WickedGames
Superstar
You don't like this album you ain't black enough.
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly | (Discussion Thread) *Stream*
- Thread starter afterlife2009
- Start date
This shyt is beautiful.
I've sat with the album since 2am early this morning. I've spun it in its entirety 4 times (working on a 5th as I type this. Here are my thoughts...
This is album is incredible.
In 2012 I won the first annual Booth Poster Year award, given annually by the Coli brethren. This was also the year that two incredible albums dropped that shaped my absolute love for the genre and fueled my passion for writing and posting about this music we all love to discuss and debate on..
The first was Nas's Life Is Good, a project which I felt moved the genre forward into an era where the elder statesmen of the music would finally be given the respect they deserve to utilize the platform to speak on mature and relevant topics. Child rearing, love, loss, divorce, the victories and failures that one with growth; Nas tackled all of these themes with a razor sharp focus and incredible lyricism that MORE than proved that his goal of "rapping into his 80's" was one that was not only well deserved, but should be well anticipated and appreciated.
The other was Good Kid m.A.A.d City.
I wasn't expecting a classic from Kendrick Lamar. I was expecting a very solid debut album following in the vein of Section 80 and Overly Dedicated. What I ended up experiencing was something akin to the feeling I got the first time I listened to The College Dropout, the pleasurable surprise and absolute shock of a young MC taking Hip Hop and utilizing it fully and wholly as a means of ultimate self expression. As I listened to Kendrick's audio film it struck me how the genre could still grow, could still be used to tell stories that were both new and reminiscent of those who had come before, could still INSPIRE.
I was witness to a new generation classic and I couldn't wait to discuss, debate, and ENJOY it with my group of Internet colleagues who were so in tune with the culture that we could stay up into the wee hours of the morning breaking down lyrics, concepts, and production. It was a fantastic time to be a Hip Hop fan...
Skip forward to 2015. I am three years older. No longer in the Army, divorced, and living on my own. In the last year of my twenties, still a rabid fan of Hip Hop, lyricism and creativity.
But I hadn't been INSPIRED by the music or an album in quite the same ways as I'd been since 2012. I immensely enjoyed J.Cole's Forest Hills Drive, attempted to decipher the ever-evolving puzzle that is Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo And Youth, and jammed along with Drake's If Your Reading This Its Too Late. All of these albums were good to great in their respective rights, but I felt like I was waiting for something to come along and move the needle, to speak on the state of the world, of black consciousness, of music. Something to serve and a true audio time capsule of our current days and times.
I was waiting on Kendrick Lamar.
To Pimp A Butterfly is a masterful work of art in many ways. Lyrically it proves as an intelligent, thoughtful, and fierce portrait of a young man whose view of the world outside of his native Compton is ugly, beautiful, depressing, and hopeful. Not unlike the state of African American consciousness that has permeated from the times of slavery to the complexities of today. There are many ways to identify yourself as BLACK in this country, however, no matter how much progress seems to be made on the topic of race relations, the reality of being BLACK still carries struggle, prejudice, and very real feeling of dread that comes with a species perpetually going through genocide. Trayvonne Martin, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown have become more than men slain in a haze of dubious circumstances. They serve as Martyrs and tragic reminders the pain, anger, despair, and rage, associated with the social, economic, and law enforced castration of the African American.
Lyrically and Conceptually, Kendrick Lamar has taken this reality, wrapped it into a coc00n of moody, jazzy, and fluid production; and allowed it to go through metamorphosis for three years until what emerged was his vision of the Butterfly that is the Black Experience. He allows his feelings to take flight and spread a message that is absolutely true to our days and times.
This isn't a review in the sense of track by track breakdowns of which beat went harder with which hook. This is an analysis of FEELING and the means with which an MC can perfectly capture emotions and turn them into art.
When I listen to this album I am impressed. I am in awe. But mostly I am INSPIRED. To Pimp A Butterfly will inspire many for years to come. So much intelligence went into this that it is simply impossible to not commend Kendrick for his bravery, his love, and his passion.
5/5
@TPC
This is album is incredible.
In 2012 I won the first annual Booth Poster Year award, given annually by the Coli brethren. This was also the year that two incredible albums dropped that shaped my absolute love for the genre and fueled my passion for writing and posting about this music we all love to discuss and debate on..
The first was Nas's Life Is Good, a project which I felt moved the genre forward into an era where the elder statesmen of the music would finally be given the respect they deserve to utilize the platform to speak on mature and relevant topics. Child rearing, love, loss, divorce, the victories and failures that one with growth; Nas tackled all of these themes with a razor sharp focus and incredible lyricism that MORE than proved that his goal of "rapping into his 80's" was one that was not only well deserved, but should be well anticipated and appreciated.
The other was Good Kid m.A.A.d City.
I wasn't expecting a classic from Kendrick Lamar. I was expecting a very solid debut album following in the vein of Section 80 and Overly Dedicated. What I ended up experiencing was something akin to the feeling I got the first time I listened to The College Dropout, the pleasurable surprise and absolute shock of a young MC taking Hip Hop and utilizing it fully and wholly as a means of ultimate self expression. As I listened to Kendrick's audio film it struck me how the genre could still grow, could still be used to tell stories that were both new and reminiscent of those who had come before, could still INSPIRE.
