From Spotify Studios, this is Dissect, long-form musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. I'm your host, Cole Kushner. Today we continue our serialized analysis of Damn by Kendrick Lamar. On our last episode, we dissected Feel, a song that found our protagonist Kung Fu Kenny dealing with a violent storm of emotions.
We heard Kenny express his discontent with his family and friends, his loss of patience for the injustice and destruction he sees in the world around him, and the isolation he feels in his leadership role. He questioned why he should pray for others if he feels others aren't praying for him. Kenny's questioning of the loyalty of others seems to have inspired him to question loyalty itself, specifically who and what Kenny himself is loyal to. This philosophical examination plays out over Damn's next track, the subject of our episode today, Loyalty.
Loyalty is written and produced by Kendrick Lamar, Terrace Martin, Soundwave, and DJ Dahi, and features vocals by Rihanna. The song's production is constructed on a sample of 24-karat magic by Bruno Mars. This passage from 24-karat gold undergoes a dramatic transformation before becoming the basis of loyalty. Most noticeable, the sample is reversed, that is, it's played backwards.
Next, the sample is pitched up into a higher register, four semitones higher than the original. From this reversed pitched up sample, two small excerpts are picked out and spliced together. The first small excerpt sounds like this. The second small excerpt sounds like this.
Now let's combine these two clips. Next, we add some phaser, reverb, and some EQ work, and we get something pretty close to what we hear throughout Loyalty. Beneath this sample, we have a moderate tempo 8-8 drum pattern. Now let's lay the sample loop on top, and we have the basic musical foundation of Loyalty.
Now back on the song YAH, I pointed out the use of the song's reverse sample. There we heard how Billy Paul's 1976 song, How Good Is Your Game, was sampled in reverse to create the track's musical foundation. If you remember, I drew your attention to the use of this reverse sound source, stating that it will become a sonic motif used throughout Damn. I also mentioned that these reverse samples will relate to the thematic idea of reversing curses into blessings, while foreshadowing the fact the entire album can be played in reverse order.
Here on Loyalty, we get the second instance of a reverse sound source being utilized for a primary component of a song's production, something that will continue to appear as we move our way through the album. Now let's turn our attention to Loyalty's lyrics, beginning with DJ Dahi's vocal appearance on the song's introduction. DJ Dahi sings, I said I'm geeked and I'm fired up. All I want tonight is just to get high up.
Within the context of the song, these opening lines seem to be the mantra of a party animal, much like the one that Bruno Mars embodied on 24 Karat Magic. In fact, the line, all I want tonight is just to get high, seems to directly mirror the intro of 24 Karat Magic, in which Bruno announces, Tonight I just want to take you higher. In both 24 Karat Magic and Loyalty, the speaker expresses his desire to get high, which could be interpreted to mean feeling good, or a specific reference to drug use. DJ Dahi then goes on to express his desire for sex, with the lines, Girl, he looks so good, it's to die for.
That pussy good, it's to die for. To emphasize how much he wants to have sex with a girl at the party, DJ Dahi's character describes a girl's appearance and a vagina as being to die for. While we could interpret these statements as exaggerations not to be taken seriously, we should note that declaring what is worth dying for has already been established as a motif in the narrative of Damn. On Element, Kenny said, I'm willing to die for this shit, I'll take your fucking life for this shit, we ain't going back to broke, family's selling dope.
With these lines, Kenny unequivocally stated that keeping the family together and getting money are two pursuits he's willing to die for. Now here at the beginning of Loyalty, Kenny seems to agree with DJ Dahi that sexually conquering women is also worth dying for. Being willing to die for family, money, and women maps directly onto Kenny's statement from YAH, that quote, Today is the day I follow my intuition, keep the family close, get money, fuck bitches. Let's now see how the opening statements of Loyalty end up playing out as the song continues.
After DJ Dahi's pre-course, we hear Kenny saying, It's a secret society, all we ask is trust, all we got is us. The first two lines of this pre-course are taken directly from the first verse of Jay-Z's 2000 era song, Get Your Mind Right, Mammy. In Get Your Mind Right, Mammy, Jay-Z boasted about the greatness of his record label, Rockefeller Records, and even described the label as a secret society. Ever the businessman, Jay-Z's primary motivation for creating a secret society appears to have been his desire to increase record sales and get more money.
