Understanding Kendrick Lamar's Most Misunderstood Song

What is "Rich Spirit" really about?

It’s easy to think “Rich Spirit” is about Kendrick Lamar’s spiritual progress. After all, it’s in the name of the song. He’s ditching Instagram, cutting off toxic influences, and fasting. He doesn’t even seem to be phased by his cousin’s attempts to sue him. Money is no longer an object for him, so he’s planning to give all of his away.

His progress is remarkable.

It’s almost hard to believe that just two songs prior, Kendrick was struggling to abandon his “fuck everybody, go get your money” attitude. Sure, it wasn’t really his attitude (his father practically bullied him into it), but that doesn’t mean it should be this easy for him to change. If anything, the whole point of the album is to show how hard it is to break generational curses.

What’s going on here?

The closer you look, the less sense this song makes. If Kendrick is so spiritually rich, why is the next song a massive fight? And in that fight, why does his girl say he “won’t buy shit,” in contrast with his earlier generosity?

It’s also baffling why Kendrick would put a song about his spiritual attainment less than halfway through the album, seemingly out of order with his struggles. It’s almost like Kendrick isn’t as spiritual as he claims. But then this leads to a big question:

If Kendrick isn’t that spiritual yet, why is it called Rich Spirit?

Does Kendrick not see the hypocrisy in saying how spiritual he is? Is he oblivious to the surface level nature of social media abstinence and fasting, or does he genuinely believe these practices are the answer to his deeper problems?

In “We Cry Together”, the fiery fight song that comes after “Rich Spirit”, is he aware of how ego-engulfed his actions make him look? Or does he see the woman he’s arguing with as the problem - someone who is just bringing him down from his spiritual journey?

He Knows He’s a Hypocrite

Kendrick knows that he’s a hypocrite. He’s aware of all these problems, and he’s intentionally written the song to reflect this awareness.

Let’s look at what the title really means.

Rich Spirit.

This would seem to contrast with having a poor spirit. But is it bad to be poor in spirit?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said, “for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.” What does “poor in spirit” mean? No inner baggage, no identifications. Not with things, nor with any mental concepts that have a sense of self in them."

(Source: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle)

Huh - the poor in spirit are blessed?

Yeah.

At least according to Eckhart Tolle. If that seems random, know that he is a recurring figure on the album. His book, A New Earth, which I pulled the quote from, is even referenced at the end of Rich Spirit.

Where does that leave those with a rich spirit?

Those rich in spirit are egotistical and deeply attached to their sense of self. But what is Kendrick attached to? He said he’d give away his money, and he seems to be doing vaguely spiritual things. Eckhart Tolle explains how this can still lead to egoic attachment:

Renunciation of possessions, however, will not automatically free you of the ego. It will attempt to ensure its survival by finding something else to identify with, for example, a mental image of yourself as someone who has transcended all interest in material possessions and is therefore superior, is more spiritual than others.

(Source: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle)

Now we can see what a rich spirit is - it’s the spirit of a rich person. Whether that’s a stingy billionaire or a spiritual guru with a superiority complex doesn’t matter - it’s the strong identification with something that counts. They still can’t let go.

A Fresh Perspective

In Kendrick’s case, he seems to have traded his attachment for wealth and fame with an attachment to spirituality.

As he says in an earlier version of the song, “Fuck who’s hot / It’s all about who’s centered and who’s not.”

In fact, comparing the more direct lyricism of this earlier version to the almost cryptic final version can help to highlight the maturity of the new lyrics.

For example, compare Kendrick’s distaste for the performative nature of social media.

In the older version, Kendrick says it directly - he hates how people pretend to care when somebody dies.

What I hate the most? Oh, when somebody die

When somebody die, you will say you in your feelings

When somebody die, you will say that was your n****

When somebody die, you gon' ask for forgiveness

When somebody die, you gon' use it for attention

When somebody die, everybody fake woke

When somebody die, coping mechanisms is a joke

When somebody die, how many want to be a part of it? Fuck the condolences, it's all about the art of it

His vicious judgement has an implication - Kendrick thinks he is (spiritually) better than these people for not doing this. But the subtle irony is lost in the bluntness of the lyrics.

Compare this to what made it in the final version:

I pray to God you actually pray when somebody dies

Thoughts and prayers, way better off timelines

Kendrick has written in intentional hypocrisy. How can he pray for people to keep their prayers offline, on a song that will be listened to by hundreds of millions?

This isn’t just a mistake on his part. We see this pattern show up over and over again, where Kendrick rewrites his judgements in a way that is self-contradictory.

