"Humble" (stylized as "HUMBLE.") 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 ...

. It was released on March 30, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment,

Aftermath Entertainment Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...

and

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...

. The song was written by Lamar and producers Mike Will Made It and Pluss. It was provided to

rhythmic contemporary radio Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music- radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release ...

from Lamar's fourth studio album, ''

Damn Damnation (from Latin '' damnatio'') is the concept of divine punishment and torment in an afterlife for actions that were committed, or in some cases, not committed on Earth. In Ancient Egyptian religious tradition, citizens would recite ...

''. "Humble" is Lamar's second number-one single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after " Bad Blood" and his first as a lead artist. The song received four nominations at the

60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongc ...

, including for Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

, winning in the last three categories.

Recording

"Humble" was the first song to be recorded for ''Damn''. The beat for "Humble" was developed by Mike Will Made It, with the intention of recording the song with

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...

. However, the song was later shown to Lamar. After recording, it was initially agreed upon that it would be released on Mike Will Made's debut album '' Ransom 2'', but others convinced Lamar to keep it for his upcoming album.

Critical reception

On the day of its release ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' named it Best New Track, noting that, " umbleis a hard-nosed G check of his lessers, that pivots into imperfect critiques of beauty standards". NPR's Andrew Flanagan thought, "the song, less exploration of contrition on the part of Lamar than an instruction to his peers, picks up a thread NPR Music first examined following that album teaser: how the 'best rapper alive' might explore the theme of God, religion and personal growth." For Alex Young of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outl ...

'', "it's got all the ingredients of a proper lead single: a Mike WiLL Made It-produced beat built on piano and 808 bass, a chorus you can spit along to ('Sit down/ Be humble'), and shoutouts to Grey Poupon and the former president." Writing for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'', Harriet Gibson explained how the song is, "sparse and rigid, beginning with the crunching swipes of an electric guitar, and is led by beats and sinister stabs of piano. It is a showcase for his authoritative lyricism and preacher-like message, while the instrumentation is far from the complex jazz and funk sounds of ''

To Pimp a Butterfly ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the U ...

''... In fact, Humble has more in common with grime's

minimalism In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...

than it does the vintage stylings of his recent output." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' labelled it the best song of the year. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' considered it the third-best, and ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' the sixth. In 2018, ''Billboard'' ranked the song number one on their list of the 20 greatest Kendrick Lamar songs, and in 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song number eight on their list of the 50 greatest Kendrick Lamar songs.

Chart performance

"Humble" debuted at number two and later peaked at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Lamar's first number one and highest-charting single as a lead artist, surpassing " Swimming Pools (Drank)", which peaked at number 17 in 2012. It is his second number one single overall after " Bad Blood", by

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

featuring Lamar. It is also his fourth top 10 single, and marked the highest debut for a hip hop song since " Love the Way You Lie" by

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

featuring

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to t ...

. Selling well over 111,000 copies in its first week, "Humble" became Kendrick Lamar's second number one on the Digital Songs chart, following "Bad Blood". The song was at number 1 on the Hot 100 for one week but got replaced by Bruno Mars song That's What I Like on May 1st, 2017. The song spent its first 15 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100, before dropping to number 11 on the week dated August 5, 2017. "Humble" is the only rap song in 2017 to sell over 1,000,000 digital copies and its certified 7× platinum in the United States. The song also peaked at number one in New Zealand, number two in Australia (where it was later voted into first place in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2017) and Canada, and reached the top 10 in Ireland and the UK.

Music video

Directed by Dave Meyers and The Little Homies and released on March 30, 2017, on Kendrick Lamar's

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...

account, the song's accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

starts with Lamar dressed like the

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

in a

cope The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colours, litu ...

, before then showing Lamar in all black lying on a table of money, "ignorantly" shooting loads of bills from a cash cannon. It also features a reenactment of

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially re ...

