"To Pimp a Butterfly" by Kendrick Lamar
Arguably the best story telling on a concept album of all time, further empowered by emotion inducing beats to create a cohesive masterpiece
Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp A Butterfly, is a standout piece of work that will long go down in the annals of musical history for being potentially one of the best albums of all time. From start to finish, it is a masterclass, and a melting pot of various musical influences, as well as a commentary on one’s own identity and themes of 2015 such as race, power, and social justice. Through a deeper dive into the album, we can see how it offers insights into our collective humanity in an extremely divided society while also reflecting and criticizing societal systems.
Throughout the entirety of To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick looks deeply into systemic and social oppression. Lamar reflects on how institutional racism, economic inequality, and the legacy of slavery have all shaped his, and other black lives in modern society. The song "The Blacker the Berry" contains a deep dive into structural inequality and evokes strong negative feelings of anger for misjustice. From the beginning this song sets you up for a lot of emotions, with the beat being ominous and a low resolution tape recorder playing as the subtrack. Kendrick breaks out past the intro in a tone that sounds like its escalating with chaotic lyrics singing, “Six in the morn' Fire in the street Burn, baby, burn, That's all I wanna see, And sometimes I get off watchin' you die in vain, It's such a shame, they may call me crazy, They may say I suffer from schizophrenia or somethin'”. Very quickly this song sets you up with a feeling of uneasy negative energy, and is a good intro considering what’s about to come. Further throughout this song, Kendrick Lamar addresses the battles that Black people encounter in a culture that is set up to make them as small as possible. He references the long history of violence towards Black people in America, speaking on how there have always been attempts to minimize black culture since slavery. He expertly questions the historic prejudice against black culture through mass incarceration, police brutality, and economic racism. The song has a violent and aggressive tone, and questions society's historic hypocrisy, while also criticizing himself for falling into the same system and profiting, exhibiting deep reflection and a genuine desire to open up the world for Black people beyond himself. The title, uses the old saying “the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice,” suggests that blackness can be a source of pride, and a target for racism and dehumanization, while also potentially being a further satirical critique of the music industry, who constantly look at Black artists as commodities for profits.
Beyond only the Blacker the Berry, the album has other songs that have, beyond being catchy and good music, made their way into mainstream political media. Another significant track is “Alright”, which to this day remains one of his biggest songs. This track became an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement because unlike various other tracks on the album this song has a much more positive message, one of standing with hope and black strength in the face of mass systemic justice. The song reflects on the difficulty and strain of living and being treated as lesser by society through history, but breaks through with the chorus of “We gon’ be alright”, and has a value that transcends simply music. In addition the beat itself is a cross between smooth jazz, and what sounds to choir vocals. The song has a high pitch of energy, and presents an amazing stage for the positive message of hope that Kendrick preaches on this track.
Another prominent theme highlighted on To Pimp a Butterfly is Kendricks difficulties with the African American struggle for identity and self empowerment. In the album, Kendrick works through understanding his existence as a black man in America, dealing with both sides of the coin of fame, the desire to use his platform as a large rap star for a positive change and the allures of wealth and fame that come with it. The album name is a good metaphor representing this. He represents his own freedom, self expression, and transformation, with the butterfly, and at the same time uses pimp, a historically African American word, to represent the way his personality and music are commodified for the bigger music industry. The song “u” is a good example of his personal battles with self development as Kendrick Lamar engages in an internal monologue characterized by alternate tones of accusation and agony as he tackles his feelings of guilt, self-loathing, and emotional torment. The song has probably the most disconcerting intro of the ones on the album, as it begins with a man screaming gutturally, and the beat is low and spooky, letting the listener know they are in for an emotional song. The beat continues, but generally has a chaotic sound, and is very rarely the same throughout the song, making it feel like we are inside Kendricks mind throughout the song as he angrily argues with himself. He angrily discusses his personal battles, writing about his alcoholism, his survivors guilt, and his own self loathing about the life he's started to live, in a manner that projects the emotions onto the reader. In order to emphasize the difficult process of self-actualization for Black people negotiating systemic oppression while navigating personal accomplishment, he wonders if he has been "pimped" by the same system he critiques, and wonders whether his legacy will be positive.
In connection with this is his opening track, “Wesley’s Theory”, an ode to the black actor Wesley Snipes who was put in jail for tax evasion. This song is high energy from beginning, and quickly sets a chaotic pace in a way different from u. This song has a lot going quickly which makes one feel like they are driving fast. This song references the exploitation, the “pimping” of black artists, through the rap system, and Lamar masterfully uses Snipes’s story as a metaphor for the risks of fame, and losing oneself in the pursuit of material success and wealth. Between the lyrics, and the overwhelming beat, it makes a listener feel like they are speeding down a loophole faster and faster, with no way to stop. Mirroring this feeling in the song, Kendrick reflects on his own situation, and wonders if he will one day fall victim to the same curse of affluence, falling down a loophole with no way to stop, or no sense of himself, putting himself in touch with the listener.
The entire album is a musical trip, be it through lyrics or beats. Although these are only some of the most poignant examples, every song on this album has meaning, and is layered with metaphors, experiences, and difficult questions about the state of our world. Each song on this album can be in depth analyzed, and together Kendrick Lamar puts together a cohesive piece of art that will go down in history as one of the greatest albums of any genre. It expertly explores navigating one's own experience, challenges the listener to reflect on the societal bias towards black people, the systemic racism, and social oppression, as well as also challenges all to reflect on their own sense of self and battles of their own. The incredibly variety of sounds, and Kendrick’s remarkable story telling force you to be in his shoes, and make it an incredible cross between his life, political messaging, and music.