The Best Rap Verse of the Month (April 2017)
Kendrick Lamar’s rap career was fated. “Duckworth,” Damn‘s last song, tells the unbelievable story of how T.D.E.’s founder Top Dawg and Kendrick’s father, “Ducky,” first met. Top Dawg’s name rang bells around the Watts/Compton area for his money-gettin ways, and according to the song he had plans to rob the chicken spot Kendrick’s father worked at. But because Ducky was generous and kind, hooking him up with free chicken and extra biscuits, Top didn’t do it.
Years later, Top goes legit, starts a record label, and it just so happens Ducky’s son raps really fucking well. Now everyone reminisces about the KFC as they laugh all way to the bank and into rap’s history books. No wonder Kendrick believes in God—this was written in the stars. The imagery and detail in this verse, and the passion with which he spits, separates him from the rest of his peers. From the Kid Capri drop to the 9th Wonder beat to the storytelling, this song is hip-hop at its best. This was the best verse on arguably the best rap album to drop so far this year and for that “Duckworth” is April’s verse of the month.
“Oh Lamar, Hail Mary and marijuana, times is hard
Pray with the hooligans, shadows all in the dark
Fellowship with demons and relatives, I’m a star
Life is one funny mothafucka
A true comedian, you gotta love him, you gotta trust him
I might be buggin’, infomercials and no sleep
Introverted by my thoughts
Children, listen, it gets deep
See, once upon a time inside the Nickerson Garden projects
The object was to process and digest poverty’s dialect
Adaptation inevitable: gun violence, crack spot
Federal policies raid buildings and drug professionals
Anthony was the oldest of seven
Well-respected, calm and collected
Laughin’ and jokin’ made life easier
Hard times, Momma on crack
A four-year-old tellin’ his nanny he needed her
His family history: pimpin’ and bangin’
He was meant to be dangerous
Clocked him a grip and start slangin’
Fifteen, scrapin’ up his jeans with quarter pieces
Even got some head from a smoker last weekend
Dodged a policeman, workin’ for his big homie
Small-time hustler, graduated to a brick on him
10,000 dollars out of a project housing, that’s on the daily
Seen his first mil 20 years old, had a couple of babies
Had a couple of shooters
Caught a murder case, fingerprints on the gun they assumin’
But witnesses couldn’t prove it
That was back when he turned his back
And they killed his cousin
He beat the case and went back to hustlin’
Bird-shufflin’, Anthony rang
The first in the projects with the two-tone Mustang
That 5.0 thing, they say 5-0 came
Circlin’ parking lots and parking spots
And hoppin’ out while harrassin’ the corner blocks
Crooked cops told Anthony he should kick it
He brushed them off
And walked back to the Kentucky Fried Chicken
See, at this chicken spot
There was a light-skinned nigga that talked a lot
With a curly top and a gap in his teeth
He worked the window, his name was Ducky
He came from the streets, the Robert Taylor Homes
Southside Projects, Chiraq, the Terror Dome
Drove to California with a woman on him and 500 dollars
They had a son, hopin’ that he’d see college
Hustlin’ on the side with a nine-to-five to freak it
Cadillac Seville, he’d ride his son around on weekends
Three-piece special with his name on the shirt pocket
‘Cross the street from the projects
Anthony planned to rob it
Stuck up the place before, back in ’84
That’s when affiliation was really eight gears of war
So many relatives tellin’ us, sellin’ us devilish works
Killin’ us, crime, intelligent, felonious
Prevalent proposition with 9’s
Ducky was well-aware
They robbed the manager and shot a customer last year
He figured he’d get on these niggas’ good sides
Free chicken every time Anthony posted in line
Two extra biscuits, Anthony liked him
And then let him slide; they didn’t kill him
In fact, it look like they’re the last to survive
Pay attention, that one decision changed both of they lives
One curse at a time
Reverse the manifest and good karma, and I’ll tell you why
You take two strangers, and put ’em in random predicaments; give ’em a soul
So they can make their own choices and live with it
Twenty years later, them same strangers you make ’em meet again
Inside recording studios where they reapin’ their benefits
Then you start remindin’ them about that chicken incident
Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence?
Because if Anthony killed Ducky
Top Dawg could be servin’ life
While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight.”
Chills every time that beat drops, goosebumps each time the beat switches—this should be the song Kenny drops a video fro next. Get Stacy from The Wood to play Ducky.
