#TPAB

[nartml]

To Pimp a Butterfly and 1989: a rant

Listen here, three things about me are that I'm a) white as snow, b) Greek, c) still a minor.

What does this mean? It means that I obviously wasn't raised with hip-hop, and I got into Kendrick Lamar's music pretty late.

As in, early this year.

I've known of him for some time, and the moment I found out he had a Pulitzer prize at some point in late-ish 2023, I decided I had to sit my ass down and pull out Spotify.

Now, as an avid reader of both fanfiction (ao3 raised me) and books [I feel the immense need to clarify that I don't associate myself with mainstream booktok. Capitalism's consumerism has overrun that shit and all I see are the same 20 books being recycled and recommended (a substantial amount of those are Colleen Hoover and her variants). Tropes and spice* are officially the defining factors of whether a book is worth it (*your porn addiction ain't cute) and quantity is heavily prioritized at the expense of quality. Also, diversity who?], I was, for a lack of a better word, hyped.

A Pulitzer prize is nothing to scoff at in general, more so in music, more so in hip-hop.

(Edit: Upon quick reflection, I realize that putting emphasis on hip-hop can come across as coded.

I am in no way, shape, or form trying to undermine hip-hop or say that it's somehow less 'sophisticated' than, for example, classical music. I'm very aware of the amount of skill and technique one needs to write a masterful hip-hop album, and I'm not doubting that there are hip-hop artists out there who are also incredibly deserving of such a prize. I meant it in the sense that I've unfortunately never heard of another hip-hop artist who won a Pulitzer before, which is quite telling.)

That's some huge shit, and I'd be a fool not to be intrigued.

Admittedly, I didn't get on that immediately. For a while I procrastinated, because I wasn't in the mood to hyper-fixate on anything new just yet.

Which of course meant I ended up forgetting about it for a few months, because of course I did.

But then I came across a TikTok that talked about how it was insane that '1989' won the Grammy when To Pimp a Butterfly was right there.

Now, a fourth thing about me is that I don't fuck with Taylor Swift.

And a fifth thing about me is that I'm not baseless in anything that I do, say or feel, and that includes annoyance.

Her immature understanding of activism and feminism leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The way she built up her fan base around this portrayal of her as a relatable girl's girl, her refusal to accept criticism, and always making a victim out of herself (even now when she's in her thirties and is a fucking billionaire) while never using her position of power and privilege for good are all reasons that serve to fuel my dispassionate dislike.

And before any Swifties get on my ass, no, I don't think that "But she's a singer! Why are you expecting so much out of her, she isn't even qualified to speak on XYZ—" is a good enough excuse.

She has always been rich, and now she's a billionaire. There are no ethical billionaires, and that includes her.

Fame is influence is power. Uncle Ben said it all: With great power comes great responsibility.

And let me tell you, I don't see her owning up to that responsibility, especially after all that talk about how she supports women, supports the LGBTQ community, and supports the BLM movement. Has she ever actually put her abundant money where her mouth is?

I've never seen her speak about anything that doesn't immediately concern her.

Don't get me wrong. She's not the only celebrity like this out there. I'm sure there are worse cases. I know it for a fact.

To wrap this segment up before I get even more sidetracked, I'll outright state that I don't hate her, because hating her would by definition mean that I, in some way, actually care about her, and that just sounds exhausting.

Best way to describe me is indifferent, leaning towards distasteful.

She's annoying.

And that's how I feel about both her as a person and her as an artist.

I'm not denying her talent, nor her impact on the industry, nor the fact that she does have good songs that even I like.

A select few, of course, but still.

Apart from those...what? Ten songs? I have never, ever been able to listen to any other song of her's all the way through.

I get bored. They do nothing for me. They sound empty. Hollow. Plastic. Repetitive.

Her lyrics, that are praised by fans for being deep and complex, sound pretty surface level to me.

Not all of them. But I'm a sucker for analysis. A literature nerd. Greek is my native language. I can tell when something's deep and when something wants to be deep.

(Not necessarily including Folklore and Evermore in that category. Her storytelling ability is actually great.)

Her music largely sounds like it wants to be deep.

Most recent example being her latest release, The Tortured Poets Department.

