To Pimp A Butterfly

8.6/10

I kinda didn't get this album until this album. What a vision.

What can I say that hasn’t already be said about this. Kendrick made such a funky rap album really good listen. But beyond that, the subject material takes you through his thoughts on black culture and history, with his theme of the album coming together on the last song. In a lot of ways it also feels like a continuation of GKMC to me. I remember the day it came out still and it’ll always have a place on my rotation. Despite all that, there are albums of his I do like better

Es una cosa monumental. Tiene capas y capas que no creo que pueda desentrañar en una primera escucha, pero entiendo la fama que tiene.

Love this album. I must have listened to this 1000 times over.

Certainly not the target audience.

Masterpiece

No thanks.

I appreciate the jazz, funk and musical influences in the music. Then he starts to rap and ugh, game over for me - the voice and lyrics, nope.

not for me

This like a Picasso hanging in a museum I don’t have the words to describe it but it’s beautiful

Nope, no thanks,

Compared to his features, Kendrick Lamar's albums have always been a disappointment for me. Still, this is probably his best album. The compositions are interesting and feel fresh. The tracks aren't super catchy, but they're catchy enough. The poetry sections were boring though. My favorite track was "How Much A Dollar Cost", though "Mortal Man" does have one of the unintentionally funniest bars of all time: "That n**** gave us Billie Jean, you say he touched those kids?". 3.5 stars.

A homeless man asks rich millionaire Kendrick Lamar for a single dollar on his vacation to one of the poorest countries in the world. Then, Kendrick calls him a crackhead for no reason other than he didn’t like the way he looked—racial profiling and classism. Then, Kendrick writes a song to shame a poor homeless man just trying to survive in front of the whole world. Then, President Barack Obama calls this his favorite song of all time. If I was that homeless man I would want to die if I heard this song, but I’d probably already be dead because nobody was willing to help me. Great album though.

Actually liked it which I didn't expect

Yeah this thing is praised for good reason, fun tracks, flows beautifully and self-inspiring narrative set in a world thats trying to manipulate you, great album. That said i don’t love every track musically so i won’t 5 star it, but it’s close. Standouts are Wesley’s Theory, King Kunta, These Walls, Complexion and Especially the first half of “I” cause thats the actual music part of the track.

The goat. Literally kicked a trashcan when it didn't win AOTY at the Grammys

It's not the kind of music I usually listen to, I'm not a Kendrick Lamar fan but the album wasn't bad.

Listened to it during my car ride from Rome to Acilia, to have lunch with my grandfather. I'm no hip-hop/rap connoisseur, so I can only judge the album by impulsive preference. I found it breezy and interesting, did not pay much attention to the lyrics, but the beats remind you of the best Dre without ever feeling dated. Songs I saved: King Kunta, How Much a Dollar Cost, The Blacker the Berry, i, Mortal Man. Also, big fan of the interludes, which used to be a staple in rap albums but now seem like a lost art.

Masterpiece

Har altid været glad for den her udgave af Kendrick.

Ganske fornøjeligt

*95 Nok det bedste album vi har haft.

Totalt genialt godt. 1 af 2 5'ere i Kennys diskografi. Jeg glæder mig allerede helt vanvittigt meget til det næste. GIGA 5'er

Det skete noget vildt ved denne gennemlytning. Jeg var 100 på, at det skulle blive 5, som jeg egentlig altid har tænkt dette album. Men det skulle det ikke! Jeg er ikke lige så vild med de mere jazzede elementer, som mange andre er, og jeg synes egentlig, Kendrick er bedst uden. Han er bedst på et fundament af sub-bass, klassiske west-coastede-produktioner og sit eget sublime flow. Det må dog ikke forstås som om, at det ikke er røvfedt at prøve at lave sådan et album her også - for det er det, jeg kan bare allerbedst lide det andet. Og så synes jeg ærligt talt, at hele det interview er lidt cringe Jeg synes heller ikke, at konceptet er helt så stærkt, som jeg huskede det. Der var egentlig også et par numre, som jeg huskede som værende bedre, end de var i dag. Og igen ... det interview der 4.3

Jeg ved godt at man skal forestille at elske det her album, og jeg synes også det er lækkert produceret, og han er bestemt en dygtig rapper + at der faktisk er lagt noget tanke i projektet (hvilket altid er et plus ved rap albums), men synes simpelthen det bliver lidt kedeligt i længden og der er kun et par numre som stikker ud for mig

Jamais écouté avant. Très content d'avoir découvert To Pimp a Butterfly, un album précédé par une réputation glorieuse, régulièrement cité parmi les plus grands albums de hip-hop, voire des plus grands albums tout court, de tous les temps. Comme d'habitude, mes connaissances limitées dans le genre jouent forcément sur mon appréciation, mais je dois bien admettre que j'ai été plutôt impressionné par sa densité, sa richesse et sa verve revendicative, ainsi que la manière dont Kendrick Lamar et ses producteurs citent et rendent hommage à toute l'histoire de la musique afro-américaine, et notamment au jazz, omniprésent dans les instrumentations. Une telle densité, d'ailleurs, que je ne crois en avoir à peine exploré la surface après un peu plus d'une écoute. Hâte d'aller plus loin, notamment de me poser pleinement sur les textes. Top : The Blacker the Berry Flop : Institutionalized

Not for me

22.06.2026 13/15

It was inaccessible at first, filled with n-words. But it slowly drew me in. I like the musical motifs and the message is a good one, uplifting but unflinching.

strong strong strong four. There are so many great songs that the good sounds fade in the background.

it’s very good music but it’s so far from what i listen to that it was really hard to get through it was also long af

I liked this one a lot. I have never listened to it from start to finish, but it was a good experience. It's modern sounding, infused with some jazz fusion characteristics, good songs and really good rap quality. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

This album completely took the world by storm when it came out, instantly becoming the most praised album of the 21st century, and by now even arguably of all time. And to be honest I think it's really easy to see why. Everything from the features, the production, the versatile instrumentation that can be as fun as it is ominous, are all huge elements in why this album is so timeless and accessible. But above all else, Kendrick's lyrics really are the main event. At face value it doesn't seem anything too significant, just another black rapper saying "racism bad," but it goes so much deeper than that. This is more than just a protest against racism, but a full blown celebration of black people and black culture. He discusses the inner details of systematic racism and the effects it has on society, especially black society. This is a straight up deep dive into the human psyche and how our societal baises warp our view of how opression affects others. I really find it no surprise that this album is #1 on sites like Album of the Year and Rate Your Music, and while I wouldn't necessarily rank it as the greatest album of all time myself, its reach and staying power and just general accessibility are what gives it the well deserved #1 spot. The userbase here doesn't seem quite as keen which surprises me a bit, I really hope that the people on here start to see what a masterpiece this truly is, because a 3.64 average rating is sickening.

probably one of the best rap albums to ever exist

I get it now. Second entry from Kendrick for me, and this one made sense instantly. Great instrumentation backed up by solid rap, very personal. I love the way these albums use characters and narratives - like an audio musical. I'm not a hardcore rap or hip hop guy, but I enjoyed the sound a lot.

Good album, madd it’s not better.

I was certain I'll give this a 4/5, but after yet another listen, I fail to see how this album is anything less than a 5. The tracks I remembered being a bit worse than the rest are honestly just as amazing. It's just a perfect display of hip-hop in every aspect. It's musically and tonally incredibly rich and diverse, Kendrick's flow is phenomenal and the themes are so well constructed and presented. Kendrick Lamar doesn't have a bad album, not even a mediocre one, but this one is head and shoulders above the rest. That's insane, considering he made Good Kid, M.A.D.D City and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, which would be clear highlights in the majority of other discographies. Favourite track: The Blacker the Berry (possibly my all-time favourite hip-hop track)

Got better the further in you go.

