To Pimp A Butterfly

Not my thing but I will give it a 2 for the music.

Didn't have the patience to finish.

Just not for me.

All time great album! Alright is an all time great song!

Stops short of amazing for me, but it is really good.

Kendrick Lamar weaves an intricate tapestry of rhymes and beats to explore being black in 21st century America. He is both knowledgeable and eloquent, joined by guests ranging from George Clinton to Snoop Dogg.

Its a legendary album no doubt. And I know it ranks very highly for many People. But did not see the appeal Im not a fan of rap and hip hop post 2005 and this album is not an exeption

not my thing, noisy

Kendrick seals his reputation as the most essential artist of the 2010s.

No thanks. Couldn't listen through a single track.

Very intresting and thought provoking

Very melodic and complex. Not sure how I feel about this yet, but I think I like it. Modern jazz. The more I listen, the more I really like this.

10/10 the perfect hip hop album

Too contextual- requires a very specific cultural background to be able to understand it. Great fusion of jazz and hip-hop

eternal, magnificent

Moderne hiphop, beetje gangster maar ook wel wat klassiekere (jazz?) invloeden. Snap dat dit populair is. Maar sommige nummers net ietsje te gangster.

Instant Claasic

TPAB (To Pimp A Butterfly) literally was my first ever full album listening experience back in 2020. I mean I could talk for literal hours about this album about the details, but people have already dissected this album for years, so I want to keep this review simple. This album is hip-hop mixed with jazz, funk, neo-soul, and many more. The production on this record is pretty unique, I don't know how to describe it, but like it doesn't sound like your average hip-hop album, and it's pretty refreshing and new, even after 2 years of listening. The album only have 3 catchy songs, Wesley's Theory, Alright and King Kunta, but that doesn't mean the others are bad. Besides those 2, the songs on this album was designed to be sort of on the back, so we can focus more on what Kendrick is saying. In this album you realized why he is one of the best rappers alive, the lyrics, his flow, and his voice style changes throughout the album, his rapping skills, it's stellar. With his story combined with the incredibly lavish production on this album, you just don't listen, but you also feel the experience on this record. I think this album lives up to the definition of masterpiece and it totally deserves the title.

There is a reason Kendrick has won a Pulitzer; this is my second favorite album of his. This album defined the 2010s, and I believe it will define hip hop and music for the next century.

Such a good album. Kendrick is a fucking genius

pasa

Am I biased against hip-hop? - You bet I am. But this album isn't helping. 1/5

Great 90's south central hip-hop feel.

I understand that Kendrick Lamar is viewed an an intellectual great of the hiphop world. Which makes this album really difficult to review. Musically - this is a great album, varied, well written. Lyrically however - this album is so mixed. Some songs are clever, witty, thoughtful. And then others just dive into the stereotypical hiphop tropes of bad language, niggaz, hos, drugs, gang-life and the hood. Yeah, I get it - this is your life. But the point of bad language and slurs is to accentuate the impact of other words. But on certain songs, when almost every other word is a racial slur, cuss or such - it just becomes annoying and cringe.

First time properly listening to Kendrick Lamar, loved it. Nothing particularly stood out musically, but very good to chill to. Lyrics could be just poems, really fucking good!!!

Amazing songs with thundercat

I wasn’t expecting much because I’m not super into rap and have heard a few kendrick songs through my ex so have that negative association. But I was pleasantly surprised by the sincerity of his lyrics, Kendrick conveyed to me life as a young black man in the modern age and he did it so perfectly. N-E-G-U-S, say it with me or say it no more. The speech in “I” was by far my favourite part, really solidified my feeling about the album. A couple misses from me so not a total win, and I can’t see myself re listening to more than a couple of songs while walking/chilling, maybe for exercise or hype purposes but 🤷🏽‍♀️

great album. One of the best rappers in a long time.

Maybe I’m just ‘an old’ but there was nothing lyrically here that stopped me in my tracks. Beats and hooks were all fine, but not my style of rap I guess. Feel like this record insists upon itself.

Excellent swearing. Not one to play with the kids in the back of the car - unless you have Adam Buxton skills. Otherwise, not really my jam.

Loved the blend of hip-hop and acid jazz. I think I'll like it even more the second time round.

A fantastic blend of jazz and hip hop. Some outstanding tracks

👍🏼👍🏼 Video for Alright should be watched too

Generally don't know anything like enough about the genre to properly appreciate the album, but not my bag. Good to listen to something different though. Stand-out tracks: King Kunta, How Much a Dollar Cost, i.

Not an album that would be in my usual listening arsenal…but I’ve enjoyed an occasional foray into rap from time to time, so I was looking forward to this. In the first half of the album, it seemed a little scattered and had such a spread of eclectic voices that weren’t so melodious, I struggled to get into the album. I didn’t think I was too much of a prude or such a white guy, but I found times where I couldn’t quite enjoy the album as I’m sure it was intended. I struggled to understand the need to pepper in a slew of N-bombs. That said, “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” and the “Blacker the Berry” stood out as a deeper songs that stand to be repeated. “i” was upbeat and dancy, then took a sharp serious turn, again catching my attention and making me think a bit more. “Mortal Man” was another soul searcher of a song, worth the almost 10 minutes of listening. Overall, I enjoyed trying to expand my musical pallet with this album. There are some catchy songs that could find their way onto a party or wedding playlist to get the party rolling and others that made me think about the world and the racism that sadly exists even in 2022.

Lol no

Unique sound on this one but ultimately there were only a couple of songs that I like. Sometimes when the lyrics are too dense it takes away from the experience for me. 3.5 stars

I don't like HIP HOP

Amazing hip hop album.

The rest of you guys really like Kendrick Lamar, huh. Or should I say: the rest of you are Americans who upvote African American artists. I feel like this has a really high rating for the same reason that Kid Rock album has like a 1.05. This album is average. It's not bad by any means, and it's way better than the last album of his here. But half the time his voice is weird/annoying, and it goes for an hour and 20min ffs. On the plus side, when he gets going he has nice flow (I don't understand why he fucks with his voice), it's got more than just drums n bass behind it and the production is really clean. If this was half the length I'd almost go as far as saying I like it, but as it is I just ended up getting tired and bored. 3/5.

Great!

Good that I listenened to it, being a modern classic. It just is not for me. Maybe should take the time to listen better to lyrics.

J’ai préféré cet album à Good kid.

Album intelligent, bien fait et qui a impressionné bien des gens qui ne sont pas des adeptes du genre. C'est une de ses grandes qualités de plaire autant aux adeptes du style qu'aux gens qui y sont habituellement réfractaire. Et c'est l'album qui a poussé David Bowie a engager un petit band de jazz contemporain de New York pour son magistral dernier album Blackstar. La pièce Alright est une incontournable de cet album et est devenue très importante pour le mouvement Black Lives Matter. Album très important des années 2010.

