To Pimp A Butterfly

Cmon now its the hippity hoppity how could i not

a modern classic.

10 out of 5 stars. Astounding. Amazing. Unbelievable. Love love love!!!

I don’t pretend to fully understand it but it still sounds amazing.

Awesome album. 5/5

What more can be said about this that hasn't already been said, a perfect record, a modern classic that actually deserves to be called that!

An absolute masterpiece.

Uno de los mejores discos de hip-hop de la historia. No hay mucho más que agregar

Joya absoluta.

Thought this album was a bit too long at the time (like "20 minutes too long" and certainly like last-song-too-long) but once got I into it again, liked it very much and the less catchy songs started to become alive.

I remember you was conflicted

As this album was coming out, I was slowly becoming a Kendrick fan. My brother would play GKMC in our college apartment as we chilled around the house and I knew right away I liked this guy. But when TPAB came out, everything changed. This was an incredibly special album, not just for its content, but where I was when it came out. 2015, I think spring break, Stevie and I had flown to Georgia to hang with the Pankows and I remember it released early and I think we listened to it in the car as we were picked up super late at night from the airport. Stevie burned a CD. That entire trip, anytime we were in a car, or there was a lull, we were listening to this. Every song on this album reminds me of specific moments whether that was cruising down the roads watching the trees and houses fly by, or going to eat bbq, or playing ping pong in the basement. This album will be forever tied to that experience and I think that is a good thing. This album is one of the best of all time. Certainly of that year, but it threw such a huge wrench into what people thought hip hop could be. Kendrick was not only able to craft amazing tracks with key samples and guests, but each song had something to say. And it wasn't just the typical "I'm the greatest rapper" but him questioning things. Questioning society and all the racial divides that are in the face of so many people of color. But he went even further and explored what an album would look like blending so many different Afro influences such as Jazz and Funk. This album has so many layers in that regard, and there is a beautiful poem that he slowly builds on throughout the album that is just one more layer. From tough songs like u to more radio friendlies like King Kunta and Alright, there is a song on here for everyone. And I am not as versed in the Kendrick lore, but I think he begins his talks on "Lucy" in this album that carry over into Damn. I also love this album because of the last song, Mortal Man, and his conversation's he has with what I think is his "dad". Not just the conversation, but tying all the verses of the poem together and then finishing on a description of the title of the album. Something I think many people struggle to find within albums, the meaning, but here Kendrick lays out exactly why it was titled TPAB. True masterpiece.

This album is one of the most important albums of 2010s. Musical journey from start to finish!

Best album of the 21st century so far. Fact. You want a party - King Kunta, you want rage - The Blacker the Berry, you want optimism - I and Alright, you want terrifying self loathing in the vein of Holy Bible era Manics, try u. The live musicians make it so much stronger (this album showed me what Thundercat can do - best bassist alive right now) and well, it just hits all the way through. Honestly, if you can't appreciate this one, I feel like you're going to struggle with this list... There's only a couple of Eagles albums and Kid Rock I suppose, but your musically limited tastes are going to make it a real struggle for you to get through the good stuff.

Ja dit heeft geen uitleg nodig. Lees de review van Jur maar haha. Wat een bangers!

yup! still the greatest rap album of all time. glad i took the time to check again, for like, the 10 millionth time

I have yet to meet someone who this album doesn't blow away. His flow and raps are fast, impressive, personal, and introspective, and they mesh perfectly with his production style. He incorporates funk, rock, soul, and jazz to create unforgettable songs that transition well from one to the next. The songs are immersive experiences, evolving by the second to create an engaging and cohesive experience. I was pulled in not only to see how each song would change, but where he would take us on the next one. There's something I love about nearly every song that I couldn't possibly spend time to describing here. You have some incredibly modern and unique songs like "u" that incorporate atmospheric synths, an unsettling sax, lo-fi chillwave samples, and a wacky yet emotional vocal performance. It gets much milder and more structured in the 2nd half, which takes more time to appreciate but is just as good.

Misschien wel het hardste hiphop album ooit gemaakt. Al lang niet geluisterd maar heel blij toen ik in de ochtend zag dat ik deze mocht luisteren!!

Zonder twijfel 5 sterren je bent doodziek als je dit niet 5 sterren vindt!!!!

