Kendrick Lamar Breaks Down ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’
April 1, 2015 @ 3:16 PM EDT
News
good Thought.
Kendrick Lamar sat down with MTV‘s Rob Markman to dissect a few tracks off To Pimp A Butterfly. In the first part of their discussion, K-Dot reveals its initial title, Tu Pimp A Caterpilliar (TU-P-A-C), breaks down “Wesley’s Theory” as well as “King Kunta”.
UPDATE: Kendrick continues his conversation and discusses “u”, “Blacker The Berry”, “Mortal Man” and more.
Pt. 2
Pt. 3
pt. 4
king kunta don’t need no write he is thee writer
just checked out “dead end hip hop”… that shit is dope. they probably shit themselves when they saw that shoutout they got lol
i started fucking with DEHH last year, they always put out good content
whats with the part 1’s and 2’s fuck jus drop the whole interview
Just rap Kendrick, you’re a very good “RAPPER”. Them Tupac shoes you trying to fit in is waaaay too big for ya homie
Preach !
truth story though.
He’s just paying homage, faggot. He doesn’t want to be him…smh.
Damn, that’s a mean thing to say Jem.. You can always tell who don’t get no pussy on here lmao
I don’t see him trying to be like Pac. Let’s face it, Pac was a walking contradiction. Kendrick seems to be more humble and true to himself
Preach and I’m probably THEE biggest Pac fan on this thread…Pac was a walking contradiction…however, that’s what also made/makes him the most relatable rapper of all time.
I don’t think KL is trying to be him.
Megamind
What human being is not a walking contradiction in one way or another? Example – I’m a peaceful person until I’m pushed to be violent. That is a contradiction. Why would people want Kendrick to be like Pac? Kendrick should stay focused on his music. Pac was really involved in “hood politics”… There’s no need for Kendrick to be around that at this point unless its just to chill for a few and then bounce.
Right…
I agree with that too, even tupac knew he wouldn’t be the 1 to change the game, but he knew that he would spark the mind that would change it though. Well put Shock.
Tupac being a walking contradiction just prove that he was a human being just like us.. But everything he put out had a purpose and felt real and organic.. At least thats the feeling/vibe he gave me
Why shouldn’t he try, my g? Someone has to speak to this generation. He’s using his platform to reach people. What’s wrong w/ that? It’s deeper than rap, homie.
If it’s really that important then he should quit rapping and become a all out activist then.. It just seem force and not organic to me that’s all.
The reason why the industry got rid of Pac was because his music influenced people. Just seeing J Cole Talib Qweli and other artist march with the people in Ferguson spark alot of people to want to get involved. Don’t under estimate the power of sound. Even the cops are using sound wave weapons against protesters.
C’mon my G. It’s about reaching the youth and pushing change in r community. Obama is the 1st black president of the free world, right. U think he has more pull in the hood than say a Jay-Z, J. Cole, or a Kendrick? Hip Hop was initially about empowering the people. And that’s what Dot is about.
I feel y’all but it still feel force to me.. Its like I be making myself like Kendrick music sometimes and it shouldn’t be like that. Im all down for the up lifting of the youth cause Lord knows we need it but I think Kendrick needs to find a better balance musically. It just seem like he trying too hard to be different
We’ll just agree to disagree.
#respect
Tupac had his impact in the game and now Kendrick Lamar is having impact. He is at least a worthy successor as far as west coast artists is concerned.
This is a whole different generation and game too. It is shocking that Kendrick released something like TPAB in this moment in time and IMO, got away with it.
What is Kendrick’s role in this rap game in the grand scheme of things? It is too early to tell, but GKMC & TPAB are great bodies of work, and I am not even a K. Dot fan like that.
I think Kendrick can rap but I really dont think Kendrick got the juice like that, lol.. Even when Andre 3000 did The Love Below album. It was craaaaazy different but at the same time DOPE AF. That TPAB is different and just average album IMO.
Not to discredit Pac in anyway shape or form, but Kendrick is clearly picking up where Pac left off and doing it with at a higher level as far as wordplay and actual musicality is concerned.