For some reason as a white, cis-male who is easing into middle age and lives in rural America I can't relate much with this album. Not that I think it's bad or lacks value

These Walls tem ótimas ideias. How much a dollar é interessante. Mortal Man é uma entrevista. Interessante!

Genre defining, layered, experimental, blah blah. All these labels feel right for this album, and I especially like the jazz influence here, but it all adds up to way less than the sum of its parts for me. Big part of that is that I don't care for Kendrick's voice or rapping style.

I found this hard work TBH. Not really my bag

Very good album!

I've only listened to a few songs by Kendrick Lamar and the album "Damn." and I always thought that he's OK but nothing more than that. To Pimp A Butterfly changed my view on Kendrick. The production is great, he got big name guests and the flow and lyrics are good. It doesn't quite reach to the top for me but it's a very good album.

DNF

This was terribly boring. While the music was mediocre, even if interesting for a few songs, the lyrics were all over the place. I also don't get songs that are just swearwords and n-words stringed together.

Quite possible THE album of the 21st century so far. Melds decades of sounds, arrangements, anger, personal stories, and oppression into one monumental (and somehow cohesive) whole. It's a bit over-long, and the highs are incredibly high but not every track is outstanding. Still a fantastic achievement.

Enjoy it alot! Great album, but to me it's not as good as people say it is. 4 Made it to "i" and it took on the show. Love the energy on that song. Justified the 4/5

So, I missed out on Kendrick Lamar when this was first out because of the age of my kids, but I've always been a big rap fan. He's an amazing lyricist and there's some great tracks on this album. Supposing you ignored the lyrics entirely, the music is also first class. I'd listen to an instrumental version of Mortal Man any day.

Obviously this one is a 5. Even though I still don't connect with it personally as much as I do with "good kid, m.a.a.d. city", it's objectively an amazing album. "I" & "the blacker the berry" are suuuch bangers. Hadn't listened to this in years and ended up having it on repeat most of the day.

A very good and very poignant album. I am not the right person to dissect the meaning of this album, but the message is important. Not to mention that the features on this album are insane from Thundercat to George Clinton to Snoop Dogg they all add special flare to their respective tracks. I will note that the fact that DAMN is not featured on the list is criminal. I'm not even typically a fan of rap and I know how important that album is. This album is good, but I don't see myself relistening to most of the album.

Mature but unrefined at the same time. Serious and fun. Glad I listened to it.

I didn’t analyze the lyrics as much as I should have I imagine. Perhaps it deserves a four but from my shallow listening I found it to be only decent.

Kinda not for me, but its good?

Super album, made me have faith in modern rappers again

Amazing front to back story telling song writing musically one of the best hip hop albymss ever nade

🐐

an okay album, can see why people like it kendrick is great at storytelling but not my type of music

Some of the energy seemed a little disjointed. Opening couple of tracks were great, then kinda hit or miss near the ends. The story behind Walls is really fucking interesting.

I’m getting early death row vibes

I've done this album a few times now and, while I can appreciate the artistry in it, it's not a style I feel compelled to listen to for pleasure.

Honestly incredible, there's a reason this was everyone's best album of the year. It's thoughtful and angry and poignant while still having incredible beats and mixes

Some of the undertones were quite cool.

Whoa! This is a very dense album with many nods to free-form jazz, gospel, 70's funk and African Music. I counted 20+ background vocalists in the credits! It's not particularly easy to listen to, as "important" albums can sometimes be. I won't give it as high a mark as Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which had catchier songs that I wanted to go back to.

Everytime I listen to this record I'm immediately impressed with the first few songs: Wesley's Theory, For Free, King Kunta... because of their brilliant blend of hip hop and jazz. If there is ever a Progressive Hip Hop genre, then this record is it. However, this is a long album so after awhile the songs start to blend together and I get bored and my attention wanders. Props to Lamar for his creativity and masterful blending of genres here though.

Hum drum rap offer. Repetitive chorus line. Pretty boring.

some okay stuff but mostly not for me

Talented Artist and poet.

A fantastic album. To pump a butterfly is probably Kendrick’s best album. It’s my second favorite behind GKMC but not far behind. This album is really a step above so many other rap albums of the decade. The jazz influences, the production, the lyricism are all observed from beginning to end. Kendrick spent an strong portion of this album talking about a single issue which is also rare for many modern rap albums. Not many do it better. 9.3/10

4.75

4.5/5. I really can't say anything about this that hasn't been said, except that GKMC has more straight up bangers

Good jazzy r&b funk music. Very nimble wordplay and sometimes fast flow. More socially conscious than the ugly bragging gangster rap of so many. As a mixed race Englishman I still don’t get the chip-on-shoulder anti-White anti establishment downtrodden paranoia obsession of black US rappers. Isn’t there something else to write about?

I rarely pay attention to lyrics in music and that's like 50% of Kendrick's appeal. His fans treat his music like the Pepe Silvia scene from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. This album isn't for me (I'm Slavic. So white that I'm basically translucent), but I have to admit that King Kunta is fucking incredible - probably my favorite hip hop track of all time.

You have to be in the right mindset when listening to Kendrick. Very talented but overall he has better albums.

Not for me

Clearly, Lamar is a talent and has amassed a huge following, considering this is at least the second time he's appeared on the list. I still don't consider him essential, but obviously I'm not the demographic he's counting on to buy his records or stream his music. Nothing wrong with it and for the most part listenable, so let's move on.

listened to again masterful and thoughtful

I always have a really hard time reviewing the hip hop albums on this list. I can't relate to the content, and I always get put off if it's the excessive guns, drugs, women, money type of bravado. I can appreciate black culture and so I always try to keep that lens in mind when listening. So far, 243 albums deep into this journey I've had a lot of hip hop albums and I'll say To Pimp a Butterfly would be among the best that I've heard. I still struggle with some of the lyrical content but Kendrick puts so much energy into his performance, and the production is stellar. There is a lot going on, many musical influences throughout, and the musicality of it all is excellent. The political message hasn't changed, still covering the same topics because sadly things haven't changed. Overall enjoyed listening, though don't know that I'd go out of my way to listen again.

pile of crap

5.0 + Of the 500 albums I’ve listened to so far, this one might be my favorite. It’s so dense with bars, and it rewards frequent listens. “Complexion” is my new favorite song off this.

Reading the other reviews suggests I should get something out of listening to the lyrics but I'm not capable. Also not capable on commenting on the apparently superior production. The tunes are fine.

This is the first album on here I've really felt like one listen isn't enough to really grasp it - there's clearly a lot going on underneath the surface. View this 4 stars as entirely provisional.

Meh. More rap

What I like the most about this album is that it varies in tempo and sound and beats keeping things very very interesting throughout its over 1 hour of music. His voice is not my favorite but the music keeps things flowing and a lot of the backing singing and/or samples compliment the voice and the music very well. 3.5 stars

Hip-hop mezclado con soul en muchas canciones. Ni fu ni fa.

