One of my favorite rap albums from one of my favorite rappers, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly is a masterpiece that weaves together the history of African Americans from their musical styling to their movements to their humanity. The critically acclaimed hip-hop album was released on March 15th, 2015, and from the Grammys to Billboard, it definitely won a couple of awards and topped a few charts! From its vibrant sound to its potent lyrics, this album is truly one of Lamar’s best works.
The creation of this album and thematic narrative of reconciling African American history while pioneering forward came as a result of Lamar’s visit to South Africa, especially sites such as Nelson Mandela’s jail cell on Robben Island (3). A truly life-changing visit, Lamar said of the visit that “I felt like I belonged in Africa. I saw all the things that I wasn’t taught. Probably one of the hardest things to do is put [together] a concept on how beautiful a place can be, and tell a person this while they’re still in the ghettos of Compton. I wanted to put that experience in the music.” (3). He wanted to conceptualize all the beauty and pain that he had seen in his community into an honest record that examines his own experiences as a Black man in order to reflect the many experiences of his community. One of these feelings that he wanted to encapsulate was the idea of being taken advantage of by the music industry for his artistry without getting much in return. This idea spawned the title of the album. Lamar said that he wanted to “break down the idea of being pimped in the industry, in the community and out of all the knowledge that you thought you had known, then discovering new life and wanting to share it”, and he definitely achieved that goal (3). Similar to many of his other albums, Lamar sheds light on and brings awareness to the acute experience of Black depression, African American culture, institutional discrimination, and racial inequality. He speaks on his own struggles with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts– as seen in the track “u”–, and by doing so, he opens the door for conversation and a destigmatizing of the topic of mental health. Truly though, he wanted to create a beautiful work of art that would help bring his community closer together.
From its release, the album has garnered significant importance for its political messaging and celebration of Black culture. One of the key indicators of this lies in Lamar’s discussion of Black activism in tracks like “Alright”. What would eventually become a unifying song for the Black Lives Matter Movement, “Alright” has an unapologetically joyful and hopeful sound to it which is reflected in the repeated phrase “We gon’ be alright” throughout the album (6). In an interview with NPR about the album Lamar said, “Four hundred years ago, as slaves, we prayed and sang joyful songs to stay level-headed with what was going on. We still need that music to heal. And I think that ‘Alright’ is definitely one of those records.” (5).
Additionally, the album reconciles with his own flaws as well as things he believes could be improved in his community. In tracks like “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” and “Blacker the Berry”, Lamar tackles the topic of colorism that he sees as prevalent in the Black community. Talking about the conception of the album, Lamar said that one of his goals was to create something that “reflected all complexions of black women. There’s a separation between the light and the dark skin because it’s just in our nature to do so, but we’re all black.” (3). Overall though, this album is a call for love and community during a time when Black activism started to gain traction again. It serves as a reflection of the injustices that Black Americans have faced for an excruciating amount of time, specifically on the police brutality cases that have been more prevalent in the media, as well as a push forward into brighter days. Lamar urges his community to rally together and recognize their own beauty as they fight for a better future. In this way, Lamar has truly become a voice of a generation.
There is so much to love about this album. From its rich hip-hop sound that is infused with the smoothness of jazz and the personality of funk to its beautifully soulful and powerful lyrics, To Pimp a Butterfly is truly a record to behold. When I first listened to some of it years ago, I immediately fell in love with its unique sound. There’s a certain characteristic to it that makes the listener want to have the songs on repeat and just bathe in its totality. It’s hard not to find something to love about this album, and as I revisited it throughout the years, I was able to find different songs and different parts of songs to obsess over. Whether you listen to it straight through or each track individually, it definitely strikes a chord. I can’t recommend this album enough!
This masterpiece of an album truly cannot receive enough praise. It has strengthened community ties and cemented Lamar as one of the most creative and influential artists of our time. As a precursor to his eventual Pulitzer prize win for DAMN., To Pimp a Butterfly only begins to hint at Lamar’s creative power. Robert Blair for Highsnobiety said of it that this album “is the crystallized moment in time where Kendrick became a generation’s most potent artistic voice.” (1).
- https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/kendrick-lamar-to-pimp-a-butterfly-analysis/
- http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/academics/centers/hitchcock/publications/amr/v44-2/fulton.php
- https://web.archive.org/web/20160211020705/http://www.grammy.com/news/the-oral-history-of-kendrick-lamars-to-pimp-a-butterfly
- https://www.grammy.com/news/the-making-of-kendrick-lamars-to-pimp-a-butterfuly
- https://www.npr.org/2019/08/26/753511135/kendrick-lamar-alright-american-anthem-party-protest
- https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics
- https://genius.com/albums/Kendrick-lamar/To-pimp-a-butterfly
- http://hiphoparchive.org/albums/to-pimp-a-butterfly/tracklist
Kevin, this was a fantastic review. What I love so much about your blogs is the fact that you dive into why an artist creates the music that they do. In turn, we the audience can get a better understanding of the music and feel connected to its message. I am definitely a Kendrick fan, and I can hear his passion in his music. Also, great use of the flair this week! Overall, great job!
Great job really giving your readers the insight to the message behind the music. I have listened to songs within this album many times, but never really dove into the meaning behind his work. As James said in his comment, Kendrick is definitely a very passionate artist and incorporates that into his songs. Good job with your understatement, I think it fit great there! Every time I listen to songs within this album in the future I will be sure to remember the message behind it that you described here. Such an interesting perspective of viewing music and the artists who make the music!
This was an amazing review, Kevin! I look forward to reading your analysis and learning more and more about various artists. I especially love your use of flair in this blog.