Na alles wat er over dit album is geschreven, maakt mijn review nog uit? Ik doe het toch want dat moet hier. Dit album kun je denk ik veilig het beste album van de 21e eeuw te noemen, en misschien zelfs het beste hip hop album allertijden. Thema’s als armoede, racisme, ongelijkheid, familie en je relatie tot de rest van de wereld vloeien hier vloeiend in elkaar over. Met humor, scherpe opmerkingen en anekdotes en verhalen uit z’n eigen leven lukt het hem om dit feilloos over te brengen waardoor het voor iedereen mogelijk is een stukje van zichzelf erin terug te vinden. Ik probeer dit kort te houden, maar nog even over de featurings. Het is een album met wereldsterren erop, zonder dat iemand nadrukkelijk aanwezig is. Snoop dogg die zichzelf voor iedereen cent laat optrommelen voor een guest verse voegt hier ook echt iets toe als ‘oude wijze’ verhalenverteller uit Compton. Namen als thundercat of george clinton hebben geweldige bijdrages. Maar er is ook ruimte voor (voor de meesten) onbekenden als Rapsody of Anna Wise. Kendrick was niet bezig met de charts toppen, hij was bezig met een meesterwerk. Dit is waarschijnlijk mijn in z’n geheel meest geluisterde album aller tijden, en dat gaat waarschijnlijk ook niet veranderen. Een stempel op een generatie, en over 100 jaar wordt dit nog steeds geluisterd.

Haven't listened in years but it's always been one of my favorite rap albums. Incredible. Really blew me away more than it ever had. So expertly crafted in every way, it's not wonder he can't top it now.

I remember you was conflicted...

Fucking fantastic

95/100: A masterpiece. I recall reviewing "good kid, m.A.A.d city" by claiming it is my favorite Kendrick Lamar album. I think I might want to amend that. "good kid m.A.A.d city" means more to me as an album; however, I think "To Pimp a Butterfly" is objectively a better album, which is hard to do as "good kid, m.A.A.d city" is nearly perfect. This album is tightly written lyrically, Kendrick uses a self-written poem to propel his message from track to track; includes beats that, in and of themselves, would get the song playing over and over again on the radio; and displays a level of forethought and planning I've never detected when listening to an album before. This first and last point, I think, are either one and the same or at least complimentary. To write a poem and then slice that poem up into thematic verses that parallel each song of the track, clearly conspicuously hints at the amount of time Kendrick put into this album. It pays off by ensuring a tightly delivered message and beautiful storytelling. The final track on this album, "Mortal Man," includes an interview with 2Pac at the end. Obviously 2Pac is dead, but Kendrick brings him back to life by editing and clipping audio recordings of previous 2Pac interviews, stitching them together with questions of his own to create the appearance of Kendrick interviewing 2Pac. Even in description alone, that is a genius concept. In practice, it gives you goosebumps, it's chillingly impactful. Creating an interview with a dead rapper based on audio clips alone that actually ties into the message of your album, I imagine, is no easy undertaking. But Kendrick does it. And he does things like this over and over again throughout this album that scream "I toiled for years on this album and think what I'm saying here is important, and so should you." As a mere listener and consumer of this album, it's hard to not hear Kendrick screaming, both figuratively and literally in songs like "U." The one gripe I can potentially see with this album, and it's more so a gripe with Kendrick in general, is its density of content. Listening to Kendrick can sometimes feel like reading Kant or trying your hand at "Ulysses." Every song can feel like it has hundreds of allusions, double meanings, and subtleties to unpack. I can see that infuriating some listeners. To enjoy a song, you shouldn't have to know the entire history of rap as a genre or be forced to scour the internet to find a hidden double meaning in a relatively unknown slang phrase. This is the most aired grievance with "Ulysses," too. Reading that book, it can feel absurd how little of the message gets through without the aid of a companion book or explanatory video. So it goes with Kendrick sometimes; however, in the case of "Ulysses," I found setting aside the desire to know every little thing James Joyce meant in each allusion and parable wuite literally opened the book up for me. In doing so, you discover the beauty of the prose, the genius of the story-telling, and the profound ideas expressed. And so it goes, too, with Kendrick. Many of the songs on this album are bangers in and of themselves, even without analyzing his self-written poem or knowing what each line means; in fact, I think this is probably even more true for "To Pimp a Butterfly" than it is for "good kid, m.A.A.d city," which is partly why it's so hard for me to argue with myself that "good kid, m.A.A.d city" is actually a better album. "How Much a Dollar Cost," "King Kunta," "Alright," "The Blacker the Berry," and "i" are all easy to listen to, no in depth analysis needed to enjoy the music itself. What I love about this album, though, is that there is also an absolutely immense amount of thought and intent packed into these songs lyrically, too—a dichotomy damn near impossible to strike musically. As an aside, I also want to touch on a feature of this album that I feel in general is a great litmus test of "good" albums. That is, many of the tracks on this album blend into the next. Not many albums do this, but I feel like every album I know of that does is a fantastic album. To me, it's not because of this feature, but it's because of the attitude that attracts this feature. Artists who seamlessly transition from track to track have adopted an attitude in their creative process that holds the album in the highest esteem. They aren't writing individual songs, they're writing an album. When an album is written from this perspective, it shows. The message is coherent and unified. It's not an assortment of selfish songs battling to be hits. It's one album. Pink Floyd and Kendrick Lamar both do this well. They respect the album as an art piece more than most musicians and it's why their albums reside at the mountaintops of musical discourse. To wrap up my thoughts, I think I have to be objective here and admit that "To Pimp a Butterfly" is a better album than "good kid, m.A.A.d city." I have to give it a better review than that album because it is certainly a better album and I enjoyed listening to it more. There's genuinely little to nothing wrong with this album. The only people I could see disliking this are people who refuse to listen to rap at all, which is honestly a real shame but a topic I could talk about for 5 more paragraphs, so I will conclude my review here.

