Īb-Soul has stated in interviews that he highly influenced the song. Using Kurt Cobain's suicide and Lauryn Hill's recent troubles as examples, he repeatedly states in the lyrics of the song that society pushes people to act in crazy or evil ways. His lyrics also connect to the militancy of the Black Panthers by referencing cop-killing ("I got my finger on the mothafuckin' pistol/ Aiming it at a pig, Charlotte's web is gonna miss you"). He claims that many of these activists, specifically noting Black Panther Party's leaders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, lived by the ideals of HiiiPoWeR. Kendrick Lamar makes multiple references to high-profile black activists of the 20th century, including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, and Fred Hampton. While carrying a strong racial theme, the lyrics contain a mix of conspiracy theories about the government's involvement in famous murders, criticism of society, and encouragement to build the future. The song was created to further explain the HiiiPoWeR platform or the ideas driving it. Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul (the other three members of Black Hippy Crew) all support the movement as well, and often shout "HiiiPoWeR" on their own respective songs, such as on Schoolboy Q's "There He Go" and Ab-Soul's "Black Lip Bastard Remix". Additionally, towards the end of the song Kendrick Lamar shouts " Thug Life", which is both the name of the hip hop group that Shakur led, and the title of the aforementioned group's debut album, but more importantly it was Shakur's own respective movement. The opening of the music video for "HiiiPoWeR" contains a typed paragraph mentioning this encounter. He claims to have had a dream or hallucination in which Shakur came to him one night and said, "Keep doing what you're doing, don't let my music die." Lamar cites this experience as what inspired him to write the song partly to continue the messages that Shakur tried to carry.
![section 80 album cover meaning section 80 album cover meaning](https://cdn10.bigcommerce.com/s-99klc1qm/products/48425/images/111148/c0000822__80548.1565219660.500.750.jpg)
Lamar often connects the HiiiPoWeR movement back to Tupac Shakur, one of his biggest influences. In "Ab-Souls Outro", the penultimate track on Section.80, Ab-Soul explains that the purpose of the HiiiPoWeR movement is to help lift a generation in a society that they view as destructive. Lamar continues, to explain that the three 'i's in the word "HiiiPoWeR" stand for heart, honor and respect-the three main things that people should have and live by.
![section 80 album cover meaning section 80 album cover meaning](https://mirror80.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/album-cover-header.jpg)
In an interview, Lamar claims that although it originated in Los Angeles, "HiiiPoWeR" is now "spreading like wildfire." It is a response to the ever-increasing destructive nature of the culture in the US, both the mainstream culture and more importantly the hip hop culture, which some would say is wallowing at an all-time low since its birth in the 1970s.
![section 80 album cover meaning section 80 album cover meaning](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEICPfuWYAALx_N.png)
Kendrick Lamar and his Black Hippy cohort Ab-Soul, describe "HiiiPoWeR" as a movement, adding that they treat it as if it were a religion. Lamar performing at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, 2012.