Originally, Kendrick straight up says he hates clout-chasing:

Let's talk about the things that I hate

I hate the trendyness, I hate the gossip, can't relate

I hate opinions when the subject got no real estate

I hate the men and woman, into saving face

But in the final version, Kendrick denounces clout-chasing and follows it up by immediately bragging:

Ay, clout-chasing hell of a disease, brother

I’m fasting, four days out the week, brother

Really bro? Are you actually not eating four days a week?

But it turns out that this ridiculous brag has Biblical relevance.

No, that’s not a joke. This is a reference to the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

The Pharisee

In the parable, the Pharisee relishes in his spiritual superiority to everybody else, while the lowly tax collector humbles himself and begs for mercy. In the end, the tax collector’s humility earns him forgiveness, and the Pharisee’s hubris leads to his judgement.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Just like the Pharisee, Kendrick places his spirituality on fasting and giving away money.

But Kendrick one-ups the Pharisee, fasting four days a week instead of just two.

Sidenote: Funnily enough, stories like these have caused the term Pharisee to mean hypocrite, although it might be more complicated than that.

This comical exaggeration serves as subtext: Kendrick, too, is clout-chasing by writing a song about his “Rich Spirit” and flexing how much he is fasting.

Why does he make it so complicated?

Let’s think about what Kendrick is actually trying to express:

He had a mini spiritual awakening, and as a result started to see the dysfunction in everything around him.

All of a sudden, he saw the ego in social media. The constant comparison with others, the clout-chasing, the corner cutting of integrity for validation - all of it disgusted him.

So he left. Not just from social media, but from all of his toxic influences. He distanced himself from others and donated his money (or at least planned to).

Until he realized he was doing the same thing.

His judgement of others was a reflection of his own spiritual mistake. As soon as he tried to abandon his ego, it wrapped around the next thing it could find - being ego-less - and he remained trapped.

So he found himself praying for private prayers, virtue signaling against show-offs, and bragging about being above the pyramid of comparison.

And now, he realizes he messed up.

How should he say that?

I see a few options he could’ve taken:

1. The Story Approach - present his initial emotions in their rawest form, and let the overall story of the album provide the nuances

2. The Direct Version - just say what he’s trying to say, and say it well

3. The Nuanced Version - use clever writing to hide the meaning between the lines

These all have the potential to make great songs, but they have certain drawbacks.

The Story Approach is great for pure emotional impact, but can make it hard to tell where the author truly stands. Are rappers who talk about drowning their feelings in lean making a deep point about the harms of drug use, or are they just hopelessly addicted?

On the other hand, The Direct Version can be deeply visual, dramatic, and inspiring. However, it can come off as cheesy and preachy if done wrong, and doesn’t lend itself to much analysis.

The Nuanced Version is the trickiest to get right. Adding double entendres, obscure allusions, and hidden wordplay inherently waters down the impact of each line. Phrasing has to become more vague and awkward to accommodate extra meanings. And at the end of the day, it might all go over the listener’s head.

Kendrick went the right way.

Kendrick chose to go with The Nuanced Version, and now most listeners don’t even understand the title. I mean, seriously, who’s supposed to know that having a rich spirit is bad? The Nuanced Version is confusing, cryptic, and challenging.

Yet it’s by far the most rewarding. It turns the experience from passive to active. The story goes beyond the lyrics themselves and begins to include the listener’s own journey as they find new meanings.

Through this approach, Kendrick Lamar ensures "Rich Spirit" is more than just a song - it's an experience. He invites us to join him on his journey, to share in his struggles and his revelations. This version, with its layers of complexity and depth, rewards repeated listens, with each one revealing new layers of meaning.

So, what does it all mean?

It means Kendrick has a rich spirit. He’s adopted a new egotistical identity as a "spiritually enlightened" person. He tries to humble himself, yet can't help but slip into subtle boasts and judgments, revealing his attachment to being perceived as spiritually superior.

Ultimately, the song highlights the constant inner work required for true spiritual development. There are no shortcuts. While symbolic acts like social media fasting and generosity can reflect inner change, they do not guarantee it. Spiritual maturity requires maintaining beginner's mind - being open, humble, and aware of one's own limitations.

Kendrick skillfully weaves this message into a multi-layered song filled with religious allusions and self-aware hypocrisy. By rewarding close analysis, "Rich Spirit" mirrors the challenging lifelong process of spiritual growth. It reminds us that the path is winding, demanding continual self-reflection and evolution of perspective. Kendrick's lyrical choices force us, as listeners, to participate in unraveling the song's meanings - much like unraveling the ego on the road to enlightenment.

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