Like the conversation starters present on the fiery and militant “The Blacker The Berry” and introspective “Complexion.” The diversity of funk and soul samples like Boris Gardiner’s “Every N***** Is A Star” for “Wesley’s Theory,” “Momma” borrowing Lalah Hathaway’s “On Your Own” and The Isley Brothers’ “Who’s That Lady” for “i.” The spoken word pieces scattered throughout, manifested as a cheeky “For Free?” interlude, a soapbox speech in the middle of an “i” performance and during a wide-eyed interview with immortal rap royalty on “Mortal Man.” Butterfly shouldn’t be rushed through in search of a song to blast at ig’nant levels in the car (although “King Kunta” and “Alright” are strong contenders). Being a lazy consumer and putting it down after one quick listen leads to missing all the assorted flavors present on the plate. Existing as a minority amongst hip hop’s pit of empty-caloried fast-food music, TPAB requires layered listening.
To Pimp A Butterfly may or may not be exactly what people “wanted” or “expected” to hear, but it’s definitely something we needed.īuried within the album are valuable lessons in patience and slowing down when it comes to listening to music. Others voiced their desire for more of the Kendrick they felt they were robbed of. Many professed their love for it instantly, praising its nostalgic elements and crediting it for prompting an hour-long two-step. Based on Twitter chatter alone, the masses are split. Instead of thumping beats and Cali-saturated soundscapes, Butterfly swaps in jazz horns and G-Funk overtones, forcing us to redefine what the sound of hip hop is right now. Aside from the dropped bomb nature of its release-listeners up past bedtime were forced into a FOMO-driven part two of the Black Messiah listening session D’Angelo caused back in December- TPAB was an even bigger surprise than listeners were bargaining for.
Kendrick’s long awaited sophomore LP arrived without warning in the wee hours of the morning, one full week ahead of its March 23 release date.