I'm of an age where hearing the n-word makes me extremely uncomfortable - I always have - and the first 30 seconds of this album turned me off the whole thing. Obviously this album was not meant for me. If it was meant for you then more power to you

not for me

This album is terrible. Musically dull (at best) with endless truly horrible language (couldn't call the rap stuff lyrics). Bad, bad, offensive and bad.

I’m very familiar with the online discourse praising this album as an absolute masterpiece but I have to admit that this was my first time listening to it. Perhaps it’s my own fault for letting that influence me too much, but I went into this with exceedingly high expectations and they weren’t met. I thought the album started strong, then noticeably dipped in quality for a large amount of time in the middle (not bad, just not great). Thankfully though, I thought the back end of the album was fantastic and I can definitely see myself coming back to a number of tracks there. Overall, this was good but I would refrain from joining the majority of others in saying it was a masterpiece.

Meh.

Great album

It is one of the greatest hip hop albums to exist. From songs that hurt like U and just absolutely incredible west coast beats like in the song The Walls

HOLY SHIT

King Kunta, is probably my favorite track. But so many great ones on this one. Used to listen to this a lot a few years back.

yes

Hahahaha one of my own personal favorite albums of all time. For this being my first album on this project is so ironic, I love it. An album that so culturally relevant, the jazz influences, the Cold War subliminal to Kendrick’s contemporary. The concept and running themes of this project are profound and stick with you. This made K.s jump from one of the best rappers to an all time great artist.

great album in the genre but don't fw these "emotional" stories

One of the best albums in hip hop history and one of the most ambitous in music history. The ratings this album gets says a lot about the demographics in this platform.

Amazing production, lyrics, and messaging. Absolutely love this one. Funky and jazzy and conscious.

A true visionary at work

I like that he's been doing 'themed' albums for so long (the through line of 'I remember you was conficted' etc). 'For Free?' ain't great. 'u' is highly annoying. Hood Politics is grating. Always loved Wesley's Theory, King Kunta and The Blacker the Berry. Institutionalized, Alright and For Sale were better than I remembered. How Much A Dollar Cost has a great expansive sound.

kendrick's lyricism is astounding and eternal but deducting a point for this dick aint free and general misogyny

One of the few albums in this list that feels like it has a story to tell from beginning to end. Kendrick’s verses and writing hit a very human chord that bounces between base and vulgar, and incredibly thoughtful on a word to word basis. The tracks and instrumentals really elevate everything and really pulls the whole album together. In the end it’s not something I will listen to often but you can’t help but to listen to it front to back each time.

*2015 *This is a complex album with no two songs sounding the same. Original and experimental, in a mostly good way. *80 minutes is a lot, so it took me a few sessions to finish, but I enjoyed each session. *I need to listen again - there's so much going on lyrically and musically to appreciate on one listen. RATING - 7.5/10

6/10

kao logicno

Easily one of the greatest hip hop albums of this century, good job Kendrick, easy 5 stars

Jeg har aldri blitt helt med på Kendrick-hypen. Noe av det har rett og slett å gjøre med at hans to mesterverk handler vel så mye om å fortelle en historie som det gjør å levere gode låter. Dette nådde sitt climax på hans mest ambisiøse project: To Pimp a Butterfly. Samples, production, flow, features, og texter: alt er on point. Samtidig finnes det knapt et spor som ikke er bookended av skits. Kanskje er det misvisende å kalle det skits, for det er ikke throwaway gags, men poesi, dialoger, og skuespill. Problemet er bare at det er sjeldent det jeg ser etter i musikk. Noen usedvanlige store bangers her da. King Kunta, Alright, The Blacker the Berry for å nevne noen.

Jeg har aldri blitt helt med på Kendrick-hypen. Noe av det har rett og slett å gjøre med at hans to mesterverk handler vel så mye om å fortelle en historie som det gjør å levere gode låter. Dette nådde sitt climax på hans mest ambisiøse project: To Pimp a Butterfly. Samples, production, flow, features, og texter: alt er on point. Samtidig finnes det knapt et spor som ikke er bookended av skits. Kanskje er det misvisende å kalle det skits, for det er ikke throwaway gags, men poesi, dialoger, og skuespill. Problemet er bare at det er sjeldent det jeg ser etter i musikk. Noen usedvanlige store bangers her da. King Kunta, Alright, The Blacker the Berry for å nevne noen.

Clearly high effort but can't say I want to listen to it often. Kendricks voice can be grating even if the message is great... some bangers, some annoying ass interludes

Lots of bad words

Sin palabras, un album que todo el mundo debe escuchar una vez en la vida

It's got yams, bobo, 5

good

didn’t know this was on here. i know this obviously

Wow, he makes long albums. This sounded good and I liked the range of styles and influences. But I find I have to listen very closely to rap to get the best out of it, and unfortunately I mainly had this on in the background. I'll come back to it, I think.

Kendrick is not really my thing, but as I did with Anthrax and Slipknot earlier this week, if i listen to this through the lens of “how talented is this”, it’s actually a pretty great record. There’s a lot of diversity throughout this record, even if it is predominantly a rap record. There’s some excellent grooves on here and the songs are generally very well constructed. My favorites off of this were King Kunta, These Walls, How Much a Dollar Cost, and i. A great listen. Can’t make it a 5 star, as I didn’t enjoy it enough to place it there, but 4 stars for all the reasons mentioned above.

Du rap

Franchement, j’ai trouvé ça cool ! Je connaissais que de nom et de renommée dans le milieu mais je n’avais jamais pris le temps d’écouter.. je trouve ça assez innovant dans le style et je comprends qu’il ressorte du lot ! C’est aussi assez ancré dans une époque, il y a bcp de hip hop comme ca (un peu expérimental) à notre époque

J'ai bien kiffé! C'est loin de ce que j'écoute d'habitude, j'avais jamais écoute de Kendrick Lamar mais j'ai liké interlude et these walls

Kendrick’s early work is lyrical and mean, he somehow embodies nerdy cool while still being straight out of Compton.

It'd probably be a 4.5 for me but I don't think there are half stars here. Insane album though, think it's a little hard to get into in the middle but amazing album.

My grandma would be very upset if I repeated these words.

Muy político. Me atomizó.

I'm a big Kendrick fan, been one since section.80. When I first heard this album after its release, it just didn't hit the ears back then but after re-listening, this is a MASTERPIECE. This album was for the cultureeee. The samples, the features, the flows, the groovy and funky vibe... it just doesn't get better than this. Well done Kendrick and thank you for putting so much love and care into this album. Every song felt intentional and ik that wasn't an accident. 10/10

I understand that he is a Poet and such, but that fact does not do anything for me

I think I enjoyed Damn and Good Kid mAAd city more when they all first came out, but tpab does feel richer and more layered. I see why this earned the accolades it received.

One of the best records to come out in my lifetime, hands down. This is one that came out at the exact right moment in time and in its own way helped make me the person i am today.

I remember when this album came out I listened and all I could was that Kendrick Lamar had put out the blackest record I had ever heard. It was even more an update of the messages the Public Enemy was trying to get out. Kendrick talked about the struggle but also made it listenable. The stand out on this album was the music you had Thundercat, Pharrell, Flying Lotus, and many more shaping the sound. Another aspect was the group of jazz greats who played on this album. Terence Martin Kamasi Washington Brandon Coleman and thundercat. All brilliant players. I can’t speak enough about how this album moved me. I have been listening to hip hop since I was a so for about 40 years now. When I say that this is one of the best albums that I have ever heard and as I listen and continue to listen through I hear something new. The themes from the trappings of the music industry, struggles of mental health the problems of having ghost writers. There is so much on this album. It’s been 10 years and I still listen. People who call this album shit and don’t give it a shot are missing out when all they focus on is the curse words.