¿Pero qué broma es ésta? Muy malo. 1

"Shit don't change until you get up and wash yo' ass"... I just... c'mon man

5, masta peace

I've tried and tried to get into his music given the popularly but I can't. Given it 2 stars for King Kunta...

Hard to listen to, but not to say I don't like it, I do. A lot of it is just really difficult material. Lyrically dramatic, musically brilliant. I almost never choose to listen to rap, but I have chosen Kendrick Lamar the most in the last several years… just not without headphones.

I liked it better when i first listened to it. The hype when this album came out, made it sound like Kendrick was the new JayZ. I guess my exceptions tainted that listen through. I'm still not sure if I understand the hype. When he dabbles in jazz he completely loses me. I guess I'm stuck on late 90s early 2000s rap singles.

It's simply not for me. I just don't like this kind of music, no matter how much I listen to it. I can recognize that there is some real musical talent here, but it's just an absolute slog to get through.

Know next to nothing about Kendrick - enjoyed some of the flow on this, but nothing really spectacular leapt out.

Never really saw the appeal of Kendrick and this hasn’t changed my mind. I guess it’s kind of cool that he’s have a mental breakdown for our benefit? I usually rate hip hop on these criteria: Flow - kind of interesting but not amazing. Production - hit and miss, some funky licks but too jazzy for me, pretty messy at times. The major highlight being that Isley Bros reworking. Content - again, hit and miss. Too many N bombs for me to be comfortable with, shut up about God for a minute and i won’t think your an idiot and also: Boo Boo? Tone - can’t stand his nasal pitch, really off putting for me. He’s doing some interesting stuff and is brutally honest with his mental state but I just can’t get past the delivery.

There is a lot going on with this album and I liked most of it. Feel it was a little long though. Could have cut it down to about 60 minutes.

4.1 - Solid album, amazing experimentation and lyrics, but a bit dense for regular listening.

G.O.A.T.'d

Fuckin slaps

5.0

This is good. I am not the biggest fan of this style of hip hop, but it's certainly good music.

Poetry

Jazz, funk, soul, electronic and hip-hop, in an electrifying concept album mix. Listening to this I realise what I've missed when I stopped listening to hiphop due to the insane amount of dribble that kept flooding the market. I'm glad to know things like this exist. One of the better hiphop albums I've heard in my life

One of the best Kendrick albums!

A groove

Hip hop. Como todo el hip hop

I first listened to this last year. It was a hot summer's day and I spent it exploring some towns in land. I never listened to it before, but I chose To Pimp A Butterfly as one of the albums to listen on my trip because I wanted to depthen my music taste, and this was recommened a lot on music forums. Driving out past the first stop, Wesley's Theory came on and as it kicked into the main groove, it felt like the music equivalent of The Wizard Of Oz. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore". The music production throughout is fantastic and despite not being a big fan of rap, I wasn't actually ever bored when listening to the nearly 80 minute album. Maybe it was the 40°C weather and barely any clouds in the sky that provided the positive mood, but the funky basslines and the jazz beats definitely helped the mood. Kendrick Lamar's vocal delivery was smooth for the most part and could get angry if required. I also liked the recurring poem that kept stopping throughout until it was played in full at the end of Mortal Man. That sequence including another poem named after the album title, and an edited recording of Lamar interviewing Tupac Shakur was a genuinely interesting way to end the record. While driving through some windy roads past a lake in the middle of nowhere, I felt solely in a room in the US with both rappers, listening to this intense interview with the jazz crescendo in the background. From the four albums I listened to that day, this stayed in my mind for a while. I've listened it a few times since, and everytime I do, I think of the time I was constantly sweating in the heat right in the middle of nowhere. Favourite songs were These Walls, Wesley's Theory, Alright, The Blacker The Berry, and i. Also the whole Mortal Man sequence is pretty fantastic too.

Good music but dont like the wahy that the story is told. Read something for him from wikipedia Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Since his mainstream debut in 2012 with Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Lamar has been regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation and one of the greatest rappers of all time. Aside from his solo career, he is also known as a member of the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy alongside his Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) labelmates Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q.

this is an album where you know every second was so expertly planned and crafted. every song has a purpose. nothing is filler. kendrick lamar has a lot to talk about and he spends his 1 hr 18 min runtime wisely and productive. i mean, this whole album is pure art! i cannot fathom the amount of relentless work and creative energy that went into this. the album as a whole is so beautiful and thought provoking. what stands out is that this album is unapologetically created for black people. the songs that lamar chooses to sample. the interview with tupac at the end of "mortal man". the contemporary and historic artists lamar features in his songs, including george clinton of parliament funkadelic and ronald isley of the isley brothers (!). the spoken word poetry in "i". and of course all of the topics that he covers within his lyrics. also: king kunta must be one of the best songs in the universe. i will fight you on this.

I remember the first time I heard Wesley's Theory. I was absolutely wowed by the message and the production; I had never heard anything like it. Now that I've heard this entire album, I feel even stronger: there is nothing else quite like this album. Kendrick Lamar has a lot to say about the state of politics, inequality, and being Black in America and worldwide, and he doesn't waste a single second on these tracks talking about these topics. Even the album art makes a confronting statement, communicating a very charged, thought-provoking, detailed message, a message that makes many statements in one image. It all comes full circle with a mostly spoken world closing track explaining meaning behind the album title "To Pimp A Butterfly". As if that's not enough, Kendrick uses several Black-defined and influenced genres (funk, soul, jazz, to name just a few) and modern, fresh, audibly intriguing production across this album to create a progressive and elevated hip-hop experience. I won't say that I love every song, but damn if the production, lyrics, and style just don't keep me intrigued and curious all throughout. I wanted to keep listening, and I want to listen again. In my opinion, this is easily one of, if not THE most important hip hop albums in the past decade or more (disclaimer: I'm so incredibly white so please don't take my word for it). It's art, it's protest, it's love, it's hate, it's poetry, it's politics; it's black struggle and black power.

It's probably a compliment to young Kendrick but this is modern jazz. It just aimlessly babbles along without even a hint of a melody, hook line or chorus. I don't know how it could be anything other than background music, you can't actively listen to it. Meh, I don't hate it so that's a bonus.

I once pimped a butterfly to my mate Angry Pete. He tore the fuck out of that butterfly's little bum. Talk about red admiral.

Fuck off you cunts

When a jazz infused, avant-garde, politically charged hip-hop album makes Kendrick one of the biggest pop stars on the planet and in the process partly restores my faith in the general music buying public.

Otro más de música racial, pero del siglo XXI. No me dice nada

Too many filler tracks surround the meat and potatoes of this. When the album shines it shines brightly. Sadly there aren’t enough of those moments.

