Wiki
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Length
7:40
On “FEAR.,” Kendrick explores three instances of true terror at ages 7, 17, and 27, respectively. In the first verse, he explores the fear he experienced growing up in the hood with a strict mother.
The second verse interpolates Beanie Sigel’s classic track “Die” and explores the life of a teenage Kendrick expressing his fear of dying at a young age; especially with the rampant gang activity and police brutality in Compton, California. He takes a distinct turn in tone, rapping in a deep, monotone voice that denotes adolescent depression.
In the third and fourth verse, Kendrick revisits the anxieties found on 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly: the lack of confidence in himself and his abilities, and the fear of losing the life he had built for himself; particularly at the age of 27. This notion may have been inspired by the familiar concept of the 27 Club, a group of famous artists and musicians who died at this age.
The fourth verse also acts as a thesis statement for the entire album, combining references to every other song on the tracklist. He goes beyond simply naming the tracks by addressing the recurring question from the album’s opener, “BLOOD.”:
“Is it wickedness?
Is it weakness?
You decide…“
Kendrick said that the verses in this song are the best he’s ever written, in an interview with i-D Magazine on October 17, 2017.
According to Songfacts, he explained the veracity of the song:
“It’s completely honest. The first verse is everything that I feared from the time that I was seven years old. The second verse I was 17, in the third it’s everything I feared when I was 27. These verses are completely honest.“
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