''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

. The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with production from Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Taz "Tisa" Arnold,

Thundercat Thundercat or Thundercats may refer to: * Thundercat (snowmobile), a series of snowmobiles produced by Arctic Cat * Thundercat (musician), stage name of Stephen Lee Bruner, an American musician * ThunderCats, a media franchise, featuring a fictio ...

, Rahki, LoveDragon,

Flying Lotus Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, Disc jockey, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder. Flyi ...

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

, Boi-1da, Knxwledge, and several other high-profile hip hop producers, as well as executive production from

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Guest appearances include Thundercat, George Clinton,

Bilal __NOTOC__ Bilal may refer to: People * Bilal (name) (a list of people with the name) * Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad * Bilal (American singer) * Bilal (Lebanese singer) Places *Bilal Colony, a neighbourhood of Korangi Town in Karachi, ...

Anna Wise Anna Wise (born February 16, 1991) is an American singer, who has independently released music as a member of bands Sonnymoon and Built to Fade. She became more widely known for her collaborations with rapper Kendrick Lamar and hip hop group Cunn ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, and Rapsody. Primarily a hip hop album, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' incorporates numerous other musical styles spanning the history of African-American music, most prominently jazz,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, and soul. Lyrically, it features political commentary and personal themes concerning

African-American culture African-American culture refers to the contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential on Ame ...

, racial inequality, depression, and institutional discrimination. This thematic direction was inspired by Lamar's tour of historic sites during his visit to South Africa, such as

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

's jail cell on Robben Island. ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' sold 324,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, earning a chart debut at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, while also becoming Lamar's first number-one album in the UK. It was eventually certified platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) and sold one million copies in the United States by 2017. Five singles were released in promotion of the album, including the top 40 hit " I". Lamar also supported the album with the Kunta's Groove Sessions Tour from late 2015 to early 2016. The album has received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its musical scope and the social relevance of Lamar's lyrics. It earned Lamar seven nominations at the

2016 Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 201 ...

, including a win for Best Rap Album and an

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

nomination. He received four additional nominations for other collaborations from that year, receiving a total of 11 Grammy nominations, which was the most nominations for any rapper in a single night. The most critically acclaimed album of 2015 as well as one of the most critically acclaimed of its entire decade, it topped '' The Village Voice''s annual Pazz & Jop poll of American critics nationwide, and was also ranked as the best album of 2015 by many other publications. In the years following its release, several publications named ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' one of the best albums of the 2010s; in 2020, the album was ranked 19th on '' Rolling Stone''s updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Background

On February 28, 2014, Kendrick Lamar first revealed the plans to release a follow-up to his second studio album, ''

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'' (stylized as ''good kid, m.A.A.d city'') is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 22, 2012, through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Record ...

'' (2012), during an interview with ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''. Between the releases of ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'' and ''To Pimp a Butterfly'', Lamar traveled to South Africa. Touring the country and visiting historic sites such as

's jail cell on Robben Island heavily influenced the direction of the record and led to Lamar scrapping "two or three albums worth of material". Co-producer Sounwave spoke on Lamar's visit, saying, "I remember he amartook a trip to outhAfrica and something in his mind just clicked. For me, that's when this album really started." Regarding his visit to South Africa, Lamar said, "I felt like I belonged in Africa. I saw all the things that I wasn't taught. Probably one of the hardest things to do is put ogethera concept on how beautiful a place can be, and tell a person this while they're still in the ghettos of Compton. I wanted to put that experience in the music." In addition, Lamar said, "The idea was to make a record that reflected all complexions of

black women Black women are women of sub-Saharan African and Afro-diasporic descent, as well as women of Australian Aboriginal and Melanesian descent. The term 'Black' is a racial classification of people, the definition of which has shifted over time and acr ...

. There's a separation between the light and the dark skin because it's just in our nature to do so, but we're all black. This concept came from South Africa and I saw all these different colors speaking a beautiful language."

Recording and production

72 channel SSL desk at Chalice Studios Hollywood (5521074580)

''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was recorded at a variety of studios; including

Chalice Recording Studios Chalice Recording Studio is located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. Chalice opened in 2002 and is known for its elaborate interior decor and its large collection of rare and vintage analog recording equipment. When Chalice ...

