Album Thoughts
Being a White Guy, I am not the intended audience for this album.
- There are references, concepts, and experiences which will never be a part of my life except as something I can have an academic understanding of. I can be (and certainly am) empathetic to its themes, but I do not have and can never even come close to the lived experience required to fully get what this album is going for.
Song Notes
Wesley’s Theory
- Already loving the sounds.
- The optimistic beginning including a slur into the darker sound and more predatory themes are definitely setting a tone.
For Free
- Starting with a gospel choir, and going straight into transactional relationships.
King Kunta
- The bass is so funky, damn.
- Then, the drop into the backing vocals and guitar is HOT with the way it fills out the sound.
Institutionalized
- The syncopated drums are really wonderful.
- Shit really don’t change until you wash your ass.
These Walls
- I love the smooth, psychedelic feel here.
- Double entendre is the name of the game in this genre, but here it’s up in lights and all caps.
u
- The transition from the more structured, relaxing sounds of “These Walls” to the dissonant, isolated scream and intense vocals is excellent. Definitely an unsteady journey here.
Alright
- The spoken word ending is powerful here.
For Sale?
- THESE C H O R D S are so good.
- We’re floaty and back to the psychedelic sounds.
Momma
- I love the way the sound shifts partway through.
Hood Politics
- The chord progression in the beginning is so effective at conveying the tone. It’s a fascinating progression.
How Much a Dollar Cost
- Well damn if the title don’t say it all.
Complexion (A Zulu Love)
- A love song for black folks, and what a wonderful groove to carry the tone.
The Blacker the Berry
- A much darker sound starting out, and its anger and emotion are sharpened by following “Complexion (A Zulu Love)”.
You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said)
- Just keep it real, which the album does.
i
- A hell of a climax, that outro is a hard punch.
Mortal Man
- A big period coming down from the rest of the album.
- Its conclusion and atmosphere are what are needed to ruminate on the message for the rest of it, and the interview with Tupac at the end is such a poignant ending.
General Thoughts
- Early in the album, the density and speed of the themes being presented is prodigious.
- I really appreciate how obvious the collaborations on this album are, even if I can’t pick out exactly who is who.
- All of the music on this album is hitting my ear at least “really good”.
- The pacing is very much on point, and has a great flow.
- I’m a sucker for vocal harmonies, but then you make ‘em jazzy? Damn!
- This is yet another album that makes me wish I was better at parsing lyrics.
- The repetition of Kendrick Lamar’s poem is very effective.
- Every time a song uses that deep growling synth bass, it just feels so good.
- This album keeps it real as fuck in all it represents.
- I don’t know how the Pulitzer Prize administration only gave this album one award. The judging committee really cheaped out on it, damn.
More Thoughts
To Pimp a Butterfly obviously is a lyrical journey through Kendrick Lamar’s experience. Albums that are based off of personal life journeys are nothing new, but this one really feels deep and wide and far beyond just a personal journey, but the way the music matches and contrasts the themes of the story is mind-blowing. The internal struggles framed as an interview with Tupac Shakur really lends extra weight and a thoughtful conclusion to what I believe to be an attainably perfect album.
Had I listened to this as a younger man and really paid attention, I have certainty it would have changed my life. Listening to it now is just a reinforcement of the things I’ve learned of other peoples’ experiences.