In the context of Damn, Kenny's decision to create a secret society seems less to do with new business ventures and more to do with him trying to find peace. Recall that in Element, Kenny discussed his need to flee from American society with the lines, Fake my death, go to Cuba, that's my only option. Then on the previous track Feel, Kenny revealed that his own social relationships were in decay when he said, I feel like friends been overrated, I feel like the family been faking, and later, feel like my daughter been compromised and jaded. Given these developments in the album narrative, it's likely Kenny wants to create a society where all members remain loyal to him.
In case we miss the title of the track, the hook includes a segment in which Kenny clearly states his desire for loyalty, loyalty, loyalty. According to one dictionary entry, loyalty is defined as a strong feeling of allegiance to a person, a group, an institution, or an ideal. It's important to note that loyalty is a feeling, which ties into this new emphasis on feeling that began on the previous track Feel. As we noted in our last episode, the next seven tracks on Damn, will explore a specific feeling, and we are of course starting now with a feeling of loyalty.
While Kenny and his feelings will continue to be the main subject of exploration, we should also note that he's not alone in the creation of the secret society. Kenny is joined on the hook by R&B singer Rihanna. Rihanna's feature in loyalty is notable for a few reasons. First, it's one of only three features that are included on the track listing.
Secondly, while hip-hop artists often include R&B singers to contribute vocals for a hook, Rihanna actually makes her main contribution by rapping bar for bar with Kenny during the track's verses. Her inclusion on the verses means that Rihanna is the only featured rapper on Damn. Given how personal of her journey Kenny seems to be on, and how he no longer trusts most of the people around him, we may wonder why Kenny decided to share rap verses with Rihanna at this point in the album narrative. One possible explanation is that Kenny may have found in Rihanna a kindred spirit.
As evidence, we turn to one of Rihanna's most notable rap songs, Bitch Better Have My Money. Bitch Better Have My Money is a trap song Rihanna released as a single in March of 2015. Three months later, Rihanna released a music video that provided a narrative backdrop to the song. The video features Rihanna kidnapping a rich housewife by putting her in a suitcase and placing her in the trunk of her car.
We then see Rihanna and her friends driving the car while the housewife is stripped topless and tied up as a hostage in the backseat. In subsequent scenes, Rihanna and her friends torture the wife as Rihanna calls the woman's husband to threaten him. As the video continues, it's revealed that the man has stolen millions of dollars from Rihanna and drained her account balance down to just $420. Eventually, Rihanna brings her hostage back to the man's house and ties the man to a chair.
It's at this point that text appears on the screen, introducing the man as the accountant, a.k.a. the bitch. Rihanna walks over to the man wearing see-through lingerie and holding a knife. The video cuts to images of splattered blood and police tape.
In the final scene, we see Rihanna naked and covered in blood, laying inside the large suitcase that is now filled with money. While the narrative of the Bitch Better Have My Money music video was fictional, various media outlets pointed out that revenge fantasy was inspired by real events. In 2009 alone, Rihanna lost 9 of her $11 million net worth due to mismanagement by her accountant. By her own assessment, she was effectively bankrupt by the end of the year.
This experience will actually be referenced directly on Damned's pivotal song Fear. While we can only speculate, Rihanna's experience with a disloyal advisor may have been a thematic reason to include her on loyalty. Given that the character Kung Fu Kenny on Element explained how he'd put his Bible down and killed to protect those he loves, Kenny likely applauded Rihanna's ability to surround herself with friends who were willing to kidnap, torture, and murder for her. Moreover, Rihanna's use of graphic violence and nudity throughout the music video shows that she agrees with Kenny's words from Element, If I gotta go hard on a bitch, I'ma make it look sexy.
Both Rihanna and Kung Fu Kenny have a shared intuition of using violence against those who've wronged them and surrounding themselves only with those who are truly faithful and devoted. In other words, Rihanna knows what it's like to be betrayed and therefore knows the importance of loyalty. Kenny begins the first verse by saying, Kung Fu Kenny now, my resume is real enough for two millenniums. Here Kenny again boasts about how real he is, something we heard numerous times throughout Damned.