The best instrumental work on any hip hop album? Or just the best hip hop album? Feels like a very easy modern rap album to point to and say it’s the best one, so cohesive around its themes, steeped in jazz, filled with both bangers and deep songs, not even Kendrick’s voice is enough to take away from it (Although it’s great on Blacker the Berry). Can’t believe it’s been more than 10 years now, like Obama was still president when this came out? WTF? That “I remember you was conflicted” motif thing throughout the album culminating in an interview with Tupac at the end is really clever. Some might say a more respectful way of using the dead man’s likeness than how Snoop Dogg has resurrected him into the new Yakuza game Average rating on this site is a crime, though a very interesting distribution where most people gave it a 5 but it’s nowhere near top rated on the site because people have just gone “Hip Hop, 1”

Yeah obviously it’s a five I used to think this was overrated and didn’t see why people liked it so much, I thought Fantano giving it a ten was crazy and that damn was much better than this But after coming back to it again properly a couple of years ago I now see the light 5

Pretty good

Listened to this whilst playing some minecraft. Kendrick never misses with his lyrics, he’s truly a generational talent. I don’t want to give this 5 stars even though it deserves it because I want to stay true to my feelings and even though this album is incredible, it’s not 100% my vibe. I enjoyed a lot of the songs but some of them just missed for me personally, but that’s probably because I myself can’t relate to everything he’s talking about. Kendrick remains to be the GOAT though, no doubt about it. Great way to kick off this 1001 album journey :)

This is a classic of my time. a really perfect entry from Kendrick

Kendrick had some things to SAY. Wow. Poetic, political, and an insightful look into the experience of an African-American man from Compton that made it out. It is so refreshing to hear a meaningful take on the African-American woman too instead of the usual demeaning hip-hop verses about women. So deserving of the Grammys.

Nie gehört. Aber schon ziemlich krasses Album. Muss da mal noch in lyrics rein. Definitiv wieder!

Not too shabbby

one of my favorite albums of all time!!!i want this on cd so bad

Nice, chill, long, vibes.

In shock I’ve lasted this long without listening to this album. I remember girls at school writing essays and speeches about the power of To Pimp a Butterfly, and people over the years preaching to me time and time again about the power of Kendrick Lamar. I only really started listening to a few of his most famous songs after his feud with Drake and others being on the internet. This album is great. I totally agree it’s powerful, it combines so many genres in its influences, it provides real social critique. As much as I hate to agree with Kanye West, he wasn’t totally wrong saying that rap was the new rock, amassing people, providing a real window into society and its many issues, cleverly binding lyrics and samples of influential songs. When was the last time rock truly had that powerful an effect? Decades ago really, it’s become a bit more gimicky. Hats off to Kendrick for birthing this.

this album made me feel things. in particular, that feeling you get when you take a bunch of colour creating leaves and let them have their way with your body. i never thought id be listening to kendrick lamar, but here we are. i liked it. not my type of music but i liked it.

Don't think I enjoyed this one quite as much as Good Kid mAAd City. but it's still very good! "King Kunta" and "Alright" are the standouts here, but I do think the album is weaker in the first half, but picks up in the back half, I particularly enjoyed "How Much A Dollar Cost" "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" "The Blacker the Berry" and "i"

The funky, jazzy, experimental beats, commentary and stories woven through the tracks make it feel like a single piece of art rather than a collection of songs. I have a huge appreciation for it on that level and I think its definitely an album that's greater than the sum of its parts. I added Alright and the single version of "I" onto my playlist, but Blacker The Berry and King Kunta are great too.

4 - eh

Eh not a rap guy

Really good rap album.

foda

Love this album Playlist add: "Alright" but on any given day it could be something else

Brain chemistry altering. Luxurious, immaculate production accompanied by some of the best lyrical work ever on any album - both in tone and performance as well as content.

Stunning album. So many layers and so much depth to the music and lyrics. Like his second album it rewards repeat listening and listening the album as a whole.

One ill advised pro-pedophile spoken word poem from greatness. The shit hit the fan and I was not a fan.

Absolute cinema

In my top five all-time rap albums. Both musically and lyrically dense. It’s a shame Kendrick wasted so much time and energy dissing Drake lately, when he could’ve been writing more meaningful songs like “These Walls”, “Complexion”, “Wesley’s Theory”, etc

если бы было желание погружаться в контекст я бы и 6 поставила.

Project 1001 ABID #6 Pre thoughts: I’ve listened to this to death so really I don’t have to re listen. I will say it’s not my favourite from Kendrick though. Maad city was amazing. Post thoughts: yeah just solid isnt it. The wordplay isnt just for flexing, still tells the story. Set a standard that few reach this consistently.

Some catchy arrangements and interesting lyrics.

Apparently, during an interview in January 2016 Obama was asked who would win the beef: Kendrick or Drake? Obama referenced this album, saying that Kendrick would win. I don't give a rat's ass about the beef, but it's hilarious to me that Obama is about to hand off his job to DJT and he's thinking "Fuck, this move is about to cause an irreversible division in America and make everybody in power and both sides of the political spectrum really fucking annoying for the next decade, but Kendrick's last album was fire!"

I have heard a couple of the songs on this album before, although I'm not super familiar with them. First, the album is really long - 1 hour and 20 minutes. I really struggle with long albums, no matter what musical genre they are. I typically just like more variety if I'm listening to music for a long period of time. Second, I'm just not a huge fan of hip hop, so listening to an album of hip hop that this long is even more of a struggle for me. What I will say about this album, though, was it really had a lot more different musical styles underlying the rap than I expected it to, which made it a lot more interesting to listen to. Another album that while I personally wouldn't listen again, I understand why it's on the list and appreciate the album.

I liked the story arc of this album. He did a great job. There are some banger songs on here too.

Wesley's Theory Alright These Walls i You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) Mortal Man Complexion (A Zulu Love) How Much a Dollar Cost Momma Institutionalized u Hood Politics The Blacker the Berry King Kunta

I have a very hard time connecting with this. Most of the songs are not memorable to be and I find myself getting bored. I like some Kendrick but I find this album to be pretty overrated.

I’m sure it was good just not my thing

great amazing and fun

K-Dot took the Championship Belt of Hip-Hop with this album, and he hasn't let it up since. Easily the most expansive Hip Hop album of the decade, with jazz and roots influences.

Not my style of music, but I actually like it. I forgot that I had heard it before.

zero notes god tier

Сара 2 Марко 3,5

all the white boys in my high school used to tell me i needed to listen to this album and that it was the best thing ever and i refused to listen to them mostly out of spite because they were all annoying as hell but this slaps

What can I say better than Kendrick has already said himself?

Kendrick Lamar é genial. Um álbum com jazz, rap, discursos... Rico musicalmente e divertido. Moondrop May.

Bish where were you when I was walkin??

undeniable

Not my style but god can he tell a story. Incredible.

Not like I remembered it. I don’t know if this is holding up. I love this guy, but I don’t know. It’s just a shame like maybe I’m just not feeling good. I don’t know.

23/05/2026 This is just the typical mumble rap that seems to be stupidly popular today. Give me some AI and let me write some mumble lyrics and watch me be just as successful. It's crazy all the things we can apparently get away with promoting, the racism, misogyny, gun crime, murder. Why is this guy and genre so popular and successful?! Spotify listeners: 72 million

Lamar is very smart and very talented. Creative rhymes & stellar delivery make for a visceral impact on many tracks. Some tracks, mainly the skits, fall short. But I definitely want to listen again. This is a 4.

Pretty good for the genre, but the message is not my message.

🐐

Achei interessante, talvez escute mais

That's what I'm talking about ! Favorite tracks : all of them?! (even the interludes are incredible!)

So far we’ve had more albums from the 1960’s than the 2010’s. But I like Kendrick Lamar so it makes up for it. 5 stars.

