![]() ![]() But despite Kendrick’s bold emotional transparency, these scenarios are weighed down by the fact that they all center around Kendrick himself. Tellingly, on “u,” his sole response to his conscience’s scathing accusations are suicidal chugs from a liquor bottle. Kendrick reacts with painful honesty in all of these situations, hanging his head or grabbing his groin as appropriate. “Alright” and “For Sale” feature Kendrick encountering Lucy, a clumsy metaphor for Lucifer. On “u” he is confronted by himself, accused of being an inadequate older brother and friend. On “For Free” he is accosted by a cartoonishly selfish woman who lambasts him for not spending enough money on her. Dre breezes in like a wraith and eerily warns Kendrick that keeping money is harder than earning it.Īs the album continues, these outside voices continue to materialize, shaming Kendrick for his perceived failures. The song oozes paranoia, from Kendrick’s modulated, high-pitched voice to the shrieking production that madly dances around it. In the song’s second verse, he makes the terms of this transaction clear, speaking as a malevolent Uncle Sam who encourages reckless spending in order to someday “Wesley snipe” Kendrick in the distant future. ![]() Kendrick quickly follows suit, describing himself as a successful rapper who has essentially sold his soul. The album opens with “Wesley’s Theory,” a dark track that begins with a sample of Boris Gardiner’s “Every Nigger is a Star,” a bittersweet soul song that wears its ambivalence on its sleeve. Self-flagellation is a peculiar theme, but Kendrick explores it in depth, flaying himself at every turn. On To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick details what he didn’t expect about this new life: his inability to live up to his own ideals. This kind of hectic itinerary is expected for platinum-selling artists, and its consequences-time away from friends and family, pressure to live lavishly, homesickness, frayed relationships-are expected as well. Between the release of his previous album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, and To Pimp a Butterfly, he has embarked on multiple world tours, headlined music festivals, opened for huge acts like Kanye West and Eminem, and has been nominated for and received multiple Grammys. Kearse and Adrian Spinelli dig into Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. With One Album, Two Opinions, we aim to explore both perspectives, pro and con. Every now and then, an album elicits wildly different reactions from our writers. ![]()
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