Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly |OT| It's The American Dream
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Thornton Reed
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Someone agrees with me
I honestly do not see any problem whatsoever giving reparations to descendants of slaves. We're talking about free forced labor with passing on $0 financially... for generations. We are not that far removed from slavery in the U.S. and there are still records available. Slave families should get the fair market value of the work done and interest in the form of free education for life. If descendants of Irish and other European slaves can trace their roots, they are owed money also. The U.S. gov has plenty of disposable money that they steal from the public to go fight unpopular wars, bail out misbehaving banks, or just flat out hand out to rich folks. I mean, Congressmen are allowed to engage in insider trading yet we can't give reparations... fuck that noise. The U.S. is full of shit, democracy is hypocrisy.
But the average American will fight tooth and nail any form of reparations because if their "grandaddy Buckeye Joe came into this country with just lint and gunpowder in his pocket and made it, then why can't the blacks!?". America can't have it both ways... you can't be against remedies to combat centuries of systemic discrimination yet still complain about "crime", "thug culture", and lack of bootstrap pulling in the black community.
I should stop drinking for the day. I just texted my wife "Ya know if it takes 2 million murders and lifetime sentences to produce 1 Kendrick... discrimination was worth it!". Obviously I'm buggin and markin out.
lol It's uncanny. I had to google image search her to check to see if she resembled him. She doesn't... but not bad!
Imp the Dimp
Member
Having listened through the album multiple times, I genuinely don't think it's anywhere as catchy as GKMC which is a little disappointing. I could easily name 5 songs off DKMC off the top of my head that I find better than any TPAB song tbh. :/
DKMC, donkey kong monkey city
or get hit with wood barrels...
NaturalHigh
Member
How Much A Dollar Cost is the best beat on the album so I kind of dig it. I was just saying that none of the songs made me want to listen more. I should mention I grew up a middle class white man and went on to serve in the military on the east coast. So there is no way I am going to connect on a lyrical level to this album. I wish I could but this album is just dry as all hell. I have tried it several times since my last post and it just not good in my eyes. I love the interludes by the Cocaine 80s and the fact that Kendrick really went for something here but this shit just isn't going anywhere. J. Cole will surpass him in my book with this next album. K. Dot didn't sell out and I love him for it but I just can't listen to this kind of stuff and neither will the rest of the country. His popularity will come from his angry verses on random remixes. He is talented and established enough to be extremely successful but he isn't the revival of Compton culture in popular music anymore. When do you want to listen to this kind of music unless you are a repressed black man feeling the weight of society and get all his references. The shit is just too deep to be good in most situations and all the beats on this album are either samples from shit most of us ain't heard of to care about or just to plain to even want to listen to.
Edit: I am going unfiltered here. I've had a little bit of gin, I hope this doesn't offend anyone. This is just how I feel. Kendrick is talented as fuck but this is just not an album I want to listen to and I am trying to be as honest as possible about as to why I don't. I gave it my best try. Kendrick won't sell out and he will remain successful but I know he could do better than this. Maybe I'm a simpleton for liking Cole than more than him but I can just relate to him more.
equippedwithtowel
Member
Cause it's groovy as fuck and totally insane. How do you not want to throw on Wesley's Theory or These Walls for the vibe?
are you not a human being?
NaturalHigh
Member
Actually these songs are pretty good.
I may have been a little critical of it last night. I was feeling tipsy. I never drink anymore and was trying to mask the UK loss. You caught me though I am actually a koala.
I do like some of the songs. My buddy doesn't understand my dislike of the album. He said he smokes and chills out to this album and it rivals GKMC in his eyes. Unfortunately I can't smoke as I am currently trying to find a job again. So I have to be clean for a bit. Usually we have a pretty similar taste in music. Maybe I am getting shallow with my musical tastes
Battersea Power Station
Member
Don't let posters here bully you into it. I think this album is fantastic, but no one should be forced to like it. Tastes change, develop, change back, depend on mood, and are very personal things. It's ok not to enjoy the album. Even if something was the Citizen Kane of music -- not everyone has to enjoy Citizen Kane.Actually these songs are pretty good.
I may have been a little critical of it last night. I was feeling tipsy. I never drink anymore and was trying to mask the UK loss. You caught me though I am actually a koala.
