To Pimp A Butterfly might just be the most important hip hop record since Kanye's MBDTF. The concept of To Pimp A Butterfly tackles several themes of loss, fame, greed, excess, guilt, racial diversion, hate, nostalgia, melancholy, and so much more that I can't believe people could even give their thoughts so quickly or dismiss it on sites like RateYourMusic. Before I even jump into the tracks lets talk about the major production decision first. Why did he choose a P-Funk influence? I feel that it is because this album's foundation is built on retrospection and nostalgia. It tackles major issues through his life such as leaving the hood behind to a higher purpose through music and talks about how he got there, what he has been a part of, and how he wants to express his message through his musical talents. To put it bluntly, To Pimp A Butterfly goes beyond hip-hop and addresses a message that has long since been forgotten in Hip-Hop since masterpieces like It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by good old Public Enemy. Before I break down the story I want anyone who is reading this right now to stop and listen to the album first before you continue because it is an experience that everyone needs to listen to alone to gather their own thoughts. Now that we have gotten that over with, on to the actual music.
There is so much to get into it is crazy but I will sum it up in the track order. The first half of the albums tracks serve as the basking in the excess of his new found fame. Wesley's Theory is all about Kendrick dressing himself up and surrounding himself in fame with the cars, money, and women where he is now a hatched into a buttefly where his a celebrated black celebrity while they are conditioned to be "pimped" or follow into a sterotype something Kendrick wants to avoid but he is falling into it. This line is personified by George Clinton's "Look both ways before you cross my mind" line, in which Kendrick needs to look both ways so success doesn't cloud his message or purpose.
For Free, serves as an extension of Kendrick's influence where women want to by them shit. She is a no good tramp gold digger and Kendrick uses his brain to his advantage using this women for what he wanted sex and thats about. kendrick uses the line "This dick ain't free. Another theme through this song is how riding his fame isn't free and he could use his influence through America where the women is more of a metaphor for how America treats black culture and celebrities. It also serves to extend on Wesley's theory where the blacks bask in the excess of the "women" and end up having to pay it back in the end through taxes. "get my Uncle Sam to fuck you up" refers to how America can screw you over. Since this album's central theme is around black power I feel that his influence can't keep his message down. (this might be a little far fetched but you can decide that for yourself.)
King Kunta, to me follows in the tradition of Kendrick Lamar saying that he is a king a boasting track that follows the themes of the first section of the album. Apparently, Kunta Kinte was a slave that had his foot cut off to prevent him from leaving his owners. This feels like a track about Kendrick is expressing himself as a king but it was only a few years ago was walking like the rest of us. Kendrick extends this metaphor with the line "Bitch where you when I was walkin'?" which I interpreted as people want to be apart of Kendrick's circle now that he is famous, but dismissed him when he wasn't. Yams also seems to be a theme through the song which I took as a metaphor for drugs by the line, "the yam is the power that be. You can smell it when I'm waling down the street." Black culture surrounded drugs through gangs and Kendrick used Yams (a product of African and black culture) as a connection. Kendrick on point with the metaphors.
Institutionalized, Is about people being brainwashed by money and "making it" that they will be corrupted by the wealth into violence. "Shit don't change until you get up and wash your ass nigga," revolves around the central themes of the track that the cycle won't change until Kendrick or "you" break the cycle.
These Walls, becomes the final track in the fame cycle where he talks about how he can misuse his influence to get with women easily. "THe walls" can refer the vagina as Kendrick confirms the idea with the one line "sex." The second verse moves away from the sex and goes down to a darker territory about how the Kendrick uses the women for sex and she uses Kendrick to forget about the pain of life. The line, "and how she think about you until we meet up at night. About the only girl that cared about you when you asked her. And how she fucking on a famous rapper. Walls could talk."The girl uses Kendrick to forget about the pain of her baby daddy rotting away in prison.
u, marks the major tone shift of the album. "U" is a complete contrast to "I" and is probably the most depressing song on the album. It is Kendricks reflection song doubting his fame and fortune and following into deep depression trying to find the meaning in his music. Although I might not have much to say about "U," it doesn't detract from the songs power.
