To Pimp A Butterfly

This album introduced me to the concept of a rapper who isn't just a celebrity, but a genuine artist. The heavy, deeply meaningful lyrics were such whiplash for me that it spoiled me to the point of not being able to listen to much else. It was the first time I truly appreciated rap.

In a lot of rap, you'll often get the impression that the dude just got out of bed and started recording. They sound bored or uninterested. Kendrick, however, is a performer. He packs emotional weight into every nook and cranny of his lyrics, especially with songs like u and The Blacker The Berry. You don't even have to know the full history of what he's talking about to appreciate and sympathize with his plight.

Needless to say, the lyrics themselves are some of the finest in the rap game. These Walls is just one big double entendre with value as both a comedic and a serious track, depending on how you listen to it. His rhyme schemes are complex and even dizzying at times, much like MF Doom or young Eminem. He's my absolute favorite "wordsmith."

The effortless mix of jazz and rap is the cherry on top. For Free? is just an interlude but is one of my favorite tracks just because of how impossible the production and flow is. Like how do you even come up with that😭

This is by far my favorite rap album. Give it a listen immediately if you're into rap as an art. It clears anything you'll get from celebrity "rappers" like Carti and Drake.

Favorite track: i

Great lyrics but there really isn’t anything special about the production.