Already know this fucking slaps

You know when you go to a museum and stand in front of a gigantic Romantic painting and gawk at the immense detail and wonder how a human being could create something so immense and detailed and overwhelming? That’s what listening to this album is like.

I have never had this many recommendations for a contemporary album from people in my life. First it was songs like “Alright” & “King Kunta”, then more in-depth remarks about the album’s scope & themes. I listened to the whole thing eventually, after a Grammy award & Obama praised it or something, but I think the catalyst was learning that David Bowie took inspiration from TPAB for his final album. And I re-listened several times, concluding that the hype was for good reason. I think hearing it now, after getting albums by NWA & 2pac on this website, makes me appreciate Kendrick more for taking the best from those sounds/eras (plus all the soul & jazz), and for making something both more emotionally complex & analytical. the songs are good too. December 7, 2022

Masterpiece

5 masterpiece.

To pimp a butterfly. I remember I was conflicted but it’s a 5/5. granted some songs work better in the context of a lp and not an individual listen. It’s kinda hard to just sprinkle some songs into a playlist lol. What kinda play list are you gonna add the blacker the berry? Alright? These walls? Hood politics? It makes you think too much. On a side note: mortal man hits harder for me given what Kanye is doing right now. “When shit hits the fan, is you still a fan?” 😞 no. Bangers: For free 🔥 King kunta These walls 🔥🔥🔥🔥 U 🔥 Alright 🔥🔥🔥 For sale 🔥 Momma🔥 Hood politics🔥🔥 How much a dollar cost 🔥🔥🔥 The blacker the berry 🔥 I (single version) 🔥🔥 Mortal man🔥

So many great songs on this album. Alright, King Kunta, Wesley's Theory, The Blacker the Berry to name a few. Kendrick mixes rap and jazz to create a groundbreaking album. It is a critique of society, race relations, and much more

I’ve mentioned this many times before, but hip hop is one of my least familiar genres. I never really listened to it growing up, and it wasn’t really until I was in my mid-twenties that I gave it a proper chance. I’ve been meaning to listen to this album for a while, so I’m happy to listen today. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: King Kunta, Alright, i When listening to hip hop, the gold standard for me has always been Because The Internet by Childish Gambino. Everything gets compared to that in one way or another in my head because I love that album. However, Kendrick Lamar might have just taken that crown. This album was incredible from front to back. If there was no rapping at all on it, the music was still fantastic. If there was no music at all, the lyrics, rapping and poetry would still have me hooked. Putting the music together with the vocals brings it all together into something amazing. He has a very distinct voice too, which always makes for a good listen when it works, which it very much does here. I’d recommend this to anybody, but especially people who, like me in my younger years, didn’t really know or understand hip hop. This is excellence.

Need I say anything

A damn modern classic. 6 stars.