I respect him and his message.

Absolutely not what I expected. Kendrick Lamar is very talented. Way better than I thought it would be.

its so weird seeing people hate on this in the 1 star reviews when I think its peak

2/5

I already love this album. Kendrick is a solid contender in any GOAT discussions on rap. This album is a great example. He's got skits/concepts/themes to this album that help to tie the album together. He's lyrically incredible, and his beats are fun despite the frequent seriousness of his lyrics. King Kunta, These Walls, Blacker the Berry, and the undeniable hit of Alright are all amazing tracks.

Lazy lyrics, awful. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.

This is the greatest hip hop album of all time hands down. Listening to this for the first time as a teenager shaped my perspective on what it means to be a Black person living in America. As a white person, this album was clearly not made with me in mind. It references niche Black American culture that I needed to look up to understand due to my upbringing. However, that does not mean there is nothing for me to gain from listening. Quite the opposite in fact, the themes and events depicted in TPAB serve as a stripped back, raw perspective on the American Black experience offering perspective that can never be matched by reading up on race politics or history books. To Pimp A Butterfly captures something real and prevalent and terrible in our society and lays it bare for all to hear in such an enjoyable manner. No other musical project has offered the same type of insight into a new perspective I have not experienced as effectively, and I almost doubt any ever will. But TPAB is great not only because of the message of the lyrics but also the creativity in how the message is delivered, the uniqueness of the jazz-inspired beats, the mastery of the instruments being played (shout out to the goat Thundercat). The recurring poem is such an iconic device on this album that I really haven't seen utilized to this degree anywhere else in modern music. The level of meaning packed into every line just blows my mind, I'm still discovering new allusions and double entendres hidden in there upon every listen. The range of emotions that are elicited in me every time I put on this masterpiece of a project is shocking, from the euphoric highs of "Alright" and "I" to the deep darkness and anger of "The Blacker the Berry" and "u" everything is just so visceral. Side note, I truly believe that anyone who claims to dislike this album because it is "too vulgar" or they "don't like the lyrical style" is thinly veiling deeply internalized racism, sorry not sorry. That complaint completely removes the music from its context and ignores the centuries of oppression and hate that fostered the generational resentment and ambivalence being expressed through those words. Only a purposefully ignorant or completely inept person could listen to this and ignore the entire message of the album as well as all of the history and take away "I no like too many swears 1/5." Kick your "bias against Hip Hop" and grow up. You just don't like is because it was made by a Black person.

What even is there to say about this album. It might be the best hip hop record of all time. However, especially as a white woman, I don’t need to write a think piece on why it’s so great. But I do have to point out that a lot of the negative reviews are disgustingly close-minded, and some are genuinely racist. The production, of course, is incredible. Kendrick is also maybe the best living poet. This album changed my life when I first heard it in high school. It not only expanded my music taste, but educated me and expanded my worldview. Obviously this album doesn’t exist for white people to consume it, but I think it does provide a perspective many wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Everyone should listen to this album. TPAB is a 5 to end all 5s. One of my favorite albums of all time.

Kendrick has a couple modes and dense to the point of redundancy showed up here for the first time. Butterfly is a completely cohesive, thought-through album in a way that prog rockers could only dream of. It’s also impenetrable for me. Very much in the class of admire and like but not love, whereas Good Kid and DAMN meet me halfway.

I enjoy the beat / rap and the jazzy bits. Mortal Man a bit long for me. I prefer his energetic rap and music rather than the slower and spoken tracks on an album. King Kunta is my favorite on the album followed by The Blacker the Berry. Not an album full of valid lyrics, which is a major plus.

Thematically, emotionally, and creatively dense exploration into American race relations, cultural history and legacy.

Enkrat ali dvakrat sm ga že, iz firbca, ker je highest rated album of all time na Rate Your Music. Skor 80 minut sicr, uf. Mislim, ja, banger after fakin banger. "King Kunta" je amazing. Prvi ("Wesley's Theory") in pa sledeči, "For Free? - Interlude", sta bla oba huda. Interlude mi je bil prou hilarious. Pri prvem poslušanju sm bla v družbi nekoga, ki je ekstra kritičen do sodobnega rapa in mi je mal vplivalo to na izkušnjo. Zj k sm sama, I love it. Besedila so huda. Komadi so raznoliki, nek overarching theme je. Dolgčas mi ni, ne vleče se mi. Spomnim se, da morem rewatchat njegov Superbowl nastop, ker je bil res hud.

A fantastic album, one that even today I haven’t come to appreciate all of its intricacies. Overstimulating but great. One where the length doesn’t bother me Rating: 9/10 Favorite Song: King Kunta, these walls

I like Kendrick. Love some of his albums and maybe it's just me but this isn't his best to me. I get everyone gives it a perfect rating but it's not quite there for me

I didn’t really understand when Northernlion said that your favorite thing should be what inspires your soul the most and it’s sad that nowadays people think your favorite thing should be the one that makes the most sense... until I listened to this album. I heard a lot of good things about this album but I just do not care for it. Even if it is crazy conceptually, since everyone seems to love what the album is “saying,” it’s still music. If you can’t make it sound good just go write a book man.

Kendrick Lamar’s album boldly captures complex mix of anger and joy of being Black in America — poetry worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Plus, he tells us that his penis costs money. I had to deduct a point for that one.

I dont get this guy

Casi todas las canciones me han sonado igual. No he conectado con ninguna. Este álbum me ha servido para confirmar que no me gusta nada este género en general. 3.48/10

ALREADY LISTENED TO IT, JUST RECENTLY , ISTG

There were tracks I enjoyed, but to be honest I mostly felt like I was waiting for it to be over.

When ambition matches talent, you get projects like this. I’ve had this on repeat for 11 years and each listen reveals something new. Thank you Kendrick Lamar I love you.

Kendrick Lamar is perhaps one of the more popular rappers of my generation. This is one of the rare chances I get to analyze the soundtrack of high school for many of my fellow students(not so much myself). It's incredibly political, arguably more so than many of its forebears from the 1990s. It takes the politically charged rap of Public Enemy and crosses it with a healthy dose of gangster rap(sadly). The production and arrangement values are miles ahead of most rap albums from the genre's early era and the gangster era. However, the lyrics have a tendency to be off-putting, and the songcraft is often worse than older albums. There is definitely some artistry here, but it just doesn't feel as likable as the great 1990s-era rap albums. I find the album to be hit-or-miss, just like the broader rap genre in general.

I'd actually listened to this for the first time a month or two ago before starting this challenge. As a lily white man I'm definitely looking in from the outside when it comes to the lyrics here, which are written for black Americans and no one else. Despite having trouble relating to the lyrics, Kendrick's flow is amazing, along with the songwriting and production in general. Seems like every other track had some beat, synth or other unexpected instrument dropped in that wowed me. 9.5/10.

9/10 This was my first time listening to this album in full and I kept being surprised by it. Production and songwriting are top notch.

This is, to me, one of the best examples of what a list like this is for. There's oceans of ink to be spilled about this album, about it's cultural commentary, it's musical composition. There is a phrase that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable and it feels like something along those lines was a core ethos in the construction of this album. This is not really easy, accessible art. It's dense and layered, both in composition and in meaning. Some of the other reviews here criticize it for being about "money and bitches" and other stereotypical rap subjects. That sort of criticism both belies a lack of close listening, "for free" isn't actually about women at all, but also a lack of familiarity with the subject matter here. My favorite thing is someone calling the opening sample a parody of 70's soul music, when it's actually just a sample of a 70's song. If you simply want to jam to some music, there are better rap albums for that, even in Kendricks own catalogue. But if you want to hear a man try to explain and understand the experience of blackness in America, then few albums are better. This is not to say that Kendrick's understanding or opinions are perfect, or even the most deep and nuanced. If you want genuine intellectual rigor then there's plenty of academic work out there for you and even other artists who diagnosis of the the various plights of black people in America are far more grounded in politics and material causes. But that isn't really where the value here lies. This is a part of one man's story, a part of his comprehension of the world and while Kendrick certainly hoped putting it out could change things and was markedly depressed when it did not, that doesn't cause it lose it's value as an examination of his experience, of how it relates to others, of the time and place that it came from. You need to hear this.

