Kendrick Lamar ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ Review By: Kyle Pinaro
To Pimp a Butterfly Review
By: Kyle Pinaro
Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly one of, if not the best lyricist in the game. His last album good kid, m.a.a.d city released in 2012 and ever since then, fans and critics alike having been anticipating a new project. In the time between his last album and this one he’s been featured on a bunch of songs in which he steals the spotlight on every single one, toured with Kanye West, and pretty much helped to promote his label mates. But back in October 2014 he finally dropped the first piece of new material in two years. It was the song “i” which received lukewarm reviews from fans, you either hated it or loved it. Personally I wasn’t a big fan, and that made me nervous for the next album. Could he recapture the essence of GKMC? Is the sophomore curse real? Will lighting strike twice?
Well, basically yea. But it is one thousand times better than any of his previous projects, a bold statement considering they are considered classics. Well I stand by that accusation because the music speaks for itself; the album is something incredibly special that cannot necessarily be described. Kendrick is incredibly blunt on this album, and the themes are well balanced ranging from inner demons to existentialism, and then finally to self-love. This is easily his best work and some of the best music I’ve ever heard, and it’s executed perfectly. The influence of funk, jazz, and rap all blend together to make something completely organic and unique. The lyrical weight of the songs as well as the instrumentals blend perfectly as Kendrick enlists some of the best up and comers (Rapsody, Thundercat, James Fauntleroy, Anna Wise) including some well-known talent (George Clinton, Snoop Dogg, Ron Isley, Bilal). The beautiful thing about the project is that every feature perfectly compliments the beat, Kendrick, and the substance of the record, showing that the amount of hours put into this album is unfathomable.
Not only is the music itself good but the content in which he speaks on is absolutely mind boggling, many often times I found myself dwelling on certain lines or going back and re-listening to a song just to fully grasp his triple entendre’s, metaphors, and stories. The song “u” is his deepest yet, speaking on his self-loathing and shame for what he’s done in his life, whether it be neglecting a dying friend (“You FaceTimed instead of a hospital visit/ You should thought he would recover, well/ Third surgery couldn’t stop the bleeding for real/ Then he died, God himself will say ‘you fuckin’ failed’”). While delivering these lines his voice cracks and the sound of bottles clink together, showing he can only tell the truth when he’s drunk. On top of that the point is driven home even more when his lips are heard touching the glass as he drinks mid-verse. Powerful stuff. “These Walls” is an incredibly sexy track referencing sexuality and some of the deceit we use in our lives.
For me to talk about every standout track on this album would be near impossible considering the entire project itself is one entire standout track. Every song is good; every song tells a story and is a piece of an even bigger story Kendrick reveals at the end of the album on the track “Mortal Man.” It’s a dense, rich, poetic, dark, and masterful album crafted by the best hands in the industry. This album is way ahead of its time and is something of an instant classic. If you like any kind of music, you’ll like this album. If you like kind of human emotion and depth, you’ll like this album. If you breath air and have ears, you’ll like this album. Words really don’t do it justice, go and download or buy this masterpiece. You won’t be disappointed.
Score: 5 out of 5
‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ by: Kendrick Lamar is available now on iTunes
Sparx Entertainment 