's 15th-century painting, '' The Last Supper'', with Lamar sitting in Jesus' chair as his disciples "unappreciatively" gorge on wine and bread. He is also seen teeing off on top of a car, passing mustard between cars mimicking a

Grey Poupon Grey Poupon is a brand of Dijon mustard which originated in Dijon, France. The U.S. rights to the brand were acquired by the Heublein Company, later passing on to Kraft Foods. Grey Poupon became popular in the United States in the late 1970s an ...

commercial and at one point the top of his head is in flames. Fellow TDE rapper

Jay Rock Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a re ...

and producer Sounwave appear in the video alongside other TDE members. Reviewing the music video, ''

'' editor Brad Wete thought it "is a poignant exercise in irony and is also filled with messaging that could be perceived as anti-conformist." He concluded saying "His raps are filterless; he tells it like it is. So it's no surprise that this dynamic video is essentially what Lamar is as an artist: balanced with a clear message." Althea Legaspi of ''

'' described it as "richly symbolic." For Harriet Gibson of ''

'', "the brilliantly cinematic video, with its fish-eye lens and cartoonish stylising, recalls classic

Hype Williams Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Ade ...

, and leads the viewer through these passages of assignation, fleshing out Lamar's ideas. It breathes life into a song that would hardly be considered his greatest creation, but neatly lays out a mood of intent." Matt Miller of ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'' opined about the rapper's videography: "in recent years, Kendrick Lamar has revived the music video as a powerful form of social commentary." Nominated for eight categories at the

2017 MTV Video Music Awards The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 27, 2017 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, honoring music videos released between June 25, 2016 and June 23, 2017. It was hosted by Katy Perry. The 34th annual award show aired live from th ...

, "Humble" won six, including Video of the Year.

Usage in media

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

and ABC used the song, along with "DNA" and "Loyalty", as their lead song for their NBA Playoff coverage. The 21st season premiere of '' South Park'', "

White People Renovating Houses "White People Renovating Houses" is the first episode in the twenty-first season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. It is the 278th episode of the series overall, and first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on S ...

", featured a character performing the song in a country-style parody. The song is also heard in other television shows such as '' Skam'' and ''

Black-ish ''Black-ish'' (stylized as black·''ish'', `black·''ish'', and black''ish'') is an American sitcom television series created by Kenya Barris. It aired on ABC from September 24, 2014, to April 19, 2022, running for eight seasons. ''Black-ish' ...

.'' "Humble" is featured and remixed in '' YouTube Rewind: The Shape of 2017''. "Humble" is also featured on ''

NBA 2K18 ''NBA 2K18'' is a 2017 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the 19th installment in the ''NBA 2K'' franchise, the successor to ''NBA 2K17'', and the predecessor to '' NBA 2K19''. It was ...

''’s in-game soundtrack. The song was sampled by

for the track " Greatest" on his 2018 album ''

Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to ...

''. A remix of the song is also featured in the teaser trailer for ''

Shazam! Shazam () may refer to: Comic book franchise * Captain Marvel (DC Comics), also known as Shazam, a superhero character published by Fawcett Comics and DC Comics ** Shazam (wizard), a character from the ''Shazam!/Captain Marvel'' comics, who give ...

.'' The song was featured in the

Super Bowl LVI Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams defeated the American Football Conference ...

halftime show trailer, but was not performed during its halftime show.

Remixes

Many remixes have been made, including by singer

Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...

, released on May 3, 2017, and by electronic dance music producer

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...

, released on September 22, 2017.

Live performances

Lamar performed "Humble" live as a closer at the

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

on April 23, 2017. Lamar has also performed "Humble" on the Damn tour. Lamar performed the song during his

. Lamar also performed the song as part of his special performance at halftime of the

2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the 2017 season. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bul ...

Awards

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the official ''Damn'' digital booklet. *

– songwriter * Mike Will Made It – songwriter, producer *Matt Schaeffer –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

*Derek Ali – mixing *Tyler Page – mix assistant *Cyrus Taghipour – mix assistant *Derrick McCall – assistant

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2017 songs 2017 singles Kendrick Lamar songs Songs written by Kendrick Lamar Song recordings produced by Mike Will Made It Songs written by Mike Will Made It Top Dawg Entertainment singles Aftermath Entertainment singles Interscope Records singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Number-one singles in New Zealand Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director) MTV Video of the Year Award MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video Songs written by Asheton Hogan