I was witness to a new generation classic and I couldn't wait to discuss, debate, and ENJOY it with my group of Internet colleagues who were so in tune with the culture that we could stay up into the wee hours of the morning breaking down lyrics, concepts, and production. It was a fantastic time to be a Hip Hop fan...
Skip forward to 2015. I am three years older. No longer in the Army, divorced, and living on my own. In the last year of my twenties, still a rabid fan of Hip Hop, lyricism and creativity.
But I hadn't been INSPIRED by the music or an album in quite the same ways as I'd been since 2012. I immensely enjoyed J.Cole's Forest Hills Drive, attempted to decipher the ever-evolving puzzle that is Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo And Youth, and jammed along with Drake's If Your Reading This Its Too Late. All of these albums were good to great in their respective rights, but I felt like I was waiting for something to come along and move the needle, to speak on the state of the world, of black consciousness, of music. Something to serve and a true audio time capsule of our current days and times.
I was waiting on Kendrick Lamar.
To Pimp A Butterfly is a masterful work of art in many ways. Lyrically it proves as an intelligent, thoughtful, and fierce portrait of a young man whose view of the world outside of his native Compton is ugly, beautiful, depressing, and hopeful. Not unlike the state of African American consciousness that has permeated from the times of slavery to the complexities of today. There are many ways to identify yourself as BLACK in this country, however, no matter how much progress seems to be made on the topic of race relations, the reality of being BLACK still carries struggle, prejudice, and very real feeling of dread that comes with a species perpetually going through genocide. Trayvonne Martin, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown have become more than men slain in a haze of dubious circumstances. They serve as Martyrs and tragic reminders the pain, anger, despair, and rage, associated with the social, economic, and law enforced castration of the African American.
Lyrically and Conceptually, Kendrick Lamar has taken this reality, wrapped it into a coc00n of moody, jazzy, and fluid production; and allowed it to go through metamorphosis for three years until what emerged was his vision of the Butterfly that is the Black Experience. He allows his feelings to take flight and spread a message that is absolutely true to our days and times.
This isn't a review in the sense of track by track breakdowns of which beat went harder with which hook. This is an analysis of FEELING and the means with which an MC can perfectly capture emotions and turn them into art.
When I listen to this album I am impressed. I am in awe. But mostly I am INSPIRED. To Pimp A Butterfly will inspire many for years to come. So much intelligence went into this that it is simply impossible to not commend Kendrick for his bravery, his love, and his passion.
5/5
@TPC
With white singers talking about "massa take these chains off me" on it?
I think this may be a little half-baked, friend
WACK AS fukk 
to be honest I think the only people that like that nikka is cali nikkas and white people, cuz I don't ever hear no nikkas down here be like "say bruh, put that kendrick on, he cole"
nikkas down here in the boot don't even mention that nikka
listened to the first couple of songs and all I can think of is that he's trying to hard, he needs to let the songs come to him.
Let me know when 4/4 gets here and that new Curren$y drops, cuz this shyt is ridiculous :scusting1:
to be honest I think the only people that like that nikka is cali nikkas and white people, cuz I don't ever hear no nikkas down here be like "say bruh, put that kendrick on, he cole"nikkas down here in the boot don't even mention that nikka
listened to the first couple of songs and all I can think of is that he's trying to hard, he needs to let the songs come to him.Let me know when 4/4 gets here and that new Curren$y drops, cuz this shyt is ridiculous :scusting1:
Got damn he lost the fanboys he gained three years ago. How the fukk Interscope let this pass. This should of been a mixtape.
DaveyDave
Superstar
https://www.reddit.com/r/hiphophead...on_kendrick_lamar_to_pimp_a_butterfly/cph1pwe
I wasn't off in my own opinion
Lol I read a couple Of comments and cats are in there like
how do people connect this OMG!?
TrifeGod
Chasing The Dragon
I'm scared to listen, should I wait until I perform my African God rituals and chant my Mantras
Ineedmoney504
SOHH ICEY...WE EATIN
fukk outta here country ass clown, more nikkaz in New Orleans listen to Kendrick then currency, boy don't getno play like that duck outta hereWACK AS fukk
nikkas down here in the boot don't even mention that nikka
Let me know when 4/4 gets here and that new Curren$y drops, cuz this shyt is ridiculous :scusting1:
I won't call it Wack but that release is too early in his career he fukk up heavy breh had the the throne he was one album away to bridging the gap. He went too far left.
TrifeGod
Chasing The Dragon
Nothing can be considered a classic in one perspective..than trash in another...that means its no medium....If you don't like atleast 1 track from the album then quit music
Abstract83
Superstar
I'm on my 2nd listen. This album is really good man. The only track I can't get past is U. I respect the concept but that drunk flow started annoying me. I think Game did it better. But overall I love the concept, features, lyrics and most of all the entire feel of the album. The production is amazing. Like I said I can bump this and Black Messiah back to back. Robert Glasber, Thundercat, FlyLo, Snoop, Ronald Isley and Anna Wise killed it. Her voice is unique as fukk. I like the beat flips synths and samples. And Rapsody did her thing.