Anyway, back to Kendrick.

My initial plan was to listen to 'DAMN.' first, because that's what he won the Pulitzer for in the first place.

There was a change of plans after that TikTok.

I decided to compare the opening tacks.

I put on Welcome to New York, and predictably, I felt nothing.

The rhythm is dance-y, I suppose. But there's nothing substantial about it. There's nothing exciting about it.

The lyrics are juvenile, and I get it, it's a pop song and she was in her twenties.

Nobody is expecting Shakespeare (no matter how much you scream or kick your feet, the only reason Shakespeare couldn't write Taylor Swift is because he's in another league entirely) or Odysseus Elytis. Nobody is expecting mind-blowing lyricism.

But it's the opening track to an apparently Grammy-worthy album. The very least I'd expect from it would be some additional levels of artistry.

Am I being harsh? Probably. Do I care? No.

Disappointed but unsurprised, I put on Wesley's Theory.

I ascended within the first minute.

Don't get it twisted, I barely understood shit.

Not only am I white, I am also entirely removed from America and its culture as a whole. I don't know what's going on there in y'all's daily lives.

And this was baby's first proper introduction to hip-hop as a whole.

My untrained, white-ass ear barely caught two references. I got what the gist of the song was about, and that's about it.

I had to look up analyses of the track to fully grasp what Kendrick was on about, and even then, there was obviously still a disconnect.

And I expected all of that.

I didn't expect to get hooked on that song within the first listen.

I swear to fuck, the beat is addictive. I swear to fuck, even when I was fighting to understand what the lyrics were referencing, I was having the time of my life.

Even I, an amateur in every sense of the word, could tell that there was depth and there was quality and there was intentional meaning in every line of that song.

It didn't matter that I couldn't understand it. It mattered that I knew it was there. Not because someone told me that was the case. But because it was audible.

I listened to the next track. And the one after that. And the one after that. I had listened to all of the tracks, before I knew it.

And the evident permeance of quality, of substance, carried on throughout the whole album.

It had exactly the type of lyricism I'd expect a Grammy-worthy album to have. It had exactly the amount of artistry I expected a Grammy-worthy album to have.

Even better, it had all the ingredients I expected a timeless album to have.

The poetry Taylor Swift fans insist hides in her discography, I found in plain sight within Kendrick Lamar's.

After meticulously reading the lyrics, I watched video essay after video essay, searched for analysis after analysis on this album, each time understanding the meanings behind it a little better.

Needless to say that the Grammy's are rigged and I love Kendrick Lamar.

Hip-hop is gorgeous.

[incredibly-delirious-biznasty]

So now that I have an opportunity to scream about Kendrick Lamar’s Genius on Tumblr

Help yourself to this analytical essay I wrote in 2016 examining “To Pimp a Butterfly” and dissecting the stance that Kendrick is, by definition, a conscious rapper.

Shoutout to Drew Lindsay, the professor whose class I wrote this for. Also, please engage in lyrical analysis and music theory with me 🥺

Throughout his album To Pimp a Butterfly (TPaB), Kendrick Lamar is grappling with big issues of race and resentment. There are many layers to each song on the album and like any modern masterpiece, the true meaning lies below the surface and must be teased out. Many songs on TPaB come across as strictly fighting racism and helping along a powerful message in support of his roots. When digging deeper, we find that even the most overt black support anthems on the album have an argumentative element which questions Lamar’s roots and his thoughts on perceived racism. The conflict evident throughout the album is the incarnation of Kendrick’s personal struggle and reflects the conflict within the black community. TPaB’s message is not overtly positive or uplifting and is highly conflicted and therefore can not be classified as realist or conscious. At it’s core, To Pimp a Butterfly is not a conscious manifesto, telling the viewer exactly what to think, but a conversation about current racial issues that is not firmly positive or negative.

