☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the consequences of giving in to peer pressure and negative influences.
- Kendrick describes how he distances himself from his mother's values and principles and gets involved in unhealthy behaviors.
- The lyrics show the pressure that peer groups can exert on individuals and how they take pride in rebellious behavior.
- It warns that giving in to negative influence and peer pressure can lead to drifting away from one's own values and goals.
- Kendrick reflects on his actions and realizes that he needs to change.
Interpretation
The song "The Art of Peer Pressure" by
Kendrick Lamar is about the consequences that giving in to peer pressure and negative influences can have. Kendrick describes how he is normally a sober and peaceful person, but when he hangs out with his friends, he tends to get drawn into unhealthy behaviors. He describes a situation where he and his friends are in a car and get involved in criminal activities.
The song lyrics show how Kendrick is drifting away from the values and principles that his mother instilled in him. He admits that he is normally drug-free, but in that moment, he goes along with his friends. He knows that his actions can have consequences and that he is straying from the path his mother had set for him. However, he emphasizes that in that moment, he made the decision to be involved in that kind of behavior with his friends.
The lyrics also highlight the pressure that peer groups can exert on individuals. Kendrick describes how he and his friends are looking for trouble and women, and how they make fun of their criminal actions. They seem to not fear the consequences of their actions and take pride in their rebellious nature.
The song lyrics warn that giving in to negative influence and peer pressure can lead to drifting away from one's own values and goals. Kendrick reflects on his actions and the consequences they could have. He recognizes that he needs to change and no longer give in to the temptations of peer pressure.