Album Review: Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly – Aftermath / Interscope

topimpabutterflyOver the past decade, the Rap game has shifted from its social commentary roots and focused firmly on the bling, blunts and Bentleys model.  This isn’t to say early releases from acts such as Wiz Khalifa aren’t enjoyable, but once that spliff has gone to ash, what’s left behind?  That’s why the March 2015 release from Kendrick is a refreshing change, as it rolls in like a Trojan Horse of sorts. The lead single “I” dropped long before the album, and helped build anticipation for the record.  It feels like a huge party jam, which is meant to hook the folks and reel them in; but halfway into the full track, the music cuts out and Kendrick steps to the podium to settle the crowd and says more in a 2 minute freestyle than a handful of emcees have in their entire careers.   It doesn’t end there either. A bouncy track such as “King Kunta” again feels like a carefree party cut, but just listen to the content and you’ll hear there’s a lot going on here if you’re willing to listen.  It’s brilliant that Kendrick has found a formula that will ensure him an audience, and if you scratch the surface, you’ll find an education bubbling underneath.

In addition to the potent lyrical content contained here, the production is entirely on point as it infuses the entire narrative with a layer of funky juicy beats and completes the retro feel to one of the sharpest, more eloquent hip-hop albums to drop in years.  I can only imagine that while civil unrest continues to percolate south of the border, there is going to be an influx of a new breed of emcee who will sound more like Chuck D, Mos Def  and Kendrick, than the current class of vapid materialistic ones.

About the author

Trev

A proud and over-caffeinated husband, father, runner and writer. I've written for the local weekly The Coast for over a decade and have since taken to creating and writing for HAFILAX for even longer. I hope you enjoy the musings of a guy who has loved music for the better part of 4 decades, and has an album of concert tickets to show for it.

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