! “King Kunta” is the only track on the album that has a seemingly triumphant message all the way through; however this message takes on a sad note when put in the context of the rest of the album. When taken out of context, “King Kunta” comes across as a celebratory anthem, not only for Kendrick himself but for his homies and his people as well. The Lyrics, “Black man taking no losses” extends from his personal success to the triumph of a black art becoming the most popular music form in the mainstream. Even the title references the prolific slave “Kunta Kintae” who’s leg was

hacked for his “slights” against his white captors. Like a conscious track, it seems to have a clear surface meaning. However, as it happens over and over across the album, the traditional wholesome respectful themes of conscious rap are largely disregarded. The beat and production on this track are some of the most radio friendly and “trendy” on the album and the the first track to carry a piece of Kendrick’s Poem at the end. This seems to give “King Kunta” the high note before the gut punch of meaning. The message of “King Kunta” is predominantly “We made it guys,” but as the album progresses, we are made to beg the question “Made it where?”. As the next track on the record starts to deal with Kendrick’s old neighborhood and the clear negative points of contention start to reveal themselves, “King Kunta” becomes bleaker and more hollow in hindsight as the record progresses.

! “Institutionalized” compares Kendrick’s Compton neighborhood to a prison and starts to unpack conflicting feelings about the draw to his personal roots, and all the negatives that come with. As the preceding snippet of The Poem states “At fist you was conflicted,” it only makes sense that this theme rings throughout this song in many ways. There are many layers of conflict as well as many layers of persona in this track that should all be taken into account. Kendrick himself is “trapped in the ghetto” in more ways than one as he struggles to make a name for himself in the industry. Kendrick misses his home, but feels he can no longer relate to his old station after finding success; and yet he can never shake his ghetto roots and the baggage that comes with. There seem to be no positives left about Kendrick’s home and this displacement is furthered after he takes his homies to an award show and their first instinct is to steal from the celebrities around them. He so desperately wants to have a safe place in his

home when faced with the chaos and pressure of the music industry, but finds his home is now just as confining as the industry. As with most of the tracks on this record, Kendrick also acts as a surrogate for members of the black community to reflect common issues. The BET situation can easily be applied to any black kid who comes out of the ghetto and attempts to make something of themselves. The neighborhood and the attached stigmas follow any possible success and no matter how successful any one of these people gets, the inherent shame and conflict of their less successful or motivated peers and life station will always weigh on their minds. Throughout a predominantly conflicted and negative track, the chorus gives a single ray of hope through the mantra of “Shit don’t change unless you get up and wash your ass”.

! “Alright” uses a black stereotype to grapple with his personal struggle through life and compares it to the struggle of the black community as a whole. When we reach this track, the Poetic additions have reached “the evils of Lucy was all around me” and on the preceding track of “U” Kendrick and the album had hit their lowest point. As the track starts, a slew of new conflicts hits the table. Kendrick is facing his vices and the path he is headed down due to his fame and the influence of the music industry; comparing the game to “Lucy,” an incarnation of the devil in the form of a crafty woman. Again, he doubles as surrogate for the black community and the communal struggle, but fans out this connection to God. The “lawd lovin darkie” is a stereotype that Kendrick is playing on as a positive and embracing despite the pull against such topics in the mainstream rap industry. The voice of the track feels vastly positive; the bounce after the rock- bottom of “U”. However, “Alright” is nothing if not weighed down with struggle and sadness. The conflict of depression and hope clashes with every run of the chorus.

Lucy’s echo of Uncle Sam on “Wesley’s Theory” is a direct comparison of The Music Industry to Satan, a notion that Craig points out has been “a prominent, reoccurring theme [in music] for the past 30 years.”(Vigilant Citizen, 4). The bars have the same rhythm, but manage to hold their identity despite the change from 112 beats per minute(bpm) on “Wesley’s Theory” to the 56bpm of “Alright”. For a composition standpoint this is so impressive and Connor’s description of “...genius level record management in the tradition of Dr Dre”(Connor, 2) is not an exaggeration. The bpm change reflects Kendrick’s state in each song. “Wesley’s Theory” begins the album with a whirlwind ride to money and success with a fast beat and and a blasé attitude. By the echo, Kendrick has hit bottom and his life is crawling through the mud at a snails pace, prolonging his inner conflict and misery. “Alright” has the blurriest line between Kendrick as himself and Kendrick as the silhouette stand in for his people. Although the hook is positive and uplifting, the lyrics have weight and imply that Kendrick’s problems are also the problems of black individuals and the black community as a whole. The hook tells us that “We gon‘ be alright,” yet he describes his hope and his faith failing in times of deepest struggle, leaving the listener feeling (what a shock) conflicted.