I do like some of the songs. My buddy doesn't understand my dislike of the album. He said he smokes and chills out to this album and it rivals GKMC in his eyes. Unfortunately I can't smoke as I am currently trying to find a job again. So I have to be clean for a bit. Usually we have a pretty similar taste in music. Maybe I am getting shallow with my musical tastes
TPAB metacritic is back to 97 with 2 more reviews added. Very interesting
No Ripcord - 100
Telegraph UK - 100
No Ripcord - 100
Telegraph UK - 100
NaturalHigh
Member
My first impression of it was this beat is boring as fuck and angry Kendrick is rapping about some shit I don't care about. Then the angry Jamaican(?) chorus kicked in and I have never been a fan of reggae music or that accent in music. God, I hope that doesn't sound horrible, lol. Trying to be as honest as I can about it for you. I enjoy J Cole's music more based off their most recent albums. I will only hold that opinion if they continue their music with the way they are trending. I wouldn't really say I put Cole ahead of Kendrick, it isn't like I don't enjoy Kendrick. He just made this album hard for me to enjoy. Hell I don't even really like the way Cole is headed. I probably couldn't tell you who my favorite rapper is these days and if you asked me who my favorite was, I would be hesitant to give you a name.
Reparations whilst being the right thing to do morally, is the wrong thing to do practically. A lot of money being paid out there to civilians, it just doesn't seem feasible to me.
Byakuya769
Member
Such a thing existed in the last 1000 years in any large amount?
Dying Of Thirst
Neo Member
"A bravura masterpiece" ugh just say its a great album.
I finally got to listen through it. It's funky as hell and gives me Pac vibes. So, you know Imma be blasting it at the chillren, lookin' at me like, what the fuck you listening to bwoiii??
Give us a name!!
No harrasment from me I promise. Interesting to hear about different tastes and reasons behind it.
Give us a name!!
No harrasment from me I promise. Interesting to hear about different tastes and reasons behind it.
Nappuccino
Member
I kinda feel like Kendrick might think he failed if you did have to be black to enjoy the album.
agreed. obviously it plays a big part in his music because it's who he is and where he comes from but I feel like Kendrick always does a good job of transcending race, even when he's directly talking about race. if that makes any sense. I don't have to be black to relate to someone succumbing to their personal evils, not respecting or loving himself, trying to stay positive in a world of negativity, or trying to be less judgmental even when I think I'm in the right. even when Kendrick does deal with things that I can't personally connect with in a literal sense I can still connect with him as another human being being treated poorly by the very country I live in. in many ways I am a part of the culture that enables these things to happen so it still hits home for me. something like Complexion may be steeped in racism between black people but I think the message is still universal. just the notion of someone getting treated differently because of largely superficial reasons should be pretty potent in today's culture. I'd also be willing to bet that everyone has some form of discrimination in their past, whether it's your own or from your family's history. just because this album may be about a different group of people doesn't mean it can't be relatable. for instance (just to show where I'm coming from as a non-black person who is deeply affected by Kendrick's music) I'm a white Jew born and raised in America. my father was born in Cuba. my grandfather was born in Poland. I'm sure I don't have to connect the dots but needless to say every time I'm alone listening to The Blacker the Berry I audibly show my emotion when Kendrick says "I'm black as the heart of a fucking Aryan."
all of that is to say, in my opinion, if you are a human being with human emotions Kendrick's words should be relatable to you, regardless of race. now enjoying the actual music is another story.
I may have been a little critical of it last night. I was feeling tipsy. I never drink anymore and was trying to mask the UK loss. You caught me though I am actually a koala.
I do like some of the songs. My buddy doesn't understand my dislike of the album. He said he smokes and chills out to this album and it rivals GKMC in his eyes. Unfortunately I can't smoke as I am currently trying to find a job again. So I have to be clean for a bit. Usually we have a pretty similar taste in music. Maybe I am getting shallow with my musical tastes
haha it's cool man. also just to be clear I really don't have an issue with you not liking the album. personal preference makes the world go round. wasn't trying to bully you or anything. I was more responding to the isolated notion that one has to be black to connect with this music. I don't agree with that.
and yeah this album is really good for a few dabs and the ol' headphones ;p
The album definitely has a focus on race, but even focusing on a topic as broad as that is an oversimplification here imo.
NaturalHigh
Member
My simplification of the race factor in regards to the enjoyment of this album on a personal level was a bit short sighted of me in my drunk state.
I believe my ears aren't tuned to lyrics on this album just because I am not a big fan of the music on most of the songs. I brought up the black guy thing just because Kendrick emphasizes it so much on this album. Trust me I get why. The shit that has been going on in this country really is influencing him to try and make a difference. In a way I think K Dot is forcing the issue way more than he would be if white cops weren't killing a black guy every week while they run away. As I said, I just turned 27 and didn't get to listen to Tupac growing up. He was trying to let the world know about the bullshit him and peope close to him had to go through in life and I am able to relate to that or at the very least I understand the position he was in and how much he wanted to make a difference. I think Kendrick is doing the same type of thing here and I respect the fuck out of him.
