Dissect - S1E7 – These Walls by Kendrick Lamar

Episode Date: September 27, 2016

We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "These Walls." Follow Dissect on social media @dissectpodcast. Purchase Dissect merch at dissectpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Dissect, long-form musical analysis broken into short, digestible episodes. I'm your host, Cole Kushner. Today, we continue our serialized examination of Tipipa Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. In our last episode, we dissected Institutionalized, a song that saw Kendrick beginning to deal with the forces of his new life of stardom. He grew frustrated with his competent friend's behavior at the BET Awards, and could not fully grasp that their actions were in part due to the institutionalized mindset bred in a place like Compton. Kendrick's experiences with this new reality continue on the album's next track, These Walls. These walls continue Act 2 of To Pippa Butterfly, which we've titled

Cooned. On these walls, Kendrick will address various metaphoric walls that cocoon him in his new life of fame and influence. The song is produced by Terrace Martin and Lawrence Dobson and features a full band performing original music without samples. The song begins with the continuation of the narrative poem that was introduced at the end of King Kunta. I remember you was conflicted. Misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same. Here, Kendrick reveals an additional line of the poem.

Sometimes I did the same. He's implying that he somehow misused his influence. On these walls, he'll illustrate how. The recitation of the poem leads into a mysterious, dark introduction that first features a moaning saxophone, followed by a low grumbling piano smash. A woman enters mirroring the saxophone moans and we're unclear if she's in pain or in pleasure. Sometimes I did the same. The phrase, if these walls can talk, rises from the moans and climaxes with the word sex.

Again, we're left in mystery of what it all means. Anna Wise sings a bridge that begins to clarify the song's subject. There's a few things to take away from this introductory passage. described as a woman who seems to be at a party or club on her birthday, looking to have a good time or, quote, night to play. She wants to close her eyes and sway and exercise her right to work it out. This could be referring to dancing or sex. Having heard the song's introduction, we're inclined to think the latter.

The passage ends with the line, and she plays only when you tell her no. It seems that the woman is out and about in spite of someone telling her not to be. The passage is followed by the song's hook, performed by Anna Wise, Thundercat, and Bilal, who sounds an awful lot like Prince on this record. If These Walls Can Talk is an adage that typically refers to the walls of a room where secrets or mysterious acts occur. Again, the hook at this point in the song is mysterious, and we're going to save our examination of it until we have some context. The elusiveness of the song so far begins to fade with verse 1.

The verse begins with several water references and metaphors. Let's listen again to the same short excerpt, but this time with the knowledge that the walls Kendrick speaks of, our metaphor for the vaginal walls of the woman we met in the song's introduction. The wall can talk, they tell me to swim good. No boat I float better than he was. No light jacket, I'm not the guard and Azareth, but your flood can be misunderstood. We can now interpret the water references as metaphors for the woman being turned on sexually.

It begins with the line, if these walls can talk, they tell me to swim good. Here, the woman desires Kendrick, telling him to swim good or please her sexually. Next, Kendrick playfully likens Jesus' ability to walk on water with his own talents in the bedroom. He rhymes, no boat, I float better than he would. No life jacket, I'm not the god of Nazareth. No Life Jacket, of course, is a metaphor for the condom that he's not using. The verse turns with the next line, but your flood could be misunderstood. But your flood can be misunderstood.

War telling me that full of pain was in me. Need someone to live in, I'm just a relief tension. Me, I'm just a tenant. Landlord said, D wall vacant more than a minute. The wall are vulnerable, exclamation. Interior pink. Color coordinated. I interrogated.

Every nook and cranny. I mean, it's still amazing. Before they couldn't stand me. These wars want to cry tears. These wars happier when I'm here. These wars never could hold up. Every time I come around, demolition might. The word flood is used to portray the woman's sexual desires.

But the motivations behind those desires are revealed when he rhymes. They full of pain, resentment. Need someone to live in them just to relieve tension. The woman is using sex as an escape or vice to cope with something. Kendrick continues by saying, Me, I'm just a tenant. Landlord said these walls vacant more than a minute. Kendrick and the woman are not committed to one another.

Their relationship is purely based on sex. Vacancy implies that the woman has not had sex in some time. The next turn of the verse comes with the line, it's still amazing before they couldn't stand me. Kendrick is implying that the woman is perhaps a groupie, someone who previously shunned him, but desires him now due to his fame. The verse ends, These walls want to cry tears. These walls happier when I'm here. These walls never could hold up. Every time I come around, demolition might crush. These lines are the summation of verse 1. The unnamed woman is unhappy and uses sex with Kendrick as a temporary escape. What she's escaping from, we're still not sure. Kendrick also seems to be using his newfound stardom for his own sexual benefit. We can already tie Kendrick's sex.

sexual exploits to the narrative poem that introduced the song. Misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same. In verse 2, Kendrick talks about his own walls and how they influence his decision to take advantage of his fame for sex. The wall can talk, they tell me to go deep, yelling at me continuously, I can see. Your defense mechanism is my decision. Knock these walls down, that's my religion.

