Chains & Whips – English Lyrics

• By: Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice
• Album: Let God Sort Em Out

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the intricate wordplay and cultural commentary of Clipse and Kendrick Lamar in 'Chains & Whips.' This song offers a unique opportunity for language learners to delve into the nuances of hip-hop lyricism, exploring double entendres, biblical references, and sharp critiques of society. The masterful use of language by these artists makes it a compelling and educational listen for anyone wanting to understand the power and poetry of modern English rap.

[English]

Uncle said, "Nigga, you must be sick

All you talk about is just getting rich"

Choke my neck, nigga, and ice my bitch

Beat the system with chains and whips

This is culturally inappropriate

You run from the spirit of repossession

Too much enamel covers your necklace

I buy bitches, you buy 'em sections

You buy watches, I buy collections

Misery's fueling your regression

Jealousy's turned into obsession

Reality TV is mud wrestling

Some signed checks, I know better than

Beware of my name, that there is delicate

You know I know where you're delicate

Crush you to pieces, I'll hum a breath of it

I will close your heaven for the hell of it

You'd think it'd be valor amongst veterans

I'm watching your fame escape relevance

We all in the room, but here's the elephant

You chasing a feature out of your element

And those lab diamonds under inspection

The question marks block your blessings

There's no tombstones in the desert

I know by now you get the message

Uncle said, "Nigga, you must be sick

All you talk about is just getting rich"

Choke my neck, nigga, and ice my bitch

Beat the system with chains and whips

It don't take much to put two and two

Your lucky streak is now losing you

Money's dried up like a cuticle

You're gasping for air now, it's beautiful

John 10:10, that's my usual

Mamas is falling out in funerals

Embalmed and bloat, they now viewing you

They never find the guns, but the sewers do

Bubbles was sick, he need medicine

Brought him back to life, now he dead again

Richard don't make watches for presidents

Just a million trapped between skeletons

This the darkest that I ever been

The diamonds make you taste peppermint

You ain't thrive in the snow like it's The Revenant

And send orders back down and keep shovelin'

Uncle said, "Nigga, you must be sick

All you talk about is just getting rich"

Choke my neck, nigga, and ice my bitch

Beat the system with chains and whips

Well, when things get dark and your number get called

And you look side to side like, "What did they say?"

And it ain't the Lord's voice and then you realize

That the Devil is talking to you

Hm

I'm not the candidate to vibe with

I don't fuck with the kumbaya shit

All that talent must be godsent

I send yo' ass back to the cosmics

The things I've seen under my eyelids

Kaleidoscope dreams, murder, and sirens

Let's be clear, hip-hop died again

Half of my profits may go to Rakim

How many Judases that let me down?

But fuck it, the West mines, we right now

Therapy showed me how to open up

It also showed me I don't give a fuck

The two-time Gemini with the genocide

I'm generous, however you want it, I'll be the gentle kind

Gentlemen and gangstas connect, the agenda of mine

Move niggas up outta here, this shit get gentrified

Heavy genes like Genovese, I'll drop your Pentagon

Then show up at your at your gender reveal and tell 'em give me mine

I son niggas, I am the general, where my gin and juice?

Every song is the book of Genesis, let the sonics boom

Niggas want the tea on me, well, here's the ginger root

I generate residuals, bitch, get off my genitals

They say I couldn't reach Gen Z, you fuckin' dickheads

You must be full of that ginseng, here comes the jinx, yeah

They genetics been synthetic, screamin' they genius

A finger wave, they all fall, niggas is Jenga

God gave me light, a good year full of free will

Trump card tell me not to spare your life, motherfucker

Well, when things get dark and your number get called

And you look side to side like, "What did they say?"

