The album culminates with βDUCKWORTH.,β the ultimate example of how curses can be reversed when people overcome their weaknesses and live righteously. In the song, Kendrick lays out the real-life story of how Anthony βTop Dawgβ Tiffith, Kendrickβs mentor and the owner of his label, and Kendrickβs father, Ducky, knew each other as young men. Top had robbed the restaurant where Ducky worked before he started working there, and Top intended to do so again. Ducky sensed that Top was dangerous, and rather than treat him hostilely, he chose to act kindly by offering him free food. Top eventually decided against robbing Ducky. The two men would not see each other again for 20 years, and did not realize their profound connection through Kendrick, until the first time they met in the studio. Had either Top or Ducky acted differently 20 years prior, their lives may have been fundamentally different. As Kendrick raps: ββ βPay attention, that one decision changed both of they lives, one curse at a time Reverse the manifest and good karma, and Iβll tell you why You take two strangers, and put βem in random predicaments Give βem a soul, so they can make their own choices and live with it Twenty years later, them same strangers you make βem meet again Inside recording studios where they reapinβ their benefits Then you start remindinβ them about that chicken incident Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence? Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servinβ life While I grew up while I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight βββ the album is meant to be experienced in both directions. A tweet by Kendrickβs longtime collaborator, also supports the theory. Before the album was released he posted a cryptic tweet. It was simply a picture of Laurence Fishburneβs character βMorpheus,β from the filmΒ The Matrix. The picture is of Morpheus seated in the chair when he offers the main character the choice of which existence he wants to have. βYou take the blue pill β the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill β you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes #damn
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