Alright, Battles against Kendrick's depression and that if he follows his faith god can lead him through it. This is also the begining of Lucy, (the devil), playing major rolls in the tracks besides the outros.
For Sale, Is our first introduction to Lucy and his roll. I feel that Lucy is the devil which conflicts against Kendrick's mentality and functions as an internal struggle. Lucy might be a negative figure but he helps Kendrick through his life and gets him through struggles despite her dangerous nature. The line "I thought you was keeping it gangsta" is Lucifer telling Kendrick that he is getting what he wanted and can help Kendrick get more if he could sign the contract a metaphor for selling his soul to the devil.
Momma, is a nice segway back to Kendrick's nostalgic side of life. It is about Kendrick being alienated from his roots of Compton and when he comes back, he now understands the problems that still plague the youth and how the album turns towards the political message he wants to express in the next tracks.
Hood politics is just a look for outsiders to see how the hood functions and how it works. I know theirs more to it, I just haven't given it enough eartime yet.
How Much A Dollar Cost might just be my favorite song on the record. It is a retrospective track about Kendrick's encounter with a homeless man. Kendrick dismisses this man as a crack junky just like thousands that have crossed him and famous people where he sterotypes the man as only wanting money for the drugs and that he is a shell of a man. This further angers Kendrick where the man stares at him and into his soul where Kendrick tells himself, "Why should I be the one to save him like I am responsible?" The man speaks and asks, "have you ever opened up Exodus 14? A humble man is all that we ever need." This serves as a test to Kendrick's Biblical roots as Exodus 14 is about Moses leading the Jews across the red sea. Kendrick hardens his heart "Like the pharoh," and doesn't give the man anything saying that his money is to keep. Because Kendrick wouldn't be compassionate he had now lost a place in heaven and Kendrick begs for forgiveness.
Complextion tackles the issue of racial diversion in the black community. This song has more depth to it and I need to go over it again but I felt that it talked about that it didn't matter what "different shades of faces," a black man had they are all one in the same.
The Blacker The Berry, http://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-the-blacker-the-berry-lyrics This is the only time I would ever tell someone to jump on rap genius, (nothing wrong with it I just feel that music is about what you want it to be not what others tell you,). The support for this track is phenomenal and their are too many layers to get into on one track alone. Hell, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon gives his 2cents on lyrics in the song. Go check it out.
You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said), plays on the popular concept of staying relevant in a peer group. Peope who tend to be the loudest are the most insecure and Kendrick's mother tells him that "You ain't gotta lie to kick it, my nigga," as a way of telling Kendrick that he doesn't have to fall in a set of stereotypes or gang culture in order to be relevant. This is expressed in Kendricks music as he is vulnerable with his emotions and doesn't play off the gang life as all fun and games and something to be proud of.
"I" is the song that everyone hated when it came out. That Kendrick was falling off into pop music. Man were we wrong. I makes a lot of sense now how it connects to Kendrick's mission to give his message to his people.
Mortal Man, is the outro and damn is it a good one. The only thing I am going to say about it is that Kendrick is the voice of a new movement. He wants to be the next Mandela or 2pac and wants to be the face of the next generation moving away from the violence and the hate. It shows Kendrick's true mission and in my opinion, makes it one of the most powerful outros on any album. The fictional conversation with 2pac is also very heartwarming and inspiring.
This album is nothing short of phenomenal and Kendrick should be commended on his lyricism and storytelling. The production is really good LOL I didn't even talk about it and this post is already to damn long. I would love to hear anyone elses thougts, I am just so damn excited for this year in hip hop. BRONSON is coming next and Kanye is dropping this year too? Anymore surprises and I might have a heartattack lol. Peace everyone.