Edit: I will say that I am glad I posted in here because it is making me go back through the album in a more methodical manner and really give it a listen. Thanks a lot guys for the questions and comments on my position. Since I am new to this community, you all should know I am able to rap through word for word on Madd City (the first half) and other shit by Kdot. I love rapping. I dont write or anything but I enjoy the challenge of rapping to good rappers and seeing how well I do. As previously mentioned though I am white guy and I live in eastern Kentucky; and as the singer of a couple of local rock bands, lyrics are something I don't take lightly. So again thanks for the inspiration to keep listening to this album.
I believe my ears aren't tuned to lyrics on this album just because I am not a big fan of the music on most of the songs. I brought up the black guy thing just because Kendrick emphasizes it so much on this album. Trust me I get why. The shit that has been going on in this country really is influencing him to try and make a difference. In a way I think K Dot is forcing the issue way more than he would be if white cops weren't killing a black guy every week while they run away. As I said, I just turned 27 and didn't get to listen to Tupac growing up. He was trying to let the world know about the bullshit him and peope close to him had to go through in life and I am able to relate to that or at the very least I understand the position he was in and how much he wanted to make a difference. I think Kendrick is doing the same type of thing here and I respect the fuck out of him.
Edit: I will say that I am glad I posted in here because it is making me go back through the album in a more methodical manner and really give it a listen. Thanks a lot guys for the questions and comments on my position. Since I am new to this community, you all should know I am able to rap through word for word on Madd City (the first half) and other shit by Kdot. I love rapping. I dont write or anything but I enjoy the challenge of rapping to good rappers and seeing how well I do. As previously mentioned though I am white guy and I live in eastern Kentucky; and as the singer of a couple of local rock bands, lyrics are something I don't take lightly. So again thanks for the inspiration to keep listening to this album.
Interestingly enough, not sure if it's been posted here..
https://youtu.be/vkedvCA8330?t=8m50s
He speaks on pretty much what you're saying right now.
CountBlack
Member
It went gold this week.
Platinum by the end of the year guaranteed tbh
Platinum by the end of the year guaranteed tbh
Like, that is a shitload of money. Logistically it's complex, and pushing that much money into the economy - there's a lot going on here. It's not just a matter of paying out what people are owed. On top of that, any such moves would undoubtedly effect the global economy, potentially fucking that up. Basically it would take ages to work it out, and every time you get close to working it out, the economic context of the time has changed significantly enough that the assumptons the original plans were based on is now flawed.
ahahahaha, oh my
and from the lovely town of Stanley, NC too. not too far away from me.
As a minority myself, I don't mind album focusing on race issues. But I'm just not a fan of TPAB. I think GKMC is a much better album for my tastes. I consider myself a hip-hop/rap/reggae fan first, and other genres a distant second.
This album just didn't hook me at all. I'll give it another listen today.
But then I would question their education and vocabulary!
Yes. Before it officially became the United States there was already enslaved Irish people in the country. The Irish and Africans were kept apart so they wouldn't team up and revolt. Even after the U.S. was officially formed there were still Irish slaves. All descendants of slaves need to get their paycheck from this corrupt immoral country. The paper trail can be confirmed.
Thornton Reed
Member
toastyToast
Member
Enjoyed the album the first few spins I gave it but now I can't find the compulsion to put it on.
so, uh, necro-bump
still spinning this album more than I thought I would and I listened to some of Kendrick's interviews that came out after the album dropped
anybody think this album coupled with some of his interviews is Kendrick admitting that he compromised his artistic integrity on GKMC for sales success? there was one interview where he was talking about this album and GKMC and he said something like "I understand what people what. with GKMC I had to sort of navigate in between the cracks." I can't remember what interview it was from or the exact quote, it was one of those 30 minute radio show interviews I believe. he basically brought up the way he worked on GKCM in direct contrast to what he did with TPAB.
with the content on TPAB and even the Colbert Song it sounds to me like Kendrick was ashamed of himself for compromising his ideals to essentially go platinum with a hit record.
still spinning this album more than I thought I would and I listened to some of Kendrick's interviews that came out after the album dropped
anybody think this album coupled with some of his interviews is Kendrick admitting that he compromised his artistic integrity on GKMC for sales success? there was one interview where he was talking about this album and GKMC and he said something like "I understand what people what. with GKMC I had to sort of navigate in between the cracks." I can't remember what interview it was from or the exact quote, it was one of those 30 minute radio show interviews I believe. he basically brought up the way he worked on GKCM in direct contrast to what he did with TPAB.
with the content on TPAB and even the Colbert Song it sounds to me like Kendrick was ashamed of himself for compromising his ideals to essentially go platinum with a hit record.
Man, I still want a whole song out that intro tune.
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