Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)

who is the student and who is the teacher, though?

i assumed he was the teacher in this dynamic

who will give whom the bigger surprise?

Am I the only one that hears "That's All" by Genesis at the beginning of Hood Politics? It's almost like they originally had a sample there but decided to change up the melody a bit and play it live to facilitate the vibe

are you guys really comparing this record to Amnesiac?

um, no?

just for laughs, to kid a butterfly

jazz musicians stealing from british rock musicians? go ahead and laugh. i was laughing too, until i discovered
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0a/Mother_Nature

are you guys really comparing this record to Amnesiac?

― why dont u say something or like just die (dog latin), Wednesday, March 25, 2015 6:22 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

Bold statement coming from the Dress Comparer

So what do we make of the fact that both of the rappers on top right now, Kendrick and Kanye, are explicitly Christian rappers - from Jesus Walks to Yeezus and Kendrick's two albums - while in the nineties most of the rap that mattered (Wu, for instance) was informed by Islam? There's a thesis in here somewhere. Has anyone ever written anything worthwhile about this apparent shift?

* two major label albums

longneck reaching really hard, usually you need THREE examples to start a thinkpiece

there were def more prominent muslim rap stars in the 90s (who's the biggest now? Lupe?) but I dunno if it was remotely a majority

was Pac xian? he loved the symbolism at least

longneck's theory kind of ignores the Jewish elephant in the room anyway

? what does that have to do with anything

Drake & Paul Barman?

feel like the NOI lost currency because Farrakhan is a jerk/never delivered

I mean if you say "both of the rappers on top right now" and aren't referring to Drake it seems willful

also willful to ignore Scientologists Will Smith and Doug E. Fresh

doug e??? noooooooooo :(

Eh, Everyone from Big Daddy Kane and Rakim to Wu, Nas, Jay, most of Roc-a-Fella, Common and Brand Nubian were somehow influenced by the five percent nation. It's deeply entrenched in the very notion of a golden age. These days we get two christians and a jew. I'm not writing the thinkpiece but it's obviously interesting in some way.

two christians and a jew

this was a 90s sitcom on ABC, right

it should have been!

starring Craig T. Nelson, Tom Wopat, and Joan Collins.

94792978387619816th discussion of the biggest rappers around in 2015 and no one even thinks of mentioning nicki

check out Brother Ali's twitter to find out what Muslim rappers are talking about these days (hint: Islamic world is too shitty at video production for Isis to be real)

oh shit, THREE christians and a jew!

http://www.christianpost.com/news/nicki-minaj-thanks-jesus-for-painful-split-in-tearful-interview-talks-perils-of-fame-131405/

setting aside who deserves to be in the "biggest" cadre, safe to say none of them are Muslims/5 percenters

you can say 'both of the rappers on top right now' and plausibly not mean Nicki is either of them (3 rappers have outsold her or are on pace to outsell her just in the past 4 months) but not so with Drake

94792978387619816th discussion of the biggest rappers around in 2015 and no one even thinks of mentioning nicki

― lex pretend, Wednesday, March 25, 2015 11:51 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

her album flopped :-/

he has a trio with Chris Dave, who is like the most influential contemporary drummer and is the go-to guy for D'Angelo, Maxwell, Badu, etc.

― lil urbane (Jordan), Tuesday, March 24, 2015 5:02 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I've always viewed Karriem Riggins in this regard, but at the same time it never feels too much like they're occupying the same space.

agreed. i love Karriem Riggins, he's an amazing drummer and produces for Badu/Common/etc too, but Chris Dave inspired hundreds of junior Chris Daves who take cues from his sound, approach, and techniques. not to take anything away from KR, but i don't think he has the same kind of stature in the drum world.

I wouldn't say it flopped but Pinkprint wasn't what it was built up to be either

xp
Yeah Dave is definitely more of a technician/innovator and I've heard a numerous people rave about him but I guess Riggins has been more central to my listening experience.

kanye is making a farrakhan documentary

just wanted to say that Ramsey Lewis album is surprisingly really good

I agree! I actually learned about it from whichever ilxor put 'Julia' on the Spotify playlist. found it used for cheap at the local record store as well.

kanye is making a farrakhan documentary

― nose, Wednesday, March 25, 2015 12:52 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that should go well

Starring Chaka Khan as Farrakhan

and Vince Vaughn as Kublai Khan

Kim Kardashian as Kahn

Featuring Drake as "the Jews"

Daniel Kahneman as Kanye

Khanye

Farrakanye

great discussion

Many of the first critical responses to “To Pimp A Butterfly” pleaded for more time to figure out what, exactly, Lamar was doing. In Slate, Carl Wilson wrote, “It’s too soon to say whether ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ is a more satisfying album.” In The Fader, Rawiya Kameir wrote, “God knows how long it will be before any of us fully grasp the stacked meanings, extended metaphors and shrouded complexities of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’ Definitely weeks, probably months.” There seemed to be a reluctance, especially among white critics, to straightforwardly criticize the album. (“How should white listeners approach the ‘overwhelming blackness’ of Kendrick Lamar’s brilliant new album?” read the deferential subheadline to Wilson’s review.) This caution is a testament to Lamar’s talent, but also to the power that comes with his messiah status: Critics seem afraid to say much about this album because they want to believe in him too, even when what’s in front of them doesn’t exactly deliver on their expectations.

i just wanted people to maybe wait, like, three days before writing about it. listen to it a bunch. live with it. that's not so weird.

i'm with you scott; worth noting that the NYT Mag piece took the time and is a bit more cohesive

Over the past few days, I’ve listened to “To Pimp a Butterfly” at home, on the train, on a plane, while eating dinner and while watching a basketball game at night. Each time, when I start feeling bored or listless, I’ll stare down at my phone and try to find the one track that will snap me back to attention. On “Illmatic,” it was “Memory Lane” or “Life’s a Bitch.” On Notorious B.I.G.’s “Ready to Die,” it was “Warning” or “Suicidal Thoughts.” On “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” it was “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.” There isn’t a track like that on “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

For me, there are a bunch of tracks that fit this bill:

King Kunta
Institutionalized
U
Alright
Hood Politics
How Much A Dollar Cost
Complexion (A Zulu Love)
The Blacker The Berry
I
the Tupac-less portion of Mortal Man