"God" (stylized as "GOD.") is a song by American rapper
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...
, from his fourth studio album ''
Damn'', released on April 14, 2017. The thirteenth and penultimate track on the album (second on the ''Collector's Edition'' of ''Damn''
), the song was produced by Riera, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Bëkon, Cardo, Tiffith, with additional production by Yung Exclusive, Mike Hector and
Teddy Walton
Travis Darelle "Teddy" Walton (born July 30, 1992, in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American record producer, songwriter and DJ. He began music production by creating songs with his older brother, June, which gained traction on SoundCloud. Teddy has ...
.
The song details Lamar's successes, how it feels, and why he works so hard to get to where he is today. The song also finds Lamar declaring his faux-divinity as a rap god.
Background
Before the release of ''Damn'', the album itself was rumored to be centered around
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
. It was soon confirmed by Lamar himself. Lamar has been a devout
Christian since approximately his late teen years or adolescence.
Lyrics
According to Jake Woolf of ''
GQ'' magazine, Lamar
trolls
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
Canadian musician and rapper
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
by imitating his singing voice on the song's
chorus.
Live performances
Lamar performed "God" live at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 23, 2017.
Lamar has performed "God" at every show as an encore on
the Damn tour
The Damn Tour (stylized as The DAMN. Tour) was a concert tour by American rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, in support of his fourth studio album, '' Damn'' (2017). The tour's North American leg began on July 12, 2017, in Glendale, Arizona ...
.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the official ''Damn'' digital booklet.
*Kendrick Lamar – songwriter
*Ricci Riera – songwriter, producer
*
Mark Spears – songwriter, producer
*
Dacoury Natche – songwriter, producer
*Daniel Tannenbaum – songwriter
*Bēkon – producer, additional vocals
*
Ronald LaTour – songwriter, producer
*Anthony Tiffith – songwriter, producer
*Mike Hector – additional drums
*Derek Ali – mixing
*Tyler Page – mix assistant
*Cyrus Taghipour – mix assistant
Charts
Certifications
References
{{authority control
2017 songs
Kendrick Lamar songs
Songs written by Kendrick Lamar
Songs written by DJ Dahi
Songs written by Sounwave
Songs written by Cardo (record producer)
Songs written by Teddy Walton
Songs written by Daniel Tannenbaum