, Downtown Studios, House Studios, Notifi Studios and No Excuses Studios. Lamar wrote the lyrics to the song "Mortal Man" while on Kanye West's

Yeezus Tour ''Yeezus'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production, ...

. During the whole tour, producer

played Lamar a selection of tracks that was intended for Captain Murphy's album (Flying Lotus's alter ego). Lamar kept all the tracks, but only opener "Wesley's Theory", which also features

and George Clinton, made the final cut onto the album. Lotus had produced a version of "For Sale? (Interlude)" that was ultimately discarded, with Lamar using Taz Arnold's version of the song on the album instead. Lotus stated that it is unlikely his version of the song will see a release. American rapper Rapsody appeared on the album, contributing a verse to the song "Complexion (A Zulu Love)". Lamar had requested that

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is a Madlib to seek his collaboration on the record but was unable to reach him. In 2014,

, who previously worked with Lamar, along with producer Sounwave, played the track "

Alright Alright, All Right or Allwright may refer to: Music Albums * ''Alright!'' (album), a 2007 album by Bogdan Raczynski * ''Alright'', a 2011 album by Jerry Williams * ''All Right'', a 1982 album by Himiko Kikuchi Songs * "Alright" (Cast song) * ...

" at the Holy Ship Festival. The track features the same unidentified sample that Williams used on

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

' track "Presidential" from his album '' God Forgives, I Don't'' (2012). Reportedly, at one time it featured a guest appearance from American rapper Fabolous. The album went through three different phases before the production team could move forward with the idea. Afterwards, producer Thundercat was brought into the process, after Flying Lotus brought him along to see Lamar's performance on The Yeezus Tour. The album's lead single, titled " I", was produced by Rahki, who also produced a song for the album entitled "Institutionalized". Although the version of "I" appearing on the album is drastically different from that on the single release, both versions contained a sample of the song "

That Lady ''That Lady'' is a 1955 British-Spanish historical romantic drama film directed by Terence Young and produced by Sy Bartlett and Ray Kinnoch. It stars Olivia de Havilland, Gilbert Roland, and Paul Scofield. The film is based on a 1946 hist ...

" performed by The Isley Brothers. Lamar personally visited The Isley Brothers, to receive permission from lead vocalist Ronald Isley to sample the song. Lamar began traveling to St. Louis and began working with Isley at the studio. Isley also performed on the song "How Much a Dollar Cost" alongside the singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy. Producer and rapper

Pete Rock Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...

provided some backing vocals and scratches to the song "Complexion (A Zulu Love)", and as he stated, the contribution was unusual, as he was not the producer for the track. Singer

features on the songs "Institutionalized" and " These Walls", and has provided un-credited backing vocals on the songs "U", "For Sale? (Interlude)", "Momma" and "Hood Politics". Bilal stated that he and Lamar were initially unsure of how many songs he would be featured on, stating he worked on various tracks, but did not yet know the outcome. "For a lot of the material, Kendrick had an idea of what he wanted. He would sing out the melody and some of the words, and I would interpret what he was telling me." On the songs where Bilal added backing vocals, he stated that "...some of it was freestyle; just adding color to make it a fuller sound." Lamar also reportedly worked with American musician Prince; however, the duo were too pressed for time during the recording session and therefore were unable to complete any work for inclusion on the album. Lamar professed to having listened often to Miles Davis and Parliament-Funkadelic during the album's recording. In 2016, Lamar released '' Untitled Unmastered'', a compilation album, which contains previously unreleased demos that originated during the recording of ''To Pimp a Butterfly''. According to producer Thundercat, it "completes the sentence" of Lamar's third studio album.

Musical style

According to musicologist Will Fulton, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' engages in and celebrates the black music tradition. Much like the singer

D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...

on his 2014 album '' Black Messiah'', Lamar "consciously indexes African American musical styles of the past in a dynamic relationship of nostalgic revivalism and vanguardism." Kyle Anderson of '' Entertainment Weekly'' described the album as "embracing the entire history of black American music." Lamar's co-engineer/mixer MixedByAli praised Lamar, saying, "

amar is Amar may refer to: People Given name * Amar (British singer) (born 1982), British Indian singer born Amar Dhanjal * Amar (Lebanese singer) (born 1986), born Amar Mahmoud Al Tahech * Amar Bose (1929–2013), Founder of Bose Corporation * Amar Gup ...

