58th Grammy Award nominees Lamar, Terrace Martin, Thundercat, Rapsody and other key contributors to Album of the Year-nominated To Pimp A Butterfly tell the story behind the record's production.
In 2014, between the creation of “good kid, m.A.A.d. city" and "To Pimp a Butterfly", Kendrick traveled to South Africa and was forever changed. Traveling around the country and visiting such significant historical sites as Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island influenced the musician's worldview and his music.
According to engineer Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, Lamar threw out "two or three albums of decent material" after returning from his trip. Lamar wanted to create music that reflected the Compton sound in which he grew up and was raised. He began listening to records in the style of Sly Stone, Donald Byrd and Miles Davis. Eventually, To Pimp a Butterfly was born, incorporating elements of jazz, funk, soul, art recitation and hip-hop.
“I wanted to record something similar to my debut album, but I wasn’t confident enough that it would work,” says Kendrick.
Lamar received 11 Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album. He and his co-authors told the story of the creation of "To Pimp a Butterfly".
Sounwave (co-producer): I remember how he went to Africa and after that something switched in his head. I think it was at that moment that work on the album really began.
Lamar: I felt as if Africa was my home. I picked up on everything that I wasn't taught. Perhaps one of the hardest tasks is to tell people who still live in the Compton ghettos about this enchanting region. I tried to express this experience in music.
Derek "MixedByAli" Ali (sound engineer): Lamar is like a sponge. He absorbed all the events that took place in his life and in Africa in order to assemble one whole puzzle from these million elements.
Lamar: During our concert tour with Kanye, I wanted to work in a mobile “bus” studio, so I called Flying Lotus. He wrote beats, and among them there was one special one that Flylo did not include. He missed that bit, but I heard the first three seconds and said, “What is this?” He replied: “This is not your topic. It’s real funk... You can’t rap on it.” It sounded like a challenge.
Thundercat (co-producer): The idea for “Wesley's Theory” was born when Flying Lotus and I were sitting on the couch in front of the computer and studying the music of George Clinton. It gave impetus to further creativity. I was very impressed by Kendrick's zeal in working on this song.
Sounwave: This is the song on the album cover.
Lamar: I had to look for George Clinton in the middle of nowhere. He was somewhere in the south, and I flew to him. As soon as we sat down in the studio, we immediately became friends. Working with him took my craft to a new level, which allowed me to create more similar compositions for the album.
Sounwave: When we first started writing “King Kunta”, the beat was extremely jazzy, also with melodic flutes. Kendrick said he liked it, but it needed to be "dirtier." He used DJ Quik and Mausberg's "Get Nekkid" as a sample and told me what needed to be changed. I added different drums to our song, simplified it, called Thundercat to play bass, and that was it.
Thundercat: While creating this awesome rhythm with powerful drums and bass, Sounwave and I were watching “Fist of the North Star” at the same time. [cartoon based on the popular Japanese manga - approx. website] and ate Yoshinoya [Japanese fast food]. It's funny because a lot of this album was created while eating Yoshinoya and watching cartoons. This is so cool and so black.
Terrace Martin (co-producer): If you dig deeper, you will find a lineage that goes back through James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Mahalia Jackson, African music and our entire nation in its early days. Every time I hear something new. Sometimes I can detect Cuban motifs in this music.
Martin: While working on “Complexion,” we listened to a lot of J Dilla, Jimi Hendrix and Lala Hathaway, who is also on the song. Robert Glasper played the piano. Sounwave and I listened to his part and decided to change the beat, so we called Lala Hathaway and got into the spirit of J Dilla. Then Rapsody came in and destroyed the beat.
Rapsody (guest artist): When they called me for the first time, I was in New York. This happened the day after Lamar's verse on the song "Control" was released. Everyone was just talking about his verse while Kendrick himself was in Africa. I had been there the year before, so I knew about the changes that come with going on a trip like this, especially if you're black.
Lamar: The idea was to talk about the complexion of all black women in one song. We distinguish between light and dark skin, this is inherent in us by nature, but at the same time we are all black. The idea came from South Africa, where I saw with my own eyes all these different colors and shades speaking one beautiful language.
