Review Summary: I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015…
By the time I finish writing this review you’ll know what I mean when I say Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper to convince me in history.
To Pimp a Butterfly is a musical allusion to Harper Lee’s book. It took me a while to see, but if there is one thing this album lacks, it’s definitely not consistency. It is dependably the epitome of The Sh1t musically. It amuses me, at first it sounded worse to me, but now I hear the sounds of blues, reggae and Tupac-y rap verses. It’s been a long while since a rap album with such a new style has been the best representation of a mind state brainwashed by political bile and propaganda, but Kendrick Lamar has tried his hand at achieving that with
To Pimp a Butterfly . Here he shows he’s not just another guy with a gimmicky rap style throwing in political verses in the meanwhile with the intelligence of a 90s freestyle. This album is a continuation of the legacy of 2pac, who got shot in ninety-six, but is heard on the end of this album giving prophetic advice reminiscent of Malcolm.
Experimental wouldn’t give the proper mental-image of this album’s sound. From the ground up it’s layered with different musical styles and flavors. It savors some of past-rap, with features from Dre and Snoop, and surprisingly none of the features do anything wack. Every feature on here has a knack for playing a fitting role. Bob Dole would not be a fan of this mix of funk, reggae and soul, but the goal of this album is to discount him and other republicans. It also takes a shot at Obama and also reflects on his own ignorance on the track Momma. In this way, the album balances drama, wisdom and humility, perfectly. That didn’t occur to me until the verses on certain songs were interpreted for me.
Gwhen his verses couldn’t be worse on Good Kid m.A.A.d. City, on here they are complex, lyrical and witty. At first I thought it was a pity that all of this talent was being used to agitate my city, but eventually the album began making more sense to me. At first songs like “Blacker the Berry” sound like a racist rant towards white America, but in context, the song proves to be about anti-white hysteria. Malaria is the biggest killer of black people, but the fact is some evil is more relevant in the US. Who is to judge whether what the truth is? All this album is, is a blueprint of the black American mind state. Some find that great, others might want to debate, but the fact of the matter is as late as 2015, the most important color to the government is green. Kendrick has seen both rich and poor lifestyles for himself, and he understands what it took for him to accumulate wealth. He admits he was selfish in the past on the track How Much a Dollar Cost, and separates himself from those comparing modern day black living to the holocaust. He doesn’t trivialize inner city living or come across sensational, and is also able to intelligently add in the racial issue too. On this album he becomes 2pac part two, it’s only now I realize I that I couldn’t handle the truth.
At first I lost sleep over the harm I thought this album would do the country, but eventually I realized I was a dummy, and that this album’s message is initially funny, then eventually nuanced and subtle. So while Kendrick may not be the most politically aware emcee in history, or just because phrases like “boo boo” and “dick aint free” sound like sh1t to me, or the way he raps verbosely like me in this review, or how I’ve seen many other rappers he took bits from his style from too, or how he often uses a weird chipmunk voice that sounds annoying, or raps about topics I personally find incredibly boring, how can I hate Guzzo or anyone else for writing a well-written review for free? When there isn’t a reviewer on here WACKER THAN ME?
HYPOCRITE!
