To Pimp A Butterfly

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Despite its complex and multifaceted origins, the variety within the rap genre today has been blurred together with similar beats, samples, and themes of sex and violence flowing throughout almost every discography of modern rappers. However, one artist and his Grammy-award winning album never fails to stand out in the crowd for its lyrical rollercoasters and one-of-a-kind voice. Artist Kendrick Lamar’s rise to fame and path through the rap industry is a unique progression incomparable to any modern rapper. A sound unlike any other, Lamar’s career kicked off with his second album, “Good Kid, M.A.A.d City”. The album held components of conscious rap and heavy alternative undertones, paving the way for his 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly”, which …show more content…

The title, “To Pimp a Butterfly”, serves as an overhead metaphor to illustrate the journey of an artist rising through the rap industry. The tracklist of the album is often compared to the stages of a butterfly, beginning with the caterpillar, then moving into the stage of a cocoon, and finishing off as the final product of a butterfly. The album opens with “Wesley’s Theory”, featuring a sample from the 1970s film, “Every N****a is a Star” that was intended to change the negative connotation of the word in Jamaica while promoting black pride. Genius Lyrics - "The 'Girls'" Going back to the metaphor of a butterfly’s growth, this first track as the introduction to the album resembles the “caterpillar”, or the beginning of the rapper’s career. we The lyrics, “When the four corners of this cocoon collide/You'll slip through the cracks hopin' that you'll survive/Gather your wit, take a deep look inside/Are you really who they idolize?/To Pimp a Butterfly” The metaphor to the cocoon refers to the “break out” that small artists endure when “making it …show more content…

The album cover itself gives a preview of "To Pimp a Butterfly”, representing the meaning of being black in America and the dynamics of race in American politics. The cover pictures a group of black men and children in front of the White House, holding cash and bottles in hand. With “To Pimp a Butterfly” being released during Obama’s presidency, it nods towards America’s first black president and the culture and black history that he brought into the traditionally white space. The White House historically is a symbol of black oppression, with the first nine U.S. presidents owning slaves and others actively enforcing the racist system and laws. He continues this theme with Lastly, Kendrick Lamar dominates the rap scene with his wide array of sound throughout “To Pimp a Butterfly”. Lamar’s album is the last thing from boring, as the sounds jump from jazz to funk, from dense spoken-word to dragged dialogue. He keeps us on our toes, as we never know what to hear next. His twists and turns, rapid changes of pace, and varying tones all come together to form a cohesive representation of black

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