This hip-hop album is rapper Kendrick Lamar's third. Kendrick Lamar is a lyrical genius and he used this album to discuss political themes about black culture, racial inequality, discrimination, and depression. The album debuted at number one on charts in US, UK, & Australia, won Best Rap Album at the 2016 Grammy's, and was certified platinum in 2017. To Pimp A Butterfly has garnered widespread critical acclaim from all around the world. It appeared on many top ten album lists for 2015, and has been rated highly by most music publications. The album did a good job of expressing its messages while also being fun to listen to. I respect Kendrick Lamar and love his rapping skills, so this album is great for this reason alone. Although some of the spoken word / skits on this album get in the way of the great musical flow he had going, but this is just my opinion. Still one of the best Kendrick Lamar albums out there today.

mehhh

An easy 5.

Was better than good kid, m.a.a.d city but still didn't fully vibe with it.

Let's go Kendrick. I don't have the best ears for lyrics, but Kendrick's beat and instrumentation is a real treat for the ears. i is such a release from a lot of the heaviness inside the album.

Bueno

Stand out track - i

Disappointed

Love the jazziness, the flow, and the sheer all-over-the-place-ness of it. I lack historical perspective on and deep knowledge of the genre, but know full-on artistic commitment when I see (or hear) it and this is definitely that. Plus, lots of fun hooks and echoes – “we gonna be all right” indeed. Engaging and cool and a helluva lot of fun. 4.5 / 5.

It's lit

So many layers. I love it!

To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar (2015) We hear radiant, alluring, artful, and sophisticated sounds and richly poetic verbal cadences, expressing deeply held cultural and political concerns with an emotional depth that is authentic and resonant. There’s plenty on this album to be profitably analyzed and appreciated, BUT: The profanity is gratuitous, intense, and ubiquitous, completely spoiling the listening experience. That’s a shame. 1/5

This is probably my favorite album of the last 15 years, and I don't say that lightly. Kendrick is the best lyricist working today and this is his finest work in that area by far. My favorite tracks on this are "i", "Wesley's Theory", and "How Much a Dollar Cost", but the quality is so consistent across the nearly hour and a half album that I'll probably pick a different three the next time I listen.

Average rapping with average R&B. Instantly forgettable.

Eh, not really my thing. I still tried to listen with an open mind but just didn't enjoy it. I do appreciate that there was more diversity of musical styles than expected. 2 stars.

One of the greatest albums of all time and one of my personal favorites. I still listen to this one very frequently. Insanely good.

I usually turn away from rap music pretty quickly. The few that do manage to engage me need to have either interesting lyrics (and not the same old gangsta tropes) or a sick beat. Fortunately this had both

Was not psyched about this one, absolutely hate the album title. What does "to pimp a butterfly" even mean? But I was surprised, it's not as bad as I expected. There's good stuff here. I appreciate Lamar's commentary and lyricism. The content here is infinitely more interesting than the run of the mill drugs, guns, girls blustering bravado that I hate about most rap and hip hop and can't connect with.

Just really not my thibg

This is a sprawling album that covers a lot of ground sometimes within the same song. It is put into the hip-hop rap genre but at times feels more like an avant garde jazz album. You also hear soul, funk and gospel influences. Some songs songs have a Parliament-Funkadelic, 90's Oukast, Chic and the Isley Brothers feel to them. If you listened to this album for a week, you would probably come up with more. One of the reasons has to be all the producers and musicians he worked with recording in multiple locations. Contributors include Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin. Thundercat, Snoop Dogg, Dre, George Clinton, Bilal, Anna Wise, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, Rapsody and more. Kendrick toured South Africa including Nelson Mandela's prison cell which apparently had a huge influence on the songs and album. As previously mention this album covers a lot of ground with song contents addressing racial inequality, discrimation even within the black community, culture, anxiety and depession. Song highlights for me included "Wesley's Theory" with Thundercat and George Clinton, "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" sounding like 90's Outkast, "The Blacker The Berry" a more aggressive song about race inequality and "i" which samples The Isley Brother's "That Lady" and is probably the song with the best dance beat. The last song "Mortal Man" spends a good two minutes on the meaning of To Pimp a Butterfly which I found quite interesting. This album is big at 78 minutes but quite an achievement.

Best hip hop album in years

So I started my last review "I've never heard any Kendrick Lamar" and I guess the generator felt I needed more education beyond good kid, m.A.A.d city. Happily I enjoyed the last one so bring it on, generator! I'm pretty sure this is the second newest album I've been presented so far out of more than a hundred. Starts right out sounding like it could be the theme song to a half hour comedy tv show (except for some of the specific words used). A similar dreamy cinematic vibe as the last album, but somehow more aggressive and also more melodic. Ah, an interlude. Oh wait, this one is completely fabulous. I know I'm only scratching the surface as far as references go, but the generator also just gave me Michael Jackson's Bad and I'm old enough to have watched Roots when it came out so I had someplace to start with King Kunta. I didn't always get a handle on the rest of the songs, though, to be honest. Unlike the last album, which felt like one work in several parts, this album feels more like a "traditional" album: collection of different songs. Clearly related thematically the tracks are otherwise quite diverse. I also appreciate a well placed saxophone. These songs aren't for me or about my experiences and that's ok. I can still recognize and appreciate the brilliance. Which isn't always true, I often don't like music that isn't for me. I enjoyed good kid, m.A.A.d city more but To Pimp a Butterfly feels more culturally important. Both deserve the accolades they've received.

Really good album. Went in not liking Lamar. Total 180. Incredibly interesting listen.

I love this album. Lyrically impressive with a great flow, great samples, cool jazz influences. An instant classic.

I do think there's some filler here, but overall this album is bursting with incredible arrangements and complex harmonic structures.

Very good album, good stuff, simply extravagant

Decent. Socially conscious rap.

Not a generally hip hop fan here by I like to give myself every opportunity to quality hip hop if available.. Glad I did. I like this album Mostly speaks to his race but I respect that cause it takes it self very seriously artistically. Good production.Nice lyrism melodies and rhythm.

Delving even deeper into the vein that 'M.A.A.D City' opened, this album is a genuine and vulnerable telling of one man's struggle in a violent and oppressive world. What stands out on the surface may sound like bravado and avarice, but lying just underneath that facade is fear, self-doubt, and despair. In sharing that story, Kendrick has lent his voice to the telling of many people's stories. The list of examples is nearly as long as the entire album, but I'd point to 'Institutionalized', 'These Walls', 'Alright', and 'How Much A Dollar Cost' as prime examples of what I'm talking about. The tracks themselves are filled with the life and a diversity of numerous artists and musical elements from a wide array of genres. Check out 'For Free?' (spoken word), 'These Walls (R&B), 'u' (jazz), and 'Alright' (hip-hop) to get a sense of just how dynamic this album is. I think the statement from the Wikipedia article which says the album is, 'supremely "cinematic" production qualities but [with] "the freedom of a mixtape",' summarizes it perfectly. The rhymes and rap techniques are simply on another level. The internet has covered this thoroughly, so check that out if you don't hear it for yourself. My absolute favorite flow is on the tail end of the track 'i' and I only wish that it could carry on, instead of being broken up by the fight in the crowd. Please. Take the time to listen past the language and the talk about pussy and bitches! This album has so much to offer on every level, and it would be a shame to misjudge this book by it's cover.