At the same time, he claims that he's accomplished as much as someone who's been working for 2,000 years. By saying this, Kenny is implicitly claiming to rival Jesus, who began to teach about the kingdom of God nearly 2,000 years ago. Next Kenny says, A better way to make a wave, stop defending them. Making waves is a phrase to mean to disturb the status quo.
Up until recently, the status quo included Kenny standing up for everyone in his community. However, given the distrust that became evident on the previous track field, and Kenny's intent to start his own secret society, Kenny seems to now believe that the only way to create true change is to stop defending those who are weak or those who have been accused. Next Kenny says, I meditate and moderate all my wins again. Here Kenny again makes reference to meditation, while also indicating that mental energy is spent about maintaining his wins.
This line harkens back to DNA, in which Kenny said, I don't contemplate, I meditate, then off your fucking head. That line from DNA seemed to suggest that Kenny's mindset is constantly teetering between mindfulness and maliciousness, between weakness and wickedness. Here in loyalty, Kenny again seems to be alluding to his divided mindset with the line, I'm hanging on the fence again. While Kenny's own mental state might be inconsistent, he claims that his lyrics are constantly on the minds of his listeners.
He says, I'm always on your mind, I put my lyric and my lifeline on the line, and ain't no limit when I might shine, might grind. In English, the phrase put it on the line is normally used to refer to taking a big risk and giving one's all. In American slang, the word grind typically refers to one's hustle or work ethic. Also in slang, the word shine is used to refer to getting people to recognize one's own accomplishments.
With all this considered, it would seem that Kenny is expressing the degree to which he dedicates his entire life to be recognized for his craft. This idea harkens back to Kenny's mother's concern she expressed on YAH when it said, My mama told me I'ma work myself to death. Kenny continues loyalty rapping, He roll in with it at the right time, right now. This line is likely addressed to the people who have recognized Kenny's greatness and have thus chosen to pledge their loyalty to him.
Such pledges of loyalty are exactly what Kenny has been looking for in the secret society we heard about in the song's opening hook. Ironically though, Kenny's line about people rolling with him is immediately followed by the last line of the verse, only for the dollar sign. These closing words seem to suggest that those who are joining Kenny are not truly loyal to him. In reality, they're just rolling with him in hopes of profiting from his wealth.
At the end of the day, like Rihanna's accountant, they're only loyal to the money. Rihanna begins her 8th bar verse by introducing herself, saying bad girl RiRi now. Bad girl RiRi is by far Rihanna's most well-established alternative moniker. She's used it for all her social media handles, and numerous rappers have referred to her as bad girl RiRi in their lyrics.
The line bad girl RiRi now, also structurally mirrors Kenny's first lines that open the verse, Kung Fu Kenny now. Both monikers are four syllables, and both names imply that they do not shy away from conflict. Next, Rihanna repeats the word swerve four times, ending with leave it now. In the years prior to the release of Damn, the word swerve had become a popular addition to the hip-hop lexicon, since its inclusion in the 2012 track Mercy by Good Music.
Within the context of Mercy, Big Sean's use of the word swerve seems to imply he's upstaging his enemies by making sharp turns while driving away an expensive car. Kenny and RiRi seem to be doing the same, as a repetition of swerve here on Loyalty, kicks off a series of lines that references cars. Also, the music video for Loyalty shows Kenny and Rihanna making sharp turns in a stolen BMW. With the line on your pulse like it's EDM, Rihanna is referring to the listener's heart rate.
Rihanna is claiming to be on the listener's heart, just like Kenny claimed to be on the listener's mind. Both heart rates and music tempos are measured in beats per minute. Hip-hop tempos typically range from about 80 to 115 beats per minute, but EDM, or electronic dance music, is predominantly composed at 128 beats per minute, which also happens to be a good target heart rate while exercising. Hence, Rihanna compares herself to EDM, to assert that her music makes people want to move.
Next, Rihanna says, Gas in a bitch like it's premium, which refers to premium gasoline required by luxury vehicles. Gas also happens to be a slang term for premium quality marijuana. The second layer of meaning may connect back to the song's pre-hook, in which DJ Dahi said, All I want tonight is just to get high. Rihanna continues by saying, Haul ass on a bitch all in the fast lane.
