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There is a recurring spoken word theme: “I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence, sometimes I did the same.” He refers to “the temptations of Lucy” (presumably Lucifer in female guise). This is made explicitly clear in some of the opposing track titles (the interludes For Free? and For Sale? and in ‘u’ and ‘i’). In his presentation of a journey from the streets of Compton to international success, Lamar embraces confusion, paradox and contradiction. Yet none of this would work were it not for Lamar’s articulate and adventurous lyrics. Musically, this is vivid, defiantly unpredictable and, if yielded to, completely engaging. Various vocalists, including Bilal and returning guest Anna Wise, provide a melodic and strikingly emotional core to this work. Robert Glaspar, a jazz pianist who has embraced hip hop sound and culture in his own work, is an important presence here, often imbuing the music with warmth and depth. Socially conscious and protest jazz is another reference point – with the interlude For Free? taking place over some burning contemporary swing and elsewhere there are interjections of wildness and improvisation.
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These are experimental musicians who have been gradually expanding their audience independently – but Lamar’s work could speed up that process yet further. In addition to Clinton, Wesley’s Theory utilises the virtuosic bass playing of Thundercat and the production skills of his visionary associate Flying Lotus. Whilst the occasional use of samples and the appearance of ghosts provide memorable moments, it is the sound of the musicians involved that gives this otherwise turbulent album a coherent sound. The ghost of Tupac Shakur is another key presence throughout the record, not least in the album’s closing minutes, during which Lamar interpolates his own questions and concerns in to a recorded interview with Shakur. Wesley’s Theory features the voice of Parliament‘s grand master George Clinton, a fundamental influence on a range of hip hop artists. The first notes on the album are drawn from Boris Gardiner’s Every Nigger Is A Star, an earlier attempt at reclaiming a still controversial word from racists and suppressors (more on this later). It judiciously picks samples from both past and near-present ( The Isley Brothers and James Brown on the one hand, Sufjan Stevens on the other). It is an album that both looks back and innovates.
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For those not entirely convinced by Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe (not least after it played a small role in the Oscar Pistorius trial), To Pimp A Butterfly’s combination of expansive scope and microscopic detail may come as something of a revelation. To Pimp A Butterfly is a particularly intense (and dense) work, crammed with references, insights and invention. Both albums have been hailed instantly as important works, although both ought to resist snap judgements.
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Kendrick Lamar’s extraordinary To Pimp A Butterfly shares a good deal of common ground with D’Angelo’s recent Black Messiah, not simply in its rush-release mechanism (available to download suddenly, ahead of a planned release date) but also in its excoriating examination of contemporary race issues in the US.īoth albums seem to capture a rage and desire to examine in the wake of Ferguson, as well as featuring bold investigations of their creators’ internal vulnerabilities behind the external egos.