MixedByAli: Lamar has a library of voices in his head, and he knows exactly when he hears something right. He sees music like colors. When he creates each song, it’s as if he’s collecting a rainbow.
Lamar: As soon as the beat came on, I immediately heard Rapsody's voice and the right vocal tone. There was something special about Rapsody: I knew she was going to write a song that was a female perspective on complexion, vulnerability and the accompanying gratitude for your complexion.
Rapsody: He said he wanted to talk about the beauty of black people. I told him that everything was clear and he didn’t have to continue. But what really baffled me was that Kendrick didn't originally plan to write a verse on this song. According to his idea, I was supposed to do two verses, and Prince was supposed to perform the chorus.
Lamar: This is true. Prince liked the recording and the idea of the song, and he invited us to talk. And so we were sitting in the studio and just talking, when we suddenly realized that we hadn’t recorded anything yet, and there was no time left to record. We just ran out of time, a common situation.
Thundercat: The idea for the album has been brewing for a long time, and Kendrick, being an African-American man, couldn't help but be confronted with many of the social issues he talks about.
Sounwave: I didn't expect "Alright" to be a protest song, but I still knew it would make some noise because the times we live in made it perfect for it.
Martin: One of the greatest moments of my life was when I saw young people marching to “Alright.” We cried like children because our efforts were not in vain. This is the form in which we put our message. We expressed a personal perspective and promoted healing and love through art.
MixedByAli: Working on “U” was extremely uncomfortable. Lamar wrote the lyrics while in the recording booth. The microphone was on and I could hear him pacing and reciting those super evil lines of his. Then he started recording with the lights off, and it was extremely emotional. I never asked what kind of demon possessed him that day.
Lamar: I felt out of place because I was facing personal problems. I was going through a transition period between my previous lifestyle and my current one. When you're on stage and all these people are supporting you, it feels like you're saving lives. But sitting at home, no one’s life can be saved. Then I wondered if I was using my voice in the right place. “Should I return home to promote my message there or stay on the road?” These thoughts led me to a small dilemma.
I'd hit the beat for "The Blacker The Berry" and then another tragedy would happen, like Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown. [the killings of African Americans by police officers, which became the catalyst for the racial issue in the United States - approx. website], and I understood that I couldn’t remain silent about this.
Sounwave: The last line, "Being in a gang, I kill a nigga that's blacker than me," was a slap in the face. He wanted to make you feel uncomfortable.
Lamar: When you speak out on such topics, you get labeled as a “conscious rapper.” I can't even imagine that this word - "conscious" - only exists in one genre of music. All people are conscious. The ability to process what is happening through your own soul and continue to talk about it because at the moment you care about it is given to us by God. The artist's message is more important than the artist himself.
I think my current career began when I saw Tupac at age 9. Since he was killed, I had no doubt that someone else would pick up and continue his message. But I was too young and did not imagine that I would become one of these people.
Kendrick Lamar is doing everything right. As befits a good artist, he does not stop at the success he has achieved, but continues to boldly move towards true art. The first two albums, impressive records in every sense, presented Kendrick as a talented performer with his own vision and core, who, however, had to work in the conditions of modern music industry. Change it, but at the same time accepting its basic rules.
At one time, the pleasant sound of his debut project “ ” helped Kendrick form a recognizable author’s style. But, despite the depth of the lyrics and the severity of the topics covered, this album was understandable to everyone and sounded accessible and relevant for its time. The same partly applies to the follow-up “,” which became the high point of Lamar’s career. A fascinating story in which the native of Kompotn was both the director and the main character. Beautiful conceptually, the album still looked back at the laws of the industry, skillfully combining interesting finds and sharp lyrics with a trendy, mass sound. The hit “Swimming Pools” shining example. And there is nothing wrong with that - this approach only strengthened the position of the record and attracted a wide audience to it. However, this time Kendrick decided to take a completely different route.
