Rapper Kendrick Lamar released his newest album ,”To Pimp a Butterfly,” Mar. 16. Being a long time fan of his music even way back to his Overly Dedicated days, the album was a great disappointment.
The first song ,”Wesley’s Theory”, opened the album with a sense of arrogance. The rapper featured the same old use of sexual innuendos and bragging. The next song ,”For Free?”, gets even better; two minutes and 10 seconds on Lamars’ genitals featured some eery, high pitched vocals from the proud artist.
“King Kunta”, third song in the album that has been getting the most buzz, was also a miss for me. Sound wise, specifically. With a disco vibe, spring-like sound effects, and Lamars’ repetitive chants with some background girls to follow. There is also a moment in the song where a deep voice says, “the funk shall be within you.” I just found the composition of the song to be just plain tacky. However, the message from this song was inspiring as Lamar sheds a light to black culture as well as politics.
Overall, half of the album simply contains an arrogant attitude, but what does one expect from an album titled ”To Pimp a Butterfly.” The other half, though, is celebrating black culture and empowerment. This is the most evident in songs “Blacker the Berry” and “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” where the rapper regards himself as a “proud monkey” and addresses resistance to black suppression. It is definitely a subject one could respect.
The style of the album is different from anything Lamar has done before. He definitely went out of his comfort zone (and so did I). Much of the album took on a retro, disco, jazz-like feel. There were even a few beats here and there that featured sounds that were quite strange, like screams or fuzzy white noise.
Lamar is the type of artist that takes one back, generating nostalgia and featuring his one life story of struggles growing up in Compton, evident in his previous (and arguably best) album “good kid, m.A.A.d city.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
While it was not my personal favorite, there is no doubt that the album is a success. However, I will be looking forward to see where Lamar goes next with his music, whether it is rough rap with a low bass, or a freestyle with a message. The artist has something that is sure to please everyone.