When he was younger, Top Dawg frequented the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at which Ducky worked; this is the same location that had been robbed a few years prior, and a customer was shot.
The song ends with Lamar stating that if it weren't for these events and circumstances, he would have died in a gunfight without the positive influence of his father, and Top Dawg would be serving life in prison for the murder instead of founding his record label.
[11] Writing for Pitchfork, Matthew Trammel described the song as "a precious origin story, the stuff of rock docs and hood DVDs, and it’s delivered with such precision, vivid detail, and masterful pacing that it can’t possibly be true.
"[12] The song attracted attention of media in the former Yugoslavia due to its sample of "Ostavi trag" ("Leave a Mark") by Yugoslav jazz-rock band September.
[13] The song contains samples of "Atari" by Hiatus Kaiyote,[14] "Ostavi trag" by September, "Let the Drums Speak" by Fatback Band, and "Be Ever Wonderful" by Ted Taylor.