Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly | (Discussion Thread) *Stream*

[Kenny West]

Momma got such a great vibe. 2nd verse really puts me in a good place

"I know if I'm generous at heart I don't need recognition
the way I'm rewarded, well thats god's decision"

if you guys haven't already...when you get some free time. put on the headphones. turn off the lights. lay back and just lose yourself in the album. it's been a long time since an album inspired me to do this. the shyt really takes you on a journey. makes every lyric stand out...every instrument. this album was made for this type of enclosed listening session. I recommend it for anybody who loves the album but also those who don't. put on the headphones and really let everything sink in...then come back and tell me you can't fukk with this shyt.

best way to enjoy the album imo

 

[thaKEAF]

Hood Politics is my track today lol. He straight snapped on those verses.

 

[wire28]

I remember one time at White Castle, this bum came up to my window while I was in the drive through asking for money for some food.

I didn't have change to give him, but I told him that once I pay for the food I'll give him the change. I get the food, give dude the change, as I'm driving off I see the guy grab the door to walk inside, but the further I get from the parking lot I see him close the door and just walk away from the place



My relationship with the homeless been different since that day. That How Much a Dollar Cost reminded me of that day

I think I'll just give em food now

shyt song reminded me of a similar instance. went to the post office a few years ago and dude was out beggin for money and i was like

got in the whip and was driving through the empty parkin lot and thought hell why not and drove back and gave dude some money

Spoiler

also your shyt reminds me i was wit pops a few years ago at churches and homeless dude was literally right at the drive through window lol. pops gave him money tho. i was like damn these nikkas gettin smart

 

[A.V.]

Them proper ass "MY nikka" ad libs on Hood Politics 1st bets tho

 

[homiedontplaydat]

The beat on Alright is amazing

 

[Since '86]

Am I the only one who thought Dr. Dre produced "How Much A Dollar Cost" at first?

 

[Anbesa]

Since this album takes you places in your thought process, something that may surely be a reach, stuck out to me. On King Kunta, the breakdown when there's a gun shot and the voice say, "by the time you hear the next pop...the funk shall be within you" and another shot followed by Kendrick saying, "now I run the game....." I can't help but wonder......with the song being so funky and the album taking a sharp turn from what everything else is being played on the radio, was the shot symbolic of Kendrick "killing" what's being played on the radio? And was the voice basically telling the listener by the next time you hear that "pop" (i.e. hip hop that's passing for popular music) this will be "in you" and make it hard for you to hear what's on the radio the same after hearing this?

My take on king kunta is basically Kendrick making it to the top of the rap game and stunting on other rappers. Every other line is him bragging like rappers typically do on records. He is really feeling himself on this track mentioning other rappers ghost writers, how he was gonna kill them, and its elementary. But here's the catch to me. He's proclaiming himself a king but as king kunta. So despite being on top of the game and being considered one of the top rapper he's still a slave. This to me is a great contrast to I where hes come to accept and love himself without the need of putting down other rappers or bragging about himself.

 

[CASHAPP]

shyt don't change, until you...get up and wash yo ayssssss, nigguhh...

shyt don't change, until you...get up and wash yo ayssssss...........

Spoiler

boiiiiiiiiiiii

His "It Was Written" bro it just goes so smoooohhhh


Bilal is Ain't been checkin for him for years, last thing I really heard him on was "Failthful" by Common and "Fallin'" by Jay, but damn if this nikka doesn't got a criminally underappreciated voice. So much soul brehs, And the way he manipulated his voice for the song makes it even more worthy. This is truly an incredible album, man...The whole "atmosphere" of the shyt can literally pick you up and take you somewhere completely different, like a good ass, immersive movie or book, just like GKMC. Son has a knack for crafting these types of projects. And to still be as cohesive as it is, with an overall message, without sacrificing lyricism or production is absolutely incredible. Real talk, this album is a mixture of:



OutKast/Solquarians soulfulness and subject matter...Tupac's balance of street credibility and a desire to uplift Blacks as a community...and Kanye's (MBDTF) creativity & ability to pull together artists and musicians to use as cogs in a larger picture. When you think about how much WORK went into this album (for fukks sake, GEORGE CLINTON, Pete Rock, Thundercat, Snoop, Dre, Pac, the Isleys, countless others)...The samples, interpolations, publishing that had to be cleared, royalties that'll be paid out to these iconic, timeless BLACK artists and musicians...It's fukkin unreal. As much as I'm blown away by the album and the music itself, I'm equally blown away by the collaborative genius that it took to put it together.



I'm literally every time I listen to this shyt...

 

[CASHAPP]

His "It Was Written" yall

 

[((ReFleXioN)) EteRNaL]

His "It Was Written" yall

nah I believe this is his illmatic. good kid is it was written. I know illmatic came first, but I feel this record is the album kendrick really wanted to drop as his debut. he had to release good kid to get that fan base though....it was a more commercially friendly album. not close to the sound of his underground shyt. this album though...this is kendrick at his core. jazzy soulful beats....conscious raps. that's always been who he was.

 

[CASHAPP]

nah I believe this is his illmatic. good kid is it was written. I know illmatic came first, but I feel this record is the album kendrick really wanted to drop as his debut. he had to release good kid to get that fan base though....it was a more commercially friendly album. not close to the sound of his underground shyt. this album though...this is kendrick at his core. jazzy soulful beats....conscious raps. that's always been who he was.

i know someone is gonna pop up any second and make a post about letting nas be nas and kendrick be kendrick but its just making interesting parallels. i dont think its any harm done..on one hand your right..but on the other like someone said good kid can remind you of a westcoast illmatic but with compton instead of queensbridge

may be too early to say this but i would not be surprised if the next album is gonna follow in the same direction

speaking of albums kanye's so help me god is gonna be wack as hell and i cant wait for the shytstorm

 

[CASHAPP]

Views From the Six

 

[MostHatedBox]

No better than Samuel L on Django

No better than a white man with slave boats

 

[Insensitive]

Typical white suburban who only listens to trap music. Hate those type of wannabe white people.

I notice the white people who actually act white and listen to rock music actually have a more diverse taste in different genres and are more objective...

@ "act white"

they said the same about yeezus
and white people liked it more than nikkas

I personally enjoyed Yeezus and I'm as black as they come.....

 

[Spliff]

Listened front to back few times, along with shuffle sessions.

I can't see how any black American on the path to self actualization isn't touched by this album.

Such a beautifully told story

His feels on some of these tracks hit close to home