Wall feeling like they're ready to close in. I suffocate, they catch my second wind. I resonate in these walls. Still referring to the woman's vagina, the verse begins with walls yelling at Kendrick continuously to go deep. He then comments that the woman's defense mechanism, her desire for escapeism through sex, is Kendrick's decision, a choice created by his fame. Like we saw in the album's previous track, Institutionalized, Kendrick raises the idea of using

a vice as a defense mechanism. On institutionalized, the defense mechanism was impulse robbery at the BET Awards. triggered by the anxiety brought about by the wealth disparity in the room, and Kendrick's homie's place in society. On these walls, the unnamed woman uses sex as a defense mechanism to escape feelings of pain and resentment. But at this point in the song, we're still unsure of her triggers. The verse continues with the line,

Knock these walls down, That's My Religion. Again, Kendrick makes a biblical reference for his sexual behavior, perhaps eluding that the unnamed woman is not the only one he's used for sex. In the second half of the verse, Kendrick flips the wall metaphor to refer to the streets of Compton. The second half of the verse is bridged by the line I resonate in these walls. To me, this could still refer to the woman, and resonate here could be alluding to Kendrick's climax. It could also be referring to his words as a hip-hop artist resonating within the walls of his community. Kendrick then states he doesn't know how much longer he can wait in the walls of Compton,

that he's been running in the streets too long, looking at the world from the outside inn. Kendrick then speaks from the other side. Having experienced life outside of Compton, he calls out the charade of cleanliness and whitewashed America, that he, quote, begs to differ, and rather than become involved in this new way of life, calls on the woman to put her walls up so he can metaphorically knock them down. After a repetition of the song's hook, the third verse begins, revealing the intricacies of these walls and the complex relationship between Kendrick and the unnamed woman. Kendrick now will address a new character, and these walls are now,

the walls of a prison cell. Note the effect on Kendrick's now haunting voice. It will accentuate his vindictive intentions, which will become clear soon enough. If your walls can talk, they tell you it's too late, your destiny accepted your fate. No accessories and stash in the yards. Take the recipe, the Bible and God. War telling you that commissary is low. Rights for what's happening, no calling CO. No calling your mother to save you. Hone's to say you're reptable, not acceptable. Your behavior is The verse begins to board like a killer that turned snitch. Wals is telling me you a bitch.

You pray for pills, hoping the ward and would afford them. That sentence so important. The words, The verse begins with the pessimistic lines, If your walls could talk, they tell you it's too late. Your destiny accepted your fate. The prisoner is serving a life sentence. A fate even destiny couldn't stop.

Kendrick then likens prison to a hell from which there is no escape. He informs the prisoner that commissary is low, that neither his correctional officer nor his mother can save him from the violent race wars occurring inside the prison walls. Kendrick then says, homies to say you're reputable, not acceptable, your behavior is Sammy the bull-like, a killer that turns snitch. He's comparing the prisoner to Sammy the Bull, Gravano, the infamous snitch who ratted out the Gambino crime family and its kingpin John Gotti. For his cooperation, Gravino received just five years in prison, despite murdering some 19 people. It seems the prisoner was hoping to cop a similar deal.

As the next line state, you pray for appeals hoping the warden would afford them. Again evoking a religious intonation, the prisoner prays to the god of the prison cell, the warden, hoping for an early release. But within these walls, hope is scarce, and the warden is a cruel god. In the next line, that sentence so important, Kendrick plays with a double meaning on the word sentence. It draws attention to the importance of the appeals line we just heard, perhaps emphasizing the somber irony of an imprisoned black man, desperately deifying the likely white warden who controls the fate of so many behind bars.

It also stresses the importance of the prisoner's sentence, which we know is a life sentence. As the verse continues, we get additional clues about who the unnamed prisoner might be. That sentence so important. The lineation is strong you even dream about me. Kill my homeboy and God spared your life. Dumb criminal got indicted, same night. So when you play the song, rewind the first verse.

About me, abuse of my power so you could hurt. About me, her and her in a shower whenever she's on it. About me, her and her after hours of the morning. About her baby daddy, currently serving life. And how she think about you until you meet up at night. About the only girl cared about you when you asked her. And how she fucking on a famous rapper. Waska Talk. Talk.

The line, Paul's telling you to listen to Sing About Me is the song's grand reveal, albeit a rather conspicuous one. If you'll remember from our analysis of Good Kid Mad City, Sing About Me is the song that plays immediately after Kendrick's friend Dave is killed and dies in Kendrick's arms. Wait, hold up, hey, I see something, ma'am. Got them niggas. Ked out, you good?

Yeah, but I'm good. Dad, you good. Da'ha, you good. Da'ha, say something. These bitch that niggas killed my brother! kill my brothers. In the song's verse, Kendrick wraps from the perspective of Dave's brother, who calls Kendrick the day after Dave's murder.

He's distraught and seeking retaliation against the man who killed his brother. Promise that you will sing about me. Promise that you will sing about me. I woke up this morning and figured I call you in case I'm not here tomorrow. I'm hoping that I can borrow a piece of mind. I'm behind on what's really important. My mind is really distorted. I find nothing but trouble.