a sponge. He incorporated everything that was going on

n Africa N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

and in his life to complete a million-piece puzzle." Lamar described the album as an "honest, fearful and unapologetic" work that draws on

, hard bop, spoken word and soul while critics also noted elements of West Coast hip hop and avant-garde. Allison Stewart from '' The Washington Post'' says the album is "threaded" with G-funk. Speaking on the album's styles, co-producer Terrace Martin said, "If you dig deeper you hear the lineage of

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

, Mahalia Jackson, the sounds of Africa, and our people when they started over here. I hear something different every time. I heard Cuban elements in it the other day." The album features contributions from the collective of musicians called West Coast Get Down, who experiment with jazz and

progressive hip hop Progressive rap (or progressive hip hop) is a broad subgenre of hip hop music that aims to progress the genre thematically with socially transformative ideas and musically with stylistic experimentation. Developing through the works of innovati ...

sounds, and feature Lamar, Flying Lotus, Martin, and saxophonist Kamasi Washington, among others. Consequently, the music is "jazz-like in spirit if not always in sound", according to Ben Ratliff, while Mosi Reeves from '' Deadspin'' observes a virtuosic quality to its "prog-rap cornucopia". ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' described ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' as an "ambitious avant-jazz-rap statement," and '' The Source'' categorized the album as an experimental hip hop release. Dan Weiss of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' noted "shades of Miles Davis' '' On the Corner'' and free jazz all over .. as well as Sly Stone's ''

There's a Riot Goin' On ''There's a Riot Goin' On'' (sometimes referred to as ''Riot'') is the fifth studio album by American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. It was recorded from 1970 to 1971 at Record Plant Studios in Sausalito, California and released lat ...

'' and Funkadelic and Erykah Badu's similarly wah-crazy but comparatively lo-fi '' New Amerykah (4th World War)''," but stated nonetheless that "the sense of this album is vividly contemporary." Other critics regard it as "throwback" to neo soul music of the 1990s. Greg Kot of '' Chicago Tribune'' noted the album's affinities with previous black music, but argued that "Lamar takes familiar musical tropes into new territory." '' The Atlantic'' noted the influence of collaborator Flying Lotus, writing that "his signature sound—jazz instrumentation and hip-hop layered into chaotic collages—is all over the album." Steve Mallon of '' The Quietus'' noted an "eerily warped psychedelia bursting out of its idiosyncratic arrangements."

Lyrics and themes

Categorized by ''Billboard'' as a "politically-charged" conscious rap album, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' explores a variety of political and personal themes related to race, culture, and discrimination. Critic Neil Kulkarni said it appraises "the broken promises and bloody pathways in and out of America's heartland malaise".

Jay Caspian Kang Jay Caspian Kang is an American writer, editor, television journalist and podcast host. He is a staff writer at the ''New York Times Magazine'' and the opinion section of ''The New York Times''. Previously he was an editor of ''Grantland'', then ...

observed elements of

critical race theory Critical race theory (CRT) is a cross-disciplinary examination, by social and civil-rights scholars and activists, of how laws, social and political movements, and media shape, and are shaped by, social conceptions of race and ethnicity. Goa ...

respectability politics Respectability politics or the politics of respectability is a form of moralistic discourse used by some prominent figures, leaders or academics who are members of various marginalized groups to consciously set aside and undermine cultural and mor ...

, theology, and meta-analysis examining Lamar's success and revered status in the hip hop community. It was compared by California State University, Fullerton professor Natalie Graham to the 1977 television miniseries ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

''. While "''Roots'' compresses and simplifies" black history, Graham said ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' "radically disrupt meanings of black respectability, heroic morality, trauma, and memory". In the ''

Toronto Journal of Theology ''The Toronto Journal of Theology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of theology published by the University of Toronto Press. Current editor-in-chief is Abrahim H. Khan (University of Toronto). The journal is indexed in Scopus. Abstracting an ...

'', James D. McLeod Jr. drew parallels between Lamar's examination of death's domineering significance in the African-American experience and the works of Christian theologian

Paul Tillich Paul Johannes Tillich (August 20, 1886 – October 22, 1965) was a German-American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran Protestant theologian who is widely regarded as one of the most influential theologi ...