! “The Blacker the Berry” is the summation of Kendrick’s struggle throughout the rest of the record; pitting racism against the existing problems perpetuated in the black community, resulting in an inconclusive conversation. This track is easily the most mind- bending and certainly the hard-hitting thesis of the record. Kendrick begins by claiming to be the “biggest hypocrite of 2015” in a mantra that gains weight as the song progresses. With the first verse confronting the white population and police brutality shattering the black community, the weight of the line “You made me a killer,” seems

obvious and, although striking, not extremely unique. As the track progresses, Kendrick accuses The Music Industry of making him a killer. Finally, Kendrick aims his accusations at his black brothers; gangbangers and thieves. If that wasn’t enough, the tracks introduction states “sometimes I get off watchin' you die in vain,” referring to his people. Although this could be the product of internalized racism, or Kendrick’s roots in the Blood/Crip war, nonetheless, it’s taking a stance that is not seen in conscious rap. Kendrick is facing that there is not one reason for violence or racism and therefore the problem can’t be fixed in any simple manner; certainly not one he holds the answer to. So who really made Kendrick a killer? Who made killers of any black man? As a representation, summation, and thesis of the rest of the album, Kendrick is having a conversation about where violence starts and presenting many possible options. They all repeat the same mantras, making them all equal and not singling any one out as more or less valid. In the end there is no clear resolution; just the statement of a problem and an intellectual presentation of thought. “The Blacker the Berry” states that many people and many groups are responsible for the perpetuation of racism, violence, and stereotypes, without attempting to “fix” the situation or even place blame as conscious rap is wont to do. When all of these things are called out, it is no longer about pointing a finger and starting a lynch mob. It becomes a critical reflection and the seed of a conversation. The running theme of the album persists as Kendrick becomes the echo of the black community and his inner conflicts become the conflicts within his community.

! As the album closes, Kendrick’s personal struggle is completely conveyed in a masterful comparison of himself to Tupac Shakur. His journey is not tied up in a neat

bow and the entirety of the album is left open-ended. We are not told explicitly “Kendrick will/will not meet the same end as Tupac,” but left to ponder and discuss. In the same way, we follow Kendrick’s reflection of the black community to its close without resolution. Many believe that “Underneath the tragedy and adversity, To Pimp a Butterfly is a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all,”(Jenkins, 3) and although that is a fair assessment of the album; trying to wrap up a record as complex and nuanced as To Pimp a Butterfly in a neat bow of optimism like that doesn’t do it any justice. TPaB would be nothing without its unending conflict and roller coaster of ups and downs. This blend of conflict and pain is our heart line direct to Kendrick’s soul as his confessional develops and our uniting point as a community under the problems he presents. As The World’s Busiest Music Nerd stated, “[Kendrick’s] not telling us what to think... [he’s] contradicting himself”(Fantano, 11:08). This inability to take a stand (among other explicit sexual and violent gangster themes) is ultimately what disqualifies To Pimp a Butterfly from the conscious spectrum. If the album was anything but what it is, we as the listener would not be able to discuss how we address the problems presented. The album would lose all intrigue and conversation if we were left with a solid resolution. To Pimp a Butterfly is a 78 minute conversation, to create a century’s conversation.

Sources Sited

Theneedledrop, and Anthony Fantano. "Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly ALBUM REVIEW." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

An in-depth analysis of the formal elements of “To Pimp a Butterfly”. A moment I found really compelling was just around 11:18 when Fantano talks about the conflicted nature of the album. Alludes to Kendrick making a conscious album, but pays very close attention to the music beneath the flows and how it compels the message. The rare 10/10.