The team that Kendrick has assembled around him does not consist entirely of big names and contains almost no guests usual for a hip-hop album. Bend your fingers. P-funk legend George Clinton, one of the five soul brothers Ronald Isley, the wonderful bassist of the Brainfeeder Thundercat label (FlyLo himself is also here), neo-soul talent Bilal, the main underdog of modern R&B James Fauntleroy. Snoop, Dre, Pharrell Williams and many more interesting characters, who together created the amazing mood and sound of “To Pimp a Butterfly”. No more traditional radio hits - only bold and uncompromising decisions, thanks to which new album at the first listen it is perceived as something integral and monumental.
Almost the entire vast legacy of black music comes together here. A funky groove straight from the 70s, the depth and penetration of soul, jazz improvisations limited only by the imagination of the authors, the sensuality of rhythm and blues, elements of gospel and black Spoken Word poetry. That is why there are no purely “rocking” tracks so expected by many. And this is wonderful, because Music here is exactly like that, with capital letters- beyond all praise. The album sounds at the same time very old-fashioned and at the same time fresh and modern, thanks to interesting discoveries and experiments. If you are a big fan of this approach or any of the genres presented, then you have every chance to get a real thrill from what you hear. Were you waiting, for example, for the new “Backseat Freestyle”? Then yes, for you everything can end with the most reasoned conclusion - “boring, because it doesn’t work.”
“To Pimp a Butterfly” cannot be fully understood by clicking on the tracks, and based on a quick acquaintance - listening to the album in the background will not work - make your verdict. To judge its inadequacy, as well as its genius, just a few hours after its release is simply shaking the air. This is material for those who are ready to listen to the songs, let them pass through themselves, catch their vibe, and become saturated with the mood. If music is more to you than pleasant noise or accompaniment to parties, then new job You'll probably like Kendrick's. You will listen with interest to the stories of an intelligent and mature man who emerged from a dark and crazy city, and enjoy the stunning harmony between words and melodies.
Otherwise, Kendrick Lamar's new record risks remaining incomprehensible to you. And that's not bad, it's just that this kind of music is not for you. Perhaps you will return to it later, or perhaps you will forever remember “To Pimp a Butterfly” as a jumble of sounds and incomprehensible muttering. However, this way you risk missing a really great Artist, a real artist who, with the help of his talent and life experience, is right now writing his name into the history of music.
Kendrick really has something to say. He doesn't just list the facts or preach about the issues of good and evil. Unlike the cover, the topics covered in TPAB are by no means black and white. This is a very multifaceted, multi-level structure, into which themes of racism, equality, violence are closely woven, along with the depravity of human nature, its weakness in the face of temptation.
The album's title itself is a reference to Harper Lee's novel“ To Kill a Mockingbird” (To Kill a Mockingbird) , in which the father of the family, lawyer Atticus Finch, tries to instill in his children a sense of compassion, responsibility for their actions and mutual respect. Such moral values are contrasted with the cruelty, racial injustice and general misunderstanding and contempt that Mr. Finch faces while defending Tom Robinson, a black man unjustly accused of raping a white woman.The image of the mockingbird in the novel is the embodiment of innocence, and therefore killing such a bird is a great sin.
" It was the first time I had heard Atticus say anything about sin, and I asked Miss Maudie why sin.
“Your father is right,” said Miss Maudie. – The mockingbird is the most harmless bird; it only sings for our joy. Mockingbirds do not peck berries in the garden, do not nest in barns, all they do is sing their songs for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
Like this bird, the image of the butterfly on the album represents the beautiful and fragile creature that every person becomes as they grow older, regardless of skin color or nationality. At birth, many of us are locked inside a cocoon, a certain environment around us, of which we are prisoners. Everyone wants to become a beautiful butterfly and, spreading its wings, fly away towards better life. However, not everyone succeeds. To pimp a butterfly. Seduce the butterfly, discredit its image. This is what the system will try to do to anyone who breaks out through constant temptation, imposition of false values, stereotypical judgments and conclusions. To pimp a butterfly. It is as sinful as killing a mockingbird.
