Young Guru Shares Opinion Of Hidden Meanings In Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria”

Young Guru, a well-respected figure in the hip-hop community, is a producer known for his ability to contextualize the genre’s history with clarity. He has worked with hip-hop icons such as Jay-Z and Kanye West and has dedicated time to teaching the next generation of artists. Guru’s comments on Kendrick Lamar’s new diss track, “Euphoria,” are significant because he has pointed out two aspects of the song that have been overlooked.

In his Instagram Stories, Guru has highlighted the first aspect of the song—the audio played at the beginning. The words are played in reverse, but when played forward, Genius confirmed that they say, “Everything about me is true.” Guru confirmed that the line was taken from the 1978 film The Wiz and explained the more extensive statement that Lamar was making about his opponent, Drake. Guru notes that the dance scene in The Wiz points out that pop culture is fake and that Drake is changing the colours like The Wiz. Richard Pryor later admits that he is a fake and a phoney. Guru does not explicitly agree with Lamar, but he asserts that the rapper is making parallels between Drake and Pryor’s characters.

The second aspect of Young Guru’s analysis concerns the beat of “euphoria.” The song samples the Teddy Pendergrass classic “You’re My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration.” Guru notes that Pendergrass suffered a debilitating injury late in his career and had to live the rest of his life paralyzed in a wheelchair. Guru interprets this as another dig at Drake, who played a wheelchair-bound character on Degrassi and referenced Pendergrass in his 2016 single “Child’s Play.”

By drawing attention to the historical and cultural references in the song, Guru’s analysis of “Euphoria” highlights the layers of meaning in the track. He wants listeners to engage with the music on a deeper level and appreciate Lamar’s artistry’s complexity. Guru’s analysis of “Euphoria” is a testament to his deep understanding of the genre and ability to contextualize it with clarity, making him an essential figure in the hip-hop community. His comments on the track serve as a reminder of the enduring power of hip-hop to communicate critical cultural messages.

Young Guru gives details about Kendrick's "Euphoria" 👀 pic.twitter.com/HXuYyYeUHO

— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) May 1, 2024