Kendrick Lamar releases third studio album"to pimp a butterfly"
To Pimp A Butterfly is jazzy. It’s soulful.
It’s (p-)funky. There are even elements of
gospel and spoken word. It incorporates
nearly every genre of black music and
mashes them together flawlessly. Beats
switch fairly frequently and each track
bleeds into the next, making for a holistic,
seamless experience. While it’s near-
impossible to discern production credits, the
hypnotic keys on “How Much A Dollar Cost”
scream Dr. Dre (who also speaks briefly on
“Wesley’s Theory”). To compare it to
Kendrick’s past work, it’s more section.80
than it is good kid, m.A.A.d city, but it’s
most certainly a beast of its own—and
that’s a good thing.
For those worried about the album’s racially
charged content, fear not: the majority of it
is not as abrasive or militant as single “The
Blacker the Berry” would suggest.
It’s genuinely thought-provoking without
being heavy-handed or pandering, getting
its point across through dark humor
(“Sneakin’ through the back window I’m a
good field nigga/I made a flower for you
outta cotton just to chill with you,” he raps
on “Complexion”). Though it contains 80-
minutes of heavy subject matter, most of To
Pimp A Butterfly ‘s production is relatively
laid-back: other than a few songs (“U,”
“The Blacker the Berry”), it’s not something
that’s going to be a mood-killer at a party.
Whether you’re a casual listener or the type
of person who analyzes lyrics on Rap
Genius, this album appears to have near-
infinite mileage for fans of any degree.
Kendrick was already versatile in the flow-
department, but he takes it to the next level
even in that regard, with “U” being a prime
example: he screams. He cries. He raps
while drunk.
The album is highly emotional, and
Kendrick’s passion shines through on every
single track. Even “i,” which got somewhat
lukewarm reception from fans upon its
release, feels vital in context of the album.
It’s much needed catharsis after an album
full of vented anger and frustration. If
section.80 set the stage for the story of
Kendrick’s life on good kid, m.A.A.d city,
then To Pimp A Butterfly shifts focus to
Kendrick’s place in the macro. It feels like
the album Kendrick wanted to make all
along, but didn’t have the means or words
to do it yet: he had to tell his story before
he could move on to the bigger picture. As
previously mentioned, spoken word is
recurring and incorporated throughout, and
Kendrick uses it to explain the “caterpillar
and butterfly” concept (how they are two
sides of the same person) at the end of
“Mortal Man”:
Tracklisting for " to pimp a butterfly"
1 Wesley's Theory (feat.
George Clinton & Thundercat)
2 For Free? (Interlude)
3 King Kunta
4 Institutionalized (feat. Bilal,
Anna Wise & Snoop Dogg)
5 These Walls (feat. Bilal,
Anna Wise & Thundercat)
6 u
7 Alright
8 For Sale? (Interlude)
9 Momma
10 Hood Politics
11 How Much a Dollar Cost
(feat. James Fauntleroy &
Ronald Isley)
12 Complexion (A Zulu Love)
[feat. Rapsody]
13 The Blacker the Berry
14 You Ain't Gotta Lie
(Momma Said)
15 i
16 Mortal Man
Download album here:
http://www.sharebeast.com/t8vhbcnbl9fo
Comments