You don’t have to like the music, but the amount and attention to detail he put on this record is something that you just don’t hear much in music these days period. He nailed the whole soul vibe perfectly.
People who listened to this album is now exposed to a whole different vibe/type of music and never knew they were into it.
I hate to throw the words legendary or classic around, but K. Dot is doing something right. He is truly in a lane all his own.
I like Kendrick dont get me wrong but all this hype isn’t doing him justice. IMO the hype and what I’m hearing from him just dont match up. If he wasn’t from Cali he just be another good rapper like Logic or something. The fact that he has Dre and interscope machine behind him is helping him a great deal. But to each its own.
Man if he wants to be like Pac he needs to check himself. Pac had charisma whenever a camera was present. This dude is more Farrakhan/Jessie Jackson than 2pac
bla bla bla the album boring…k dot sold 325k first week on GP.
Kendrick has you feeling some type of way! Thanks for the sales numbers? Not sure what that has to do with anything
Pimp the butterfly is overrated. The viewers made it a classic album.
Why do you hate K.dot?
I’m not taking anything away from k dot cause k dot is a dope rapper. His first album was a classic…pimp the butterfly is a big disappointment.
Ima say something almost guaranteed to stir the beehive…But lets be honest. Most niggas only respect PAC, as much (to this day) because of his death and his career level at that time. I don’t say this to discount his legacy and overall message. But the reality is we in the hip hop community seem more comfortable immortalizing the dead than living legends or potential legends. We’re surrounded by living legends who have done more…and have been forgotten and abandoned. Why ya’ll think that is tho? Would Pac have suffered the same fate? Wanna hear thoughts on this.
(Disclaimer: PAC is one of my favorite rappers…ever)
I agree with some of your statement…but in terms of work ethic…there are only a handful of artist in any genre who we can say is as prolific as Pac was…Prince comes to mind as does Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Herbie Hancock and a few others. The fact that I just name LIVING legends shows you were Pac was at which his work ethic and output.
Now couple that with his “everyday” man message and approach. Pac was a walking contradiction which made him so beloved. What person doesn’t have the emotions of “Dear Mama” and “Hit’em Up” inside them. Plus his conscious records stand the test of time. The messages are still as relatable as the day some of them were release 20 years ago..”Brenda’s Got A Baby”, “Changes”, “Soulja”, “When My Homie Call”…shit “I Get Around”…not saying the last 2 are conscious…just that they still resonate.
His untimely death did nothing but cement his status earlier than it would have already been done. Pac was going the route of activist/community organizer and possibly politician.
All in all…make NO mistake about…sales aside…IMPACT, COMMENTARY, MUSIC and SALES…Tupac Amaru Shakur is one the Top 20 ARTISTS of all time…not just rapper…I’m talking Mozart, Beethoven, Marley, Beatles, MJ, James Brown, etc…he’s DEFINITELY in that ilk.
PS – “niggas” who only respected him after his death were those who only related to the “Thug Life” message.
Peace
Megamind
Gems my nigga… Good shit. 100!
Thanks my G! I love this “Thing Of Ours”….HIPHOP!
Megamind
Aren’t you the same guy who was doing a lame parody account a few months ago? Now your playing the intellectual black man? And you don’t have to sign your name on every comment.
First off cocksucker…that was some joker name MegaMAN
Secondly, what business of yours if I sign my name after my comments? At least you know who who attribute the statement to. I don’t waste words or talk facetiously so this will be the last time I address you.
And to your comment, YES I am an intellectual Black man…you should try sometime…dumb ass!
Cat LOVE being ignorant…nothing’s worse than WILLFUL ignorance.
Read a book or something else beside Rap Radar.
Sincerely yours,
Megamind
LIL Bitch! LOLOL
Trill
Preach! Well said.
To this day I sometimes enjoy watching/reading Pac’s interviews than listening to today’s rappers’ albums.
I disagree, Pac was a special case when he was alive he was loved and hated no different than any artist in this world, what you have to understand is the work he left behind wasn’t average or something that can be an afterthought. To this day when I play Hail Mary I still feel something or when I play brenda got a baby.