No

A no holds barred look at life for young African Americans in the USA. Some of the production is super soul/jazz/funk and some is very spare and spoken word. Not sure if I liked it, but I have to respect it.

Si heureux de retrouver cet album dans la liste. Prefs: Wesley's Theory, For Free? (Interlude), King Kunta, These Walls, Alright, Hood Politics, How Much a Dollar Cost, The Blacker The Berry, i, Mortal Man Moins pref: Momma

Loved it!

Great album, Kendrick always delivers

1-2

That Album Is A Ten Men 8ir Me Na7kou. Head Is Buzzing, I Shouldn't Put The People I Trust In Conditions Dra Kifech. Make Sure Of That.

The superbole, hype and gushing praise for this album is utterly lost on me. I've tried listening to it several times. I just don't get it. Sure, there's a couple of tracks on here that I've found myself tapping my foot to, and I can tell that it is excellently produced... But I just don't get it. It doesn't click. It may well be pearls before swine, but I just can't take this above a 2 based on the fact that while I didn't enjoy it in any meaningful way, I would not actively go out of my way to turn any given track of it off.

Not for me

I can see the craft that's gone into this - it's not something I'd normally listen to but I did really like it.

This felt like one of the few original sounding albums I have heard in a while. There are so many layers of influence but combined it feels like something that is not made often or maybe ever.

A real mixed bag. Some inspiring stuff. Some shite

Dense and interesting - feels like I need to listen to it a few more times. But also feel like I'm not really the audience for this.

King Kunta, Alright i How much a dollar cost Très bon quand même!

Não é meu estilo preferido, mas é Kendrick Lamar!

I'm not always a big hip hop fan, but I really like Kendrick Lamar. This is very experimental and interesting.

Wow! If I listened to this 100 times, I doubt I'd catch all of the references.

In contention for the best album released in my lifetime.

Discazo, sí, aunque sea muy ignorante de estos géneros... o de cualesquiera, quizá. 10/10

Perfeito

This band is not my styl.

Wasn’t feeling this after the first two tracks but from King Kunta it turned a hard corner and kept building through the end. Went back and listened to the first two again after finishing and had a different perspective. Not sure of the backstories of Lucy/rival beef/abusing power dynamics but enjoyed the theme building with reveals after each song. Great hooks and lyrics, good classics r/b samples, beats, social commentary etc. Shit don’t change till you wash yo ass. 4.1

Sprawling, inventive, fun.

Wtf?! I was really excited to listen to this album because I've never listened to any Kendrick Lamar music but always heard he's great. But this...The strange musical arrangements, the collaborations with other artists that just didn't sound good, the overuse of cuss words just sounded stupid, the repetitive lyrics at times, the different voices he'd use including one that sounded like he rapped a whole song while going through puberty! Fucking weird. I didn't enjoy it much and it was underwhelming. I appreciated the creativity and uniqueness though.

Poweful album! Love the funk & fucking love King Kunta! If you can listen to that song w/o moving your body we can't be friends.

Tricky. Full. Good fun production. 4/5 for impact -

Such a great album, lot of good moments and great messages. Love the influence Thundercat had as well as Steve Lacy but can’t understate the performance of Kendrick at all.

we already know this one is a 5

Genre: Conscious Hip Hop 5/5 Hip Hop has come quite a ways since its inception. The artists involved over the years have pushed the genre to its breaking point, changing the definition of hip hop year to year, and sometimes month to month. Seismic eruptions in the game, from The Chronic to Illmatic to Aquemini, are all vital pieces of art that will be respected for years to come. To Pimp a Butterfly sets itself apart from all of those. The sheer magnitude of what this album is doing throughout its playtime is some of the most marvelous music making we as humans have put to wax. This album does it all. From its unbelievable jazz-influenced production, its seamless use of nearly every theme hip hop has come to know and love (which, lyrically, Kendrick took to the umpteenth), all the way to its narrative flow, including a poem that grows throughout the album to eventually culminate in a facsimile conversation he’s having with TUPAC SHAKUR. It’s a true artist at work. This album is a perfect 5/5, 10/10, 100/100. Whichever way you slice it, there isn’t a single bump in the road here, nothing to take your mind away from the overwhelming musical explosion that’s happening in front of you. Kendrick made the perfect album. Every song is a treat and every moment is executed flawlessly. Shoutout to everyone involved in this project. They did a spectacular job.

Love this album. Could easily play this for older dad type crowd and they'd enjoy. KING KUNTA BABY.

A stunning achievement, Lamar’s insightful, searing social commentary over a jazz infused hip hop soundtrack easily towers over most artists working in any genre today. And artist is the correct description- TPAB is a work of art which will be looked back upon and studied as an artefact of these times and the position of Black Americans in US society. Nobody else comes close to offering this whilst also making listenable, ostensibly mainstream music. Poetic, inventive, dynamic, essential. A masterpiece.

Leuke beats, maar dat praten over negers vind ik maar niks.

The production is really inspiring, and the extensive sampling of jazz and what feels to a white guy as "black" music gives this record a feel of being rooted not only in Kendrick's creativity but in a larger context of US history.

Obviously it's really good - just not my thing.

1001 is bringing the Christmas heat! Kendrick is easily the best rapper of our generation, although I'd argue the competition is pretty weak. GKMC is still my favorite, but this album is a masterpiece. King Kunta is a bop. Alright is infectious. How Much a Dollar Cost is reflective and beautiful. At times the album switches gears too fast and gives you whiplash. That said, Kendrick really branches out with more socio-political commentary and wide influences from classic soul to swing jazz. At times the absurdity gets in the way of the message, but I still think this is a bold and provocative statement from a rapper on top of his game. 9.5/10

cool, assez chill

Goddamn.

Not my bag at all, but there's weighty issues in the lyrics and musicianship on display. I respect it without enjoying it

Socially and politically charged lyrics over varied and interesting music. A serious and often heavy album, in terms of content. Easy to see why this is critically acclaimed. 'The Blacker The Berry' and 'i' the standout tracks. 2.5/5.