One of the greatest albums of all time.

incredible

This is a rap album that could never be mistaken for another ever. Shouldn’t be possible to make a rap album this good in every way that it is

Finally got some K Dot! While TPaB isn’t my favorite Kendrick album, I can’t deny it’s a brilliantly constructed collection of hip-hop, funk, jazz, and spoken word poetry. Different songs on this record have had different meanings for me growing up, be it loud locker room music or even songs that represented negative emotions. An absolute classic of the genre. If you “can’t get into this because it’s rap” or because he mentions money and women, I hate to break it to you: you have no critical thinking skills. Phooey.

Honestly thought I was losing my mind having heard the closing but never noticed it was the same

Jag har rätt rejäl nostalgi för TPAB... det var definitivt den första hiphopskivan jag föll för som helhet. Jag brukade lyssna på den om och om igen, försökte tolka vad allt betydde, fånga orden Kendrick sade. Albumet påminner mig lite om my beautiful dark twisted fantasy. Ingen annan skiva låter som någondera, och de låter inte som varann. Gemenskaperna ligger mer i att de bägge två är smakfullt maximalistiska och att alla låtar är intressanta och väldigt unika. Ännu en sak jag vill tillägga: folk gillar att tala om TPAB som om det vore den skarpaste kritiken av samhället någonsin och det känns ofta som att skivans känslomässiga kärna ignoreras. För mig är den delen det som gör TPAB bra.

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

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.

10/10 the perfect hip hop album

eternal, magnificent

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

Amazing hip hop album.

Great!

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.

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.

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.

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

🐐

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

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

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.

5, masta peace

G.O.A.T.'d

Fuckin slaps

5.0

Poetry

A groove

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.

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.

An easy 5.

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.

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.

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.

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

Best hip hop album in years

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.

Very good album, good stuff, simply extravagant

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

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.

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.

No brainer

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

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

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.

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.

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

Goddamn.

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.

perfection

Absolute masterpiece.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Good. Really really good

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

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

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.

What a start It's already a 5

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.

Incredible album, start to finish.

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

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

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. 💣💣💣🔥🔥🔥

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

"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.

Already listened way too many times. Absolute classic right here

what an album, turned me on to rap after lupe

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

i love myself so much

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.

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

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

amazing fucking album.

Of fucking course this is one of my favourites of all time.

excelente me gustó mucho lo escucharé de vez en cuando

- the beginning of wesley's theory, wow the trumpets and the 1920s sounding instruments i love it - more lovely horn instrument noises in 'for free?' and ooooh i think it's gonna be a jazz rap album this is so !!!!! - king kunta is so catchy - the story telling voices in institutionalized is amazing - my fav bit of the song is 'if these walls could talk. i can be your (purple) rain when you cry'. i love the contrast between their voices and for a second, i swore i could've heard prince - i could write a scenario for 'u'. the way he repeated loving you is complicated like he was about to cry made me feel like we were both going insane and then that bit where i thought my headphones were broken and the trumpets abruptly coming up to the surface again... yeah. that's all i have to say. - but we gon be alright yes you will yes i will - bruv that plot twist at the end of 'for sale?' when it just keeps on spinning and spinning in a different pitch yeah it scared me man well done mr kendrick - awww 'momma' is nice - i cba to review the rest but i did listen

9/10

excellent

.

To Pimp a Butterfly (TPaB) might be one of the most important hip-hop albums of the decade, maybe even regardless of genre. It is masterfully structured, made with thoughtful social commentary and just all-around good music in general. We're exploring the best of funk, jazz, soul, and hip-hop (obviously). And it isn't just anyone on the credits, you've got Thundercat on bass, Dr. Dre producing, and a laundry list of great features worthy of admiration. I can't find much negative to say about this record, but I honestly don't want to because it is just so so good. It's simply the best at what it does.

The beats, the bars, the themes, this album is so powerful. I have one or two criticisms but it couldn’t be anything but a 10/10

One of my favorite albums of all time. My favorite track has been and always will be Momma, followed closely by King Kunta and Alright.

Awesome album, love all the features and kendrick using all the voices he can fit in there. Jazz and funk fills the album with incredible sound

One of the greatest hiphop albums of all time. I don't need to saymore. Go listen to it

Masterpiece. 10

I get why white people love this dude

Ya like jazz? 11/10, I'd sell my kidneys for another Kendrick album as good as this.

Legendary.

