No matter that To Pimp a Butterfly was released prematurely, fans of Kendrick Lamar are listening to it repeatedly across the globe and raving about the new project. Although the bar was set incredibly high after his chart topping 2012 release Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, Lamar follows through with a story and message so thoughtful and new it can only be seen as a gasp of fresh air from today’s seemingly monotonous hip-hop world.
On a superficial level, To Pimp A Butterfly has a very different sound, really contrasting with GKMC. The album embodies a funky and jazzy feel throughout, epitomized by female vocals demanding “the funk” in one of the hyped singles off the album, “King Kunta.”
TPAB’s potency and depth establishes it as one of the most respected albums of 2015 thus far, earning accolades from celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kanye West on Twitter. Kendrick Lamar convinces the listener that every single second of every track has a purpose and was crafted so deliberately and with much intention with comments on today’s social, civil, and political scenes.
What might separate this album from the rest to be released this year is the lack of a specific hit. It was clear that he didn’t make a specific song for radio plays or to be the next banger at a party. He clearly crafted this album without a desire for commercial success. Whether he gets it or not, however, is a different story. Overall, he exploded artistically and his fans reaped the benefits.
Specifically, “King Kunta” is a song that (as the oxymoronic title suggests) contrasts riches and poverty, upper class and lower class, which is probably a take on his rise to stardom from his Compton roots. In congruence with his self-proclaimed throne dating back to the “Control” days, this track opens with him denouncing “monkey mouth motherfuckers” who may have forgotten who reigns supreme in the hip hop world.
Delving deeper into Kendrick Lamar’s psyche, the juxtaposition of the positive, egocentric hit “i” with its complement “u” shows a lot of reflexive thought. “i” is the type of song you would listen to after finally getting that cute girl’s number or acing that final exam, filled with self-praise. In stark comparison, “u” is the type of song you would listen to during darker times, with Lamar ripping himself apart through the voice of an old friend between gulps of booze.
These three tracks only scratch the surface in describing the masterpiece that is To Pimp a Butterfly, check it out for yourself.