To Pimp a Butterfly

To Pimp a Butterfly
Studio album by Kendrick Lamar
Released	March 15, 2015 (2015-03-15)
Recorded	November 2012– February 2015
Studio	Chalice Recording Studios (Hollywood, California) Downtown Studios (New York, New York) House Studios (Washington) Notifi Studios (St. Louis, Missouri) No Excuses Studios (Santa Monica, California)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	78:51
Label	Top Dawg Aftermath Interscope
Producer	Dr. Dre (exec.) Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith (exec.) Boi-1da Terrace Martin Dave Free Flying Lotus KOZ Knxwledge Larrance Dopson LoveDragon Rahki Ronald 'Flippa' Colson Sounwave Tae Beast Taz Arnold Pharrell Williams Thundercat Tommy Black Willie B Whoarei
Kendrick Lamar chronology
Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012) To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Singles from To Pimp a Butterfly
"i" Released: September 16, 2014 (2014-09-16) "The Blacker the Berry" Released: February 9, 2015 (2015-02-09) "King Kunta" Released: March 24, 2015 (2015-03-24)

To Pimp a Butterfly is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and distributed by Interscope Records.^[1][2] The album is a follow-up to Lamar's platinum selling, multi-Grammy Award nominated major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city. Due to an error on the part of Interscope Records, the album was released on iTunes and Spotify a week earlier than scheduled.^[3]

The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with executive production from Dr. Dre and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Boi-1da, Flying Lotus, Terrace Martin, Pharrell Williams, Knxwledge, Sounwave, Thundercat and several other hip hop producers also contributed. The album, which is influenced by aspects of funk, jazz, and spoken word, received rave reviews from critics, who hailed it a "masterpiece". The album's release was supported by three singles – "i", "The Blacker the Berry" and "King Kunta". As of April 2015, the album has sold a total of 546,653 copies in the United States.^[4]

Background

On February 28, 2014, Kendrick Lamar first revealed plans for releasing a follow-up to his major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012), during an interview with Billboard.^[5] In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he was quoted as saying, "Just putting the word 'pimp' next to 'butterfly'… It's a trip. That's something that will be a phrase forever. It'll be taught in college courses — I truly believe that."^[6] Lamar would later reveal that the album's original title was Tu Pimp a Caterpillar, which was an homage in its abbreviation to Tupac Shakur. In an interview with MTV, Lamar said: "Tu Pimp a Caterpillar was the original name and they (Dead End Hip Hop) caught it because the abbreviation was Tupac, Tu-P-A-C. Me changing it to Butterfly, I just really wanted to show the brightness of life and the word 'pimp' has so much aggression, and that represents several things. For me, it represents using my celebrity for good. Another reason is, not being pimped by the industry through my celebrity." The album was at one point believed by many to be called Return of Enoch.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Recording and production

Bilal featured on "Institutionalized" and "These Walls" and added backing vocals to four other songs.

Recording for the album took place during 2012 to 2015, and was recorded at a variety of studios including Chalice Recording Studios, Downtown Studios, House Studios, Notifi Studios, and No Excuses Studios. Lamar thought of the album's initial concept while on Kanye West's Yeezus Tour. During the tour, producer Flying Lotus played him some demos intended for his Captain Murphy project. Flying Lotus was responsible for the production of the album opener "Wesley’s Theory", which features Thundercat and George Clinton. Lotus also played Lamar a folder of beats that he was keeping for his next Captain Murphy project, and went on to give Lamar all the productions in the folder.^[11] Lotus also produced a version of "For Sale? (Interlude)" that was ultimately discarded, with Lamar favoring Taz Arnold's version of the song, which appears on the album. Lotus said that it is unlikely that his version of the song will see a release.^[12] American rapper Rapsody appeared on the album, contributing a verse to the song "Complexion (A Zulu Love)". Following a conversation between Lamar and 9th Wonder, Lamar told 9th he wanted to reach out to Rapsody. Rapsody and Lamar exchanged dialogue about the song, but overall there was little instruction from Lamar regarding what she should talk about in the song. Speaking about the song, she stated that he had decided on the concept already when he reached out. She stated that the only instructions Lamar gave were the song's title and the idea that "...we are beautiful no matter our race but he really wanted to speak to our people and address this light versus dark complex".^[13][14]