The lines that follow the reference of Sing About Me in these walls offer even more clues. Retaliation is strong, you even dream about me, killed my home boy and God spared your life. Dumb criminal got indicted same night. The dumb criminal is our unnamed prisoner and the man that murdered Dave and Good Kid Mad City. It now makes sense why Kendrick was talking so negatively in the verses opening lines. Kendrick continues with the lines, so when you play this song, rewind the first verse,

about me abusing my power so you can hurt. Kendrick is drawing the prisoner's attention to the first verse of these walls that details the sexual exploits of the unnamed woman. He then tells the prisoner that he's abused his power so he can hurt. Somehow, Kendrick's actions with the woman were intended to inflict pain in the prisoner.

Clarity comes in the next lines, about me and her in the shower whenever she's horny, about me and her in the after hours of the morning, about her baby daddy currently serving life. The prisoner and the woman are lovers, and have a child together. We now have a complete perspective on the complex threesome between Kendrick, the woman, and the prisoner. Kendrick has been leveraging his fame for revenge,

using sex with the woman as psychological warfare on the prisoner who is serving a life sentence for Dave's murder. Kendrick twists the knife in the verses concluding lines. Now she think about you until we meet up at night. night, about the only girl that cared about you when he asked her, and how she fucking on a famous rapper, walls could talk. Ouch. The woman and the prisoner still clearly have feelings for one another, and Kendrick is a vengeful wall positioned in between them. He takes advantage of both his fame and the woman's vulnerability and anxiety about her and her child's situation. Knowing what we know now,

we can circle back to a number of things alluded throughout these walls. Let's take another listen to the narrative poem that introduced the song. I remember you was conflicted. Misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same. Kendrick's actions are a clear misuse of its influence in fame. He even acknowledges this directly in the third verse when he says to the prisoner, Abusing My Power So You Can Hurt.

We also gain clarity about the ambiguous moaning following the poem. It's pain disguised as pleasure. The song's hook comes into focus, too. Let's have another listen. I can feel your rain when it cries, gold lives inside of you. I believe this line was written to be interpreted two ways. First is a continuation of this sex analogy, rain being another metaphor for the woman getting turned on while the two have sex.

The gold inside her is a vengeful satisfaction Kendrick receives. Rain when it cries can also be deciphered literally. The woman cries real tears, privately heartbroken by her situation. A more sympathetic and optimistic interpretation of Gold Lives Inside of You reflects the sentiments of the opening refrain of Wesley Siri that despite the pain of our circumstances, there's a star inside of us all. Conclusions Since these walls references Good Kid Mad City,

I think it's an appropriate time we briefly re-examine the conclusion of that album. If you'll remember from episode two, Good Kid told Kendrick's coming-of-age story. After a day of youthful antics, Kendrick and his friends retaliate against the gang who jumped Kendrick, and their friend Dave is killed and dies in Kendrick's arms. The boys are then saved in the parking lot of a food for less by an old woman who leads them in prayer. Kendrick's mother also sets him on a course of positivity, telling him to give back to his community through music. She asked him to tell his story about how he rose from a dark place of violence to become a positive person.

Thus far into Pimp a butterfly, it would seem Kendrick has veered from the path laid out form on Good Kid Mad City. Since his rise to rap stardom in Act 1, we've witnessed Kendrick living through the realities of his new world. So far, he's used his fame to gloat and take shots at Compton enemies and fellow hip-hop peers on King Kunta. He's been disillusioned by his friend's behavior at the BET Awards on Institutionalized. And now on these walls, Kendrick abuses his fame and influence to inflict pain on the prisoner who killed Dave and takes advantage of the single mother's grief about her child who will grow up fatherless. When asked to break down these walls by the magazine Mass Appeal, Kendrick said, quote, it's actually a theme about no matter how much money you have, no matter how much success you have,

you're always human, you always feel the same emotions, whether it's love, whether it's hate, or in this case, whether you're being spiteful or being vengeful in some type of way. I think that last verse represents a lot of my partners that go through any way, which way they can to get back at their enemy. Somehow, some way, just to put that hatred back in your heart. It would seem that with fame does not come a new start. It's not a reset button on one's life, and it does not exempt you from feeling or reacting in the same ways you did before you had money and influence.

While Kendrick was set on a path of positivity at the conclusion of Good Kid Mad City, redefining himself has been harder than he imagined. When presented with the temptation of revenge through sex, sex available only because of his fame, Kendrick submits, proving that he's in many ways still wired by his Compton upbringing and involved in the hood politics he's attempted to leave behind. At the end of these walls, the narrative poem is recited with an additional three lines. 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. It seems Kendrick is unhappy with his behavior, and it leads him down a path of darkness and depression. That darkness will be exposed in an agonizing, brutally honest, drunken confession on the album's next song, You, which will thoroughly examine next time on Dissect. Dysect is written and produced by me. If you've enjoyed what you've heard, consider reviewing Dysect on iTunes. There's no team behind this podcast.

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