 is basic is an idiot.

    27. if you have to explain your raps you’ve failed, leave it to interpretation thats whats music is about and thats what makes it personnel. all these niggaz with their responses…..thats what your supposed to do anyway! thats rap? getting all touchy like a bunch of fuckin girls. you prob wouldnt take note if kendrick hadn’t out sold your asses with a new approach to writing rap songs, improving song structure and releasing records that people care about rather than this ‘did someone say molly?….lets all rap about molly and use the same dam catch phrases as everyone else it aint street its just yall stuck on fuckin repeat!!!!!

    28. The real King of both coasts is my son Tim Teabow. He proved to be the savior of the Broncos and he helped bring down the Jets. Hail God’s son!

    29. I’m officially off this dude! Nigga call names and then back track on what he said. “He just wana rap” GTFOH!!!

    30. Rick Ross haters are by far the worst

      They like to bring up the fact that hes fat (which means nothing), and the fact that he was a CO when he was NINETEEN while conveniently overlooking the fact that he blew up in 06 (when he was 30), so while they like to say he is the fakest rapper ever, and he never sold dope, they themselves have to no proof for that claim. Really? You were alongside him for 11 years, and you know for a FACT that he didnt slang? Doubt that, specially when real niggaz from Miami vouch for him. Theres so many real niggaz that have vouched for Ross over the years, outside the rap game

      Not to mention, Ross is from Carol City, the meanest part of Miami. He ran with the Boobie Boys (the gang that ran Miamis drug scene) and Ross was KENNETH BOOBIE WILLIAMS’ FUCKING PROTEGE for godsakes

      Also, Meek is BY FAR the realest nigga in rap (this is not up for a debate). Do you think hed not only work with Ross, but be Ross’ right hand man if he thought for one second Ross was a fake? Also, Chief Keef is a real nigga (how long is his rap sheet, specially for a 17 y/o), and hes worked with Ross.

      Bawse!!

      1. Dude, no one cares. Rick Ross, doesn’t have bars. Rick Ross has candy bars. No flow, the vocabulary of a retarded 15 year old hoodrat, and an ego. Fuck off with that.

    31. Man if he said it he shouldbnt take nothing back, let niggaz step their game up, he fired the first warming shot now let see if he can hold it down, to much of these rapper out here is running around with souljah boy crew stright trash, i want see niggaz flowing and showing improve

    32. my neighbor’s aunt makes $77/hr on the computer. She has been without a job for nine months but last month her pay check was $17822 just working on the computer for a few hours. go to website… http://www.Cafe44.com

      Not to mention, Ross is from Carol City, the meanest part of Miami. He ran with the Boobie Boys (the gang that ran Miamis drug scene) and Ross was KENNETH BOOBIE WILLIAMS’ FUCKING PROTEGE for godsakes

    33. my buddy’s ex-wife makes $77/hour on the laptop. She has been fired for six months but last month her pay check was $21524 just working on the laptop for a few hours. see this… http://www.Cafe44.com

      Shut up @huh? Lupe’s response was creative and most diverse. And he wasn’t even trying! Lupe is still dope have you heard F&LII? Production was crappy but still Lu always delivers lyrically.

    34. Kendrick is tryna get paid? He cant respond to every diss by lil dirty niggas like Papoose. He would be doing Papoose a favor by battling him. Pap a angry bum, looking for a come up. Sure hes better with lyrics but his flow is GARBAGE.

      Lets all give Pap the victory…now what? In 2 months Pap will be back at square 1… GHOST, UNKNOWN, MAD AT THE DJ’s, stuck on the BK STREETS.

    35. Since the Original King of NY, Biggie Smalls, is not here with us… there’s only 3 rappers who can claim that throne… JayZ, NAS, 50 Cent. You need at least 3 Classic Albums to be in the run…

      p.s. …and fuck Rick Ross! Garbage ass rapper. I got more love for Pitbull then that nigga!

      1. 01. Intro n/a
        02. What up Gangsta 4.5
        03. Patiently Waiting 5
        04. Many Men (Wish Death) 5
        05. In da Club 5
        06. High All the Time 5
        07. Heat 5
        08. If I Can’t 5
        09. Blood Hound 3.5
        10. Back Down 4.5
        11. P.I.M.P. 3 ( the snoop dogg remix is 10x better)
        12. Like My Style 2
        13. Poor Lil Rich 2.5
        14. 21 Questions 5
        15. Don’t Push Me 5
        16. Gotta Make It to Heaven 3

        4.25/5 avg

    36. not a big fan of this generation but I have to admit that kendrick is slowly making it into my top 10… of all time. that complex flow is out of thiworld, it reminds me of Andre 3000 at his very best.

    37. I finally gave gkmc a listen, damn it blew my mind 😮

      this era of rap really has something great after all !

    38. dan downloaded his album this afternoon… I need to buy that shit, I now understand why it’s the most acclaimed album since MBDTF… URE FIRE

    39. thought ht wae overrated, not anymore.
      that gkmc album changed my mind, dude is on top right now, no doubt.

    40. I feel sorry for yall young hiphop fans. Your ignorance is glaring and the best you guys will probably experience in life is seeing a rapper perform a dope verse at their concert. SAD!!!! Yall need to go read a book!! The young kid is on an intellectual level that you guys cannot appreciate. —Should have paid attention in English class kiddies!!!

    41. kendrick will never have a album like the eminem show

      he cant top till i collapse .. no way his album ever goes diamond

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