It took a while for this album to grow on me, but it did eventually, once I put aside my own insecurities and opinions. That said, anyone who incessantly goes on about their junk or sex in songs still makes me eyeroll and like it less. As a side note, women are no exception (looking at you, Sophie "Piri" McBurnie). Lamar is a very talented, especially in the lyrics departments, but it still doesn't reach the absolutely dizzying heights reached by Good Kid M.A.A.D City, but was still chilling in the penthouse. Favourite tracks were: "These Walls", "Hood Politics", "How Much a Dollar Cost", "Complexion". That 3-song run, starting with Hood, was simply incredible.

cool!

Even as a fan I didn't like it first time it was released. Now, I have to say it is great. It just needed some time I guess. 4.4

So unique. Maybe not the easiest listen at first, but it's amazing to discover this album layer after layer.

i cannot listen to this while doing something else, which reduces how much I can enjoy it, but this is a pretty incredible album. not my favorite from him though

Masterpiece. You can feel the weight of the importance of this album. One of the best new discoveries for me on this list so far.

One of my favourite hip hop albums from the last 20 years. Amazing

I don’t really like a lot of modern hip hop so I went in with an expectation I might not like this but I was very wrong! Such musicality, loads of great samples and instrumentation that give it a real texture and musical sophistication reminiscent of early De La Soul and Tribe Called quest. I really dug this, the variety and musicality of the tracks were so good I found myself nodding along to a song about washing one’s ass! Probed my preconception on modern hip hop wrong. 4.4

There's a lot going on here. Probably enough ideas for four albums tbh. Overall I found it satisfying but, like I say, it was a little overwhelming at times.

It's a really ambitious album and almost too much to take in. No doubting the talent of the guy. There are a few bangers and there's real variation. At times it's hard to keep up with everything for so long. Perhaps an album that needs more time dedicated to fully appreciate.

Meh

I thought u was conflicted

Personally think Damn is a better album, but this one is solid as well.

This is amazing album. Every track is varied and interesting. The skill on display is unreal and validates all the acclaim that he has received. The beats are unique and make your head unconsciously bop. The musicality is wild- guest musicians add real depth to this album. Conceptually the LP is interesting- songs flow from one to another with interesting and textured interludes to cleanse the palate and introduce the next vibe. This is exactly what an album should be. For me a clear 5 stars.

Kendrick Lamar delivers. He delicately and eloquently smashes down his rhymes. His tempo and musicality stands on top among his rap rivals. It was a pleasure listening, even though I hardly can understand the lyrics (maybe it's better this way :D). The songs were rich in variety and had a lot of instrumental finesse compared to many other Hip Hop songs. Cool stuff.

My friend who is much into hip-hop says it is a masterpiece so i guess it is. But i dont get it.

Not my genre. I came in with low expectations and left having listened to it several times — which is the only review that matters, really. To Pimp A Butterfly is not what I expected hip-hop to sound like. It's a jazz and funk record at its core — live instrumentation, complex arrangements, something that breathes like a band rather than a beatmaker. The Miles Davis comparison isn't a stretch. If you told me some of these tracks were outtakes from a 70s session I might have believed you. The language still reads as image-building — the deliberate badassery of the form. But underneath that there's something genuinely vulnerable and searching. It earns its ambition. 4/5 — surprised me. That counts for a lot.

This album was a masterclass in how tastes differ... the critical acclaim for this is off the charts, on RYM this is rated higher than all of the unbelievable legendary masterpieces by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, ... So I really really tried to get into it, although it felt wrong from the beginning. At the end I can say, I do acknowledge the great production, but that's where my appreciation ends. Nope, it's not for me. 1/5 very weak

My favorite album. It’s so good. 10/5 100/5 Infinity/5 I feel bad for you if you don’t like this album.

Imagine being so clueless as to rate this anything other than an instant 5 stars. Imagine being so obtuse that you couldn’t understand the fact that you’re listening completely unique, something that is lyrically dense yet accessible, something that reads like a book of poetry, something that layers music, sounds and language to tell a story of a man, of a community, of a people. Exceptional. Magical. Genius. Perfection.

Not a fan of rap or KL - buts not done for as explained in Mortal Man - it’s for his fans and the converted audience. that said, easier to get through this than usual and some melody under the bass lines.

I admire his talent, but I didn't love this album.

goat

This was such a good listen. I'm glad to have finally listened to this beginning to end. The instrumentals were so jazzy and dreamy. It's amazing how Kendrick was able to weave in and out of them and make it sound so easy.

There are a handful of listenable tracks on this. I will never understand the Kendrick Lamar obsession

I tried…don’t know why. I appreciate the artistry but it just doesn’t hit with me.

I’ve listened to this album a couple times before, but it’s been a few years so it was nice to listen again. I think it took a couple times listening to fully digest the album and the story being told. I really liked the different characters being introduced throughout it, different points of views, and how the outros on each song built onto each other after each song.

I’ve listened to this album a couple times before, but it’s been a few years. This is the first time I really understood it in a deeper level. Everything from his personal feelings and battles, talks between Kendrick, God and the devil, American materialism, all leading to him turning around to be the positive leader for his community. I really enjoyed every part of it. One of my favorite parts is how the outro builds after each song and reveals more of the story being told. In my experience, it’s an album you have to listen to a couple times with the lyrics to fully digest it, but it’s very much worth it to hear and understand his entire perspective shift throughout the album.

As mentioned before, I rate rap/hip hop on rythem and rhyme, this barely had either.

A truly great album. Coming to it late but will definitely give it more listens

Enjoyable instrumental productions that explore the history of American music, but it is wasted on whining about the same boring subjects. Still wasting the listener's time on skits and interludes. Too much misogyny, as well. 2015 and hip hop is still pushing that junk? Also way, way too long.

real good i just would not listen in full again

I mean DAMN. pun intended. Kendrick is the undisputed GOAT and it’s hard to argue this isn’t his best album. Each listen this album gets better. There are few projects across any genre this complete and multidimensional. It’s jazz, poetry, rap, hype, smooth, angry - it really is everything. Truly - art.

I know this is culturally significant and Kendrick is a big deal but this isn't my jam at all

Gear: Moondrop Variations Artwork: 😶‍🌫️🍾🏛️ Production: 👨🏾‍⚕️🎛️🌿 Music: 🃏🎷⚗️ Rating: 🦋🦋🦋🦋(🦋)/5

I've never knowingly heard anything by Kendrick Lamar, and when I caught sight of the Rap/Hop-hop tag, I nearly didn't bother with it - I just assumed I wouldn't like it. I was in no mood for 'gangsta rap' which in my ignorance, I assumed it would be. The Rap/Hip-hop genre really, REALLY, is not for me, but on a whim, I pressed play and... well, it hooked me in within moments, and really stood out to me as something pretty different. This is an unusual record - the music and production are great - that jazzy, funky sound is really compelling - but the disjointedness of it all really, struck me. I love an awkward time signature and this record seems to be subtly full of them. It's a melting pot of influences and it feels genuinely adventurous and experimental. I can't say I paid particularly close attention to the lyrics (swearing doesn’t offend me but it’s overuse gets boring very quickly) but they didn't seem to be quite as loaded with the guns, drugs and misogyny that taint so many records in this genre. I listened to the whole thing. I'm over 250 albums into this list and this is without doubt the most surprising record I've encountered. I might even listen again.

i am just a Mortal Man, but I enjoyed this album and I think u will, too

Album was inescapable for months when it was released, most of my enjoyment now is the nostalgia for that period

Love DNA

amazing. sadly the album has not reached 5 star status. might listen to it once in a while but not always

Bold and concept-heavy, but not an easy spin. Its ambition is undeniable, though the dense themes and jazz-infused sound make it feel more like something to study than replay casually.

