Annotated Bibliography: To Pimp A Butterfly

Have you ever wondered who was loyal to you no matter the situation? If you’re riding with your homeboys and they commit a crime would you be loyal and hold them down? When you are doing something for the right cause do you see yourself in the shadow of someone who has taken a similar route? The song “Mortal Man” written by Kendrick Lamar discusses loyalty, interpersonal relationships, and discrimination to people of color throughout the song. This song is one of many that has had the opportunity to have been archived into the Harvard Library along with the completed album “To Pimp A Butterfly”. In this essay I will research, explore, AND dissect the song “Mortal Man”.

In the essay, “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal Of Black Women”(221), by Jennifer McLune, she vents her feelings regarding hip-hop songs that are rhythmically diminishing the value of black women. She provides example on how the lyrics are being voiced and how hip-hop artists do not seem to care. Kevin Powell in “Notes of a Hip Hop Head” writes, “Indeed, like rock and roll, hip-hop sometimes makes you think we men don’t like women much at all, except to objectify them as trophy pieces or, as contemporary vernacular mandates, as baby mommas, chicken heads, or bitches” (221). There have been apologizes for what the rappers have said but nothing to resolve the dehumanization of black women. McLune informs the readers that hip-hop singers belittle black women and make them invisible. Jay-Z, a popular hip-hop artist is brought to center stage by McLune. The essay shows the example of a part of Jay-Z song that says, “I pimp hard on a trick, look Fuck if your leg broke bitch hop on your good foot” (222). This lyric is a perfect example of how hip-hop artist have no remorse in the words they sing. The hurt feelings and loss of self-esteem black women suffer, is of no concern to the rappers. McLune expresses that those who are underground hip-hop artist follow the footsteps on being sexist and using crude words in their lyrics just because they yearn and dream of being in the spotlight. Upcoming rappers want to be loved like Jay-Z and other famous notorious rappers.

Between the World and Me, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is written as a letter to his son about realities associated with being black in the United States of America. His tone is somewhat poetic and quite bleak, based on his personal experiences. The book is intense, it is an address to a nation that ignores its own blatant history of racism, a nation that does not prosecute police officers who kill innocent black citizens, a nation that supports a policy of mass incarceration. He writes about growing up in Baltimore, Maryland and details the ways in which institutions (school, police, and the streets) discipline, endanger, and threaten to harm black men and women. Between the World and Me is an intimate confession of the fears of a black American father.

“Between the World and Me”, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is a letter written to his son about what it means to be black and how tough it is to be a part of this race in the United States of America. In this book, Coates talks about his life in the black community, starting from childhood memories all the way to present day. Coates also tries sends a message, which is that his son should not lower his guard and be completely confident about who he is, instead he should be afraid about what the world is capable of doing to a black man. In this work, Coates disagrees on what it means to be black or white in America.

Kendrick Lamar’s third studio album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” sheds light on the struggle of achieving rich and fame and the trials that come with. Rolling Stone and Billboard praised the album awarding it the best album of 2015. The album depicts the difficulties of fame by putting the trials and tribulations on display; the inability for those to adjust to their new lifestyle and the potential temptations that creep in. “To Pimp a Butterfly” has been both a divisive and uniting factor in its emergence in popular culture.

Between the World and Me is a long letter that Ta-Nehisi Coates writes to his teenage son, Samori. Coates uses history and past experiences to express to his son how America does not value the black man’s body. Coates starts by telling of what it was like for him growing up in Baltimore. How he saw black men dress and carry themselves in attempts to possess themselves and power. He then talks about the awakening of his black consciousness at Howard University. Howard is where he first started learning about the contributions of black people in American history. He also was introduced to a variety of different types of black people. Howard is also where Coates experienced the death of a close friend, Prince Jones, that catapults the most powerful message in his novel; The American Dream is an insidious idea glorified by whites and the media that was built on the marginalization of black people.

Intro: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth's work is the product of his life experiences. Through his personal life and the constant pain and pleasure discussing personal struggles and triumphs, Lamar was able to rise above the expectations of failure through his music, a product of the ghetto where his heroes are the musicians who escaped. Thoughtful details about Compton childhood baby born in poverty, gang war, and the crack epidemic where there can be a different path. Lamar's music reaching out, narratives on how he didn't give up. His work demonstrates the struggles black people faced in the past as well as today in regards to racism, discrimination, and police violence.

