In 'Descending Flames II: Inferno,' Kendrick Lamar brings his lyrical prowess to the second circle of hell as depicted in Dante's Inferno, blending clever wordplay and intense themes. With long, intricate verses, this track is a deep dive into the complexities of desire and punishment, channeling a unique fusion of Lana Del Rey's writing style with rap's hard-hitting rhythm.
[Verse 1]
We hit the gates surrounded by lust, no trust
Spiraling downwards, it's a must, this dark abyss adjusts
Can't fight the pull, it's stronger than steel
Stolen glances meanin' more than what's real
I'm channelin' beats from a deep, dark gutter
Every word drips like a bitter-sugar stutter
God ain't got no love for the sinners, but damn
This ain't about salvation; it's about who I am
[Pre-Chorus]
In the second layer, you feel the fire
No divine intervention, just carnal desires
Whisper sweet nothings, every word's a play
In a world full of sinners, who’s countin' the days?
[Chorus]
Descending flames, feel'em burn (yeah)
A love that twists, ain't no return (no)
From ashes to ashes, we rise and we fall
In this inferno, we lose it all
[Verse 2]
I'm a verbal architect diggin' through ruins
Crafted syllables capture the gloom in
Satan's playground, it's a melancholic tale
Bodies intertwined, every sinner's compelled
Seductive tunes laced with doom
From the darkest corners, pressed like flowers in a tomb
Word games twist minds, Dante's guide on my trail
In these labyrinths, deeper truths unveil
[Pre-Chorus]
In the second layer, you feel the fire
No divine intervention, just carnal desires
Whisper sweet nothings, every word's a play
In a world full of sinners, who’s countin' the days?
[Chorus]
Descending flames, feel'em burn (yeah)
A love that twists, ain't no return (no)
From ashes to ashes, we rise and we fall
In this inferno, we lose it all
[Bridge]
Lustful whispers on a dead-end road
Echoes of regrets in a forbidden code
Envy bleeds green in the fire's glow
Secrets of the doomed, only shadows know
[Verse 3]
Down here, every letter's a dagger
Cutting through lies, revealing the swagger
No heaven to touch, just Hell's velvet cloak
I'm the scribe in this chaos, revvin' the provoked
Through stanzas and bars, navigate flames and scars
Bound to this loop under damning stars
With every word, caress and curse
In this darkened verse, I'm fully immersed
[Pre-Chorus]
In the second layer, you feel the fire
No divine intervention, just carnal desires
Whisper sweet nothings, every word's a play
In a world full of sinners, who’s countin' the days?
[Chorus]
Descending flames, feel'em burn (yeah)
A love that twists, ain't no return (no)
From ashes to ashes, we rise and we fall
In this inferno, we lose it all
[Outro]
In the echoes of time, we find our place
Lost in the fire, can't erase
Our tangled minds with clever word's spell
In the second circle, forever dwell
[Verse 1] C#m G#m A E We hit the gates surrounded by lust, no trust C#m G#m A E Spiraling downwards, it's a must, this dark abyss adjusts C#m G#m A E Can't fight the pull, it's stronger than steel C#m G#m A E Stolen glances meanin' more than what's real C#m G#m A E I'm channelin' beats from a deep, dark gutter C#m G#m A E Every word drips like a bitter-sugar stutter C#m G#m A E God ain't got no love for the sinners, but damn C#m G#m A E This ain't about salvation; it's about who I am [Pre-Chorus] F#m C#m In the second layer, you feel the fire A E No divine intervention, just carnal desires F#m C#m Whisper sweet nothings, every word's a play A E In a world full of sinners, who’s countin' the days? [Chorus] C#m A E Descending flames, feel'em burn (yeah) C#m A E A love that twists, ain't no return (no) C#m A E From ashes to ashes, we rise and we fall C#m A E In this inferno, we lose it all [Verse 2] C#m G#m A E I'm a verbal architect diggin' through ruins C#m G#m A E Crafted syllables capture the gloom in C#m G#m A E Satan's playground, it's a melancholic tale C#m G#m A E Bodies intertwined, every sinner's compelled C#m G#m A E Seductive tunes laced with doom C#m G#m A E From the darkest corners, pressed like flowers in a tomb C#m G#m A E Word games twist minds, Dante's guide on my trail C#m G#m A E In these labyrinths, deeper truths unveil [Pre-Chorus] F#m C#m In the second layer, you feel the fire A E No divine intervention, just carnal desires F#m C#m Whisper sweet nothings, every word's a play A E In a world full of sinners, who’s countin' the days? [Chorus] C#m A E Descending flames, feel'em burn (yeah) C#m A E A love that twists, ain't no return (no) C#m A E From ashes to ashes, we rise and we fall C#m A E In this inferno, we lose it all [Bridge] A E Lustful whispers on a dead-end road C#m G#m Echoes of regrets in a forbidden code A E Envy bleeds green in the fire's glow C#m G#m Secrets of the doomed, only shadows know [Verse 3] C#m G#m A E Down here, every letter's a dagger C#m G#m A E Cutting through lies, revealing the swagger C#m G#m A E No heaven to touch, just Hell's velvet cloak C#m G#m A E I'm the scribe in this chaos, revvin' the provoked C#m G#m A E Through stanzas and bars, navigate flames and scars C#m G#m A E Bound to this loop under damning stars C#m G#m A E With every word, caress and curse C#m G#m A E In this darkened verse, I'm fully immersed [Pre-Chorus] F#m C#m In the second layer, you feel the fire A E No divine intervention, just carnal desires F#m C#m Whisper sweet nothings, every word's a play A E In a world full of sinners, who’s countin' the days? [Chorus] C#m A E Descending flames, feel'em burn (yeah) C#m A E A love that twists, ain't no return (no) C#m A E From ashes to ashes, we rise and we fall C#m A E In this inferno, we lose it all [Outro] C#m G#m A E In the echoes of time, we find our place C#m G#m A E Lost in the fire, can't erase C#m G#m A E Our tangled minds with clever word's spell C#m G#m A E In the second circle, forever dwell
Sure, let's create the drum beat and tempo for "Descending Flames II: Inferno" to match the dark, complex themes and intricate verses.
Kick Drum: Solid 4/4 beat, giving a heartbeat-like feel.
Snare Drum: Sharp, echoing, almost haunting to complement the lyrics.
Hi-Hat: Closed hi-hat with a slight swing, creating a fluid, smoky atmosphere.
Percussion/Effects:
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | S | K | S | ||||
| K | S | K | S | ||||
| C | h | C | h | C | h | C | h |
| T |
This combination gives the track a brooding, slow-burn vibe that fits the descent through the inferno, capturing both intensity and complexity.
Clever word play Lana Del Rey writing Style rap swearing adult themes about the second layer of hell and dante's inferno long verses
Kendrick lamar