I wasn’t trying to be provocative but lyrically here Kendrick seems to be talking more openly in a way that only black people talk. There are some issues here he addressed that’s talked about in a way that I have never seen in mixed company and it is very refreshing: I can connect with it even seeing the shortcomings. I hope you find the same amount of value in this as a hip hop record knowing the context. The critical response is more accurate than I thought but still not fully understood. There is bo symbolism on the cover: many black men at the age of having young children face adjusting to long term versus short term goals in this country.