To Pimp a Butterfly isn't a typical rap album, nor is it remotely close to Kendrick Lamar's major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city. It isn't an album dedicated to excitement, and frankly, much of it doesn't necessarily fall into the mix at HD. However, it is something very, very different. It's extremely experimental, soulful, jazzy, funky, and even dark enough to astound at spots, and we're certain that it's unlike anything you've heard before. It could turn out to be revolutionary, it could be packed with incredible meaning, but it's just too early for us to tell right now. Our primary goal at HD is of course to provide our listeners with music that's simply enjoyable to listen to, and the odd thing is that Kendrick might not actually be aiming to achieve easy listenability with most of the songs on his new work. We still encourage you to listen to the album for yourself, however, and to give it some time and to take away from it what you may. In accordance with our site's purpose, we'll just be providing you with a few of our immediate favorites. If you've been a fan of Kendrick's mellower side in the past, then you'll probably take to the jazzy, eclectic piece, "How Much a Dollar Cost". James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley aided in the creation of the song, one carried by Kendrick's ruminative, meticulously crafted lyrics. Though the album is filled with its fair share of strange songs, fans of Kendrick's rawer hip-hop sound will love his immaculate flow on "Alright", and we believe that his new experimental side is at its finest on the Snoop Dogg, Anna Wise, and Bilal-assisted "Institutionalized". We're really not sure whether the majority will hate or love the new project, but we can assure you that it's going to throw a massive curveball at the mainstream world. After all, many great albums do receive a large amount of initial criticism, so we'll just have to wait and see how this one plays out. Be sure to form your own opinion of the work, and do just that by picking up a copy of it on iTunes or streaming it on Spotify now.
Kendrick Lamar