King Kendrick has taken the hip-hop world by storm in a matter of just a few years. With his phenomenal debut “Section.80,” followed by one of the greatest hip-hop albums of the modern era, “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” the hip-hop game undisputedly belongs to Kendrick now and “To Pimp a Butterfly” only confirms that notion.
“To Pimp a Butterfly” isn’t quite as dark as “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” but it is certainly on an equal scale. Unlike “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” the overall message portrayed in “To Pimp a Butterfly” is actually positive to an extent.
Make no mistake, though, “To Pimp a Butterfly” has the hard-hitting bass-thumpers that made Kendrick Lamar the monster he is in the first place. “The Blacker the Berry” is one of the most intense songs on the record, where Kendrick criticizes his own culture. Then there’s “Hood Politics,” which showcases Kendrick comparing America’s political parties to the Crips and Bloods, rhyming, “Ain’t nothin' new but a flow of new DemoCrips and ReBloodlicans, Red state versus a blue state, which one you governin’?”
The album is a treat for any hip-hop enthusiast. This record does not supply the hits that dominated much of “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” but it contains a 16-track series of chapters that lead to a truly breathtaking finale, which will not be spoiled in this review. It is surely one of the most memorable hip-hop records since, well, “good kid m.A.A.d city” and it’s well-deserved. “To Pimp a Butterfly” perfectly captures the racial, religious and political tensions currently engulfing America and curbstomps them into oblivion. Enjoy this one, folks. These don’t come around often.
My rating: 10/10