I was able to get into the headspace of the narrative a bit, which is more than I can say for most modern rap. It did not need to be 80 minutes long.

okay my first album was acc "Bringing it All Back home by Bob Dylan and I thought that was cool I just didn't understand some on the songs; my favourite songs was Mr. Tambourine Man. For TPAB I had obviously heard songs off of the album from before, but I've never sought out to listen to it. It was a good experience and all together a beautiful body of work. I truly enjoyed how every single had its own story and the poem that tied then together.

love it!!!🥰

Unbelievable. This is one of my all time favs. I love a concept record and this one has it all. Captivating storytelling, production that moves in several directions at once. It's ahead of its time, it's poetry. It's a classic

Tried but couldn’t make it through the album.

I know I don't get majority of the references but it sounds good.

This was so close to a two - it's more performance piece than an album.

Hip hop, jazz, funk and soul. Consciousness baby.

2nd time listening to this, maybe the best kendrick album

DNF. really good music, i’m just not going to listen to an album where every single song is explicit.

Wesley’s Theory, ok but didn’t necessarily do anything for me For Free? I wanna memorize so badly King Kunta is phenomenal to groove to These Walls was pretty good but I thought it could’ve sounded hotter Alright was hopeful and peak HMaDC was a really good story Fuckkk man, that last verse of Berry is crazy I love myself and i Mortal Man is humble and poetry, and it’s crazy that this album was written 3 years before George Floyd, I still don’t think we’ve seen a true riot or level of violence that Tupac describes is coming “next time” like what LA was experiencing at that time in the 90s. Overall, while there are a lot of songs that I can only think about externally and enjoy the sound of because I am both white and grew up affluently, this album clearly shows that Kendrick is a Virgil of his day and he is by far my favorite rapper

Having listened to a whole podcast series about the album it's obviously great.

Funky, long interludes and skits

Incomparable. I hear something new every time I listen to it, so it never gets old.

Super album, il est généreux, puissant. Il prend aux tripes grâce à une bande sonore complète et complexe et grâce à une chorale qui habille Kendrick Lamar à la perfection. Note : 4 À réécouter : Oui

I know this is an "important" album, but it bored the shit out of me.

Pretty good. Not my genre. Like thr jazz mashup

Still can’t personally get behind all the hype of this album Just not for me really 2.5/5 Favorites: king kunta, mortal man, i

Ok

Not 100% sure. Liked it but I also think a second or third listen would make me like it even more.

I could start with “ hip hops not my thing but I respect the artist” but no not this time. It’s just a fucking shit album, absolute dog shit. Why do these people keep trying to re write Straight outta Compton?

There’s a chance this is the most overrated rap album of all time. Don’t get me wrong I like this album, but the idea that somehow this is the peak of rap music, or even just of rap music this century is just bad. It’s cool he was doing something new and interesting, and I think a lot of it works, but there’s just too many skippable songs on here to justify the runtime and pretension. I don’t hate this album, but I wish the narrative this had went to an album of his I liked more. Favorites: For Free? (Interlude), Complexion (A Zulu Love), i

Pimp

Al principio sentí que iba a estar bueno o por lo menos interesante pero después me decepcionó. Alguna melodía me divirtió pero la verdad no volvería a escucharlo.

i liked it a lot more than i thought

Almost perfect

1. Wesley’s Theory – класний старий вайб супіровий перехід між 1 і 2 2. For Free? - Interlude – голос жінки??? хеллоооу?? такий комічний вайб 3. King Kunta – качає жоска 4. Institutionalized – можливо, “Shit don’t change until you get up and wash your ass” — це те, що мені треба було почути 5. These Walls – 3:18-3:35-5:00 — момент, який чекаєш всю пісню перехід між 5 і 6 майндблов 6. u – зміна в пісні??? супєр 7. Alright – ну ета база любім 8. For Sale? - Interlude – пройшло повз мене наче 9. Momma – кінцівка чомусь до Тайлера відсилає 10. Hood Politics – БУБУ БУБУ БУБУ 11. How Much A Dollar Cost – не чіпляє шось конкретне але монотонно добре 12. Complexion (A Zulu Love) – легенька зі співом 13. The Blacker The Berry – злосна грусна мужицько темно 14. You Ain’t Gonna Lie (Momma Said) – я не знаю якось норм 15. i – танцюєєєєм селфлав I LOVE MA…SELF! 16. Mortal Man – подкастік? i’m here for it

The first thousand times I listened, I swore he was saying, "I remember you was conflicted: your shoes or your influence..."

first time really listening to kendrick, wasnt expected the jazz bits, great listen

Kendrick is trully a one of a kind guy. So much of this album is so soudly amazing, with it's inspiration's to 1970's funk and free jazz create an amazing hearing experience, coupled with trully remarcable lyrics. This album is an experience that i cannot describe with my words. This is the good stuff.

Really solid album

english rap, deshalb 6/10, aber für rap in general 9/10

Better than I was imagining. I liked some of the songs and there were some great beats that I even went back and relistened to.

Kendrick Lamar, what a fucking artist.

This is one of the albums I was really looking forward to listening to on the list. It's one of the albums I know everyone needs to hear, but because hip hop isn't my genre I hadn't gotten around to it. It's the sort of album that inspired me to do this project. This album threw me at first. I know some Kendrick Lamar tracks, but I wasn't such variety of styles -funk, soul, jazz. By the second half of the album I really got into it. On second listen I enjoyed the first half more, but I don't love every track. That second half, though, is absolute fire. I know it would take many listens to really take in the lyrics and themes in here, because they're fired at you pretty fast and raw. One thing that's undeniable straight away though is every inch of this album is interesting. The production, the rhythms, vocals and lyrics. Absolutely an essential listen.

Surely good, but I don’t connect in the way i’d wish to

Um grande salto. Um álbum que tem características fortes de som de Jazz junto com algo orgânico e claro, com o Rap presente, maaas achei arriscado. Pesquisei sobre e tem muito rolo por trás, mas basicamente ele visitou a África do Sul e teve uma grande inspiração pra fazer essa obra, tendo uma grande conexão com sua raizes e inspirando assim para o nome da mesma. Usa bastante de poemas tanto que, uma das minhas músicas favoritas tem um poema de uma personalidade importante. Além da capa que por si só, que trás a mensagem que quer passar sem antes mesmo escutar. Disse que achei arriscado pois não me agradou muito em algumas partes, fiquei boiando e curti apenas alguns momentos, mas nada de interessante pra destacar, pra mim foi apenas um álbum orgânico que, adentra em suas raizes com letras importantes e mostra o que quer passar, mas nada além disso. As minhas favoritas foram "King Kunta", "Alright" e "Mortal Man" (Com um poema de Tupac Shakur e utilização de trechos de uma entrevista dele, o que da uma impressão de conversa entre os dois). To Pimp A Butterfly cumpre o que propõe, mas se mostra difícil quando a intenção é atiçar o interesse por ele.

such a mess omg

One of the best hiphop albums I've ever heard. From the opening to "Wesley's Theory" right to the end. Not many, if any, dull moments. It justifies its hour length, and offers a great rhythm and vibe for casual listening and enough insight, care, and passion for a full in-depth dive.

A very heavy work of art, not really FOR me, but I get the hype. I like that he brings a lot of jazz and funk into the grooves. Kind of "next generation" rap. A bit long and pretty sad.

