Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp a Butterfly
To say that Kendrick Lamar's second major-label, non-mixtape release was highly anticipated would be to say that Mary Magdalene was only passively waiting for the third day. And while To Pimp a Butterfly is well worth the wait, it is not what any of us expected. Heavily influenced by 60's and 70's funk and soul, Kendrick's sophomore effort is dense and often feels ungainly. But the more work you put in listening to it, the more amazing aural benefits you receive.
The backing tracks could be songs on their own; the samples used and the beats constructed are so mesmerizing they outshine everything else coming out of the West Coast scene. When you add Kendrick's innovative rhyming style and deeply personal lyrics, you come to a juxtaposition that, while jarring, is powerfully enticing.
Though you can hear the obvious influences of Outkast (many of the rhyming schemes borrow from Aquemini) and Kanye West (who else puts that many soul records and string instruments in their samples?), To Pimp a Butterfly is a sound entirely its own. Many will dismiss it on first listen as a self-indulgent, overly-complex, art record, but anyone willing to put in the time will be justly rewarded. Icarus may not have reached the Sun, but he did soar.
No comments:
Post a Comment