I don't get it

Oh my god … beautiful - how did I miss this album before

This album is perfect. My favorite iteration of Kendrick. Easily one of my all-time favorite hip hop albums and also pretty damn high on my all-time albums list.

ehhh, 1st album is better

Para ser Rap o por lo menos lo que minimamente entiendo como rap, es bastante musical, es decir mas que palabras dichas rapidamente, aunque tiene bastante de eso tambien. De cualquier modo no es lo mio.

perfection

I love many of the tunes, the jazzy vibe of this one is great, I remember all the fuzz and all the respect Kendrick got with this one, but to me this one is a too long, I don’t care that much about the snippets and I get it, they was conflicted lol. Funny thing is that to me GKMC is his master pieces and that one is long and all that. It’s a 4/5 to me. Is that a Radiohead sample in How Much A Dollar Cost?

Is it hip-hop? Is it jazz? Is it funk? Is it ALL of them in some kind of gritty dinner party album? Excellent work of art.

Not a fan at all

Absolute masterpiece.

Reviewing this album poses some quandaries, quandaries that are par for albums of similar themes and aspirations. What is the boundary between ambition and self-indulgence? How can one depict politically and ethnically charged disunity without falling into either morbidity, exploitation or platitude? When does nuance collapse into contradiction? How does one make an entertaining album about serious concerns wthout getting out of one's depth? Tragically, I don't think Lamar resolves those questions, and though the album is theoretically fascinating, it does not overcome its quite significant flaws. Take the scope and the eclecticism. Prima facie, its survey of jazz, soul, funk, pop and hip-hop should impress both intellectually and artistically, and occasionally it does, but it also quite often just becomes a demonstration of guile rather than inspiration, or cleverness rather than craft. I don't doubt that sampling Fela Kuti was meant as a sincere homage, but the impression is also that of a box being ticked. This aspect, that of the bet being hedged, reveals itself more obviously in the lyrics. Lamar refers to dark personal issues, such as depression, survivor's guilt and thought of suicide, but this is undercut by the comedic number For Free?, which admittedly features highly deft wordplay, but still revolves around a rather unpleasant female stereotype, which also undercuts the album's tirades against negative stereotypes. The result isn't so much variegated and kaleidoscopic as confused, leaving the listener desiring a bit more discernment. The end track of the album, Mortal Man, offers a microcosm of the album, showing both its peaks and nadirs. It shows the album's yearning for an overarching take on one man's hope and fears regarding racial harmony, but it's overlong, pretentious and rather schmaltzy in its triteness. It's based on Lamar's visit to Nelson Mandela's prison cell, yet it concludes with a constructed interview between Lamar and Tupac, where he brags about his wealth and explains the butterfly metaphor in painfully pompous and unnecessary depth. Again, I believe the intentions were honest, but it ends up cluttered and self-inconsistent. There is great stuff to be found on here, but one never loses the sense that the fantastic 40-minute album carvable from this 80-minute one would be much more satisfying and potent. (Actually, while I'm here, I'd like to take a star off my review of Ceelo Green... is the Soul Machine. It has similar faults to To Pimp a Butterfly, but To Pimp a Butterfly is a more interesting album.)

I regret my life choices leading up to this. Having said that, I'm giving it an extra star for the fact that I recognize that this is progressive stuff, and that it's very important music for some demographics. Just not for me.

1 Stern für Flow und Beats. Sonst bin ich zu alt für dieses Ghetto-Gehabe.

Es ist wohl große Kunst, aber nicht für mich

Rhymes and good flow coupled with talking about difficult social issues

This is a modern classic. I'm not the biggest hip hop head but I know what I like and I REALLY like this. The music, the guests, the lyrical concepts. It's just a great piece of art. 10/10 all the way.

Love the genre blending in this album, great stuff.

not a huge rap fan but was had some bangers

Good album, have heard before

Quite possibly the best album of the 21st century so far. Lyrics, flow, production, themes are all 10/10. Not only a masterpiece of the Hip-Hop genre, but up there with all time greats such as Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and Nirvana's Nevermind.

Wesley's Theory prod is fucking groovy and feels 90s I love it. For Free? ending is nice. King Kunta very groovy as well. Don't like Institutionalized. These Walls: Kendrick's flow is great in the verses, a little bit less fan of the chorus though. u prod is nutty so far. The break was unexpected. The beat switch was really nice and lead to two great verses. I need to relisten to this song and truly focus on the lyrics. Alright: This song is insane For Sale? better than the first interlude, need to read the lyrics properly to enjoy the song at its fullest I think Momma: I loved the first part because of the way he raps and the flow of his constant delivery. Then we got to the second part of the song and I can't believe this guy raps like this, he's insane. Hood Politics: perf, it's great he raps well. fav part "Critics want to mention that they miss when hip-hop was rappin' Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike'd be platinum" Is it me or does he complete his poem at the end of each track? How Much a Dollar Cost: very interesting storytelling in this one Complexion: Not a fan of the song but Rapsody's verse was great. The Blacker the Berry: I love his aggressive flow. His verses are great and the writing is excellent. You Ain’t Gotta Lie: I don't like the chorus. The third verse is great, sigh. He's too good i: This song is insane, starts as a great song to vibe and ends on a powerful message with the N word and the word 'Negus' Mortal Man: Damn. I didn't really get into the first part of the song, but I love that he finished his poem and the interview part was legit passionating.

meh. hard to listen to.

Jazzy Rap. The last track alone merits the disc five stars.

Definitely the most important hip-hop album of the 21st century so far in my opinion. Musically, it's incredible with gorgeous, jazzy, varied production. Lyrically it's Kendrick's peak which is saying something considering how consistent he is. The recurring poem to Tupac ties it together perfectly.

wow. ...what a tour de force. I had no Idea. The hip hop albums on this list have been, in general, the real slap in the face discovery for me. And this one may be the best so far and there have been great one's. In particular the Eminem album knocked me on its ass for its incredible wordplay and compelling music. To Pimp a Butterfly while not as shocking as The MM album, but my God the intricacies of the wordplay...of the poetry, is stunning in places and at the very least compelling and interesting and intelligent. This one's a KEEPER and is deserving of multiple listens 5 stars

Pimpin

Masterpiece!!! Poetic, threaded with amazing influences, and loaded with some of Kendrick's best bars.

Wow, I had no idea.

It’s aight, but not hyped aight.

Worst music ever.

"These Walls" reminds me of Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" sonically for some reason. From a music standpoint, this album is a marvel. I love The Isley Brothers influence and hearing "That Lady" during "i". Bringing elements of The Isley Brothers, one of my all-time favorite groups, into this was a huge plus. But my God, this album is just a bit too long. I found myself wishing Kendrick would tighten up this thing to come in under an hour. Admittedly this genre is not in my wheelhouse, but this album brings me in better than most.