, with McLeod calling ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' an original example of " existentialist hip hop." Meanwhile, Adam Blum discerned connections between ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' and the writings of psychoanalysts such as Wilfred Bion,

Nicolas Abraham Nicolas Abraham (; hu, Ábrahám Miklós; 23 May 1919 – 18 December 1975) was a Hungarian-born French psychoanalyst best known for his work with Mária Török. The pair took a distinctive approach to psychoanalytic theory, holding that th ...

, and Sigmund Freud. In an essay published in '' The Lancet Psychiatry'', University of Cambridge professors Akeem Sule and Becky Inkster described Lamar as the "street poet of mental health," noting how ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' (as well as its predecessor, ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'') explore topics such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and resilience. The album continues a nuanced dialogue about weighty topics that affect the African-American community. Releasing his album in a time of renewed black activism, Lamar's song "Alright" has become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. With lyrics like "and we hate po-po / Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho, nigga" he makes it clear that he is supportive of the movement and the families of black men and women like Michael Brown,

Sandra Bland Sandra Annette Bland was a 28-year-old African-American woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on , 2015, three days after being arrested during a traffic stop. Her death was ruled a suicide. It was followed by protest ...

Tamir Rice On November 22, 2014, Tamir E. Rice, a 12-year-old African-American boy, was killed in Cleveland, Ohio, by Timothy Loehmann, a 26-year-old white police officer. Rice was carrying a replica toy gun; Loehmann shot him almost immediately upon arri ...

, and others who have fallen victim to

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to, ...

in the United States. Lamar takes his opinions further to lend his position on black crime in the song " The Blacker the Berry". He criticizes himself and his community by rapping, "So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street? / When gang bangin' make me kill a nigga blacker than me?". Some critics claim that his attitude facilitates the rhetoric that silences the Black Lives Matter movement. Stereo Williams of '' The Daily Beast'' wrote in response to his lyrics that "it's dangerous to use that violence as a silencing tactic when the public is angry about the systematic subjugation of black people." Lamar has offered explanations of the meanings behind songs such as "Wesley's Theory" and " King Kunta". The album's 1970s funk-inspired opening track "Wesley's Theory" is a reference to Wesley Snipes and how the actor was jailed for tax evasion; according to Lamar, "no one teaches poor black males how to manage money or celebrity, so if they do achieve success, the powers that be can take it from right under them". "

For Free? (Interlude) "For Free? (Interlude)" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It is the second track on his third studio album ''To Pimp a Butterfly'', released on March 15, 2015. It features uptempo bebop instrumentals, with Lamar rapping over them. A musi ...

" sees Lamar rapping in a dense, spoken word-esque manner with musical accompaniment by jazz pianist Robert Glasper. "King Kunta" is concerned with the "history of negative stereotypes all African-Americans have to reconcile". Lamar also explained his criticism of rappers who use ghostwriters on "King Kunta", revealing that he came to prominence as a ghostwriter, and has respect for writers, but says that "as a new artist, you have to stand behind your work." "These Walls" has been described by ''Billboard'' as "pondering sex and existence in equal measure; it's a yoni metaphor about the power of peace, with sugar walls being escape and real walls being obstacles." Lamar revealed that "U" was inspired by his own experience of depression and suicidal thoughts. He also mentioned feelings of survivor's guilt as inspirations for the album. "Alright" begins as a spoken-word treatise before exploding into a shapeshifting portrait of America that brings in jazz horns, skittering drum beats and Lamar's mellifluous rapping as he struggles with troubles and temptations. Yet at the end of each verse, he reassures himself that "We gon' be alright"—a simple rallying cry for a nation reeling from gun violence and police brutality. For critics a "celebration of being alive", Lamar described "Alright" as a message of hope. "The Blacker the Berry" features a " boom bap beat" and lyrics that celebrate Lamar's African-American heritage and "tackle hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on." The song's hook is performed by Jamaican

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

artist Assassin, notable for performing on Kanye West's 2013 LP '' Yeezus'', whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans.