Connor, Martin. "Kendrick Lamar: Rap Music Analysis." The Composer's Corner. Blogspot, 24 July 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Connor analyzes Lamar’s production unity despite multiple producers. He hails this foresight into record management as genius level: on par with Dr Dre’s production insight and Jay-Z’s ear for album unity. Connor goes on to compare the seeding of musical ideas across tracks to classical compositions. He uses the example of an echoing verse with identical musical rhythms; despite the bpm change across tracks (56bpm on “Alright” and 112bpm on “Wesley’s Theory”

Jenkins, Craig. "To Pimp a Butterfly." Kendrick Lamar: Album Review. Pitchfork Publications, 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

“Underneath the tragedy and adversity, To Pimp a Butterfly is a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all.”

Business, Music. "Kendrick's Deeper Story." Vigilant Citizen. The Vigilant Citizen, 27 Nov. 2015. Web

[imnotevenusin]

The Astrology of: Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is one of the most important and thought-provoking artists in the Hip-Hop genre. Born on June 17th, 1987, he would experience the harsh circumstances that Compton, California had to offer—usually gang violence, shootings, and racial struggles—and this had a profound effect on him and his perspective on the world. To cope with his environment, Lamar expressed himself through poetry and rapping, being inspired by Tupac Shakur - this also kept him away from “gang life”. Lamar’s music/albums reflect on heavy topics—spirituality, morality, and of course, racial injustice—while still being accessible (at times) to the mainstream.

No real confirmation on a birth time, so I’ll just focus on some of his aspects and placements.

- Mercury conjunct Mars: Aspects between these two planets are commonly found in Rapper’s charts. Mercury is supported by Mars through passionate speech and messages. You can come off as strong and loud, even if you don’t intend to. People with this aspect can also use their words as a weapon (see: beef with Drake).

- Sun in Gemini - Moon in Pisces Combination: The Sun is how we express our pride and autonomy. Gemini is an energy that deals with interaction and information, so people with a Gemini Sun like to communicate and get a reaction out of others. They can express themselves through comedy, literature, and Rapping.

Pisces Moons find emotional comfort through isolation, day-dreaming, and art, since Pisces energy deals with everything that is non-physical and imaginative.

This combo can explain why Kendrick is so creative in the medium(s) of hip-hop and poetry. Kanye West also has this combination in his chart, and he is seen as someone who likes to think outside-of-the-box when it comes to creating music - and everything else he does.

- Moon trine Mercury: The Moon—how we try to find emotional comfort—is being supported by Mercury. Lamar expresses himself through written word and poetry. Rapping is also an avenue that he can articulate his emotions and ideas in.

- Moon square Saturn: Due to growing up in harsh environments, Lamar was depressed. When the Moon is squared to Saturn we feel suppression of emotional connections in your earlier years. Lamar is also known to be quite reserved and private - he took a 5 year break from music.

- Jupiter in Aries: Jupiter expands anything it touches, while Aries is an energy of confidence, self-protection, anger, individuation, vitality, motivation, and fighting. Kendrick likes to challenge others and isn’t afraid to fight back: in 2013, his “Control” verse electrified the Hip-Hop community when he declared that he wanted to beat-out every other successful Rapper at the time; his verse on “Like That” revitalized diss-tracks this year; he just humiliated Drake in a series of diss-tracks.

Sun sextile Jupiter shows that he has an abundant amount of ego and self-confidence in himself - which is why he calls himself the goat.

[flossytiptin]

Doechii in Nissan Altima Swamp Sessions music video with TDE fam referencing Kendrick Lamar in Alright music video

[revwack]

damn x mr morale

im not very good at drawing locks, trying to get better

wanted to combine two of his albums into one drawing

[notyouraryang0dd3ss]

Kendrick Lamar>>>TayTay

My man has a Pulitzer prize

it’s still so fucking insane they gave Album of the Year to “1989” over “To Pimp A Butterfly.” IDK how anyone can deny racism at that point

[letz-smoke-zaza]

« I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept. » — Angela Y. Davis

[predetachment]

I would cuddle, but the other side's taken

[shitass-broadsword]

yeag

[theworldtome]

how much a dollar really cost?

