10 Greatest Ever Story Songs
5. How Much a Dollar Cost- Kendrick Lamar
After the monumental success of his album Good Kid Maad City, Kendrick Lamar had become extremely desensitized with his newfound fame. Across his followup To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar returns to his old stomping grounds in Compton to find that everything has changed due to his fame.
In "How Much a Dollar Cost," Lamar comes across a homeless man who asks him for money. Lamar initially refuses and gets in his new luxury car, but the exchange doesn't end. The homeless man proceeds to stare at Lamar's car and Kendrick begins to feel uneasy. Once the final verse hits, the homeless man speaks up and reveals himself to be an embodiment of God who is disappointed in Kendrick's behavior.
The song has Kendrick using this story as an opportunity to look inward and make sure that he keeps his morals while in the spotlight. Lamar perfectly tells about how his fame has become a bit of a cage for him and he must find a way to come to terms with his newfound starpower. This is a poignant look into Kendrick's psyche while also being a cautionary tale about how to treat those that are in a different situation than your own.