And it ain't the Lord's voice and then you realize

That the Devil is talking to you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
chains /tʃeɪnz/ B1	noun - a series of connected metal rings used for various purposes (e.g., binding, pulling, jewelry), often symbolizing restraint or wealth.
whips /wɪps/ B1	noun - a strip of leather or cord fastened to a handle, used for striking animals or people, often symbolizing control or punishment.
choke /tʃəʊk/ B2	verb - to prevent (someone) from breathing by constricting their throat; to suppress or hinder something.
system /ˈsɪstəm/ A2	noun - a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a complex whole (e.g., 'beat the system' referring to established rules or authorities).
inappropriate /ˌɪnəˈprəʊpriət/ B2	adjective - not suitable or proper in the circumstances.
repossession /ˌriːpəˈzeʃən/ C1	noun - the action of retaking possession of something, especially property or goods when payments are not made.
enamel /ɪˈnæməl/ B2	noun - a vitreous, usually opaque, protective or decorative coating applied to metal, glass, or pottery; also, the hard, glossy outer surface of teeth.
misery /ˈmɪzəri/ B1	noun - a state or feeling of great distress or discomfort of mind or body.
regression /rɪˈɡreʃən/ B2	noun - a return to a former or less developed state.
obsession /əbˈseʃən/ B1	noun - an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind; a compulsive preoccupation with something or someone.
delicate /ˈdelɪkət/ B2	adjective - easily broken or damaged; fragile; requiring careful handling or sensitivity.
valor /ˈvælər/ C1	noun - great courage, especially in battle.
relevance /ˈreləvəns/ B2	noun - the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate.
embalmed /ɪmˈbɑːmd/ C1	adjective - (of a dead body) preserved from decay, as with spices or chemicals.
thrive /θraɪv/ B2	verb - to grow or develop well or vigorously; to prosper.
candidate /ˈkændɪdət/ B1	noun - a person who is nominated for election or appointed to an official position or honor; a person or thing regarded as suitable for a particular purpose.
judases /ˈdʒuːdəsɪz/ C1	noun - plural of Judas; betrayers or traitors, especially those who betray a trust (referring to Judas Iscariot).
genocide /ˈdʒenəsaɪd/ C1	noun - the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.
gentrified /ˈdʒentrɪfaɪd/ C1	adjective - (of an area or building) having undergone gentrification; renovated or improved so as to conform to middle-class taste, often leading to displacement of original residents.
residuals /rɪˈzɪdjuəlz/ C1	noun - payments made to a performer, writer, or director for repeated showings of a TV show or film, or to a musician for repeated broadcasts of a recording; more broadly, remaining parts or effects.

Key Grammar Structures

• Uncle said, "Nigga, you must be sick"

  ➔ Modal Verb "must" for Deduction

  ➔ "Must" is used here to express a strong belief or logical conclusion about something, based on the speaker's reasoning. It indicates a high degree of certainty. In this case, the uncle is concluding that the person "must be sick" because of their constant talk about getting rich.

• All you talk about is just getting rich

  ➔ Gerund as Subject Complement

  ➔ A gerund (verb + -ing) functions as a noun. Here, "getting rich" acts as the subject complement, defining or describing what "all you talk about" *is*. It means the *act* of getting rich.

• Misery's fueling your regression

  ➔ Present Continuous for Ongoing Action

  ➔ The present continuous tense ("is fueling") indicates an action that is happening now or is ongoing over a period of time. "Misery's" is a contraction of "Misery is".

• Jealousy's turned into obsession

  ➔ Present Perfect for State Change

  ➔ The present perfect tense ("has turned") is used to describe an action or state that began in the past and continues into the present, or an action completed in the past but having a present effect. Here, it indicates a change from "jealousy" to "obsession" that has occurred and is still relevant. "Jealousy's" is a contraction of "Jealousy has".

• You'd think it'd be valor amongst veterans

  ➔ Conditional/Hypothetical with "would" (Contractions 'd)

  ➔ The contractions "You'd" (You would) and "it'd" (it would) are used to express hypothetical situations or expected outcomes. This sentence implies a contrast between what one *might expect* ("valor amongst veterans") and the reality being observed by the speaker.

• I'm watching your fame escape relevance

  ➔ Verb of Perception + Object + Bare Infinitive

  ➔ Verbs of perception (like "watch," "see," "hear," "feel") can be followed by an object and then a bare infinitive (verb without "to") to describe an action that is observed from beginning to end. Here, the speaker observes "your fame" *in the act of* "escaping relevance."

• Money's dried up like a cuticle

  ➔ Present Perfect (Active voice, phrasal verb) and Simile

  ➔ "Money's dried up" is a contraction of "Money has dried up," using the present perfect tense to describe a completed action with present relevance. "Dried up" is a phrasal verb meaning to become completely dry or to diminish. The phrase "like a cuticle" is a simile, comparing the drying up of money to the drying and hardening of a cuticle to create a vivid image.

• This the darkest that I ever been

  ➔ Superlative Adjective and Colloquial Present Perfect

  ➔ "The darkest" is a superlative adjective, indicating the highest degree of darkness. "That I ever been" is a colloquial or informal usage of "that I have ever been" (present perfect), referring to an experience up to the present moment. This structure emphasizes the extreme nature of the current situation.

• Therapy showed me how to open up

  ➔ "how to" + Infinitive

  ➔ The construction "how to" + infinitive is used after certain verbs (like "show," "learn," "teach," "know") to express the manner or method of doing something. Here, "Therapy showed me" *the way* or *the method* "to open up."

• I'm not the candidate to vibe with

  ➔ Adjective + Infinitive (Descriptive use)

  ➔ An infinitive phrase ("to vibe with") can follow an adjective or noun to further describe it or specify its purpose. Here, "to vibe with" describes what kind of "candidate" the speaker is *not*. It implies suitability for a certain kind of interaction.