En una década en la que la mayoría de la música sonaba demasiado similar y gastada. Cuando el hip-hop estaba en un punto bajo entre mumble rap y con la idea de escuincles sin talento al máximo está este disco como un gran respiro. Kendrick Lamar es grande; es quizá de manera técnica entre los mejores raperos actuales y diría que casi seguro el mejor de los recientes. Lo que lo lleva a otro nivel es su capacidad y deseo de experimentar y llevar sus trabajos a otros niveles. A veces no funciona del todo pero en este caso termino con un disco excepcional. Musicalmente no se le puede ni comparar, es único; su capacidad de experimentar y crear mezclando todo un disco con jazz, funk, soul, breaks de saxofón con scat. Pareciera que aprendiendo e inspirado por cosas como aquel Phrenology de The Roots o la Música de Outkast o en particular de Andre 3000 está dispuesto a estirar la definición del rap y hip hop hasta que casi se truene. Música fluida, impredecible, atascada tanto de creatividad como de talento en sus colaboradores (¡Mirá es Thundercat! conocía este disco y ni idea de notarlo hasta ahora, Terrance Martin, Snoop, Dr. Dre, Pharrel). Todo el concepto musical es una celebración a atreverse a hacer algo distinto. Y si musicalmente es grande en su concepto y letras no se queda nada atrás. En un género atascado de idioteces y cosas vacías todavía hay alguien que trata de hacer un disco complejo, de poner de frente la hipocresía no solo de la sociedad en la que vive (“Oh America, you a bad bitch/ I picked the cotton that made you rich” es quizá la línea más simplona del disco y aun así no es mala) sino en especial tratando de mostrar esa hipocresía hasta en sí mismo y la cultura que representa ("So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street? / When gang bangin' make me kill a nigga blacker than me?"). Casi todas las letras se centran en esas dicotomías perder-perder que están muy presentes y que no tienen lados buenos como el rapero "consciente" contra el pandillero, el machista con postura contra la el ser lleno de culpa, la culpabilidad blanca forzada y la violencia entre negros; todo con un mensaje de reconciliación sin sentir que te está sermoneando. Esa calidad lírica es muy muy difícil de lograr. Es un disco que tiene cosas que decir y sabe cómo hacerlo. Es un disco hecho por alguien lo suficientemente inteligente como para saber terminar con una pieza de spoken word, pegando una entrevista con Tupac Shakur con poemas suyos resultando en algo que nunca existió, dándole un nuevo sentido y hacer que funcione y que no se sienta ni forzada ni como un gimmick.

Incredible concept album. Introduced me to Thundercat back in the day.

Own it. Love it. Saw him live perform it. Damn it. On it. Fuck it. Makes it.

Goat

KING KUNTA. this is one of his best. this shit beautiful and truly shows his raw lyricism and talent. funk political soul hip hop. dA gOaT. I REMEMBER YOU WAS CONFLICTED

i kind of love this

Generational album. Great songs mixed with great stories. King Kunta, Alright, How Much a Dollar Cost, The Blacker the Berry, i

Fuck yeah

Familiarity: 7/10 Notes: Having just listened to this album for the first time not even a month ago, it seems fitting for this album to be brought up at a time like this. With the era of Trump hopefully coming to an end, and our future with President Biden awakening, I believe this album is perfect for the times. With mix of funk, spoken word, and best poetry, this sophisticated rnb/hip hop effort by Kendrick Lamar is straight ear candy. This album is already a classic, and it will live on as it finds new purpose every few years, I'm sure. Real Rating: 8.5/10

Love this album, though Damn. may be my favourite Kendrick album, this is the first one that got me into his music. Definitely my favourite hip hop artist

En av de bästa rap-albumen genom historien

jazz rap

Great

no-brainer

Det bedste af dem alle

Goat

To Pimp a Butterfly is just one of those albums where you had to be there to fully experience. Kendrick Lamar always had potential to harness the complexities of life and use it as a force to make galvanizing, transformative art and here is where that potential is realized. It is rare to know when a phenomenon is worth wrapping oneself in and, in this case, it is something that makes an investment in an artist of Kendrick's caliber valid. Ten years on, needless to say, it's been an awesome journey.

