By Trey Lowe
The album To Pimp A Butterflyby Kendrick Lamar was released in 2015 at a time where police brutality and racism was prevalent in the United States. Kendrick Lamar created an album that touched not only police brutality and racism, but things such as self-love, depression and also inequality in the music industry. Through his lyrics, melodies and a sound that most people haven’t heard, and thought was “weird” when it came out, he created a classic album that will be listened to forever. Because he touched on all these things that matter in the united states, we can see just how far he has come in his musical career. The meaning of the title To Pimp A Butterflyis left to the listener to be interpreted. By doing this, Kendrick Lamar was able to draw in listeners and there is no wrong answer to what it means. By taking a look at the song titles and lyrics, we can create our own interpretation of the album. I make the following claim that Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp A Butterflyis used to address inequality, racism, police brutality and self-love in America. I will use examples of songs, lyrics and the whole album to support my argument that To Pimp A Butterflyaddresses major issues in America.
The fourth track titled “Institutionalized”, is one that struck me as a key to the album. The reason being is there is many meanings to this term. It could people being in prison while I took it as black people in the United states not having equality and even though we may not be physically in the prisons we are trapped inside our own bodies. We are looked at differently because of things that we cannot change and that is how I took this song. In this song Lamar also addresses inequality in the music business and says, “I can just, alleviate the rap industry politics”. Meaning that the industry is based on politics and if people like you in the industry then you will rise, if not then you will fall. Another track on this album titled “Alright”, explains what it is like being black in America. His quote of, when you know, we been hurt, been down before, When my pride was low, looking’ at the world like, where do we go, and we hate Popo,
want to kill us dead in the street for sure, I’m at the preacher’s door My knees getting’ weak and my gun might blow but we gon’ be alright” symbolizes more than what’s on the surface. Here he is addressing all the pain that black people have gone through in this country. Not only with police brutality at the moment, but racism too. Kendrick Lamar uses this song to let everyone know that no matter what is thrown at us, we will overcome it. Both of these songs paint the picture to what Lamar is pointing at. Through these songs, he points out that racism is alive and black people have gone through a lot and still do to this day.
Lamar points out that black people in the music industry have not gotten due credit, this is the case in many instances. In Maureen Mahons article titled, “Listening for Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s Voice: The Sound of Race and Gender Transgressions in Rock and Roll” She points out “Thornton’s voice, demonstrating her influence on two rock-and-roll artists and telling the story of a well-recognized but little-known figure who traversed the genres of rhythm and blues, blues and rock, having an impact on all three.” She points out here that people stole her voice and even some of her own lyrics, she never got credit for what these white male artists stole. This is exactly what Lamar means when he said, “alleviate politics”. Also, in Maureen Mahon writing titled “Rock” she says, “Rock n Roll advanced through the efforts of both black and white artist, but in the beginning, rock n rolls leading performers were African American”. Blacks were not given credit in the beginning of this genre and Kendrick Lamar wants credit because these people did not get it. In the reading, Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe Inducted in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2018there is a quote that says Rosetta Tharpe was an “early pioneer of electric guitar, and developed a dazzling showmanship that involved intricate finger picking and teasing, daredevil sleights of hand.” She never got her credit for this and being a pioneer. Now, Kendrick Lamar wants his credit as he says throughout his album.
Before this album no artist had made an album like this. Not only did he create something original, he also touched upon things that mattered in lives today. Things such as racism, police brutality, and self-love were all touched on by the artist and that is why the album will go down in history. He revolutionized what rap music was about and what could be talked about. Every single record on To Pimp A Butterfly hits on a social issue in America. His audience of black people, police force, and racist people could all be impacted by this album.
CRITICAL MODELS
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/rap-genius/album-review-kendrick-lam_b_2006431.html
- Maureen Mahon, “Listening for Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s Voice: The Sound of Race and Gender Transgressions in Rock and Roll,” Women and Music, 15, 2011, 1-17. (PDF)
- Maureen Mahon, “Rock,” The Music of Black Americans: An Introduction. Eds. Mellonee Burnim and Portia Maltsby. 558-584 (PDF)
- “Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe Inducted in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.” Beacon Broadside: A Project of Beacon Press, 13 Dec. 2017, http://www.beaconbroadside.com/broadside/2017/12/trailblazer-sister-rosetta-tharpe-inducted-in-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-class-of-2018.html.
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