Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)

after sitting with this all week, im now at the point where i wish the beats were maybe more interesting in places, and less like the kind of stuff i would have heard on an old common album (more LWFC than EC i think).

at the risk of further yamsplaining, an issue with kendrick's "negus" poem is that it's not really etymologically accurate.
"Nigger" is a fucked up word with an appropriately fucked up history; the roots are murky but tend to be directly attributed to the matter-of-fact Latin "niger", French "negro" or Spanish "negre": black.
Here's an excerpt from Randall Kennedy's brisk and readable book on the subject:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/nigger.htm
That said, Kendrick's point here obviously is one of reclamation, which is an idea that was old when Dick Gregory floated it in the '60's.
I'm wary of hearing K's take spouted as gospel by both lazy kids and racist apologists and the resultant blowback tainting the album.

hopefully this doesnt sound reductive, but i feel like this album is more interesting/important for the form, the technique, and the sheer writerliness of kendrick than the actual points being made - if youve been listening to rap/R&B for longer than 10 years, you are prob familiar with most of the concepts and ideas on the album regarding black politics/race. he def avoids black power cliches, but im not sure theres that many new ideas being proposed either. though as someone who liked git up git out, i feel like some of his comments about taking responsibility are not necessarily victim-blaming, more just recognition that always assigning power to someone else diminishes your own.

the negus thing is something i keep thinking i heard tupac say, though i might just be imagining that.

I don't think he's trying to claim the n word is literally derived from 'negus'.

I don't think so, either.

i don't either, hence "Kendrick's point here obviously is one of reclamation" but it certainly can (and i'd argue, inevitably will) be read that way:
"The history books overlooked the word and hide it / America tried to make it to a house divided / The homies don't recognize we be using it wrong"

yeesh guys the pac interview isn't that bad

xp then why the concern trolling?

xp

It's not that bad, but how many times do you want to listen to any interview, real or imaginary? The first time through, Kendrick's whole "our only hope is music" thing resonated, because he'd just spent 70-odd minutes proving it. But point made, I'd rather hear it demonstrated than articulated.

xp, "I'm wary of hearing K's take spouted as gospel by both lazy kids and racist apologists and the resultant blowback tainting the album"; if voicing a concern of a reasonable reading of the lyrics is concern trolling then i'm concern trolling i suppose. I was mostly responding/understanding tipsy mothra's "the more you know" star banner response as being a "oh that's where that word comes from" interp.

but how many times do you want to listen to any interview, real or imaginary?

my name is giovanni giorgio, but you can call me.... giorgio

I usually let the Pac interview run out when I'm listening to the album in full, skip it if I just want to hear Mortal Man by itself. That's usually my guiding principle when listening to rap albums with these interludes.

the negus thing is something i keep thinking i heard tupac say, though i might just be imagining that.

KRS-One no? He's brought it up in several discussions on rap.

didn't think albums like this were made anymore. it's great that its so popular.

If he knew how to write a hook/have even mildly insightful something to say other than pussy/money/his dick/ maybe his rapping skills could be put to some use. Usually his production is solid enough. The Art of Peer Pressure was pretty good, more focused. But he doesn't have enough verbal dexterity or technique to pull off his cliched lyrics.

― Raccoon Tanuki, Wednesday, September 24, 2014 3:52 AM (5 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that was the last album?

and you're the only person in the world who thought that album had nothing to say "other than pussy/money/his dick/ maybe his rapping skills"

I think he struggles a bit as an MC, he's a bit forced and unnatural,-Artic in part re this album upthread

So last album he had rapping skills, but on this one he struggles?

did we ever find out the age of this british travis scott-worshipping self-appointed rap expert who can never seem to keep his own opinions straight? he can't be older than 19, can he?

Album largely reminding me of Stankonia, slowed down. I talked about the production team being like Outkast's and the sound is too.

arctic noon bot

Why do you even entertain this clown

Huh who knew raccoons could jump on bandwagons

Rabies is a hell of a disease

http://media.giphy.com/media/78TcarPiOFxQc/giphy.gif

https://33.media.tumblr.com/65367190261af8537935d99cdc92c78a/tumblr_mhffsoM7wt1s2yegdo1_500.gif

http://theaterfornerds.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Night-of-the-Auk-Fringe-review-002.jpg

You could replace virtually every Tanuki challop with the 'Get A Brain, Morans' guy and we would have lost nothing in the process.

I agree with every positive and negative comment made, regarding this album.

album getting same sort
of white audience
reaction
as Stankonia

You could replace virtually every Tanuki challop with the 'Get A Brain, Morans' guy and we would have lost nothing in the process.

― Matt DC, Sunday, March 29, 2015 8:16 AM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark

You, as a mod, have the power to make this happen

DO IT

Ws that post of Auk's auto-formatted by a mod to read (kinda beautifully) as poetry? If so a+

I remember auk was conflicted

i was trying to read it as a haiku

Ws that post of Auk's auto-formatted by a mod to read (kinda beautifully) as poetry? If so a+

― sonic thedgehod (albvivertine)

no and
thanks
for the
compliment

album getting same sort
of white audience
reaction
as Stankonia

― Arctic Noon Auk, Sunday, March 29, 2015 7:35 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is definitely not the case but i expect you were 4 when it came out so

lol

lol that was a really good one deej loaf!

so who is Kendrick dissing in King Kunta? I keep reading Kanye on the internets but that seems like a lazy connection.

Jay Z put 'Hood Politics' and 'Complexion (A Zulu Love)' on his Tidal playlist

"jay z" "put"

he sat down at his compaq presario desktop station, opened up his tidal web client, cracked his knuckles, and went to work on adding those tracks

then he logged into his ilxor account and typed "lol that was a really good one deej loaf!"

most important artist in black music today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiXqcwljveo

still in shock at this album and it's place in today's music.

that's weird i think you c&p'd the wrong link in there instead of a loop of Travis Scott going "STRAIGHT UP"

the "king kunta" video actually has me appreciating this album way more now

*its (xxp)

hsu's piece in the new yorker is one of the better essays thus far
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/no-compromises

oh shit, I really want that Patriots varsity jacket