Anstrengend aber auch mausig

Undisputed classic. Kenny a modern great. Fav tracks: Wesley’s Theory, King Kunta, Institutionalized, Alright, Momma, Hood Politics, How Much a Dollar Cost, Blacker the Berry, i RYM: Y (#1) Saved a song: Y

I appreciated the jazz, funk, soul influences in this. A couple tracks I felt were pretty good, but most of them unfortunately I didn’t like at all. I’m sure I may pick up on more lyrical complexity in further listens, but I didn’t enjoy this enough to want to do that. I found this tedious to listen to and too long. 2/5

All time classic.

Objectively a good album, just wasn't feeling it on my latest listen.

Wesley's Theory - 5/5 For Free? (Interlude) - 4/5 King Kunta - 5/5 Institutionalized - 4/5 These Walls - 5/5 u - 5/5 (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH) Alright - 5/5 For Sale? (Interlude) - 5/5 Momma - 4/5 Hood Politics - 3/5 How Much a Dollar Cost - 5/5 Complexion (A Zulu Love) - 5/5 The Blacker the Berry - 5/5 You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) - 5/5 i - 5/5 Mortal Man - 5/5 Average score: 4.7/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kendrick hasn't released something quite this great since. i don't really believe in "perfect" albums, but this comes pretty damn close

3.5 stars

I like it. I like the different styles. It is dense though. Hard to really get a feel for it after only a few listens. I know it is very critically acclaimed and I think I can understand why, though it doesnt quite land that well for me.

There were some good tracks on there but there were also some experimental ones that I wasn’t ready for

I felt a lot more at home with this one than the other albums I’ve listened to so far. I really liked all the jazz/blues instrumentals. I definitely see myself listening to TPAB again, especially to dive into all the meaning in the lyrics that Kendrick packs in. I’m withholding a half star because I don’t see myself putting the majority of the songs into my heavy rotation. 4.5/5

Too vulgar

One of the best rap albums of all time, full of heart, emotion & power in every element of the song-writing & delivery. I’m no rap expert but I can hear a rapper at the absolute top of his game. There isn’t a single dud moment on this record & the flow, lyricism & tones keep you interested from start to finish. It feels experimental yet brilliantly coherent, which makes it an absolute joy to listen to.

7/10

Long album, but bangin. There were a lot of religious overtones I am not a fan of. I can see jamming this again. I see why it was nominated for so many Grammys!

I always struggled with Kendrick, is he genius or overrated. You should decide. But this album is an absolute line in the sand. You should listen to it, headphones on and just sit and let it take you on the journey and experience.

I know this dude is great. But man this is a lot to get through.

I listened to this quite a bit when it came out, but haven't really gone back to it. Hearing it again now, I think it's due to the relative dearth of hooks compared to good kid, m.A.A.d City. To Pimp a Butterfly is so dense and heady that it's can be hard to take in. That doesn't mean it isn't great—particularly "King Kunta," "Complexion," and "i"—just that it's challenging. Which is a compliment. And I still find the coda with 2Pac surprisingly moving.

Legendary album som skubbede rappen som kunstform. Føler alt conscious hiphop og rap jazzet hiphop agtig har ledt op til det her moment. Det er jo magnum opus og der er både besøg af George Clinto fra funkadelic/parliament, thundercat osv hvor den hylder funk og soul som den også tager præg i. Det er et kæmpe digt nærmest dedikeret til sort kultur og det bliver virkelig bare referæreret som noget af det bedste. Tror det er meget tungt tekst mæssigt så man burde nok forholde sig mere til den end noget andet, men det har jeg ikke gjort. Så der er stadig massere at vende tilbage til. DEt bruger collage og kulturhistorie til at danne en identitetsfortælling og det er noget som minder lidt om gang of four's entertainment som er en af mine yndlingsalbum. Det kunne være sjovt hvis der var en reference der til.

3/5, mid.

lo amo kendrick aura nashe

Rating: 5/5 Favourite Tracks: Wesley’s Theory, King Kunta, Institutionalized, u, Alright, Momma, Hood Politics, How Much A Dollar Cost, The Blacker The Berry, i, Mortal Man

no me gustó tanto pero porque no se inglés entonces no entiendo el mensaje, me gusta la música ma a melódica pero kendrick es muy buen artista.

I used to like one song ("Money Tree"), and I thought the album would be similar... But no, I didn't like it

Kendrick es la cabra de nuestra generación.

I understand and can appreciate why this is such a highly respected and regarded album, but it just is not for me. There are a ton of Kendrick songs I really like, from his first album and his new album, but nothing on here was so good to me. Alright is a hit, but otherwise just okay.

Few albums in the 1001 have made themselves quite so difficult to enter. The opening pairing of “Wesley’s Theory” and “For Free?” produced an immediate _steady on_. Putting Thundercat and George Clinton on your opening track is a statement of intent; following it with frantic spoken-word jazz that seems determined to deny you a foothold feels almost like a warning to casual listeners. Then “King Kunta” arrives, the groove locks in, and suddenly the persistence is rewarded. By “Institutionalized”, I was in. The key to the album, for me, is its use of jazz. Rock, pop and rap have often worn jazz like a stylish overcoat, borrowing its instrumentation and sophistication without necessarily adopting its language. _To Pimp a Butterfly_ goes much further. This is closer to the language of hard bop: instruments pushing against one another, tension being sustained rather than immediately resolved, rhythm behaving as a conversation rather than simply providing a platform for the singer. At times it sounds like the musicians are arguing with each other, with Kendrick Lamar standing in the middle trying to work out what everybody means. That makes the music peculiarly suited to what Lamar is trying to say. Success, race, guilt, pride, exploitation, responsibility, anger and self-doubt don't arrive here as neatly separated subjects. They jostle for space just as the musicians do. The album can feel like a particularly avant-garde support-group meeting set to jazz: bravado, humour and deflection until somebody suddenly says something painfully real and changes the atmosphere in the room. “u” is the most startling example. It is desperately uncomfortable, but necessary. The swagger that has preceded it collapses into self-recrimination, and Lamar allows the performance itself to sound damaged. Consequently “Alright” means much more when it arrives. Its affirmation has been fought for rather than printed on a motivational poster. Lamar's voice is crucial to all this. He doesn't possess the kind of naturally imposing voice that supplies instant gravitas, nor does he always sound effortlessly comfortable around a microphone. I came to love that. There's hesitancy and thought in his delivery, as though conclusions are being reached while he's speaking. Even his confidence can sound provisional. On an album filled with competing voices and obligations, a more conventionally authoritative rapper might have made the whole thing feel considerably less honest. The musical inventiveness isn't entirely consistent. “Hood Politics” briefly made me feel as though I'd fallen back into the hands of a perfectly ordinary hip-hop producer, although perhaps that says more about how extraordinary its surroundings are. “How Much a Dollar Cost”, meanwhile, has chord changes that made me think somebody from Radiohead had wandered into the studio — “Everything in Its Right Place” stretched into something slower and more ominous. It also raised my one significant reservation. Having spent so much of the album using jazz to hold contradictions open, the later stages increasingly use music and narrative to move towards resolution. By then I was experiencing the peculiar anxiety of reaching the finale of a television series I've grown to love: _Happy Valley_ final party, or _Game of Thrones_? The album does become noticeably more ceremonial as it gathers its themes together. You can almost hear it putting on its best clothes for the ending. Thankfully, it tidies the ceremony more than the conflict. Fame hasn't solved guilt; insight hasn't eliminated self-doubt; the relationship between individual success and collective responsibility hasn't acquired a convenient answer. Lamar has become better able to articulate the problems, which isn't the same thing as solving them. That distinction saved the ending for me, and completed a remarkable reversal. I began wondering whether this record actually wanted me there. I finished reluctant to leave.