Perfect

This isn’t an album that gives you everything on the first listen. If you get hung up on the skits, spoken-word transitions or unconventional structure, it’s easy to miss what Kendrick is actually doing. Dig a little deeper and the real craft starts to reveal itself. The lyricism is exceptional, but it’s Kendrick’s delivery that really brings the words to life. Every voice, flow and inflection serves the story, making the album feel more like a complete work of art than just a collection of songs. The jazz, funk and soul influences only add to its depth. I don’t love every track equally, which keeps it from being a five-star album for me, but I have a ton of respect for what Kendrick accomplished here. This is an album that rewards repeat listens, and the more attention you give it, the more it gives back. Standouts for me are “Wesley’s Theory,” “King Kunta,” “Alright,” and “The Blacker the Berry.”

never would’ve thought to see this album appear, thought it was just really old music. kendrick arguably the best lyricist in the rap industry and the instrumentals and story told in this album are beautiful

I don’t think it’s one I’ll be doing karaoke to, however I actually enjoyed this much more than I expected. The jazz/funk music was great with some top level collaborations (Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, George Clinton the list is endless!). I also liked the smooth grooves vibes of some of the other songs (Insutitutionionalized and These Walls) Highlights for me were King Kunta, How much a Dollar Cost, The Blacker the Berry & i Too much swearing for me but really interesting and creative record and I think I would listen to some of the tracks again.

Rap isn't really my thing but this album is fantastic. The groove, lyricism and instrumentation are all crazy. I think this is pretty unquestionably the best rap album i've ever heard. What I especially like is it retains a sense of fun without ever sounding naff, which is an incredibly difficult line to tread, and in my opinion only really talented artists can do that well. It loses pace just slightly in the middle for me, but is bookended by a run of great songs

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

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.

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.

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.

Ganske fornøjeligt

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Great album

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

*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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 :)

It's not usually my genre, but this album managed to keep my interest and even had lot of tracks that I genuinely enjoyed. The production is varied and creative, constantly bringing new ideas and influences into the mix. My main criticism would be the length, as the album can feel a bit too long at times, but overall it was a much better experience than I expected.

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.

Really good rap album.

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

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

great amazing and fun

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

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

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.

🐐

I respect him and his message.

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.

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.

ALREADY LISTENED TO IT, JUST RECENTLY , ISTG

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

what a fuckin pen man

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.

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

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

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

Love DNA

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

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.

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

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

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

Funky, long interludes and skits

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

Pretty good. Not my genre. Like thr jazz mashup

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

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

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

Really solid album

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

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.

8/10

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 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.

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.

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

loved listening to this album in its entirety.

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

4

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

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.

#4 8th April 2026 Kendrick Lamar is always great to listen to. This album wasn't typically meant for me but that's okay, and I did like most of the songs. track mentions; how much a dollar cost complexion (a zulu love)

Considering how critically acclaimed this album is, and having it appear so close to good kid maad city, I’m surprised that after sitting on both, I enjoyed good kid more. Still a good album, still full of great songs, love the poem getting longer throughout as a cut through. Good vibes

I have a harder time with this kind of music however the mix of different genres eas interesting

A high 3

I know it’s a classic. You know it’s a classic. But…

Apart from the cringe swearing left and right, this album is very very good. Great tunes, original writing, composition on point and superb production

I really have no idea what it is that makes me like some rap more than other rap, but sometimes I do.

A little long for my taste but it has half a dozen bangers at least. The guy is inventive and meaningful.

4/5 - If nothing else, this list has gotten me into Kendrick Lamar. I definitely prefer _good kid_ to the follow-up, but not surprising, since it's a more accessible listen. Lots of layers to explore here. Production is really, really good.

pretty good

Not bad

Kendrick really shows off his poetry and lyricism in this album. He expresses his anger and feelings stemming from his upbringing and life to speak his truth. It’s no wonder that the follow up album, damn, won him a Pulitzer. To Pimp A Butterfly was a great foundation showing what he has to offer and bleeds into what his music and influence would evolve into.

Enjoyed it as a whole. Interesting sounds and lyrics throughout, often very different within one song. Love I. Also liked King Kunta and Momma, Blacker the Berry (Marcus Garvey reference FTW).

“the man gave us billie jean, you say he touched those kids?” Is one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard in my life but the rest is cool

I really like Kendrick but I'd actually never sat down and listened to this particular album as a whole. It is a really unique listening experience and a super cohesive album, although a bit interlude heavy for my taste.

