To Pimp A Butterfly (released March 16, 2015)
As Black History Month begins to come to a close, I think it’s important to look back at the wise words of a genius: Kendrick Lamar on his masterpiece album, To Pimp A Butterfly.
Kendrick Lamar is one of hip-hop’s biggest names due to his incredible lyricism, honesty and story-telling ability. He had released a few mixtapes early in his career but Kendrick really began to burst on the scene with his first studio album Section.80. It was with his next release, good kid, m.A.A.d city however, where he really became one of rap music’s biggest stars.
This album was critically acclaimed for Kendrick’s incredible narrative about his time as a young man in Compton. All four singles released from the album proceeded to make it up to the top 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified triple platinum in June 2018. This is relevant to To Pimp A Butterfly because this album follows good kid, m.A.A.d city, and is very much a response to his newfound fame in the music industry. Themes on the album include the division in the Black community, gang violence, and systemic racism among other things.
“To Pimp A Butterfly,” is a cinematic story of a young man achieving rap fame, yet still trying to find himself. If you’re looking for a rehash of K. Dot’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City, you’re gonna be pretty disappointed. This album told a different story and required a different melodic backdrop. Kendrick’s a bit like OutKast, an artist who reinvents their style with every album yet never losing their artistic touch. And just like Kast has in the past, Kendrick’s album relies on jazzy, soulful production as he weaves his tapestry.
To Pimp a Butterfly is an immaculate amalgamation of rap, jazz, funk, soul, and spoken word. It cannot be restricted by a single genre. It’s the latest evolution of Black Music, and it’s nothing short of genius. (Black Music, inhabited by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Prince, the Fugees, Andre 3000, and D’Angelo. A land where the natural barriers of music don’t exist. A place where the main goal is the advancement and protection of the culture.)
To Pimp a Butterfly is an immaculate amalgamation of rap, jazz, funk, soul, and spoken word. It cannot be restricted by a single genre. It’s the latest evolution of Black Music, and it’s nothing short of genius.
The album opens with “Wesley’s Theory”, a song that definitely sets the stage for many of the themes of the album. The first theme is evident from the beginning of the song with the Boris Gardiner sample. This sample is from a 1970s song trying to encourage black pride, which certainly goes with many of the themes on the album, specifically those present in “Complexion”, “i” and “Mortal Man”.
“Wesley’s Theory” then proceeds to move all over the place with pitch-shifted vocals from Josef Leinberg, a fun braggadocious verse from Kendrick talking about his come-up in the industry, incredible singing from Thundercat and George Clinton, and a memorable Dr. Dre cameo that talks about the difficulty of sustained success. From here we go straight into the meat of the song, Kendrick’s more serious second verse. In the second verse, he steps into the role of Uncle Sam, putting on the top hat, grabbing optimism by the ankles, turning him upside down, and shaking all the loose change from his pockets: “When you get the White House, do you/But remember, you ain’t pass economics in school.” This features Kendrick rapping from the perspective of America trying to convince successful Black men to waste their money on pointless material gain until they are eventually robbed of everything they have including their identity.
This idea is the so-called “pimping of the butterfly,” with successful black men being pimped to the benefit of America. Normally when artists name drop their albums, it doesn’t mean much, but here is an example of Kendrick very much establishing a big theme that he will further explore on songs such as “Institutionalized”, “u” and “How Much a Dollar Cost?”.
This is then carried onto the next song “For Free?” where a seemingly silly intro by Darlene Tibbs serves as an allegory for how America will move on to try to corrupt the next successful black man if Kendrick does not give in to this materialism. On "For Free", Kendrick employs spoken word with double and triple entendres better than Jay Z could ever dream of doing. The song is unbelievably complex. It can be interpreted as chastisement of America for its treatment of African Americans, or a Black Excellence anthem, or just as a fight with a girlfriend. It’s a true work of art whose meaning will be debated for years. "For Free" is To Pimp a Butterfly encapsulated in one song. There is no single definition of this album. There is no single genre. There is no single flow. It is unlike anything I’ve heard before.
At first I thought this was a peculiar track, but the way that Kendrick gradually speeds up his verse with it containing less gratuities and more social commentary is genuinely genius. The jarring jazz production also can cause some to overlook the story of the song but it’s a very simple concept brought to life in a maximalist way that I think few artists could do as well.
On “These Walls” Kendrick is overcome by lust — but here’s what separates him from his peers. While most rappers would boast about the sex that comes with fame, Kendrick shows us the other side of those hookups. Sure, he brags about his woman’s infatuation with him, but Kendrick also notes the woman’s incarcerated baby’s father and how her selfish actions continue to fracture her home.
It’s those high-level concepts that put Kendrick in a league of his own.
Those concepts are always powerful, but it’s K. Dot’s hallmark — his insane lyricism — that is vividly displayed here. He rampages through “Institutionalized” like a warlord drunk with power:
Oh s***, flow’s so sick, don’t you swallow it Bitin’ my style, you’re salmonella poison positive I can just alleviate the rap industry politics Milk the game up, never lactose intolerant The last remainder of real s***, you know the obvious Me scholarship? No, streets put me through colleges
But those boasts quickly turn to introspection on the second half of the album. I know dummies will only focus on the “boo boo” chorus of “Hood Politics,” but there are real treasures to be found if you dig deep enough: “Critics want to mention that they miss when hip hop was rappin’/Motherf***** if you did, then Killer Mike’d be platinum.” It’s the perfect pimp slap to rap fans too lazy to want more from their music.
To Pimp A Butterfly’s real victory is as an ode to Black culture. It has wide appeal, thanks to the excellent beats and production that inject energy into consequential records. The funky bass line turns deep records like "King Kunta" into party songs. "Alright," produced by Pharrell Williams, is a certified hit rap-along. The jazzy "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" featuring Rapsody will make your grandmother shimmy, even with its powerful lyrics ("Dark as the midnight hour, I'm bright as the mornin' sun / Brown skinned, but your blue eyes tell me your mama can't run").To Pimp a Butterfly is the best album of the 21st century, the best hip-hop album since Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die and Nas’ Illmatic in 1994, and it cements Kendrick Lamar’s spot as an all-time great.
It’s yet another lesson hip-hop needs to hear.
To Pimp A Butterfly is not an album you blast 20 minutes before hitting the club. Instead, it’s a depiction of black America and its constant tug-of-war between excess and awareness. Besides “Hood Politics” and maybe the catchy “Alright” nothing here sounds like a radio single. But that’s irrelevant — this is Kendrick’s pulpit, and he has the world’s ear.
Best Tracks: "Institutionalized," "These Walls," "Alright," "Complexion," "The Blacker The Berry," "You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)"
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars
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