How many rappers are out there that could truly break the internet with a single song release? When Kendrick's "i" hit the internet people were confused, general reactions were "oh he had been gone for so long and this is what he comes up with", or something along the lines of disappointed. But I've tried to make this point as clear as I could a couple times now, and other music listeners should do the same when hearing a "first" single off an album; one song taken out of context does not define the sound of an entire body of work, especially when the body of work is truly a story in itself, like that of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly. Fans had no time to build any sort of anticipation for this album (or they did and just couldn't wait to leak it), so Kendrick decided to give us all an early Christmas present and release it a whole week before it was expected. Now with earlier than expected releases they tend to be let downs, but going back to the previous question (or argument in a sense), there is a choice selection of rappers who don't let many people down; Kendrick Lamar is on this list 9 times out of 10.
"Wesley's Theory" is the beginning of a story that we've all been waiting to hear for so long. Starting the story in the middle like a Tarantino flick, Kendrick flips hip hop on its ear and funks it out in a proper way with a George Clinton and Thundercat feature. The message of this track seems to hit home on a couple of points; the "we should have never gave you niggas money" point is a funny Chappelle's Show reference (Rick James BITCH!), but it could also point to how Kendrick believes people in society view black people. Is Kendrick trying to prove a point by satirizing points that have been made? You could only tell after a few listens.
The "For Free? Interlude" is another interesting piece of heavy jazz influenced music that also seems to flip a view of society. With a fun, fast paced piano riff and a couple of nice jazz horns, Kendrick explains "this... dick... ain't... FREEEE" to a woman. Who would have thought this was possible? This is awesome if you ever have had to deal with bull from your woman, but the interlude on your first listen doesn't add up to much other than Kendrick showing hate towards thotty women.
If there was any track on this album that got hype more than any other, it was "King Kunta." Even before people knew anything about the album, "King Kunta" was being talked about in interviews with Pharrell, where he described the track as "unapologetically black and amazing," and you have to agree with Pharrell when you listen. The funk sound stays true in "King Kunta", and Kendrick and his go-to producer Sounwave kill it as usual with a bouncy sounding bass line and some every day observation with a mix of venting from Kendrick. "King Kunta" is unlike any song you have probably heard in the last 20 years; it's blend of consciousness and a funky beat make it so listenable that you can't help but have the message seared into your brain. Kendrick's goal, if any indication of his music (at least "King Kunta" and "The Blacker The Berry"), is getting put out to the masses, and that's half the battle of creating change.
Kendrick really likes to change up the sound of songs midway through, and his history ("Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst", "Cartoons & Cereal", and now "Institutionalized") of doing this is proven. Whether it be to curve your attention or to change the perspective of the story being told, it's always hard to tell why it's being done at first, but his angles always seem to follow the plot of the story in the end (after all, he is a self proclaimed "writer", and rightfully so). "Institutionalized" begins with a slow, wavy beat in which Kendrick starts on with his higher pitched voice, but then the beat transitions into another drum beat of the same type, but a little slower paced, almost made for you to pay attention to. "Shit don't change til ya, get up and wash yo ass," Kendrick's grandma said to him, and that right there is the point of this jam. Kendrick's grandma warned him of this time coming, as she did of the hood, that he uses less wisely than (we all) he would like to say he (we all) really does (do).
"I remember you was conflicted. Misusing your influence - sometimes I did the same" - a saying that continuously makes more sense as this album progresses, you can only keep listening to figure out what it leads up to. "These Walls" is a true reflection of self. Kendrick was in a vulnerable state making this song it is very easy to tell, and the saying "if these walls could talk" has probably never been used as a finer example. "These Walls" is Kendrick looking into his walls like mirrors, and seeing not only himself, but every flaw, every scar, every problem he has ever encountered, and maybe even every person he has hurt or murdered (allegedly) and having them staring him right back in the face. Now (besides the murder part, hopefully) how can you not relate to that?
Kendrick also remixed Eminem's "Kim" believe it or not. No that was definitely a joke, but Kendrick certainly isn't joking on his song "u", again taking a perspective where he is talking to himself via song. "Loving you is complicated", he cries in a menacing yell, and for him to point out a side of himself that only he would know with such detail is something that damn near no other rapper, let alone any other man would go as far to do. The beat switches up again halfway through this one, and it's hard not to feel the pain in his voice with every word he utters over the slow, sad sounding horn that could cause a heavy heart even on your brightest day.
Transitioning properly from downer to upper, "Alright" is a bumping track that we know Kendrick has the ability to make and make sound amazing (though To Pimp A Butterfly is a concept album as a whole, it's hard to make every track bump trying to fit the concept of the story). "Alright" is the song that balances out every bad feeling and down emotion you get from the album, and the sampled beat is such an uplifting tune that you can't help but jig a bit when it hits.
Kendrick's "For Sale? (Interlude)" is such a fluttery, beautifully demented transition, so unexpected you couldn't even guess at what came afterwards. Whether Lucy is a girl, the drug (which it very well could be by the sounds of this song), or Lucifer (much speculation online that Kendrick is referring to the devil as Lucy), this interlude has an "enticing" sound to it that is surely nail on the head in terms of the concept. No conspiracy theories here (or maybe so), but it sounds like Kendrick is talking about the devil in the details (the industry maybe?).