I know critics and fans were generally in awe of this album, but I've never really enjoyed it. And I'm no hip hop hater. I really love most of Kendrick's other stuff. I understand there are important messages here, it's intended to be a bit challenging, and I'm not really the target audience, but at the end of the day, I want to enjoy what I'm hearing, and I find most of this dissonant and unpleasant. I so vastly prefer GKMC, DAMN, or even GNX. That said, with repeated listens, and thinking about it more like a jazz album than a hip hop one, it's growing on me…a little. 4/5 Highlights: For Free? - Interlude King Kunta The Blacker The Berry i

At first I thought I liked DAMN. better, but as I listened I realized this was a more complicated album that will require multiple listens. The lyrics were powerful, but I was lost on context for large parts of it. The music was engaging, I will be returning to this.

only added like 1 or 2 songs to my playlist can see why people like it though

7/10 Production is fantastic, but the lyrics are kind of a letdown from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. If it was only rated on production though, 11/10.

Kendrick is all time really like the interludes

Mezcla interesante entre el rap, hip-hop, r&b, música concreta

Deeply poetic and great cadence

Incredibly powerful and very conscious hip-hop. This deserves its reputation.

Love the story telling in it. Not what I'm used to but I loved it.

(perhaps obviously) really good, but I always feel I'm not American enough to really get it

I like how this album combines different genres to talk about the African American identity and experience. Favorite songs are “The Blacker the Berry” and “I.”

The 'i remember You was conflicted' poem running through it tying it together makes it feel like a thought out, complete album. Some absolute tunes on here. The different voices gives it sonething extra at tines. At other times its a bit naff. Elements of R&B, Hip Hop & Funk Teetered between 4.5 and 5.

Definitely like the way the music is built. Thematically well built album overall, although its raw sexuality and violence in lyrics continues to undermine other things it talks about.

I recognise the achievement and I enjoy most of the tracks on here but maybe only King Kunta particularly stands out. I’d listen to it again but it demands focus.

banger! outside of just. really incredible songs (u and i and the interludes all being particular standouts to me), the album itself is super well constructed. The motifs....guys, the motifs..... overall excellent. really really enjoyed.

Catchy, interessant, kult. Positivt overrasket.

4/5

lots of different influences, a little jazzy, funky, soulful, has some more classic rap and hip-hop there too. always heard that this is one of the greatest hip-hop records ever but never really gave it a listen. and now that i've listened to it, i think i can agree that this is one of the greatest hip-hop records ever. but it's not something i'll listen to ever again, most likely.

I couldn't get the sound.

ive been sleeping on sir lamar

A classic even for this non-hip hop fan. The music and rhythms are unmatched.

Interesting narrative driven songs (lyrics wise) Stand out track was "i", could probably listen to as an album again Not my favourite genre so difficult to give an unbiased rating 3.5/5

king kunta

Great Album

Great album! Soulful, jazzy with some incredible themes. Kendrick has such a unique and iconic flow. Highlights: "King Kunta", "These Walls" and "Hood Politics"

Not my genre, but I find this album to be compelling and I'll breed to vibe back to it again in the future.

Sooo dense. So good! So 2015. King Kunta, How Much a Dollar Cost, and i were highlights. The jazz and spoken word styles throughout are really interesting but make this a bit less accessible, not that that’s a bad thing. Not my favorite Kendrick album but it’s iconic and lives up to the hype.

It's great, what else to say?

#45/1001🇺🇸 An ambitious, sprawling record, which i've been guilty of not listening to in full before - this is a shame because some of the better tracks do fall towards the end. Best tracks: Momma, How Much A Dollar Cost, The Blacker The Berry, Mortal Man.

A good hiphop album. I prefer the last 4 tracks. 4 stars

I think it's somewhat overrated, but at the same time, I admire the scope and ambition here. It's sort of the Lawrence of Arabia of rap albums. Even if there's a lot of hip-hop albums I like a lot better, I think Kendrick really reached for the stars here. I don't love it all, but there's some great tunes here, like "King Kunta", "How Much a Dollar Cost", and "i". Thundercat's bass work on the album is amazing too. 4 stars.

This is one of those rare albums that isn't old but deserves to be on this list. I'd even consider it a "generational" album. Meaning it's real importance lies in its place culturally and chronologically; like Highway 61 from Dylan or What's Going On? by Marvin Gaye or Appetite by GnR. It helps define the era. It speaks for a culture and generation. Bottom line: great album, great addition to this list.