The fact that Rihanna is hauling ass in the fast lane the highway, is another reference to being in a car, presumably a car that swerves and only takes premium. Rihanna finishes her verse saying, I'm established, 100 carats on my name, run the atlas, I'm a natural, I'm alright. With a $230 million net worth, Rihanna has certainly established herself as both a successful artist and businesswoman. Just having Rihanna's name on a product gives it value, as if her name was written in 100 carats of diamonds, hence the line, 100 carats on my name.
Saying that she runs the atlas is another way of saying she runs the world. Since an atlas is a book of maps depicting the natural world, the line also flows nicely into her claim that she's unnatural, meaning that this ability to run the world was part of her nature since birth. This is another way of saying that she has royalty in her DNA. Lastly, Rihanna's expresses fake humility by saying i'm all right after brianna's eight-bar verse kenny takes over saying i'm a savage i'm an asshole i'm a king we've heard kendrick refer to himself as a king on his previous albums on good kid man city he declared himself to be king kendrick lamar during the final track of the album onto pippa butterfly he had a whole song about being king kunda the line here on loyalty marks the first time that kenny has referred to himself as a king on damn though this was foreshadowed in the opening lines of dna when he said i got loyalty got royalty inside my dna from all these references it would seem that being a king is a positive attribute however in this line being a king is also associated with negative characteristics of being a savage and an asshole while we may see this as a contradiction it should be noted that the connection between kings and savage behavior is a central motif throughout the biblical narrative this motif is most fully developed in the story from the book of daniel in the story god sends an israelite prophet named daniel to prophecy against the king of babylon after the king had conquered many civilizations including jerusalem daniel told the king that he must acknowledge that god ruled over all kingdoms if he refused daniel warned the king that he would eventually become mentally unstable and begin acting like a savage beast rather than listen to daniel the king began boasting about how great and powerful he was at that point the king suddenly went insane and started to roam the wilderness with wild animals after a week the king finally acknowledged that god rules over all kingdoms immediately his mental stability was restored along with his royal authority the story ends with the king declaring that god is able to humble those who walk in pride unquote the story of god confronting the king of babylon seems to have many overlaps with damn like the king of babylon king kenny began to out boasting about his greatness and advocating for the use of violence to subdue his adversaries like the king of babylon king kenny began to experience mental instability on the previous track field and has now recognized that he's become a savage on the current track loyalty if this pattern holds up we can expect that the tension kenny's experiencing in the current track is not going to be resolved until kenny acknowledges that god rules about all other loyalties something to keep in mind when we get to the song's end finally the story of the king of babylon suggests that god will continue to oppose kenny until he abandons his pride and chooses to be humble as loyalty continues kenny and rihanna sing in tandem a reference to butang clan's old dirty bastard we'll dissect this along with the rest of loyalty right after the break welcome back to dissect before the break we discuss the first half of loyalty finding kenny and rihanna boasting about their royal status as the song continues the two momentarily sing in unison a reference to a sexually provocative dance movement kenny and rihanna repeat the phrase shimmy out a shimmy is a sexually suggestive dance move that typically involves people rapidly shaking their shoulders chest and pelvis more importantly this line is an interpolation of the track shimmy shimmy ah by wu-tang clan member old dirty bastard in the context of the old dirty bastard song watching someone shimmy seems to lead the rapper to declare that he likes it raw meaning that he prefers unprotected sex as a result rappers have often said shimmy ah when rapping about unprotected sex for instance asap rocky used the phrase in the song fucking problems coincidentally fucking problems also features kendrick rapping about being an asshole who has sex with another man's girl given all this context it seems that by evoking shimmy ah kenny is alluding to his desire to have unprotected sex regardless of the consequences next kenny says you can tell your n-word he can meet me outside you can babysit him when i leave him outside this line seems to indicate that as a consequence of his sexual indiscretion kenny has to handle altercation with the girl's jealous boyfriend if the boyfriend refuses to back down kenny claims he'll humiliate the man by beating him up outside as we heard in element kenny is using violence as a means to an end when conflicting with outsiders next kenny says ain't no other love like the one i know i done been down so long lost hope i done came down so hard i slowed here kenny asserts that he has a truly unique experience of being loved it's unclear if he's referring to the love from his girl or the love from his god either way