Kendrick Lamar Gives Details Behind The Story Of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst”

Kendrick Lamar explains the story behind his song “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst.” Even though his tracks like “Backseat Freestyle” and “m.A.A.d City” get more spins from Kendrick Lamar’s good city, m.A.A.d city album, there is one powerful cut on the album, which is “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst.”

In a recent interview with Life + Times’ Decoded Series, Kendrick Lamar explains the true story behind his song “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst.” He revealed that the first verse of the song is taken from his life following the death of a friend in a shooting. While he was writing the song, Kendrick Lamar stated that he wanted to tell his story from the perspective of his friend’s older brother. The older brother was trapped in a life of crime and couldn’t escape. Kendrick Lamar explained that it was this exact experience that pushed him away from the dangers of the street life.

“That’s one of my favorite verses on the album,” he explained. “It’s an obvious true story. It hits home, as far as the past members of tragic situations that happened in my life. That one particular situation is my homeboy getting smoked while I’m right there, and I’m being the last one right there just seeing him take his last. The verse is his brother being irrevocable, a street cat, and him just thanking me for being right there, and wishing that he could’ve found a passion in something – maybe music, maybe sports – but it’s him recognizing the fact and truth that he was already in too deep.”

He continued, “The craziest part about that verse – and in real life – is him saying, ‘If something happens to me before your album drops, just make sure you mention and tell this story in a positive light,’ and that’s exactly what I did and he definitely passed, too. That’s why that’s one of the final songs on the album – out of 12 songs, that’s closer to the bottom because when the reality check really hit, a lot people know Kendrick Lamar for who I am today, but for me to think of what I had to do to come from a dark space, and that was the turning point right there.”