Aj karamba, pojawily sie murzyny prorokowane podczas sluchowiska hookwormsow, ale nie do konca, bo nie mumblowy trap, a krol wspolczesnego lozenia rymow, ktory jednak mocno jest zwiazany, jesli chodzi o inspiracje murzynami zlotej ery, co slychac zwlaszcza na tym albumie, ktory sam w sobie jest pewnego rodzaju dialogiem z 2pacem, wydaje mi sie ze juz wystarczajaco sie napisalem na temat tego albumu gloszac murzynska ewangelie w internetach, wiec zbieranie tutaj antologii na ten temat troche mijaloby sie z celem tych opiso recenzjo notesow, wiec na tym koncze, a ocena oczywista, bo przeciez to pan Kendrick Lamar

This is a great album. A critical moment in the 2010s was its release and influence on music and a revival of conscious rap, which is the only hip hop I could ever truly enjoy. Great production, blending a mix of genres, which creates a classic sound, mixed with Lamar’s technical genius and storytelling.

Very influential album with high class lyrics but musically I didn't like how many songs were cut up by interludes and spoken word passages. The rapping could have been a bit more focused, he sounded bored at times

Good. Really really good

Not for me. I can appreciate some of the musical skill on display, but it was a slog to get through it.

An innovative work of art. Protest rap over funk, jazz, traditional boom-bap beats from one of the best in the game. Hell yes. Best track: King Kunta

This is the first album on this list so far that I've previously listened to in its entirety. Like, dozens of times before. To Pimp a Butterfly is probably one of my favourite albums so far. Its complexity and depth really stands out compared to the three albums I've listened to so far. It's not just a collection of songs, it's a cohesive artwork (a concept album!) and there's so much to be discovered in its depths.

Интересно будет посмотреть на общественное мнение по поводу этого альбома лет через 3-5, если антивоукизм и правая повесточка всё-таки умудрится стать доминирующей в культуре. А так хули тут говорить, у фантаны 20-минутный видос по сабжу есть, и во многом с ним можно согласиться, хотя его сойджак-позиция мультикультурного куколдизма и целования ботинок неграм не совсем в мой россиянский нрав въезжает. Но тут реально сложно что-то противопоставить - музыкально альбом просто охуенен процентов на 90, причём не по-задротски охуенен, а даже умудряется качать время от времени (хотя и меньше, чем его предшественник, которого я, вообще-то, повыше бы поставил). Короче вот это реально мастлисен перед смертью, даже если вам похуй на страдания негров - как минимум под Alright и The Blacker the Berry можно покачаться + потанцевать под These Walls и I (лучшая песня)+ подепрессовать под обе части U. Ну и ещё одна из любимых моих тем, внезапно - интерлюдия For Sale?, хз даже почему, просто этот странный немного оффбитный припев охуенно въезжает. К не самым лучшим песням могу отнести только всяческие негритянские завывания и причитания, типа Institutionalized, You Ain't Gotta Lie и, конечно, Mortal Man - это вообще кринжфест, для меня даже десять лет назад альбом заканчивался на охуительнешйей I, а то шо там происходит последние минут 15 это какой-то пиздец и руина. Но всё равно совесть не даёт ниже девятки ебашить, всё-таки в своё время плотнейше гонял, и даже сейчас переслушал с определённым кайфом, ну и сам Кальмар в то время ныл ещё не так сильно как он ноет сейчас, так что всё познаётся в сравнении. Вайт павер/10

I think this has been too hyped for me. Big fan of the genre but everyone always saying Kendrick is at the top of the game has let me down every time I try to do the deep dive into his work.

Fantastic rap album. Slightly prefer good kid mad city, but still a great album, with many good songs (Alright, Momma, How Much A Dollar Cost)

Una meravella que transcendeix géneres. Lamar es trobava dos esglaons per sobre de la resta, ja fossin vaques sagrades com Jay-Z, Kanye West o Eminem, o noves lluminàries com Frank Ocean o Tyler, The Creator. Aquesta obra capital és una bogeria en la seva fusió de géneres, idees, ritmes, samples... Més enllà del seu enfocament polític i racial, tot i acceptant la seva importància, que no fa més que enfortir el missatge i la seva força, és un dels millors discos dels '10

Сложно слушать реп в таком количестве. Все-таки, это органически не моя музыка, несмотря на ее талантливость. Это музыка 21 века, музыка настоящего момента, она переполнена информацией, в каждый трек интегрирован наш мини-мир. Кроме избытка информации, в ней много ежесекундных изменений, много голосов, она полифонична, это музыка общества, музыка масс. Но когда я слушаю музыку, я хочу быть одна, наедине с ней. А реп погружает меня в социальный контекст. Это не музыка эскапизма, она транслирует другое, она направлена на другие ощущения. А я пока не нуждаюсь в этом.

Smooth rhythm. Nice collaborations. Couldn't always relate.

Real shit in a positive way.

This is a very specific experience. I know this album and I loved it the first time I listened to it some years ago, but re-listen to it now made me note how much Kendrick Lamar was "raw" and inexperienced when it was launched. His work as so much better now that even this album being a classic for modern hip-hop, it's easy to note the fails and drawbacks. An awesome album that, for me, was overcome by the new albums, but it's still a great work.

Meh. Listen, I usually love experimental hiphop. It's generally smarter, more musical, and more pointed than your standard, run-of-the-mill gangsta rap. Every time I was like "oh, that was clever," the lyric came from a guest artist. Even the social commentary on this album was softer and less pointed than I was led to believe. I came with high expectations and I left disappointed.

First Kendrick Lamar album I listened to in the past. Blew my mind. Changed my favourite genre of music and send me on a unforgettable musical journey. Perfection.

Strong 4 stars. So many interesting styles and it feels like a solid cohesive story throughout.

Classic. One I was actually already familiar with.

2/5 not my cup of hip hop tea

What a start It's already a 5

How to follow up on a great album like Good Kid, M.A.A.D City? How about... like this? This album is absolutely perfect. It's everything I want from a project; a true "start-to-finish" album that is cohesively and thematically tied together with outstanding lyrics and music, all delivered with stunning skill and excellent storytelling. Yep, thats a 5 right there.

Uitstekende hip hop

Nicht meins!

Sehr explizit und sehr gangsta

Lyrically, it feels so real and full of insights and intelligence, like I'm getting a peek inside Kendrick's life and head. Musically it's just so dense and rich, throwing samples, beats, and riffs at you. Idea after idea. It's not the kind of album I could listen to again and again as I find it too overwhelming, but I do feel I could find something new in it every time.

Some of the tracks I enjoyed to background music. But the vocal style just isn't my thing.

Zero. Total Crap. Can't believe people like this.

Good album. Sara's favorite rapper.

Incredible album, start to finish.

Technically good rapper, good beats, but I find that he is sometimes just too serious and I lose the sense of fun when listening to this album.

Beautiful and possibly the best album ever made. The interstitial poem is ingrained in my head. RIP Pac

Pretty Decent, DNF

De las mejores recomendaciones de esta lista. Increíble en su totalidad. Sonido, ritmo, voces...