Title and packaging

The album was originally going to be titled ''Tu Pimp a Caterpillar'', a backronym for Tu.P.A.C., itself an allusion to the rapper Tupac. Lamar decided to replace "caterpillar" in the original title to "butterfly", which he explained in an interview for

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, "I just really wanted to show the brightness of life and the word 'pimp' has so much aggression and that represents several things. For me, it represents using my celebrity for good. Another reason is, not being pimped by the industry through my celebrity ... It gets even deeper than that for me. I could be talking all day about it." Lamar later also told '' Rolling Stone'', "Just putting the word 'pimp' next to 'butterfly'... It's a trip. That's something that will be a phrase forever. It'll be taught in college courses—I truly believe that." The album's CD release included a booklet produced with braille letterings; according to Lamar, these characters when translated reveal the "actual full title of the album." '' Complex'' commissioned a braille translator, who found that it translated to ''A Kendrick by Letter Blank Lamar'' which ''Complex'' noted was most likely supposed to read as ''A Blank Letter by Kendrick Lamar''.

Marketing and sales

The album's release was preceded by the release of two singles, "I", on September 23, 2014, and "The Blacker the Berry" in February 2015. The former became Lamar's sixth top-40 single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was performed on '' Saturday Night Live''. "King Kunta" was released as the third single in March 2015, and "Alright" was released to radio stations on June 30. With the latter's release, several contemporary progressive news outlets, including BET, raised the idea of "Alright" being the modern

Black National Anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is a hymn with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954). Written from the context of African Americans in the late 19th century, the hymn is a pray ...

, while the media reported youth-lead protests against police brutality across the country chanted the chorus of the song. Primarily for the latter, Lamar was featured on '' Ebony'' magazine's Power 100, an annual list that recognizes many leaders of the African-American community. "These Walls" was released as the album's fifth single on October 13. Aside from the singles' accompanying music videos, the song "For Free? (Interlude)" also featured visuals, as did "U" with "For Sale? (Interlude)" as part of the short film ''God Is Gangsta''. In support of the album, Lamar embarked on the Kunta's Groove Sessions Tour, which included eight shows in eight cities during October and November. ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was first released to the iTunes Store and Spotify on March 15, 2015, eight days ahead of its scheduled release date. According to Anthony Tiffith, CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment, the album's early release was unintentional, apparently caused by an error on the part of

. The following day, it was made unavailable on iTunes, and the release was rescheduled for March 23, although it was still available for

streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

on Spotify. In its first week of release, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' debuted at number one on record charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, where it recorded first-week sales of 324,000 copies. The album was streamed 9.6 million times in its first day on Spotify, setting the service's global first-day streaming record. By the end of 2015, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was ranked the sixteenth most popular album on the ''Billboard'' 200 that year and reached sales of one million copies worldwide. By March 2016, it had sold 850,000 copies in the US, where it was certified platinum by the

(RIAA). In June 2017, it reached one million copies sold in the US.

Critical reception

''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 96, based on 44 reviews. Aggregator

AnyDecentMusic? AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates album reviews from magazines, websites, and newspapers. Primarily focused on popular music – covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots, hip-hop, R&B, and rap – albums are adjudg ...

gave it 9.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. According to ''

Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 ...

'' writer Will Butler, it was universally hailed by critics as an "instant classic". ''Spin'' magazine's Dan Weiss regarded ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' as the "Great American Hip-Hop Album" and an essential listen, while

Neil McCormick Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...

from '' The Daily Telegraph'' called it a dense but dazzling masterpiece that positions Lamar ahead of the prog-rap resurgence led by Kanye West and Drake. Writing for ''Entertainment Weekly'', Kyle Anderson found the record twice as substantial as Lamar's debut major label album and more comprehensive of African-American music styles, with supremely "cinematic" production qualities but "the freedom of a mixtape". '' Irish Times'' journalist Jim Carroll deemed it "a record for the times we're in", in which Lamar transitioned from his past narratives about Compton to fierce but precise reflections on "black America". In ''Rolling Stone'',

Greg Tate Gregory Stephen Tate (October 14, 1957December 7, 2021) was an American writer, musician, and producer. A long-time critic for ''The Village Voice'', Tate focused particularly on African-American music and culture, helping to establish hip-h ...

deemed ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' "a masterpiece of fiery outrage, deep jazz and ruthless self-critique" that along with D'Angelo's third album ''Black Messiah'', made 2015 "the year radical Black politics and for-real Black music resurged in tandem to converge on the nation's pop mainstream."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

wrote in his review on '' Cuepoint'' that not many artists were as passionate and understanding as Lamar, who offered "a strong, brave effective bid to reinstate hip hop as black America's CNN" during an era of social media. While the album's reception was almost universally positive, there were still a few reviews at release that offered minor critiques. For instance, '' New York Times'' critic

Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...

was less enthusiastic than others, feeling Lamar still struggled in reconciling his density as a lyricist with the music he rapped over: "He hasn't outrun his tendency towards clutter ndstill runs the risk of suffocation." In '' The Guardian'',

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...

found the music somewhat erratic and lamented "moments of self-indulgence" such as the twelve-minute "Mortal Man" and Lamar's reflections on fame. However, Petridis still ultimately awarded the album four stars out of five.

