--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a…" description: "\"I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a goat\" — Kendrick Lamar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg" --- # I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a goat ![“I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a goat” quote by Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg) > “I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a goat” [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling like an outsider can become a badge of identity, yet acceptance may still be sought. **In simple terms:** Black sheep can become a goat, embracing new identity. Key Takeaway Reframe outsider status into confidence. Themes identity self‑acceptance growth culture Mood confident reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal branding - community building - mental health - artistic expression - social movements Key Concepts social identity theory self‑concept resilience Questions to Reflect On - How does redefining labels empower you? - When is it healthy to embrace outsider status? A Different Perspective Risk of trivializing genuine struggles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-sheep/) [Goat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goat/) [Goats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goats/) [Just Goat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-goat-5695427/) [Sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheep/) [Sheep Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheep-just-4067862/) ## Related quotes > [I hate the term black sheep, but I just felt like I wasn't keeping up. It was a subtle pressure I put on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnamdi-asomugha/i-hate-the-term-black-sheep-but-i-just-felt-like-i-wasn-t-keeping-up/) [Nnamdi Asomugha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnamdi-asomugha/) > [After all, the wool of a black sheep is just as warm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-lehman/after-all-the-wool-of-a-black-sheep-is-just-as-warm/) [Ernest Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-lehman/) > [The goat's business is none of the sheep's concern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-ferber/the-goat-s-business-is-none-of-the-sheep-s-concern/) [Edna Ferber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-ferber/) > [It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-don-t-take-a-genius-to-spot-a-goat-in-a-flock-of-sheep/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [If I choose to write about sheep, it's just because I happened to write about sheep. There is no deep significance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-i-choose-to-write-about-sheep-it-s-just-because-i-happened-to/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [On second thought, I think I am more crazy than my goat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remedios-varo/on-second-thought-i-think-i-am-more-crazy-than-my-goat/) [Remedios Varo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remedios-varo/) > [The Warrior of the Light never forgets the old saying: The good little goat doesn't bleat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-warrior-of-the-light-never-forgets-the-old-saying-the-good-little/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You never have to wait long, or look far, to be reminded of how thin the line is between being a hero or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-mantle/you-never-have-to-wait-long-or-look-far-to-be-reminded-of-how-thin/) [Mickey Mantle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-mantle/) > [A diamond, which is the hardest of stones, not yielding unto steel, emery or any other thing, is yet made soft by the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/a-diamond-which-is-the-hardest-of-stones-not-yielding-unto-steel/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [When I was eight years old, I wrote a paragraph-long short story about a goat on my mother's hundred-pound, black-and-white-screen laptop. The story came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/when-i-was-eight-years-old-i-wrote-a-paragraph-long-short-story-about/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [I had a ton of animals; I had a goat growing up, a bunch of rabbits, a vegetable garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-williams/i-had-a-ton-of-animals-i-had-a-goat-growing-up-a-bunch-of-rabbits-a/) [Kelli Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-williams/) > [The goat, for us, is an image that's stuck in our heads since we were kids, coming from Iowa people are like 'Beware the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-goat-for-us-is-an-image-that-s-stuck-in-our-heads-since-we-were/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'd like to see you move up to the goat class, where I think you belong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-d-like-to-see-you-move-up-to-the-goat-class-where-i-think-you-belong/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Well, I knew that goat would be a little gold mine," I say. Yes, of course I was referring to that, not the lasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/well-i-knew-that-goat-would-be-a-little-gold-mine-i-say-yes-of-course/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“The only problem with having sex with a goat is you have to walk around to the front when you want to kiss them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-problem-with-having-sex-with-a-goat-is-you-have-to-walk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Kendrick Lamar > [I think that's why I put my energy into making music. That's how I get my thoughts out, instead of being crazy all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-think-that-s-why-i-put-my-energy-into-making-music-that-s-how-i-get/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [ Got in the studio at sixteen, \[and\] that's when I felt like I wanted to make this a career. I had a passion for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/got-in-the-studio-at-sixteen-and-that-s-when-i-felt-like-i-wanted-to/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Black and brown pride have been taught in my household for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/black-and-brown-pride-have-been-taught-in-my-household-for-a-long-time/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Everybody has their own way of hearing songs. My fans are usually pretty on point. Sometimes they go all the way to the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/everybody-has-their-own-way-of-hearing-songs-my-fans-are-usually/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I don't really believe in the type of pressure that people are wanting to put on the type of music that I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-don-t-really-believe-in-the-type-of-pressure-that-people-are/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I've got an extra-specific story about Dr. Dre. I saw him when I was 9 years old in Compton - him and Tupac. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-ve-got-an-extra-specific-story-about-dr-dre-i-saw-him-when-i-was-9/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Brother Kendrick Lamar: he's not a rapper, he's a writer, he's an author. And if you read between the lines, we'll learn how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/brother-kendrick-lamar-he-s-not-a-rapper-he-s-a-writer-he-s-an-author/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [You can have the platinum album, but when you still feel like you haven't quite found your place in the world - it kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-can-have-the-platinum-album-but-when-you-still-feel-like-you/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it-s-human-music/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work rather than just a 16-bar verse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-passion-is-bringing-storylines-around-and-constructing-a-full-body/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I'm only as good as my last word, my last hook, my last bridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-m-only-as-good-as-my-last-word-my-last-hook-my-last-bridge/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [The message I'm sending to myself - I can't change the world until I change myself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/the-message-i-m-sending-to-myself-i-can-t-change-the-world-until-i/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [We all seem to stumble, planning our own demise, Getting the big picture, and making it wallet-sized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-all-seem-to-stumble-planning-our-own-demise-getting-the-big/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I was raised inside the gang culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-raised-inside-the-gang-culture/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [We look so much on color that we forget about the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-look-so-much-on-color-that-we-forget-about-the-soul/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) [Explore all 266 Kendrick Lamar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) [Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a goat", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kendrick Lamar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-goat/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-goat/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/kendrick-lamar-1241_black_i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-g_1533377.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was a black sheep, but now I'm just a goat” — Kendrick Lamar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kendrick Lamar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was a black sheep, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-goat/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-a-black-sheep-but-now-i-m-just-a-goat/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```