Hip hop originated as storytelling, and lyricism was the key factor for any good rapper. The kings of rap were the ones who had the best lines, flow and delivery. Hip hop was created as an art, and its rappers harnessed and developed their crafts. It became more than a music genre; the music was a reflection of the communities the rappers came from as well as its listeners. It became a unifying piece of African American culture, where people had an outlet for their struggles in life. The music resonated for the black community because it was made for the community by community members. More modern music has strayed away from the original concept of hip hop, which was to spread a message, to entertainment. Hip hop has reached popularity in the mainstream media, but the cost has been the artistic merit that came from the music. With "To Pimp a Butterfly," Kendrick Lamar has created a legacy that portrays society with the utmost insight, attention to detail, language and creativity.
Kendrick Lamar’s first album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" is a narrative of how Kendrick Lamar grew up in Compton. The listeners go with Kendrick has he journeys through his adolescent years with vices like girls, peer pressure and violence, but the overall message is that despite the disadvantages you grow up of with, you really can become anything you want. He is proof of that. With "GKMC," Kendrick Lamar easily generated a large fan base with his linear and easy-to-follow story line, along with excellent production and catchy lyricism. It was important for Kendrick to release "GKMC" before he released "TPAB" because "TPAB" had much heavier content, and a lot of fans were upset that it was so deep and not something to casually play on the way to a party. It is a more loaded album, and I respect Kendrick for making that necessary transition.
"TPAB" is a conversation about social dilemmas African Americans are facing. It doesn’t have an explicit story line like "GKMC," but there are reoccurring characters: Lucy, who symbolizes the Devil and temptation, and Uncle Sam, who represents greed. These are the forces who essentially “pimp” the black man and create obstacles between him and success and happiness. The reoccurring themes are institutionalized racism, struggles of being a black man in society, internalized hatred towards the self and black people in general and finding your own self-worth. It was a revolutionary album because it explored these themes in depth.
"u," my personal favorite, is a very emotional song where Kendrick unleashes his insecurities and failures, the demons that haunt his head. He feels guilty since the more successful he is, the more estranged he becomes from the people in the community he grew up in. In “The Blacker the Berry,” Kendrick’s rant is not a personal one, but one that discusses the views of the black man in society. It is a song of self-hatred, where the views of the black man finally dig into him and he begins to see it in himself and his people too. The more the song continues, listeners can see the resentment he has for these perceptions of him and how they aren’t justified. He speaks on the hypocrisy of black people, how they are killing one another, how they participate in violence against one another, but they still understand that the taking of another innocent life — here, he references Trayvon Martin — is wrong and full of injustice. These two dynamic songs highlight the lowest point for Kendrick, both as a musician and a black man. This is a powerful contrast from the self-assured, strong Kendrick Lamar listeners are used to seeing, and he really exposes himself as a human.
In “Alright,” “i” and “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” Kendrick takes a much more positive approach, uplifting black people. In addition to the racism black people have to endure, there is also internalized colorism, where lighter people are seen as better from a societal standpoint and racially as well. The concept of beauty for so long has been geared towards being lighter, where dark people are encouraged to lighten their skin and even children are advised to stay away from the sun so they do not get too dark. “Complexion” combats these views, since under the law and society, all shades of melanin are seen simply as black. Melanin is beautiful, no matter the shade or tone, which Kendrick Lamar preaches, taking the imagery back to the slave days where slaves were divided by complexion; house slaves were lighter while field slaves were the labor slaves who endured harsher treatment.
“Alright” serves as an anthem for black solidarity, especially in the midst of all the police brutality. It’s not so much about everything in the world being good. It is an acknowledgement that bad things are going to happen and we are going to be mistreated, but we need each other to keep strong despite the calamity and brutality and put our faith in God.
“i” is probably the most uplifting song where Kendrick advises his listeners to surround themselves with positivity no matter the bad circumstances they are faced with. Self-love is important, because when the world tells someone they are not important and that their life does not matter, it is easy to fall into the poor views they have of him. Determining one’s own self view is essential to being happy, even when there is so much darkness and destruction. “i” is representative of everyone. “i” is a community of people who are forgotten in justice. “i” is the person who is told that they will not be successful because they do not come from a good background. “i” is the person who does not fit into mainstream beauty standards. We are the only ones who can love ourselves when no one else will. The song is a strong reminder that the most important person in the world is you.
The final song, “Mortal Man” contains a beautiful interview between Kendrick and his idol, the late 2Pac. They discuss important themes in the album, mostly racism and black culture and American society. They also discuss their individual roles to the music industry, and who they are as leaders of hip hop. Since 2Pac is physically gone, the future of the next generation lies in the hands of Kendrick, other rappers (I vote J. Cole!) and other leaders to guide black people out of despair and into a brighter future where black people are valued, are equal and do matter. It is also in this song where the concept for the theme of the title is revealed. A caterpillar just “eats or consume[s] everything/around it, in order to protect itself from this/mad city.” The caterpillar can be anyone, someone who is taking but does not do anything to give back. The caterpillar is only concerned about itself. The cocoon can represent any environment that is meant to contain the caterpillar, being school, media, government or even music in Kendrick’s case. Once trapped in the cocoon, with no way to escape, the caterpillar begins to change, undergoing a metamorphosis, as new hopeful ideas of who he can be take hold of him. A butterfly breaks free, gaining new insight and perspective as he can see everything from a bigger view with this new enlightened mind. He ends the album with this last and final thought, left unanswered by 2Pac: “Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same.”
The entire album, featuring additional songs not mentioned, highlights the current situation plaguing America right now, a beautiful mirror with an ugly reflection. Only, it is not showing America right now, it also showing America in the past and in the future. The problems and themes discussed in the album have been existing for a long time, centuries. As the problems develop with time, they are becoming more complex and harder to solve. There is nothing wrong with listening to mindless music, but when the mind is only exposed to that, so many of us might remain caterpillars. We need albums like this to catalyze our metamorphosis.
Not to mention, Kendrick Lamar brought 2Pac back from the dead with that interview. Who else has done that?