Accolades

At the end of 2015, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was the most frequently ranked record in top ten lists of the year's best albums. According to Metacritic, it appeared 101 times in the top ten of lists published by critics, magazines, websites, and music stores. The record topped 51 lists, including those by ''Rolling Stone'', ''Billboard'', '' Pitchfork'', ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'', ''Spin'', ''The Guardian'', ''Complex'', '' Consequence'', '' The Irish Times'', and '' Vice''. '' NME'' ranked it second on their list, while '' Time'' named it the year's third best album. It was voted the best album of 2015 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics nationwide, published by '' The Village Voice''. Christgau, the Pazz & Jop's creator, ranked it fourth in his ballot for the poll. The album placed ninth in British magazine '' The Wire''s annual critics' poll. Based on such rankings, the aggregate website

Acclaimed Music Acclaimed Music is a website created by Henrik Franzon, a statistician from Stockholm, Sweden in September 2001. Franzon has statistically aggregated hundreds of published lists that rank songs and albums into aggregated rankings by year, deca ...

lists ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' as the most critically acclaimed album of 2015. On their lists of best albums of the decade, '' The Independent'' placed it first, ''Consequence'' second, ''Rolling Stone'' third, and ''Pitchfork'' fourth. In ''The Guardian''s 2019 poll of 45 music journalists, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was voted the fourth best album of the 21st century, and contributing writer Ben Beaumont-Thomas said in an accompanying that, "as a celebration of the richness of black artistry, the whole album was a riposte to bigotry." Similarly, in his March 2015 review of the album for '' The Verge'', editor and journalist Micah Singleton had hailed it as "the best album of the 21st century, the best hip-hop album since

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

's '' Ready to Die'' and

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

' '' Illmatic'' in 1994, and it cements Kendrick Lamar's spot as an all-time great." In September 2020, ''Rolling Stone'' released an updated version of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, based on the opinions of over 300 artists, music journalists, and industry insiders, which ranked ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' as the 19th-best album of all time. '' Tampa Bay Times'', placed the album as the second on their list of "The 10 Best Albums of the 2010s". ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' also earned Lamar seven nominations at the

. It was nominated in the categories of

and Best Rap Album, winning the latter but losing the former to Taylor Swift's ''

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

''. "Alright" won for

Best Rap Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which p ...

and

Best Rap Song The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several ...

while also being nominated for

Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to: * Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year * Dove Award for Song of the Year * Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year * Grammis Song of the Year * Grammy Award for Song of the Year * Latin Grammy Awa ...

and

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

. "These Walls" won for Best Rap/Sung Performance. He would also receive four additional nominations for other musical collaborations from that year, making it a total of eleven Grammy nominations for Lamar. This earned Lamar the most Grammy nominations for a rapper in a single night and the second most by any artist in a single night. Michael Jackson and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds are tied for the artists with the most Grammy nominations in a single night with twelve; Jackson in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

and Babyface in

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

. At the previous year's ceremony, "i" had won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' also received a nomination for Top Rap Album at the 2016 ''Billboard'' Music Awards.

Impact

The album's immediate influence was felt as "a pantheon for racial empowerment", according to Butler, who also argued that the record helped create a respected space for conscious hip hop and "will be revered not just at the top of some list at the end of the year, but in the subconscious of music fans for decades to come". Writing for ''

Highsnobiety Highsnobiety is a global fashion and lifestyle media brand founded in 2005 by David Fischer. It was bought by German e-commerce giant Zalando in 2022. Highsnobiety is headquartered in Berlin and has offices in Amsterdam, London, Milan, New York ...

