| Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter | |
| Type: | song |
| Artist: | Kendrick Lamar |
| Album: | Good Kid, M.A.A.D City |
| Released: | October 22, 2012 |
| Recorded: | 2012 |
| Length: | 4:33 |
"Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his major-label debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012).[1]
Lamar told Complex that he was in Atlanta, where Tha Bizness gave him the beat and wrote the song soon after. "I was in Atlanta when Tha Bizness gave me the beat. Immediately I got a vibe where I wanted to talk about a specific girl back when I was growing up. A specific story that leads down the line into the album. I got the track and I started writing and I went back home and laid it down".[2]
"Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter" is an introduction to the storyline of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The song opens with a prayer for eternal salvation, recited by Kendrick Lamar's longtime friends. An eerie beat, produced by Tha Bizness, is introduced at the end of the prayer. The lyrics discuss a sexual relationship between Lamar's 17-year-old self and a young woman under the fictional name Sherane. While driving to Sherane's house for a sexual encounter, he is attacked by two gang members, saying "I pulled up, a smile on my face, and then I see / Two niggas, two black hoods / I froze as my phone rang". The song ends with a voicemail of Lamar's mother asking him for her car back and his father asking for Domino's pizza.[3] [4] [5]
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. In a review of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, XXL praises the song for its lyrics and usage of skits, saying, "Every record is both complexly arranged and sonically fitting, foregrounding Kendrick's vivid lyricism and amazing control of cadence. There’s not a single loophole. From the prayers on 'Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter' to the triumphant ending on 'Compton', each skit and track interweaves one another, solidifying a complete picture".[6]