Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: hip-hop
Song Meaning of “Real” by Kendrick Lamar
Real by Kendrick Lamar is an inspirational track that speaks about his journey to success and encourages those who feel stuck in life to keep pushing forward. The chorus states “Even when it hurts, be real, be real, be real.” By this, Lamar is encouraging listeners to be true to themselves and to follow their dreams despite the pain and challenges that accompany it. He is also speaking to people to remain strong in their values and to not conform to the standards of what society deems ‘successful’ or ‘normal’. Using the metaphor of a rose, he speaks of the idea of how his hardships have helped him to grow and strengthened his ambition rather than deterring them. In this way, he speaks of destitution as something necessary in the process of achieving success. Achieving success, he implies, is a process of learning how to fall in love with the struggles as well as the victories.