the question is detrimental, paralyzin my thoughts

parasites in my stomach keep me with a gut feeling, y'all

gotta see how i’m chillin once i park this luxury car

hopping out feeling big as Mutombo

twenty on pump six, dirty Marcellus called me Dumbo

twenty years ago, can't forget

now i can lend him a ear or two, how to stack these residuals

tenfold, the liberal concept of what men'll do

twenty on six, he didn't hear me

indigenous African only spoke Zulu

my American tongue was leery

walked out the gas station

a homeless man with a semi-tan complexion

asked me for ten rand

stressin about dry land

deep water, powder blue skies that crack open

a piece of crack that he wanted, i knew he was smokin

he begged and pleaded

asked me to feed him twice, i didn't believe it, told him, “beat it”

contributin money just for his pipe, i couldn't see it

he said, “my son, temptation is one thing that i’ve defeated,

“listen to me, i want a single bill from you,

“nothin less, nothin more”

i told him i ain't have it and closed my door

tell me how much a dollar cost

he’s starin' at me in disbelief

my temper is buildin, he's starin at me, i grab my key

he’s starin at me, i started the car then i tried to leave

and somethin told me to keep it in park until i could see

a reason why he was mad at a stranger like i was supposed to save him

like i’m the reason he's homeless and askin me for a favor

he’s starin at me, his eyes followed me with no laser

he’s starin at me, i notice that his stare is contagious

cause now i’m starin back at him, feelin some type of disrespect

if i could throw a bat at him, it'd be aimin at his neck

i never understood someone beggin for goods

askin for handouts, takin it if they could

and this particular person just had it down pat

starin at me for the longest until he finally asked,

“have you ever opened up Exodus 14?

“a humble man is all that we ever need”

tell me how much a dollar cost

guilt trippin and feelin resentment

i never met a transient that demanded attention

they got me frustrated, indecisive and power trippin

sour emotions got me lookin at the universe different

i should distance myself, i should keep it relentless

my selfishness is what got me here, who the fuck i’m kiddin?

so imma tell you like i told the last bum, crumbs and pennies

i need all of mines, and i recognize this type of panhandlin all the time

i got better judgement, i know when n****s hustlin

keep in mind, when i was strugglin, i did compromise

now i comprehend, i smell grandpa's old medicine

reekin from your skin, moonshine and gin

n***a your babblin, your words ain't flatterin, i’m imaginin

Denzel but lookin' at O'Neal, Kazaam is sad

thrills, your gimmick is mediocre, the jig is up

i seen you from a mile away losin focus

and i’m insensitive, and i lack empathy

he looked at me and said, "your potential is bittersweet"

i looked at him and said, "every nickel is mines to keep"

he looked at me and said, "know the truth, it'll set you free,

“you’re lookin at the Messiah, the son of Jehova, the higher power,

“the choir that spoke the word, the Holy Spirit, the nerve,

“of Nazareth, and i’ll tell you just how much a dollar cost,

“the price of having a spot in heaven, embrace your loss, i am God”

i washed my hands, i said my grace, what more do you want from me?

tears of a clown, guess i’m not all what is meant to be

shades of grey will never change if i condone

turn this page, help me change, to right my wrongs

[musicalmonstrosity]

Having DID and CPTSD is sometimes just constant suffering with the occasional comedy relief.

Why do I say this?

Having years long obsession with the album to pimp a butterfly and suddenly in the back of my mind I hear

“I remember you was autistic.”

I’m still so confused yet giggly about this. One moment I’m having a PTSD episode while an environment disaster is happening currently and then suddenly just the *comedy laugh sound effect* and then back to the suffering. Nothing prompted this, it just randomly happened and now I’m sitting here like “what was the thinking behind this and why?” Please tell me there a term for this experience.

[battleslippers]

TPAB save me.,, TPAB...

[stargiirl27]

anyway I wish I could listen to TPAB again for the first time

[methvapes]

this account is a fucking acid trip i love it thank you so much for existing

one must learn to love — this is what happens to us in music: first one has to learn to hear a figure and melody at all to detect and distinguish it to isolate it and delimit it as a separate life then it requires some exertion and good will to tolerate it in spite of its strangeness to be patient with its appearance and expression and kindhearted about its oddity finally there comes a

lean buyin the gucci store its like breathing air its nothing it means nothing

[maldine]

INSTAGRAM @DAVIMALDINE

[dionjurassic24]

Top 3 best Kendrick Lamar albums?