If you're looking for an example of why Kendrick is one of the best lyricists in the game, the first verse on "Momma" holds some credibility. The first verse is insanely scheme filled, where Kendrick follows one rhyme scheme the entire time, but the second verse is where you see Kendrick is learning from his experiences in life and the industry; "I know everything" he so boldly claims throughout the second verse, from the hood to the industry he feels like he's been through it all, but only to come home and realize he has to re-learn everything he once knew. It seems the struggles of the fame mixed with not seeing his family/friends is getting to Kendrick as he vents so beautifully in this song, and what better way to realize where you screwed up than to vent to your "Momma"?
"Boom boom," Kendrick says confidently throughout the next track "Hood Politics." "Boom boom" of course by definition meaning "not up to one's par or standards" (At least I'm assuming so, who really knows?). I surely didn't expect to learn any new lingo from this project, but as enlightening as Kendrick is I can't be surprised. Kendrick continues to say that the rules stretch "from Compton to Congress", which is another bold statement, but almost make sense to a point. "Hood Politics" is the mix of levels on how things work, and both (Compton & Congress) seem just as lethal and violent as the other.
"How Much A Dollar Cost" is another big one in the line of thought provoking musical poems that Kendrick blessed us with on To Pimp A Butterfly. Featuring a moving piano with some raw drums and claps, Kendrick paints a picture as well as he ever has on the different situations in which a dollar is needed. James Fauntleroy brings an atmosphere to the hook that only he could in an almost ghostly manner, as if you were just realizing that dollars truly mean nothing to our existence, and Ronald Isley fatalities the point (on some Mortal Kombat shit) on the outro of the song.
"Complexion" is such a smooth song (with added DJ spins that create a different touch to the track) on race that it damn near rocks it's point home and puts you to sleep with it's message. That way you wake up and NEVER FORGET IT (OHHHHHHHH NOOO HE DIDN'T!!!). Kendrick tries (and succeeds) in proving the point that "complexion don't mean a thing." Another beat transition towards the end of the track allows Rhapsody to give his side of the story, in which he hammers home, yet cool and effortlessly.
"The Blacker The Berry" we all know already so I won't elaborate any more than I have to besides the fact that the beat KNOCKS. Putting this song out as a single is especially surprising considering the content, mentioning such things as the Black Panther Party and Trayvon Martin, but going back to Kendrick's message, this of course was all part of the plan in getting people thinking clearly and maybe even acting on the issues that have been brought to light over the past year or so. Do you believe it worked?
Immediately the 90s west coast feel is evident when you first hear "You Ain't Gotta Lie." The bass line makes you bop and the message is (what seems to be) for anyone who has to "lie to kick it." The hook seems to be from the point of view from a girl (and if any guy has been through it, they know a girl who likes them is awesome) and is almost reminiscent of the first time you hung out with that girl you had a huge crush on, but the song could also take the point of view of Kendrick sending a message to rappers trying to sound good or look cool (you ain't gotta lie, you ain't gotta try so hard). "You Ain't Gotta Lie" seems to be another track that has multiple meanings to it, which makes Kendrick one of the most relevant, hard hitting rappers in the game today.
We all have already heard "i" as well so I won't do much of a review on it, but I will say the message to the song that is Harvey Dent to "u's" Two Face is timeless. If anyone is feeling down they could probably listen to this song and feel better (at least you'd hope), but they could definitely listen to it while they were feeling on top of the world then feel like they were on top of the entire universe. No matter how annoying "i" has gotten to be to you, you can't deny it's message and that it has helped people through some tough times in a time when suicide is at an all time high.
"Mortal Man" is the finale of the fireworks. To get Kendrick at his most vulnerable, his most thought provoking, and almost at a stage where he's contemplating everything he's done, doing, and about to do, "Mortal Man" is that song. As imperfect as it gets is the best way to describe this song. "Mortal Man" is practically everything everyone wishes they could admit to themselves and that's only the first part of the song, not to mention the ending is simply brilliant. Having a conversation with Tupac about his views compared with Kendrick's is what every single rap fan (let alone Kendrick fan) DREAMS about. The Tupac audio is probably from an old interview, though I couldn't tell you for sure, but to sit and listen to Kendrick and Tupac have a conversation (and to have it sound like an actual conversation) is literally a dream to many (including Kendrick), and an incredibly well thought out, well rounded, and a downright eerie way to end this album.
To Pimp A Butterfly. Has it sunk in yet? Have you sat and listened enough to understand the message truly? Do you feel as dumb listening to this album as I have so diligently in the past 12 hours? These questions are questions that we don't need answers to right now. These questions we definitely will not get answers to right now, but if you paid enough attention to the album, you would understand that the point is not to get all of the answers to every problem the world sees right now. Ferguson shootings, Trayvon Martin's death, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, or whatever our issues may be, the point is not to get the answers so quickly to our problems, because how can you really get an answer to a problem that is still unknown? The first step is identifying what the problem really is, and Kendrick had no problems identifying his issues with himself and the world today on To Pimp A Butterfly.
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