Duckworth (song)

Last updated
"DUCKWORTH."
Song by Kendrick Lamar
from the album DAMN.
RecordedMid 2016
Studio Windmark Studios, Jungle City Studios
Genre
Length4:09
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"DUCKWORTH." is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, taken from his fourth studio album DAMN. , released on April 14, 2017. The fourteenth and final track on the album (first on the Collector's Edition of DAMN.), [2] the lyrics were written by Lamar while the music was written by record producer Patrick Douthit, known professionally as 9th Wonder, with additional production by Bēkon.

Contents

The song's title is Lamar's actual surname, Lamar being his middle name. [3] [4] [5] The song tells the true story [5] of Lamar's father meeting Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, working at a chicken shop in a rough area, years prior to Lamar getting signed to his record label. Anthony was renowned for robbing chicken shops, similar to the one Lamar’s father had been working at, so Duckworth decided to give Anthony 2 extra biscuits every time he came in. This caused Anthony to like Duckworth and leave him alive when he robbed the shop. If it weren’t for this decision, Kendrick would never have met Anthony and gotten signed to his label, and therefore his music career may have never taken off. [6]

Lyrics

The song uses storytelling to tell the connection of Lamar with his father, Kenny "Ducky" Duckworth, and his Top Dawg label-boss, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. [4] Specifically, the song tells the story about Top Dawg's previous encounters with Ducky, many years prior to Top Dawg signing Lamar to his label. [7] [4]

More specifically, it tells the story of how Top Dawg and Ducky were gangbangers. When he was younger, Top Dawg frequented the KFC at which Ducky worked; this is the same KFC that had been robbed a few years prior, and a customer was shot. Ducky was aware of this and Top Dawg's intentions, deciding that he should get on Top Dawg's good side. He does this by giving him free chicken and extra biscuits every time he pulled into the drive-thru.This act of good will was so successful that Top Dawg decided not to hold up the KFC after all. The song ends with Lamar stating that if it weren't for these events and circumstances, he would have died in a gunfight without the positive influence of his father, and Top Dawg would be serving life in prison for the murder instead of founding his record label.

The song, like "Fear", [8] another track from Damn, incorporates "backwards vocals", also known as backmasking. [9] Fans and critics noticed this as an inspiration taken from filmmaker David Lynch's work, most notably from the TV series Twin Peaks (1990–1991), and also as Lamar previously filmed the short-film God Is Gangsta from his album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), in the Paris club "Le Silencio", which was designed by Lynch, Raphael Navot, architectural agency Enia and light designer Thierry Dreyfus. [10]

Critical reception

Teddy Craven of The Daily Campus described "Duckworth" as Damn's "strongest song" and "ends the album with a fantastic philosophical mic-drop." [11] Craven compared the track to "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" from Lamar's second studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City , a song that also tells personal stories about the unexpected consequences of Lamar's music. [11] Writing for Pitchfork, Matthew Trammel described the song as "a precious origin story, the stuff of rock docs and hood DVDs, and it’s delivered with such precision, vivid detail, and masterful pacing that it can’t possibly be true. But it’s a tale too strange to be fiction, and too powerful not to believe in—just like its author." [12]

The song attracted attention of media in the former Yugoslavia due to its sample of "Ostavi trag" ("Leave a Mark") by Yugoslav jazz-rock band September. [13]

Samples

The song contains samples of "Atari" by Hiatus Kaiyote, [14] "Ostavi trag" by September, "Let the Drums Speak" by Fatback Band, and "Be Ever Wonderful" by Ted Taylor. [15] [16] 9th Wonder sampled "Mole on the Dole" by Climax Blues Band for the track's drums.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the official Damn digital booklet. [1]

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [17] 52
Ireland (IRMA) [18] 52
Portugal (AFP) [19] 56
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [20] 76
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [21] 7
UK Singles (OCC) [22] 80
US Billboard Hot 100 [23] 63
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [24] 36

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [25] Gold35,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [26] Gold40,000‡
United States (RIAA) [27] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Digital Booklet - DAMN. copy.pdf". DocDroid. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  2. ↑ India, Lindsey (December 8, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar Surprises Fans With 'DAMN.' Collector's Edition". XXL . Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar: 10 Facts You Didn't Know About The 'Good Kid' Rapper". Capital XTRA. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Norwin, Alyssa (April 14, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar Tells The Most Incredible Story On 'Duckworth' & Fans Love It". Hollywood Life. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "9th Wonder Confirms Kendrick Lamar's "Duckworth" Is A True Story". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Tells Wild Story About His Father Meeting Top Dawg on "Duckworth"". Complex. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ ClassicOne (April 18, 2017). "9th Wonder Confirms Whether Or Not Kendrick Lamar's "Duckworth" Was True". Exclusive Hip Hop News, Interviews, Rumors, Rap & Music Videos | Allhiphop. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  8. ↑ "What's Kendrick Lamar saying in reverse on "Fear" and "Duckworth"? Listen to the original" . Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar "Duckworth." Lyrics: Every verse in the standout track from 'Damn.'" . Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/news/62696-kendrick-lamar-shares-7-minute-short-film-god-is-gangsta/ [ bare URL ]
  11. 1 2 "Album review: Kendrick Lamar's "DAMN."". The Daily Campus. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ Trammell, Matthew (April 18, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar: DAMN". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ Raknić, Damjan (April 28, 2017). "VIDEO: REPERSKA MEGAZVIJEZDA KENDRICK LAMAR SEMPLIRALA EX-YU JAZZ ROCKERE 'Recite Tihomiru hvala za bezvremensku glazbu'". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 2021-03-01. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's 'DUCKWORTH.' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  15. ↑ Kendrick Lamar – DUCKWORTH. , retrieved April 21, 2017
  16. ↑ Genius (April 17, 2017), Every Sample On Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.' , retrieved April 21, 2017
  17. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  18. ↑ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Duckworth.". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  20. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201716 into search. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Swedish Heatseekers Chart - 14 April 2017" . Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Duckworth". Music Canada . Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  27. ↑ "American single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Duckworth". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 7, 2018.
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