aaamusic | On 05, May 2015

Kendrick Lamar has now become a bona-fide worldwide rap superstar since his emergence on the international scene. Kendrick’s strive to create complex concept albums, pushing moral ethics and lyrical perfectionism, continues with To Pimp A Butterfly, an album packed with hidden messages and experimentation.

To Pimp A Butterfly was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment and has jazz, funk and spoken word influences infused with an electronic vibe. The production is widely spread amongst some of the top producers in hip hop including Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. Boi-1da, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Knxwledge, Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Thundercat, and executively produced by Dr Dre.

‘The Blacker The Berry’ produced by Boi-1da sounds aggressive and the lyrical content touches on race issues; clearly Kendrick believes that there are still problems in America. ‘The Blacker The Berry’  paints a puzzling picture to demonstrate oppression; it’s genius.

‘King Kunta’ is another single from the album produced by Terrace Martin and Sounwave and is a more up-tempo funk record for commercial release, full of reference samples like James Brown and Michel Jackson. Kendrick Lamar openly admits he is the best rapper out there, saying he is King Kunta, referring to a Gambian slave character called Kunta Kinte from the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. On the first line of ‘King Kunta’ Kendrick says “I got a bone to pick, I don’t want you monkey mouth motherf**kers sitting on my throne again”. Clearly Kendrick claims to be king of the microphone.

‘I’, produced by Rahki, is the standout track on the album, is very “funky”, sampling ‘That Lady’ by The Isley Brothers and clearly stating that Kendrick loves himself, while ‘Complexion (A Zulu Love)’, produced by Thundercat, that is personal favourite. 

This album is bold – clearly a lot of thought went into it. It’s not for everyone, because it’s not what people are used to hearing on prime-time radio. It’s very complex in terms of composition and the songs are packed with meanings, influences and self-expression. Nonetheless, To Pimp A Butterfly retains Kendrick’s trademark edge, with lyrics that are nail-bitingly cryptic, which to push buttons and turn heads.

Ian Brown