'', Robert Blair said, " 'To Pimp a Butterfly''is the crystallized moment in time where Kendrick became a generation's most potent artistic voice." Uproxx journalist Aaron Williams said the album "proved that left-field, experimental rap can function in both the critical and commercial realms". Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington said that the album "changed music, and we're still seeing the effects of it ..

he album He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

meant that intellectually stimulating music doesn't have to be underground. It just didn't change the music. It changed the audience." ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was an influence on David Bowie's 2016 album ''

Blackstar ''Blackstar'' is an American animated science fantasy television series, produced in 1981 by Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott for Filmation. The series was Filmation's second fantasy epic, the first being '' The Freedom Force'', a segment of ''T ...

''. As its producer Tony Visconti recalled, he and Bowie were "listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar ..we loved the fact Kendrick was so open-minded and he didn't do a straight-up hip-hop record. He threw everything on there, and that's exactly what we wanted to do."

Track listing

* signifies an additional producer * "U" and "I" are stylized in lowercase letters

Sample credits

* "Wesley's Theory" contains elements of "Every Nigger is a Star", written and performed by Boris Gardiner. * "King Kunta" contains interpolations of "Get Nekkid", written by Johnny Burns; resung lyrics from " Smooth Criminal", written by Michael Jackson; elements from "

The Payback ''The Payback'' is the 37th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in December 1973, by Polydor Records. It was originally scheduled to become the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film '' Hell Up in Harlem'', but ...

", written by

Fred Wesley Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s. Biography Wesley was born the son of a high school teacher and big band lead ...

and

John Starks John Levell Starks (born August 10, 1965) is an American former professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career. Although he was undrafted in the 1988 NBA draft after attending four ...

; and samples from "We Want the Funk", written by Ahmad Lewis. * "Momma" contains elements of "Wishful Thinking" written by Sylvester Stewart and performed by Sly and the Family Stone; and elements of "On Your Own", written by Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson and Rex Rideout; and samples from "On Your Own", performed by Lalah Hathaway. * "Hood Politics" contains a sample of "All for Myself", written and performed by

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomi ...

. * "I" contains portions of "

", written by Ronald Isley,

Christopher Jasper Christopher Howard Jasper (born December 30, 1951)Allmusic biography/ref> is an American singer, composer, and producer. Jasper is a former member of the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley and is responsible for writing and producing the maj ...

O'Kelly Isley, Jr. O'Kelly "Kelly" Isley Jr. (December 25, 1937 – March 31, 1986) was an American singer and one of the founding members of the family group the Isley Brothers. Biography The eldest of the Isley Brothers, Kelly started singing with his brothe ...

, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and Rudolph Isley. * "Mortal Man" contains excerpts from "I No Get Eye for Back", written by

Fela Anikulapo Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the p ...

and performed by Houston Person; and featuring parts from the music journalist Mats Nileskar's November 1994 interview with Tupac Shakur for P3 Soul Broadcasting Corporation.

Personnel

Credits for ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' adapted from AllMusic and the album's digital booklet. * Kendrick Lamar – vocals; art direction * George Clinton – vocals (track 1) *

– vocals (tracks 1, 5); background vocals (tracks 7, 12, 14); bass (tracks 3, 13, 15, 16); additional bass (track 5); producer (tracks 10, 12); additional production (track 1) *

– vocals (tracks 4, 5); backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 10) *

– vocals (tracks 4, 5); backing vocals (6, 8–10) *

– vocals (track 4) * James Fauntleroy – vocals (track 11); background vocals (track 16) * Ronald Isley – vocals (track 11); additional vocals (track 15) * Rapsody – vocals (track 12) *

– producer (track 1) * Ronald "Flippa" Colson – producer (track 1) * Sounwave – producer (tracks 3, 7, 10, 12, 16); additional production (tracks 1, 5, 6, 8, 10); keyboards (track 14); string arrangements * Terrace Martin – alto saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 6–9, 11, 13, 14, 16); horns (track 1); keyboards (tracks 5, 6, 8–12); producer (tracks 2, 5); additional production (tracks 3, 8, 12, 13); vocoder (tracks 9, 14); string arrangements * Rahki – producer (tracks 4, 15); percussion (track 15) * Fredrik "Tommy Black" Halldin – producer (track 4) *

Larrance Dopson 1500 or Nothin' is an American musical ensemble composed of record producers, songwriters, musicians and music videographers, formed in 2006, in Los Angeles, California. With headquarters located in Inglewood, California, 1500 or Nothin' is comp ...