Performers destroyed by the entertainment industry who care about nothing but money and whose careers are dead within the next year (Wesley's Theory). Kendrick's friends, blinded by the spotlights, meet reverse side fame and become victims of the enormous power of money (Institutionalized). Hundreds of souls deceived by the devil who stumbled on the slippery path of life. Black teenagers who fall under the harmful influence of gangs kill each other, completely forgetting about respect and love for their neighbors. And this is not a complete list of stories that Kendrick introduces us to on TPAB.
During the course of the story, he unexpectedly exposes himself. Despite millions of fans and the status of a kind of hip-hop evangelist, it turns out that it is very difficult for him to love himself. It is so difficult that in the heartbreaking “U” Lamar breaks down into a scream and almost hysterics, showing the listener all his pain and dissatisfaction with himself, which flowedfalls into despair. He cannot cope with the role of a leader, is afraid of responsibility, sacrifices friends and values for the sake of money. In pursuit of his dream, blinded by the confidence that he is changing the lives of millions of people, he forgets about saving his loved ones.
“I fuckin" tell you, you fuckin" failure you ain"t no leader / I never liked you, forever despise you I don"t need you / The world don"t need you”– Kendrick accuses himself with such incriminating and undisguised rage that goosebumps run through his body on their own. Having got out of a dark and evil place, he looked for answers and tried to make his life better, but he himself almost became a victim of evil and an executioner, destroying butterflies like him. Confused and desperate, Kendrick returns home to his native Compton and finally understands how wrong he was. He returns to his roots and, comprehending the true essence of his destiny, becomes ready for his role and accepts it, as well as the fact that he really has the power to change not only his life.
This is fully manifested in the rhythmic and life-affirming “i”, which was changed beyond recognition especially for “To Pimp a Butterfly”. A new version, based on those that we have already heard at some performances, sounds a hundred times more lively, more energetic, and the message contained in it is amplified many times over and reaches truly stadium proportions. Stunningly played parts, correct work with the voice, crazy vibe and a clear call to love yourself. This is what makes the album version of “i” a striking and incredibly powerful, positive message. A real cry from the heart.
What’s also amazing is how Kendrick connects the songs this time. At the end of almost every track (sometimes at the beginning), he reads out a fragment of a certain poem, gradually adding new lines to it. Each of them contains information about the next composition, and when combined they perfectly describe the entire range of issues addressed on the album. Catharsis occurs when the story comes to an end and all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The poem turns out to be addressed personally to Tupac Shakur. The interview that follows is truly disheartening. Yes, that's right, Kendrick Lamar is interviewing Tupac. The pieces torn from an old recording fit perfectly with the questions written by our hero, and the entire dialogue sounds so natural and convincing that for a moment it begins to seem as if the legendary rapper never died at all. This simply blows your mind and involuntarily makes you think that Kendrick is quite capable of becoming the voice of an entire generation, just like Tupac was in his time. And become a figure, perhaps much more significant.
“To Pimp a Butterfly” is an incredible record, uncompromising in its sincerity, musical choices, meaning and, of course, the way Kendrick Lamar completely leaves his comfort zone. The album amazes and immediately captivates with its boldness, attention to detail, carefully crafted concept and narrative structure. Ideologically, musically and poetically, TPAB is a real manifesto, a complete and complete statement with a very correct and important message. Outside of rules, outside of genres, outside of time. I would like to believe that this is exactly what creative works have the power to make our world at least a little better.
