'To Pimp A Butterfly’ & the evocative genius of Kendrick Lamar
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Kendrick Lamar’s third studio album ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ released in 2015 is not only one of the greatest rap albums of all time but easily one of the best works of art to come out from the last decade.
The jazz-infused production, the politically charged themes, and K dots’ raw lyricism amount to one of the densest yet sprawling Hip-Hop albums ever made. Moreover, the album is packed with evocative samples & virtuosic performances that provide an honest & unapologetic glimpse into American Society as made evident through a striking album cover.
K DOT
Between the releases of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City & To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar went on a voyage to Africa which heavily influenced him to capture the beauty of the place in the form of an album to convey that beauty to “a person while they're still in the ghettos of Compton.”
TPAB
Lamar took nearly two & a half years to make this ambitious 16-track record that features nods to bebop, ’70s funk, spoken word, neo-soul, and, of course, west coast hip-hop with production work from biggies in the field such as Sounwave, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Boi-1da, Thundercat alongside live instrumentation in the form of Robert Glasper’s keys & Kamasi Washington’s saxophone & horns, among many others.
SAMPLES
- Wesley’s Theory:
Inspired from the 70s’ funk, the album opener plays out the sample from Boris Gardiner’s cheery manifesto of black pride “Every Nigger Is a Star.” Flying Lotus produced the track who additionally brought in Thundercat on Bass.
- King Kunta:
This funky stomper has Sounwave on the production duties that cues an unsettling sample of ‘Get Nekkid’ by Mausberg as a homage to the deceased artist. Lamar even references pop hits by the likes of Michael Jackson & Parliament.
- u:
The sample for the song’s second half is produced by the little-known Sacramento producer Whoarei, whose song ‘Loving you ain’t complicated.’
- Hood Politics:
This song is built off primarily on a sample from indie rocker Sufjan Stevens song ‘All for Myself’ from his 2010 album Age of Adz.
- Blacker the Berry:
Lamar's most aggressive & incisive track on the album directly samples off drum tracks from Cold Grits ‘It’s Your Thing.’
- i:
The album version of the grammy-winning ‘i’ features the sample from The Isley Brothers 1979 track ‘That Lady.’
- Mortal Man:
The winding 12-minute epic samples directly off a 1977 Houston Person song which is actually a cover version of Fela Kuti’s ‘I No Get Eye for Back’ from 1975’s Alagbon Close.
Also read:
Top 10 Hip Hop Records To Have In Your Record Collection | TRC Listening Guide
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