though it's clearly ironic that kenny is boasting about the love he knows even as the preceding line seems to indicate that kenny is to quote him on yaw letting the hose get to his head at the same time kenny reminds us that his erratic behavior may be a result of kenny feeling downhearted and hopeless a sentiment that we first heard kenny express on the previous track feel kenny then ends the verse by saying i don't sleep forever all a real n-word want and yet another reference to a real n-word kenny seems to be saying that he intends to work relentlessly without sleep so he can live forever the sentiment is likely inspired by a famous line from naz's 1994 song n-y state of mind in n-y state of mind naz rapped i never sleep because sleep is the cousin of death this memorable quote on one of hip-hop's most influential albums became a maxim for numerous mcs kendrick himself has referenced this maxim directly in the third verse of sing about me i'm dying of thirst as the title of the track would suggest kenny wants people to sing about him when he's gone wants to be immortalized in the hearts and minds of his listeners kendrick also made reference to this desire on the track mortal man from to pimpa butterfly he rapped can you be immortalized without your life being expired thus when kenny says i don't sleep forever all a real n-word want he's likely expressing how motivated he is to see his spirit live forever in the minds of the listener he wants their loyalty even after his death as loyalty continues we hear an abbreviated version of the hook by saying all i want is loyalty at this point we should note that the phrase all i want has become a recurring motif kenny's previous verse ended with him saying forever all a real n-word want the pre-hook features dj dahi saying all i want tonight is to get high up finally the hook features kenny saying all i want is loyalty all these desires seem to be a result of kenny taking pride in his status as king throughout history most kings seek out ways for their legacy to endure forever they exalt themselves by sitting on a throne placed high above their subjects most importantly they demand for everyone in the society to pledge their ultimate allegiance to the king and scrutinize anyone who might think of undermining a rule this idea leads us into the brief extension of the song's hook kenny says 10-4 no switching sides feel something wrong kenny says 10-4 no switching sides feel something wrong you acting shifty you don't ride with me no more these lines seem to be aimed at someone kenny feels has secretly switched sides and betrayed him we first heard kenny express this concern on the previous track field when he said i feel like the family been fakin and i feel like my daughter compromised and jaded after giving voice to this feeling on the previous track it seems that kenny now intends to confront those he suspects of betrayal after suspecting someone in their society may have switched sides kenny and riri present a series of options to determine who or what the other party is ultimately loyal to kenny begins by saying tell me who you're loyal to is it money is it fame is it weed is it drink is it coming down with the loud pipes in the rain big chilling only for the power in your name these options all seem to be focused on various forms of self-gratification including money power fame drugs and cars the fact that these are listed first might suggest that such pursuits are the most basic or elemental having himself talk about such things on damn we can assume that kenny here is at least in part questioning his own loyalty next kenny says tell me who you're loyal to is it love for the streets when the lights get dark is it unconditional when the rari don't start tell me when your loyalty is coming from the heart the streets when the lights get dark line seems to be referring to gang culture and all those who show their loyalty to such a lifestyle the next line unconditional when the rari don't start seems to question the loyalty of certain gold digging women who may abandon their man once the money runs out or the ferrari don't start an idea that will come up again on the song love finally kenny plays out the idiom from the heart to address the heart as the resource for true loyalty rihanna then enters once again with her own list of loyalties she says tell me who you're loyal to do it start with your woman or your man do it end with your family and friends or are you loyal to yourself in advance here we honor questions if loyalty to people is the highest loyalty whether it be friends family a romantic interest or oneself if someone is loyal to people above all other things we'd expect them to set aside self-gratification and even cultural values if those stood in the way of self-preservation and the protection of loved ones so far on damn we've already seen how loyalty to individuals seems to be the greatest motivating factor for kenny on element kenny rapped i'm willing to die for the shit i done cried for the shit i might take a life for the shit based on the rest of the verse we interpreted those lines to mean that kenny was willing to die in order to protect his family and preserve his current standard of living however after discovering that many of his family members might have been faking and realizing how stressful it is to constantly fight for self-preservation we may wonder whether kenny will reconsider his highest loyalty that's what god for this line finds kenny's voice a little pushback in the mix let's listen one more time