In 2014, producer Pharrell Williams, who had previously worked with Lamar, played the song "Alright", which was produced with Sounwave at the Holy Ship Festival, for selected his fans off of his iPhone. The track features the same unidentified sample that Williams used on Rick Ross' track "Presidential" from his album God Forgives, I Don't (2012). The track reportedly at one time featured American rapper Fabolous.^[15][16][17] The album went through three different phases before the production team could move forward with the idea. After this, producer Thundercat was brought into the process after Flying Lotus brought him along to see Lamar's performance on the Yeezus Tour.^[18] The album's lead single "i" was produced by Rahki, who also produced the song "Institutionalized". Although the version of "i" that appears on the album is drastically different from the single release, both versions contain a sample of the song "That Lady" by The Isley Brothers. Lamar personally visited Isley Brothers' lead vocalist Ronald Isley to ask his permission to sample the song. For this he traveled to St. Louis and began working in the studio with Isley. Isley also performs on the song "How Much a Dollar Cost?" with singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy.^[19] With Pete Rock who said that his addition to "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" was unusual for him as he was not the producer of the track, but instead provided a backing vocals and scratches.^[20] Singer Bilal is featured on "Institutionalized" and "These Walls" and has backing and uncredited vocals on "u", "For Sale? (Interlude)", "Momma" and "Hood Politics". Bilal stated he was initially unsure of how many songs he would be featured on the album stating he worked on various tracks, but did not know what was what. "For a lot of the material, Kendrick had a idea of what he wanted". Lamar would sing out the melody and some of the words, and Bilal would interpret what Lamar was telling him. On the songs where Bilal added backing vocals, "...some of it was freestyle; just adding color to make it a fuller sound."^[21] Lamar also reportedly worked with legendary American musician Prince, however, the duo were too pressed for time in their recording session, so therefore they're were unable to complete the song in time.^[22][23][24]

Music and lyrics

Lamar has described the album, which incorporates elements of funk, spoken word poetry and jazz, as "honest, fearful and unapologetic."^[25] In an interview with MTV, Kendrick explained the meaning behind the tracks "Wesley's Theory" and "King Kunta".^[7][8][26] The album's opening track, "Wesley's Theory", is a reference to Wesley Snipes and how the actor was thrown in jail for tax evasion. No one teaches poor black males how to manage money or celebrity, so if they do achieve success, the powers that be can take it from right under them.^[7][8][26] "King Kunta" focuses on the history of negative stereotypes all African-Americans have to reconcile and reclaiming one's history as a King instead of a slave.^[7][8][26] The interviewer finishes by asking about Lamar's bashing of rappers with ghostwriters on "King Kunta".^[7][8][26] Lamar reveals he first got his name out there as a ghostwriter, so he has respect for the writers, but says, "As a new artist, you have to stand behind your work... and honor the code of hip-hop."^[7][8][26]

"The Blacker the Berry" is a racially-charged song, noted for being a departure from the "self-love-promoting" "i", a single released in late 2014. The song features a "boom-bap beat", with lyrics that celebrate his African-American heritage, and "tackles hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on."^[27] The song's hook is performed by Jamaican dancehall artist Assassin, notable for performing on Kanye West's 2013 LP Yeezus, whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans.^[28][29]

Singles

On September 23, 2014, Kendrick Lamar released "i", as the album's lead single via digital distribution.^[30] The song was met with critical acclaim from music critics and was placed on numerous critics year end lists.^[31][32] On November 15, 2014, Lamar appeared on Saturday Night Live, as the musical guest, where he performed the extended version of "i".^[33]

On February 9, 2015, Lamar released the album's second single, titled "The Blacker the Berry".^[34] The single was also met with critical acclaim from music critics upon its release.

The album's third single "King Kunta", was released on March 24, 2015. Lamar was spotted at Compton, California, filming the music video.^[35] A video for the song was released on April 1, 2015 and did feature Kendrick in Compton, he is seen dancing around the Compton Swap Meet and is also shown sitting on a throne outside a house which connects to the title of "King". There is also a 2Pac reference in the video.

Release and promotion

On March 10, 2015, Lamar announced that his third album will be titled To Pimp a Butterfly. On the same day, Lamar unveiled the album cover when he posted a picture of it on his official Instagram page. After a rumored track-listing surfaced via the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), on March 12, 2015, Lamar confirmed the album's track listing.^[25][36]

On March 15, 2015, the album was released on iTunes eight days ahead of its scheduled release date. According to TDE's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, the album's early release was unintentional, apparently caused by an error on the part of Interscope Records.^[37] On the following day, the option to purchase the album was removed from iTunes and the release date was reverted to March 23. On March 16, 2015, the album was digitally released a week ahead of the original schedule, which was a similar tactic used by Frank Ocean when he released his album channel ORANGE.^[38][39]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 363,000 equivalent album units, selling 324,000 copies in its first week.^[40] It also topped the chart its second week with 123,000 units, selling 107,000 copies that week. It was the first album since Taylor Swift's 1989 (2014) and first R&B or hip hop album since Beyoncé's self-titled album (2013) to spend multiple weeks atop the chart.^[41] It has sold 546,653 copies in the US as of April 2015.^[4]

To Pimp a Butterfly debuted atop the charts in the United Kingdom,^[42] New Zealand^[43] and Australia,^[44] even after being released midway through the tracking week.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[45]
Chicago Tribune	[46]
Robert Christgau	A–[47]
Entertainment Weekly	A[48]
The Guardian	[49]
The Observer	[50]
Pitchfork Media	9.3/10[51]
Rolling Stone	[52]
Slant Magazine	[53]
Spin	10/10[54]

