These Walls (Kendrick Lamar song)

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"These Walls"
Single by Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat
from the album To Pimp a Butterfly
Released October 13, 2015
Genre
Length 5:01
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Martin
  • Dopson
  • Sounwave
Kendrick Lamar singles chronology
"Alright"
(2015)		 "These Walls"
(2015)		 "untitled 07 | levitate"
(2016)
Music video
"These Walls" on YouTube

"These Walls" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 13, 2015, as the fifth and final single from his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015).[1][2] The track was written by Kendrick Lamar, Terrace Martin, Larrance Dopson, James Fauntleroy and Rose McKinney. It won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 58th Grammy Awards.[3]

Lyrical interpretation

Rolling Stone stated the song "teases the dark underbelly of sudden fame and offers a peek at the rapper's life when he hit his lowest points",[4] while Billboard editor Kris Ex wrote that Lamar "is pondering sex and existence in equal measure; it's a yoni metaphor about the power of peace, with sugar walls being escape and real walls being obstacles."[5]

Music video

File:Terry Crews Get Smart premiere arrival.jpg
The video features an appearance by American actor Terry Crews

The song's music video premiered on October 28, 2015, on Lamar's Vevo account. It was directed by Colin Tilley and The Little Homies. Entitled "Behind the Walls: A Black Comedy", the clip opens in a jail cell with Corey Holcomb and then flashes back to a wild night at an apartment complex − from strippers, to drugs, altercations, and skits.[6] Lamar first appears in his room grinding with a girl while her girlfriends catch it all on camera. He then crashes the stage at a talent show and performs “Hit the Quan” alongside Terry Crews. Meanwhile, Isaiah Rashad gets tied up and seduced in his bedroom, and SZA finds Lamar crashing through her apartment wall. By the end of the night, the cops come calling and Holcomb’s character gets arrested.[7] The video ends with "To be continued". For Rap-Up, "the Compton rapper shows his comedic side (and dance moves) in the cinematic clip."[8]

Live performances

On May 27, 2015, Lamar performed the song live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, complete with a white-clad couple who danced around the stage as a nearby artist painted a portrait of them.[9] "These Walls" was featured on the Kunta’s Groove Sessions tour.[10]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11] 77
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[12] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 94
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 34

References

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External links

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  11. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2015-03-22" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2015-03-22" UK R&B Chart. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Kendrick Lamar. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Kendrick Lamar. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
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