After all, if even such a diverse, rich album with excellent live sound seems boring to some, and the whole message goes over the head, then something is clearly wrong with this planet. “Kendrick only raps about poor and oppressed blacks”, “He thinks all white people are racist and generally hates them”, “Why should I bother with the meaning if the music doesn’t even rock?” . The position is quite ignorant and one-sided, and if you suddenly adhere to it, then most likely the problem is not with Kendrick, but with you. Just try to discard all stereotypes, forget about your prejudices for at least an hour and start listen music, try to try out every song. Believe me, it's worth it. Such creations really broaden your horizons, make you experience strong emotions and can rightfully be called art. The title of this material would probably be “How I spent a day deciphering Kendrick’s album on Rap Genius - and still didn’t understand a lot.” “Why are you all praising him? You don’t even really know English,” they sometimes write to us in the comments under posts about the album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” There is, of course, some truth in their words. Kendrick Lamar recorded such a contextually rich record that you could get lost in its analysis on sites like Rap Genius for a week or two. I spent almost a day decoding this album and writing down the most memorable quotes and interpretations of them as I listened. It turned out to be an attempt to cover only a small part of everything that the author put into this album. In general, I didn’t just write above that there was a lot I didn’t understand. Begin! If the title of the first song “Wesley’s Theory” makes you associate with Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, you are not mistaken. This actor, who played leading roles in such films as “Blade”, “Demolition Man”, “White People Can't Jump”, was sent to prison for three years for tax evasion. Kendrick uses this example to illustrate how the entertainment industry and social system exploits each and every black artist. The word “exploits” in English language can be almost synonymous with the harsh “to get pimped”, that is, an expression that can describe the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp (English pimp). Now is the time to remember that the same word is used in the title of the album. What is this Kendrick guy up to? And what kind of butterfly is this that someone “pimp” there? What interests us in this song is the second verse, where Kendrick raps on behalf of capitalist America, immediately introducing himself as Uncle Sam: What are you want you? A house or a car? As the album progresses, Kendrick will reveal the image of Uncle Sam in much more detail. Lamar immediately speaks of him as a person capable of tempting with various benefits. Exclusively material. This reminds me of some character from one Book... And when you hit the White House, do you Kendrick turns Wesley Snipes' last name into the verb “to snipe.” That is, Sam will make him a target for all structures under his control. We have seen many such targets in urban music - take Lauryn Hill and Michael Jackson, for example. A detail that may not immediately be noticed in this quote is the age before which Sam promises to unleash all his power on a black man. Why 35 years? Because it is the minimum age at which a person can be elected President of the United States. It turns out that Kendrick is promised that he will be mired in scandals even before he can run for office. I need forty acres and a mule 40 acres of land and a mule was reparation for slaves freed after the Civil War between the North and South. Back then it was called “a way to start” new life" True, such an initiative quickly came to naught - US President Andrew Johnson repealed the law shortly after Lincoln's assassination. The moment of tediousness is over. Notice how Kendrick contrasts this “40 acres and a mule” with the usual attributes of the ghetto - a bottle of 40 OZ and a pit bull on a chain. He is asking for the opportunity to achieve a good life through hard work, not street hustle. Kunta Kinte is a historical figure. This is a slave living in the eighteenth century in Virginia. Archetype of the rebel slave. Kunte refused to use the name his owner gave him. Refused to integrate into slave society. Tried to escape four times. After another unsuccessful escape, his leg was cut off. Everything is clear here - Kendrick uses the image of Kunte as a symbol of black protest against oppressive power. Looking ahead, this theme will become one of the main ones on the album “To Pimp A Butterfly”. The next song on the tracklist, “Institutionalized,” begins as an anecdote: Kendrick invites a friend who lives in Compton to the BET Awards. But the story quickly turns into a nightmare: his friend is shocked by the luxury he sees around him. He is unable to carry on a conversation about yachts and real estate, he is literally blinded by the shine of jewelry and, instead of rebuilding his own way of thinking in order to strive for a good life, Kendrick’s friend immediately decides to rob everyone around him. Like a dog. Take it away, snatch it, run away - and go to your own people in Compton. He even tries to justify such an act, calling himself Robin Hood. I could still kill me a nigga, so what? This song is about the mindset of people who grew up poor. They are not only limited in their means, even their way of thinking is narrow. Do you see this repeated question “so what?” in the quote? The guy doesn’t see anything wrong even in killing a person, he is immune to the death of his own kind and is so used to it that he doesn’t perceive it as something illegal. “For those who grew up in the ghetto, this is a common train of thought,” Kendrick seems to be telling us. Why is the song called “Institutionalized” (there are several translation options: “to be legally assigned” or “to be placed in medical institution")? Because people who had