– percussion (tracks 5, 11–14); keyboards, producer (track 5) *

Taz Arnold Sa-Ra is an American musical group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn. The name translates roughly to "the children of G ...

aka Tisa – background vocals (tracks 4, 8, 9, 15); producer (tracks 6, 8) * Whoarei – producer (track 6) *

– producer, vocals (track 7) * Knxwledge – producer (track 9) *

Tae Beast Digi+Phonics is an African American hip hop production team, composed of California-based record producers Tae Beast, Sounwave, Dave Free and Willie B. They currently serve as the main in-house producers for Carson-based record label, Top Dawg ...

– producer (track 10) * Lovedragon – producer (tracks 11, 14) * Boi-1da – producer (track 13) * KOZ – producer (track 13) *

– executive producer; background vocals (track 1) * James Hunt – engineer (tracks 1–7, 13–16); mix assistant *

Derek "MixedByAli" Ali Derek Ali (born November 1, 1989), better known by his moniker MixedByAli, is an American mixing engineer. His career began in Los Angeles in the late 2000s recording and mixing for Top Dawg Entertainment artists Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, SZA an ...

– engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–16), mixer * Katalyst – additional drum programming, additional engineering (track 13) * Mike Bozzi – mastering engineer *

Ash Riser Ash Winston Riser (August 29, 1989 – June 12, 2021), also known by his former stage name Ashtrobot, was an American recording artist and music producer. Born and raised in California, he embarked on his music career when he was 15 years ol ...

– background vocals (track 1) *

Josef Leimberg Josef Leimberg (born November 29, 1972) is a producer, lyricist, and trumpet player from Los Angeles. He contributed to Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy Award-winning album, To Pimp a Butterfly, and is currently signed with World Galaxy, the jazz imprint ...

– trumpet (tracks 1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16), vocals (track 1) * Whitney Alford – background vocals (tracks 1, 3) * Robert "Sput" Searight – drums (track 2); keyboards (track 10) * Robert Glasper – piano (track 2); keyboards (tracks 5, 12, 13, 16) * Brandon Owens – bass (tracks 2, 16) * Craig Brockman – organ (track 2) * Marlon Williams – guitar (tracks 2, 5, 6, 11, 14, 16); additional guitar (track 3) * Darlene Tibbs – background vocals (track 2) * Matt Schaeffer – additional guitar (track 3); engineer (tracks 3, 6, 11–16) * Sam Barsh – keyboards (tracks 4, 15) * Pedro Castro – clarinet (track 4) * Gabriel Noel – cello (track 4), upright bass (track 11) * Paul Cartwright – violin (tracks 4, 11, 16) * Gregory Moore – guitar (track 5) * Kamasi Washington – tenor saxophone (track 6); string arrangements * Adam Turchan – baritone saxophone (track 6) * Jessica Vielmas – background vocals (track 6) *

SZA Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally as SZA ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she began making music in the early 2010s, releasing two extended plays before signing with the hip ...

– background vocals (tracks 6, 8) * Candace Wakefield – background vocals (tracks 7, 15) * Preston Harris – background vocals (tracks 8, 10, 14) * Lalah Hathaway – background vocals (tracks 9, 12, 13) * Dion Friley – background vocals (tracks 10, 15) * Talkbox Monte – background vocals (track 12) * JaVonté – background vocals (tracks 12, 14, 16) *

– background vocals/scratches (track 12) *

Ronald Bruner Jr. Ronald Ray Bruner Jr. (born October 5, 1982) is an American jazz drummer, composer and producer. He has played with hardcore punk/crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies. Bruner was part of the band that received a Grammy Award for Best Contem ...

– drums (track 13) * Wyann Vaughn – background vocals (track 14) * Keith Askey – guitar (track 15) * Kendall Lewis – drums (track 15) * Chris Smith – bass (track 15) * William Sweat – background vocals (track 15) * Devon Downing – background vocals (track 15) * Edwin Orellana – background vocals (track 15) * Dave Free – background vocals (track 15) * Junius Bervine – keyboards (track 16) *

Ambrose Akinmusire Ambrose Akinmusire ( born May 1, 1982) is an American avant-garde jazz composer and trumpeter. Biography Born and raised in Oakland, California, Akinmusire was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, where he caught the attention of ...

– trumpet (track 16)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links