To Pimp a Butterfly received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album has received an average score of 97, based on 42 reviews.^[55] Writing in Entertainment Weekly, Kyle Anderson found it twice as substantial as Lamar's debut album and more comprehensive of African-American music styles, with "the freedom of a mixtape ... but the production values of an Oscar-worthy cinematic event".^[48] Spin magazine's Dan Weiss hailed it as the "Great American Hip-Hop Album" as well as "mandatory listening."^[56] Sam C. Mac, writing for Slant Magazine, contrasted the album with Lamar's previous work: "Where there were once big hooks, energetic rhyming in perfect lockstep with the beat, and a clear narrative thrust, there's now an expansive morass of live music grooves, heady and sometimes contradictory stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and not so much as an overarching narrative as lots of fractured ones ducking in and out of obscurity."^[52] Jim Farber of the New York Daily News lauded the album for its "manic" and "embracing" feel.^[57]

In Rolling Stone, Greg Tate hailed To Pimp a Butterfly as "a masterpiece of fiery outrage, deep jazz and ruthless self-critique" that, along with D'Angelo's third album Black Messiah, make 2015 "the year radical Black politics and for-real Black music resurged in tandem to converge on the nation's pop mainstream."^[52] Kris Ex of Billboard felt similarly: "It's definitely more timely, speaking to the continued discussion of race and racism in America -- the matter of Black lives mattering -- that has dominated the national discourse over the past half year."^[58] Pitchfork Media's Craig Jenkins described the album as "a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning and to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all."^[51] Robert Christgau said not many artists are as passionate and understanding as Lamar, who offers "a strong, brave effective bid to reinstate hip hop as black American's CNN — more as op-ed than front page, but in the Age of Twitter that's the hole that needs filling."^[47] In a less enthusiastic review, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote, "He hasn't outrun his tendency towards clutter. He is a dense rapper, and even though he's more at ease with his music now, he still runs the risk of suffocation."^[59]

Track listing

Notes^[60]

• ^{^a} signifies an additional producer.
• ^{^b} signifies an additional programmer.
• "Wesley's Theory" contains additional vocals performed by Dr. Dre, Anna Wise, Ash Rise, Josef Leimberg and Whitney Alford.
• "For Free? (Interlude)" contains additional vocals performed by Anna Wise and Darlene Tibbs.
• "King Kunta" contains additional vocals performed by Whitney Alford.
• "These Walls" contains additional vocals performed by James Fauntleroy.
• "u" contains additional vocals performed by Bilal, Jessica Vielmas and SZA.
• "Alright" contains additional vocals performed by Pharrell Williams, Candace Wakefield and Thundercat.
• "For Sale? (Interlude)" contains additional vocals performed by Bilal, Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A, Preston Harris and SZA.
• "Momma" contains additional vocals performed by Lalah Hathaway and Bilal.
• "Hood Politics" contains additional vocals performed by Bilal, Anna Wise, Preston Harris and Dion Friley.
• "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" contains additional vocals performed by Thundercat, Lalah Hathaway, Talkbox Monte, Javonte and Pete Rock.
• "The Blacker the Berry" contains additional vocals performed by Assassin and Lalah Hathaway.
• "You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)" contains additional vocals performed by Thundercat, Preston Harris, Wyann Vaughn and Javonte.
• "i" contains additional vocals performed by Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A, William Sweat, Candace Wakefield, Devon Downing, Edwin Orellana, Dave Free, Dion Friley and Ronald Isley.
• "Mortal Man" contains additional vocals performed by James Fauntleroy, Javonte and Tupac Shakur.

Sample credits^[60]

• "Wesley's Theory" contains elements of "Every Nigger is a Star", written and performed by Boris Gardiner.
• "King Kunta" contains interpolations of "Get Nekkid", written by Johnny Burns, as performed by Mausberg; resung lyrics from "Smooth Criminal", written and performed by Michael Jackson; elements of "The Payback", written by James Brown, Fred Wesley, and John Starks, as performed by James Brown; and samples of "We Want the Funk", written by Ahmad Lewis, as performed by Ahmad.
• "u" contains sample from "Loving You Ain't Complicated" by Whoarei.
• "Alright" contains remixed vocals from Elijah Blake from "Presidential", written by Roberts II, Pharrell Williams, Roy Ayers, James Bedford, Lamont Porter, Sylvia Striplin, Christopher Wallace, and Sean Fenton, as performed by Rick Ross and Elijah Blake.
• "Momma" contains elements of "On Your Own", written and performed by Lalah Hathaway.
• "Hood Politics" contains a sample of "All for Myself", written and performed by Sufjan Stevens.
• "i" contains a sample of "That Lady", written by Ronald Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley, and Christopher Jasper, as performed by The Isley Brothers.
• "Mortal Man" contains excerpts from "I No Get Eye for Back", written by Fela Anikulapo, as performed by Houston Person; and a sample of music journalist Mats Nileskar's November 1994 interview with Tupac Shakur for P3 Soul Broadcasting Corporation.

Charts

See also

• List of number-one albums of 2015 (Australia)

References

External links

• To Pimp a Butterfly at Discogs (list of releases)

Mortal Man Song Lyrics By Kendrick Lamar