A lot more jazz than this than I was expecting. The vocals are raw at times as is the sentiment toward the end, but they feel like sage observations someone who's seen too much. Musically all over the place but with real talent to pull it all together.

Sin dudas es uno de los álbumes más importantes de la historia reciente, tanto por su concepto como por sus letras y sonoridad, mezclando diferentes sonidos que representan a la comunidad afroamericana y llevándolo a un punto casi inexplicable, las letras son de las más duras y sinceras que pude escuchar, Kendrick hace una perfo que es una locura y sinceramente, todo el álbum es una obra de arte. I remember you was conflicted...

Would say 3.5. I liked this album, but part of my enjoyment of music is the ability to sing along and this is not the album for that.

King Kunta and i, not surprisingly, were my top tracks. Absolutely killer grooves, although the latter snags its riff from the Isley Brothers "Who's That Lady." Multi-tasking for much of the album, but other tracks did not grab me that much. I missed the joke and commentary, because I am old and white, but is it original to offer lyrics in two songs, at least, about your dick? One day I will listen with a lyric sheet, which might help me get the album's classic status.

Deserves another listen to get full scope of it but I can see myself getting into individual tracks more. First song was my favorite. The length was working against it and I'm give 4 stars off the assumption that with more time I will return to it and gain more love for it.

Not for me. No stand out tunes, good rapping and musicianship but feels overrated.

Least favorite Kendrick album

Aside from bangers like “These Walls” and “Alright”, didn’t find this one to be too great.

Didn't get through it. Not the worst thing I've ever heard.

I acknowledge and understand why this album is important, historically significant, and well deserving of its critical acclaim. That being said, I find it more artful than listenable and it is not my favorite, which I say from the perspective of someone who does enjoy other 21st-century hip-hop and R&B very much!

(5/7) unexpectedly bold and artsy; surprisingly complex; not easy listening but interesting listening

This was the third time I listened it, the first two times I didn't play it in order as Spotify always smart shuffles the queue, but this time I downloaded it and played it in order. And it made sense. It felt as if kendrick was telling a story and not rapping. Every song was unique, i especially loved the interludes, For Sale? And For Free? But still every song was a banger.

Just monumental. Musically, lyrically, conceptually, it's kinda staggering how individual tracks break down into smaller songs and break apart, multiple genres, jazz and even classical, and plain ol' spoken poetry. Cinematic. And then lyrics and themes come back in different contexts and build one big complete whole. And it just plain sounds great. Lush and sharp, deep grooves. It's tricky to pick out the standouts when you're listening to the album, since it's so well developed sequentially, but when King Kunta, Alright, How Much a Dollar Cost, and The Blacker the Berry come up each time you're thinking it can't get better than this. Yeah, and then i shows up as says "of course I got more." Definite include on the 1001 list, probably top 100. 5/5.

I know this is supposed to be legendary.

So much to parse through on this record. The lyrics are dense and seemingly cover the entirety of Black existence. Couple that with an Afrofuturist Funky Jazz beat and you understand why Kendrick is held in such high esteem.

Really gas in my opinion

Interesting and inventive schemes and rhythms. Not as good as some other albums, but very solid. 3+

One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Excellent.

It has its audience but that doesn’t include me. Horrible! 1

One of the most important albums of all time. This album is so good that Kendrick is still doing victory laps over ten years later!

ridiculous

loved listening to this album in its entirety.

Classic Hip-Hop Album. My favorite thing is the many basslines he uses.

Was advised I wouldn't enjoy, and suspect for that reason I did. It all felt experimental.

Really good, def deserved more attention than i gave it. One that will get better every listen

I got this album on my birthday and the best gift I could give myself is to choose something else to listen to today. (I swapped this out for House of Music by Tony! Toni! Toné!)

4

Non è il mio genere, ma non è male. Certe canzoni sono strane (nel senso buono).

this is single-handedly the best album of all time, everything about this screams perfection, its structure is so perfectly executed, its story that carries along the whole thing, the intro to the outro. amazing instrumentation all across it, the jazz instruments are so well performed, there’s not a bad feature, there is absolutely a reason why this album gets so much critical acclaim, it’s a perfect album with a beautiful and powerful message and is a benchmark of modern music.

Not matched with my current mood tbh. But the album is a masterpiece. Those seamless changes between tracks are great. Kendrick's storytelling amazing as well. It's more like a talking picture for me. The way he mixed jazz and rap is really really good with all the smooth chords and especially those sax adlibs.

easily one of the best albums of the 2010s and one of the few albums (and many times at that!) that i've already heard prior to embarking on this project. legitimately i don't know what you even say that hasn't already been said fifty trillion times. ana's a kendrick stan so i'm sure she'll come up with something, but gonna be real i don't have shit to say! damn near perfect album start to finish.

A pretty easy contender for best album of all time, trying to think of things to say about TPAB that hasn't been said a hundred times over is going to be hard. If I start listing out my favorite songs, It's going to be pretty much a list of the entire album. The blacker the Berry may be the most evergreen song out their, which is incredible for a song that has the lyrics "I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015" in it. Alright and King Kunta are impossible to not sing to when you hear it, and its all a beautiful balance that I cannot understate. "Ain't nothin' new, but a flu of new Demo-Crips and Re-Blood-licans" might be the best set of puns I've heard in any song. So, er, time to think up some unique things to say about this album: I guess my only hot take here is that I think the original version of i is really good despite its initial skepticism when it came out, and should be somewhere on the album even if the Album version is also great. A genuine feel good proclamation of self-love is the perfect counterpoint to the heart wrenching u. Besides that the other thing I'll say is that I feel Complexion doesn't get talked about enough. It reminds me a bit of a song from "untitled. unmastered.", it's just so smooth and is a great piece of jazz rap.

Overall rating: 7/10 (3.5/5 stars) Favorite song: "These Walls" Least favorite song: "For Free? (Interlude)" a. Wesley's Theory - 7.8/10; I like the music in the very beginning. I like how he sings the song and the supporting vocals. b. For Free? (Interlude) - 3.2/10; SAXOPHONE!! I don't really think the lyrics match the music going on in the back. He also keeps repeating the same phrase. The lyrics sound really cocky also. I don't really like this song. c. King Kunta - 8.6/10; I like this song. I like the instrumental and it's very catchy. I quite like the whole last bit. d. Institutionalized - 6.5/10; I don't really like how the vocals sound in the beginning. I do like the instruments at some points. e. These Walls - 9.5/10; I love how it sounds throughout the whole song. It's very catchy and the vocals are very good in this song. I like the chorus the most. f. u - 9/10; I do really like the instrumental. I loved the part when the music goes through one speaker and then goes through the other. I don't really like how this song is sung though. g. Alright - 6.4/10; I like how the vocals match the music. There wasn't very many major standouts in this song, but it was a good song. h. For Sale? (Interlude) - 6/10; I really like the music in the background as well, like the other songs. Again, no major standouts. Good song. i. Momma - 5.5/10; I like the supporting vocals a lot. Very catchy. Good song. j. Hood Politics - 5/10; I don't really like the vocals. I just don't really like how they sound. I don't really like the vibe either. I like the instrumental. k. How Much A Dollar Cost - 7/10; I really like the harmonies in this song. l. Complexion (A Zulu Love) - 7/10; Mostly I like the vocals. Towards the middle/end, I didn't really like the vocals. I like the supporting vocals, though. I also like the instrumental. m. The Blacker The Berry - 8/10; I like rhe whole vibe of this song. I like the vocals and the instruments. It's a pretty good song overall. n. You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) - 7/10; I like the beat of this song. The vocals and instrumental is alright. I like the instrumental more. o. i - 8.4/10; I like the vocals & instrumental in this song as well. The chorus is probably my favorite, as it has a different feel to it. I quite like the end as well. p. Mortal Man - 9/10; I love how this song basically describes the meaning of the whole album. It's very good.