BLKKK SKKKN HEAD – English Lyrics

• By: Kanye West

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - of the darkest color; opposite to white noun - a dark color
white /waɪt/ A1	adjective - of the color of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of all wavelengths of visible light; the opposite of black noun - a white color or pigment; the opposite of black
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - to cause the death of (a person, animal, or plant)
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern visually
bring /brɪŋ/ A1	verb - take or go with (someone or something) to a place
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household
skin /skɪn/ A1	noun - the outer protective layer of the body of a vertebrate
kingdom /ˈkɪŋdəm/ B1	noun - a state or government having a king or queen as its head
question /ˈkwɛstʃən/ A2	noun - a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information verb - ask (someone) questions
past /pæst/ A2	noun - the time before the present
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events verb - determine the behavior or supervise the running of
menace /ˈmɛnəs/ B2	noun - a person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger

Key Grammar Structures

• Pardon, I'm getting my scream on

  ➔ Present Continuous for actions happening now/around now.

  ➔ The phrase "I'm getting my scream on" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action (screaming) that is in progress or about to happen. The idiom "getting [something] on" implies becoming intensely involved in or enthusiastic about something.

• They gon come to kill King Kong.

  ➔ Future with "gon" (going to), informal/slang.

  ➔ "Gon" is a contraction of "going to", used in informal speech. It indicates a planned future action. The sentence implies that they will imminently attempt to "kill" King Kong (likely a metaphor).

• If I don't get ran down by Catholics...

  ➔ Conditional sentence type 1 (zero conditional in some interpretations): "If + present simple, will/future simple". Passive voice: "get ran down".

  ➔ This is a conditional clause. The "if" introduces a condition (not getting "ran down" - meaning knocked down or attacked - by Catholics). "Get ran down" is a passive construction, meaning someone else does the action to the speaker. In this case, the condition suggests the speaker might face conflict.

• Claimin I'm overreactin

  ➔ Present continuous shortened to "-in'" (claiming), indicating an ongoing action.

  ➔ "Claimin'" is a shortened, colloquial form of "claiming". It's the present participle used to describe what someone is currently doing. The sentence implies that other people are accusing him of overreacting at this moment.

• I keep it 300 like the Romans.

  ➔ Simile: comparing the speaker's actions to the behavior of the Romans, using "like".

  ➔ This line uses a simile, comparing the speaker's behavior (keeping it '300', implying strength and loyalty) to the Romans, alluding to the movie "300" where 300 Spartans fought valiantly. "Like" is used for direct comparison.

• I been a menace for the longest.

  ➔ Present perfect continuous ("I have been"): an action that started in the past and continues to the present or has present relevance. Superlative form: "the longest".

  ➔ The sentence "I been a menace for the longest" uses the present perfect continuous tense (shortened from 'I have been'). It means the speaker has been acting as a menace for a considerable period of time, longer than any other period. 'The longest' is the superlative of 'long'.

• If I knew what I knew in the past, I woulda been blacked out on your ass.

  ➔ Third conditional (mixed): "If + past perfect, would have + past participle". "Woulda" is a contraction of "would have". "Blacked out" means intoxicated or extremely angry. "On your ass" is an idiom meaning to confront or attack aggressively.

  ➔ This line is a counterfactual statement, expressing regret about past actions. The third conditional shows a hypothetical result if the speaker had known in the past what they know now. "Blacked out on your ass" is an informal and aggressive way of saying they would have confronted the other person aggressively or even violently.