Agreed. Saying this isn’t a great rap album is like saying Bitches Brew is not a great jazz album. Since when is going beyond the conventions of a genre a bad thing?

Time will tell if this is truly one of the all-time great albums or an overambitious mess, but on my first few listens, I’m leaning towards the former. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. It makes me want to dive into it again and again until I feel like I’ve understood most of it, and in my experience, an album that takes a long time to reveal itself is usually pretty great. I guess what I’m saying is if this album is up its own ass, its own ass is a place I’m very interested in exploring.

lol, fuck this midterm i had to study for.

Lots of winning personalities on this thread.

I would like to apologize on behalf of the British public at this point.

blochead, I tolerate you most everywhere else, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that you should stay out of these threads.

If a publication comes out with a review for #ToPimpAButterfly less than 24 hours after its release you should stop reading that publication— Miles Bowe (@MilesBowe) March 16, 2015

reminds me of the time there was a concert for a band i didn’t like, so i didn’t go.

Annie are you ok? So, Annie are you ok? Are you ok Annie?

You’re right about this not being a great album Tom. I mean how could Kendrick live up to the lofty ambitions of ‘gum favorites such as Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan?

Fuck outta here with that nonsense, who gives a shit about this being a good “rap” album? Its very clearly a GREAT album of MUSIC.

This is a great album. Here’s why:

Up until I was about 17, I’m hesitant to admit that I actually bought into the “post-racial society” bullshit. I hung out with all kinds of people, but the majority were white. I finally started to notice all of the little offenses against my race that I faced every day, and then I realize I was facing these offenses my whole life. It really made me feel foolish and weak. Things like the murders of black civilians by the police or racist vigilantes become obvious. It makes you angrier than you can imagine. I say this because even though you may scream and weep and fight for people like Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Race, and far too many others, if you aren’t black, the overwhelming fear that those people could’ve been you is not present. Once again, insert the foolishness and the weakness. The more the country let us know that it didn’t give two fucks or a damn about us, all of that turns to anger and sadness. These have been some rough years.

Where “To Pimp A Butterfly” fits into all of this, for me at least, is that Kendrick Lamar has undoubtedly gone through the same stages of grief for his race we all have, even more so with his fame and position. There’s an extra steps for us, though, after acceptance — power. “To Pimp A Butterfly” is that power. It’s a catharsis. From its influences, it’s contributors, it’s musicality, and, most importantly, it’s words; it’s a celebration of unapologetic blackness.

If Lamar wanted to make an album for everyone, he would’ve just done more good kid. I think he wanted to make an album for us. For him. For me. And I don’t mean to insinuate that non-black people can’t enjoy this album for what it is, I’m just saying that there’s a higher level of understanding there.

I wish I could give you multiple upvotes here, because you seem like a stand up guy and you make good points most of the time. I reserve the “____ sauce” phrase for “weak” only, it’s not like I’m going around saying “awesome sauce” or “sweet sauce” or “nefarious sauce”; that would just be lame.

I feel that, much like pussy, Mr. Lamar has been put on a pedestal. Drake’s album shits on this. Like a big, steamy, mexican-food-truck-and-dark-beer-all-weekend shit all over it. And you know what? Kanye’s is probably going to shit on it too. And so will RTJ3. Yes it’s premature evaluation, but I’ve never been able to see why he’s a god to most people nowadays, and the album feels average. The cherry on top being his voice annoys the shit out of me. Some whiny, raspy, bullshit; nobody talks like that, get a throat lozenge motherfucker (except DMX).

Isn’t a “clean version” of this genre of music the equivalent of a “glorifying God” version of a black metal album?

so killer mike says he is a “bitch nigger!” a racist slur and then proceeds to call him a “fucboi” which is a homosexual slur and this is OK?

I wish I could destroy her music.

Rap > music.

I’m sure Robert Durst is relieved to have cleared his good name.