Pac was a great talent that people took for granted and I would also say Pac took for granted as well. It is like this Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are GOAT but you can see that talent again and again but Michael Jordan was something no one will ever see again only because what he done and how elevated NBA that is how I look at Pac no offense to Jayz, Nas but they just don’t embody what Pac had to this day.
Pac lyrics couldn’t compete with likes to a Biggie,Nas, Tribe called Quest a lot more, but in the 90s lyricism was very important, but what made Pac stood out was his words came straight from his heart to make you feel something and that is why people gravitated towards him and he was also had a bad boy image which people love as well even though he didn’t set out to be the bad guy, but it just happen that way.
Pac embodied to me a complete rapper, he was smart he was charismatic and he never utter bullshit if he does he gave you a reason why he feels that way, he always spoke his mind kept it real whether he was right or wrong. 2pac was the peoples champ and a lot of people can relate to him. All the love Pac got is a warranted and well deserved.
Sorry for rambling Pac is my favorite rapper it just I hate sometimes people try to discredit Pac not you per say but I always wonder how come White people can have Elvis but why can’t we black folks have Pac.
Well stated…you and Kingly_Caracter make GREAT points.
Pac was my favorite as well.
Mines, no order..Pac, Nas, Jay, Rakim, Big, Cube, LL, KRS, Face, 3K
AND YOU’RE RIGHT….we have to keep Pac spirit alive for generations to come because he’s our Marvin, Bob Marley, etc.
Megamind
My top rappers, Kanye, Pac, Jeezy, Nas, Big, Jayz,
New era J.Cole,Kendrick,Wale, Drake, Big Krit, Logic
The thing about embodying what Pac did? Is you have to be willing to deal with negativity, police plotting to lock you up and niggas trying to kill you all the time. A major factor as to why people feel so strongly about Pac is because people knew is life was on the line and he could also potentially be locked up for a major prison sentence. Most rappers try and get outta that, not continuously carry that baggage with them. Pac is looked at as a hero after death but during his life many people viewed him as the bad guy not the hero. Pac was also a movie star and that plays a huge role in how people saw him as far as his impact goes. If Jayz and Nas were also movie stars in some of our first major hollywood black movies about the streets then they would also have made a bigger impact but the other side of that is alot of people really saw Pac as Bishop way more then Tupac.
I agree but lets be honest here have you seen Jayz acting skills or Nas LMAO They suck at acting.
Obviously I was talking about Pac, he went to school and studied acting and was a trained professional actor. Jayz and Nas are not. I just make that point because people leave out the fact that his actually acting career was like huge and in some regards brighter then his rap career. Thats not a knock on Pac either, its just the truth of the matter.
I agree with 99.97 % of your statement. Lol. I can see the real 2pac fan in you. Makaveli is on a whole other level both in the US and worldwide. We have to keep his memory alive.
Makaveli Til Infinity!
I honestly don’t think most people respect 2pac because of his death. If it only took death to be that loved and respected Biggie, Eazy E, Big Pun, etc would garner the same attention, love, and respect. Pac is not the only slain/dead rapper. There has to a reason he’s bigger than Biggie (pun intended), and all rappers dead or live.
I come from a FRENCH-speaking African country, and even back in 1991/92 I was already familiar with dude’s music. We’re talking 2pacalyse Now. I remember I did an exposé on Hip-Hop back then, and the music we used was “Words of Wisdom”, and “Brenda’s Got A Baby”, all from Pac’s first album. That’s pre-Death Row, and the guy was already a legend to the youngster I was, living somewhere in the heart of Africa.
2pac is in my humble opinion the King. He’s to Rap what Elvis is Rock, Bob Marley to Reggae and Jamaica.
#Makaveli til Infinity!
2Pac could make hit records and be a emcee. Kendrick lacks at making singles
I think Rap Radar posters are the only ones that do not like TPAB everywhere I go people love that album.
Right…
Nigga that was some dope shit, I wish every interview was like this