in case you didn't catch it the first time around kenny seems to be asserting that god is the divine being worth dying for and thus deserves to be the object of his ultimate allegiance now if we're just listening to this track as a single we might not be surprised to hear kendrick make such a statement about god however within the context of the damn narrative hearing kenny claim to be loyal to god is deeply ironic up until this point in the story kenny has spent most of the album running away from god's calling so that he can follow his own desires and so with this in mind we have to view this declaration of his loyalty to god as a dramatic turning point in kenny's journey the statement is the point at which kenny begins to recognize that he may be the problem he's finally taking some responsibility for how his actions have contributed to the instability he's been feeling moreover kenny now acknowledges that loyalty to god should take priority over his attempts at self-preservation it seems to be more of an idealized concept at this point an articulation of an aim he might now begin working toward after a repetition of the song's hook rihanna sings a self-reflective outro then acknowledges the struggle kenny has with letting go of his pride rihanna sings it's so hard to be humble it's so hard to be humble lord knows i'm dying just like kenny's sudden acknowledgement of god these closing lines stand in stark contrast with the majority of the sentiments expressed on loyalty it's another indication that this may be a turning point in the damn narrative by acknowledging his struggle with humility some of the spiritual themes we suggested has inspired kenny's mentality throughout loyalty once again come to the surface most notably in our discussion of the lines i'm a savage i'm an asshole i'm a king we discussed how kenny resembled the king of babylon the ruler who became mentally unstable and lived like a savage until he acknowledged that god not human kings deserve the highest degree of loyalty after learning this lesson the hard way the king of babylon finally declared that god humbles those who are proud similarly after kenny acknowledged that god deserves the highest degree of loyalty rihanna gives voice to kenny's new realization that he must try to humble himself despite how hard it may be to let go of both his pride and his inclination towards self-preservation with the lines lord knows i'm trying lord knows i'm dying kenny and rihanna seem convinced that god is compassionate god seems to recognize their efforts to change because he knows they're limited mortal creatures who are going to die having now acknowledged both god's loyalty and the loyalty that kenny should be showing to god we're left wondering whether this might be the turning point for kung fu kenny the directional change in his emotional journey that began when he ran away from god's call conclusions dam's previous track field found out protagonist kung fu kenny expressing feelings of extreme isolation leading him to second guess the devotion of his family friends and fans we understand now how this caused kenny to examine the concept of loyalty itself the track muses on various ways kenny demands loyalty from himself and others going so far as imagining a secret society to which all members show absolute devotion ultimately the scrutiny of loyalty itself leads kenny to a revelation about who he should be most loyal to god this realization is followed by the song's outro which acknowledges kenny's struggles to remain loyal to god in his commandments when dissecting the wickedness weakness dichotomy in our episode on blood we discuss the past the life and death that moses laid out to the israelites after freeing them from slavery he ended his speech by saying quote i call to heaven and earth to witness against you today that i've set before you life and death the blessing and the curse so choose life in order that you may live you and your descendants by loving the lord your god by obeying his voice and by remaining loyal to him unquote of course the last line of the speech acknowledges the loyalty that one must show god if one wants to live a blessed life up until this point in dam's narrative has been pretty clear that kenny has been disloyal to god's commandments and has thus been on a path of wickedness if we're to believe moses this path will lead to a cursed existence that will end in death not only kenny's death but the perpetuation of a deadly cycle of violence between his allies and enemies as well the end of loyalty makes us question whether kenny has made the necessary you turn away from wickedness and towards weakness whether his acknowledgement of god and the loyalty he requires will inspire him to choose humility instead of pride well we'll have to wait and see but seeing that the answer to our question might just be addressed in dam's next track pride a song we'll examine note by note line by line next time on dissect dissect is produced by me for spotify studios today's episode was written by femi olutade and me song recreations by andrew atwood audio editing by eric bass and me original theme music by bureaucratic you can now stream all the original dissect themes composed by bureaucratic on spotify just click the link in the show now if you enjoyed dissect please please tell a friend about the show and be sure to say hi on twitter and instagram at dissect podcast you can also purchase dissect merchandise at dissect podcast.com okay thanks for listening everyone i'll talk to you next episode