to grow up in such terrible conditions are socially distanced, closed, locked up. Not only physically, but also mentally. The metaphor is further explored in the next song, “These Walls.” What kind of walls are these? In the first verse these are the walls of the vagina, in the second - invisible walls around the ghetto, in the third - prison walls. And this is not at all an end in itself for the song - to read about a homonym with different interpretations - but only a minor stylistic element. In the first verse, he makes love (now it's going to be difficult!) with a woman who is loved by the prisoner who killed Kendrick's friend on the album “good kid m.A.A.d city”. To make the killer suffer, he asks him to listen to the verse more often, where Lamar has sex with his girlfriend. But that's not enough for Kendrick. He boasts to the prisoner about his wealth, fame, status. The question arises: who is more morally terrible: a person who killed another person or Kendrick Lamar? Kendrick begins to notice that something is wrong with him. The next song, “u,” therefore begins with a mantra: “Loving you is complicated” Why does Kendrick deserve love? He does not know. But the self-torture does not end there: You even Facetimed instead of a hospital visit While Kendrick was traveling around the world with concerts, his childhood friend died. And the artist blames himself for not even being able to visit him in the hospital. He only dialed it once on Facetime. Kendrick's voice trembles. It looks like it's about to break. And this is the most opportune moment for a new heroine of this story, a girl named Lucy, to appear on the stage. What do you want, you a house or a car She seduces the hero. She advises him not to worry, to live for today, and to eat from her hands. You begin to suspect something is wrong after the line where she calms her three-headed dog: Pet dog, pet dog, pet dog, my dog, that's all
Lucy give you no worries Lucy has a million stories about boring rappers she's approached in the past. Apparently, here by “boredom” we mean acutely social lyrics, a clearly expressed position of the artists. Lucy has already visited them, Kendrick is next. And next up is the track “Hood Politics”. Streets don't fail me now As if shifting the scale of the disaster from personal to general, Lamar makes fun of the government, saying that he heard new gangs in the city that used to live in Compton, and now in the White House. Their names are “DemoCrips” and “ReBloodlicans”. Here the names of the two main Los Angeles gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, are compared with the names of the two main political parties USA. Deep water, powder blue skies that crack open Kendrick is quick to label the poor man a “crackhead” (note the play on words – “skies that crack open” and “crack that I knew he was smoking”). The Stranger continues to beg, but Kendrick does not believe him. The beggar asks for ten African rands, which is approximately equal to one dollar, but his persistence only angers Kendrick. That's how they looked at each other until the stranger asked a question: Have you ever opened up Exodus 14? “Have you read the book Exodus Chapter 14?” - this is how this question sounds. But what does the story of Moses and the passage through the Red Sea have to do with it? He looked at me and said, "Know the truth, it"ll set you free He looked at me and said: “Know the truth, it will set you free. While one dollar is nothing to Kendrick, he still refuses to share it with a stranger. But that same dollar can have enormous value for someone else. What Kendrick wants to say is clear: rich people are blinded by greed. Who are these people? Yes, at least the aforementioned DemoCrips and ReBloodlicans. Well, it’s not very similar to the usual rap stories, is it? But Kendrick wants these types of stories to become the norm. In “You Ain’t Gonna Lie”, addressing his colleagues on stage, he says: You ain't gotta lie to kick it, my nigga It's like he's saying to all the stereotypical rappers, those gangsters, rich guys and womanizers: "Maybe he's good? Stop being a parody of yourself." Don’t look for a message here, like in that very verse of “Control”. Lamar is not challenging the competition here. It’s more like: “You don’t need to lie to us and pretend to be someone you’re not for me to love you.” According to him, it turns out that all the false tinsel only destroys black culture, as shown in the song “Blacker The Berry” (which I deliberately skipped, because so much has already been said about it that it is easier to simply send the reader to our material entirely dedicated to this song). The expression “To pimp a butterfly” will be heard at the very end of the album, in the key monologue for its understanding about the caterpillar and butterfly. "The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it “The butterfly is a metaphor for the talent, thoughtfulness and beauty that the caterpillar carries within itself, What is Kendrick trying to say here? That the caterpillar cocoon is the conventions of the rap industry, these are the schools, the government. These are all institutions that can limit a person, his way of thinking (remember “Institutionalized”). "Pimping" a butterfly is the exploitation of talent. Exploitation of those who managed to reveal their potential. Monetizing their beauty, their success, turning art into a commodity is “pumping”. The music business has made millions using this formula. This is a working marketing scheme. It's even more than music - it's one of the fundamental principles of capitalism. But Kendrick believes that great ideas can come even from those locked in this cocoon. The system not only suppresses, but also inspires. No apartheid, no police brutality, no low social mobility If there was no Tupac, there would be no Kendrick. Beauty is in everything. A butterfly is maturing in a caterpillar. Parsing lines from the album into quotes
Forty acres and a mule, a piano, a guitar?
