There has never been an album released with more perfect timing than Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore studio album “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
The follow-up to his groundbreaking debut album focuses less on his own narrative and the world he lived in and more on a wider, worldlier vision.
Released amid the Black Lives Matter movement and the continuing backlash of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, Lamar explores race and racism throughout “Pimp” with tracks like the slavery-referencing interlude “For Free?” and “King Kunta,” a nod to Kunta Kinte. The album’s title is Lamar’s take on “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Just as smart lyrically, if not smarter, than his previous album, “To Pimp a Butterfly” is musically stronger than “good kid, m.A.A.d city.”
Sprinkled with brass-driven jazz and thumping baselines, “Pimp” explores many cultural musical movements as Lamar shows off his range and presents a new sound that contrasts the mainstream hip-hip sound expected of him.
With unlisted appearances by Snoop Dogg and Tupac, and credited samplings from George Clinton and Anna Wise, among others, Lamar’s diverse musicality is on full display.
His Grammy-winning, self-love anthem “i,” released as a single last year, not only gets a longer, studio version on the album, but a perfect counterpart in the manic, almost claustrophobic “u,” complete with background Kanye-esque “New Slaves” yells.
“To Pimp a Butterfly” is a cohesive piece start to finish, with no clear singles primed for radio play. While each song is masterfully crafted, the album is best listened to as a whole.
“Pimp,” the most anticipated project of 2015, set a global Spotify record (replacing previous first-day record holder Michael Buble’s “Christmas”) and was called a “gift to the world” by Yeezus himself in its first 24 hours.
Originally scheduled for release next week, the album’s surprise release also crashed iTunes.
While the early drop creates buzz, Lamar’s album doesn’t need to rely on it.
The tracks alone, without the sensationalized “Beyoncé release,” solidifies “To Pimp a Butterfly”’s place as one of the best rap albums of the decade.