Come on - this is one of the best albums of all time. Have it on vinyl. A must-listen. 5/5

I am not a rap or hiphop person. And if I was going to get into it, I wouldn't start with this album. Almost every song I wanted to change to something else but to remind myself that I need to finish it. It's obviously well crafted, and I like the jazz backdrop to the songs. Lamar clearly understands music history and worked it into the album. But I just really don't like it. I don't tend to like heavily processed things in general, let alone when it's done in a genre I don't care for. There were areas where I couldn't even understand the choice, with weird awkward voices as the singer. I want to give it 1 star, because I REALLY don't like this album. But it's really just so outside of my wheelhouse there was no way I was going to find much in the album. But it's very well crafted, and I like the jazzy backdrop enough to at least avoid giving it 1 star.

What the fuck can I say, March 2015 was largely occupied in my mind by this record being listened to over and over again. The production and lyricism are both so goddamn dense and ingenious that to this day six years later relistens still reveal me new brilliant angles. This thing is a fuckin accomplishment that transcends the soft centrist praise K-Dot's next record DAMN accumulated. 💣💣💣🔥🔥🔥

8 out of 10

Really good album, but I feel kind of left out…

This was pretty good, but I don't listen to rap a whole lot so probably will not come back to this

F.ck this sh.t

Zero stars. Total crap. Has no respect for himself or his race. Too many 'nigga's.

Zero Fucking Stars. Does that offend you? Here are some lyrics from this "album" that offended me. "Every nigga is a star, ayy, every nigga is a star" "Fuck you, motherfucker, you a ho-ass nigga" "I don't want you monkey-mouth motherfuckers" "Zoom, zoom, zoom, shit" "What can I blame you for? Nigga, I can name several" "Nigga, we gon' be alright" "I don't give a fuck about no politics in rap, my nigga" "Moonshine and gin, nigga you're babblin', your words ain't flatterin'" "You're fuckin' evil. I want you to recognize that I'm a proud monkey" "Askin' "where the hoes at?" to impress me" "So I promise this, nigga" "When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan?"

In a time where beats have come to rule hip hop at the expense of lyrics Kendrick Lamar pushed back.

This album is unpredictable. The first listen is powerful experience.

Listened to this constantly for about a year when it first came out. Love it.

"Shit don't change until you get up and wash your ass..." I've taken the past few days off and listened to this album during most of it however I could still listen to this for the next week before I was really ready to write a review of this. I think this is an important album and not one I would've found on my own. There is so much going on here with KL. It should be noted that KL is the real hero of this album, not the production or the instrumentation or guest appearances. This is all KL and he is a powerful force. His lyrical style is fast and his words are incredibly deep, insightful and full of meaning. Standout tracks, probably my favorite is the 'i' track. Toward the end of it, KL engages with the audience just prior to doing some a capella and starts off amongst audience chitter chatter and during the course, the audience calms and begins to listen. It's difficult to tell if this is produced or this is live, but the effect is moving. Other notables are "For Free? interlude", 'King Kunte', and worth mentioning is the sister track to 'i', 'u'. There is so much to unpack here, and I could stand another week to really feel comfortable enough to write a proper review. Really a great album on its own that everyone, yes everyone, should listen to at least twice if not more.

10

Already listened way too many times. Absolute classic right here

what an album, turned me on to rap after lupe

OK this is cool! Probably wouldn’t put it on without prompting but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Forgettable.

Not my style of music but a very strong album. Powerful lyrics send a poignant message about the *still* current issues plaguing a large swath of humanity.

Deece

G - Influential, Explores Black History and shines a light on the atrocities and institutional racism that has been prevalent in America since the beginning of time. ☆☆☆☆ B - an album with a very important message and highlights the history of a culture and music. While it isn't my type of music, I'm glad that I listened to it ☆☆☆

the music is very very smooth like a milkshake, but the lyrics are painfully dull to listen to.

absolute masterpiece and milestone for hip hop / concious rap in general.

i love myself so much

An awful album because of the N word usage.

this one might require multiple listens in order to fully appreciate all the lyrics, sampling, etc. however, it does feel a bit overrated since the album seems to be almost universally praised.

There is a lot of more recent rap that I can't stand. The beats and the production are all too similar, following in the trap style of fast hi-hats and AutoTune and droning repetitive lyrics about drugs and girls. Kendrick Lamar is not that. And he stands out all the more amidst his peers for it. He has a voice that I feel like shouldn't work, but does (a bit of a theme lately for me with some of the recent albums). He is an amazing lyricist, writer, and rapper, with a flow that is unique and at times mind-blowing. He tells stories, he exposes raw truths. And he does it all with a seamlessly interwoven background of beats and horns. There is more soul and funk I can dig on this album than there was on Prince's "Sign 'O' The Times." Kendrick Lamar has so much to say, and it deserves and warrants repeated close listens. As an aside, with the relatively low number of hip hop albums on this list, I would expect that they are more likely to be the cream of the crop, 4 or 5 star albums. This one certainly sets the tone for that.

It was interesting to wait until after we got 50 Cent to go back and rate Kendrick Lamar. Both benefited from the guidance and executive production of Dr. Dre but they could not be more different. Where 50 Cent was very one note (just pure aggression), Kendrick Lamar was all over the place, exploring different themes and musical styles. Not all of it works for me but it was captivating.

What do you even say? Mind-blowing, devastating, uplifting. This album is incredible.

For Free? (Interlude) is a nicely strange, jazzy, improvisation. I don’t think I’ve heard anything like that on a hip hop album before. King Kunta has a nice flow. The funk is most definitely within me after having heard this track. A couple tracks lost my interest, like: Institutionalized and Hood Politics. Overall this is a nice discovery. I’ve been meaning to explore hip hop more and this was a good place to start. I will be seeking other Kendrick Lamar albums.

Some tracks have great backing, some tracks have great rapping, but all in all not my cup of tea.

It is an alright album but not really memorable.

Pretty good front to back. Could have done without the last song, or it could have been shortened up significantly. Doubt I listen to the whole thing again, but I wouldn't turn it off if it came on.

I love this album. A modern classic, need I say more?

Not my cup of tea

Not my thing

Not my cup of tea, could barley listen to the album all the way through but I think the albums story is good. Love how each song bleeds into the next

Talented, but not my thing

You Ain’t Gotta Lie is my favorite song off this album I think! - Lauren

So many genre influences, I was really impressed!

Groovin', smart, emotional, super dense with references and guests. This one will be listened to for decades at least.

So many clear influences all wonderfully blended together to make an album that is worldly and rich in its sound.

Deze kende ik al! Goed album, mooie teksten. King Kunta fav.

This album is great great great. This album was like an oasis in 2015. Love this one.

it didn't hold up like i thought but i still loved it

amazing fucking album.