Anything, see, my name is Uncle Sam, I"m your dog
Motherfucker you can live at the mall
But remember, you ain't pass economics in school
And everything you buy, taxes will deny
I"ll Wesley Snipe your ass before thirty-five
Let's move on to the second song of the album. The opening monologue of the hysterical young lady, which we hear in the first minute of the track, is interpreted on Rap Genius as “a metaphor for how America has been humiliating blacks for years, undermining their self-esteem and emphasizing the dysfunctional financial situation" This “girl” reminds Kendrick that in the States, a successful black American is either an athlete or a musician. There is no third. This is only the second song, and I’m already starting to realize that I don’t understand anything. But I wrote out a quote:
Not a forty ounce and a pitbull
Kendrick calls the slave "King Kunte" - a neat contrast of high and low class. This, if you may, is an oxymoron - Kendrick is simultaneously oppressed like a slave, but also majestic like a king. In other words: this is how every rich black American feels.
Bitch you thought he would recover well
Third surgery couldn't stop the bleeding for real
Then he died, God himself will say "you fuckin" failed"
You ain't try
40 acres and a mule, a piano, a guitar?
Anything, see my name is Lucy, I"m your dog
Motherfucker, you can live at the mall
Pick back and chat, I trap the back for y"all
Well, yes, three-log. That is, Cerberus. That is, it turns out that Lucy is Lucifer. Kendrick endures her first appearance, but in the next song she is already rushing with all her power, making it clear to Lamar what unlimited power she has.
Lucy got a million stories
About these rappers I came after when they were boring
They tell me it"s a new gang in town
From Compton to Congress
Set trippin' all around
Ain’t nothin" new but a flu of new DemoCrips and ReBloodlicans
Red state versus a blue state, which one you govern’?
Critics want to mention that they miss when hip hop was rappin’
Motherfucker if you did, then Killer Mike"d be platinum
What shocked me the most was the next song, “How Much A Dollar Cost,” in which Kendrick is accosted by a beggar in a parking lot.
A piece of crack that he wanted, I knew he was smokin"
He begged and accused
Asked me to feed him twice, I didn't believe it
Told him, "Beat it"
Contributin" money just for his pipe, I couldn"t see it
A humble man is all that we ever need
Kendrick becomes ashamed of his own selfishness; he does not understand what is happening. Why does this beggar, who asked for one buck, ask such questions?
You"re lookin" at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the higher power
The choir that spoke the word, the Holy Spirit, the nerve
Of Nazareth, and I"ll tell you just how much a dollar cost
The price of having a spot in Heaven, embrace your loss, I am God"
Before you is the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the Holy Spirit.
And I will answer what is the real value of your dollar.
This is the price that cost you your place in heaven. Accept your punishment. I am God."
You ain"t gotta lie, you ain"t gotta lie
You ain't gotta lie to kick it, my nigga
You ain't gotta try so hard
Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city
While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly
The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar
But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits."
But to the caterpillar, who has never seen anything good in its life, it seems that the butterfly is fragile. And so the caterpillar comes up with a way to exploit it for its own needs.”LAMAR DAY ON THE FLOW
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