Released2015
4:31

Album

The album Institutionalized is part of.

Released By

The record label that has released Institutionalized.
© 2015 Aftermath/Interscope (Top Dawg Entertainment)
℗ 2015 Aftermath/Interscope (Top Dawg Entertainment)

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Trivia

Interesting facts about Institutionalized. By Songfacts.

Kendrick Lamar's lyrics here are centered on the corruptive powers of wealth, and the strong hold institutionalization has on people living in the ghetto. The track was produced by K-Dot's frequent collaborator Rahki (he also helmed To Pimp a Butterfly's lead single "I") and Tommy Black, whose other Lamar credits include "Blow My High (Members Only)" "Heaven and Hell" and "Chapter Six."


Bilal croons the chorus from the perspective of K-Dot's grandma. The neo-soul singer, who has also worked with Common, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and The Roots, has multiple appearances on To Pimp A Butterfly. He told Billboard magazine: "I know I worked on a ton of songs when we were together in the studio. But I didn't know what was what. While we were in there, Kendrick said, 'I want you to be on a lot of the records.' I thought he was just saying that. [Laughs] Sometimes when you do songs, they don't always make the final cut. But wow, this is crazy and cool."


Snoop Dogg's bridge sets up Lamar's second verse, which is a conversation between the Compton rapper and his friend at a night club. Snoop also raps the outro, in which he describes the 5ft 6 Lamar as "5 foot something, dazed and confused. Talented but still under the neighborhood ruse."

Audio Analysis

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8.7MArtists
110.7MSongs
21MAlbums
6.8KGenres
3.9MLabels
526.2KPlaylists