The social landscape of our country has become a volatile solution of opposing opinions, and revolutionary ideas. This environment becomes the breeding ground for significant social change music that’s comparable to the pioneers like Jon Lennon, Bob Marley, and Jimmie Hendrix. Major social biases like gay rights or the war in the Middle East are being protested with music. One of the more notable events that is being perused by artists is the subject of police brutality, and racism which is backed by the Black Lives Matter campaign. Artist like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Common have all created protests songs supporting this movement calling for justice. One of the most notable songs in that has influence the Black Lives Matter movement is Kendrick Lamar’s Alight.

Kendrick Lamar’s recent win of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for music, is significant because he is the first rap artist ever to be nominated and receive an award in the history of Pulitzer Prizes. A win such a this is an insurmountable feat for him. His socially conscious lyrics are about empowerment and progress as well as being completely sincere about the everyday life of an African American person living in America. Being awarded the Pulitzer Prize is implies that the committee acknowledges, on a social and cultural level, the narrative of young Black Men in america and the issues that permeate American society. It brings attention to hip hop and validates the art that for so long others attempted to discredit to silence the voice and

Rap and hip hop have been used as tools to explain the socioeconomic and political context of inner cities, as well as explore social and moral issues, and have done so with great success. However, critics have said that the recent commercialization of hip hop results in superficial rap. Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly pushes back against this idea, and explores complex themes. Kendrick explores how financial success has changed him, how US politics affects inner cities, and why the world needs racial harmony with three tracks on his album: “How much as dollar worth”, “Hood Politics” and “Complexion: A Zulu Love” respectively.

Kendrick Lamar, an artist who had grown up in Compton, writes about his struggles of discrimination and growing up in a gang-filled city in the form of hip-hop. The mark of success of bearing witness through music is the inspiration of those listening

Like Kamasi Washington, Kendrick also has a new album out called To Pimp a Butterfly and recently performed in New York. Thoughout his career, he has never been afraid to experiment and take risks with all aspects of his music. Instead of rapping over trendy beats and spitting simple bars, Kendrick threw it back to funk, R&B, and soul in his production and utilized unique rhyme schemes, repetition, and narratives in his lyrics. Also, Kendrick displayed a wide arrange of deliveries and cadences to intensify the impact of his message. For example, he utilizes an aggressive flow and angry voice infliction on “Blacker the Berry” to express his frustrations with racial hypocrisy in society, while on “You Ain’t Gotta Lie” he employs a friendly and smooth flow and high-pitch voice to create a very chill and endearing track to listeners. Hence, I hope to tackle the social issues I bring up in my project by using narratives, repetition and creative delivery methods like Kendrick.

If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it? This line, from the seductive slow jam “Poetic Justice” on his previous critically-acclaimed LP, encapsulates the common theme found throughout all of Kendrick’s discography, and it delves into one of the most moral questions in human existence: can good come from evil? In his third studio album, hip-hop artist and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, in his distinguishable style of storytelling—jazzy, meditative beats underpinning confessional, dexterous rhymes—ventures into his dark past with financial and psychological struggles and describes his tumultuous journey from being just a troubled kid in the hood to a major voice in the hip-hop industry. To Pimp a Butterfly paints

This article offers a more critical review of Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly.” The author criticizes the album for being overwhelming and difficult to listen to. They author supports his opinion with details from the album. The author makes it clear that he generally enjoys the album, but he doesn’t feel that it deserves all of the credit that it receives. This will be a very useful source as it provides a more negative review to include in my research.

Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” covers many important issues including self-hatred, blackness, representations of success, and police brutality. In one track off the album, “The Blacker The Berry”, Lamar speaks from the perspective of a young, angry, black man who takes a confrontational and hostile stance against police brutality. From the instrumental, to the features, to Lamar’s tone, to the lyrics, everything about this song screams rebellion against harmful institutions and police who seek to diminish the state of black people in America and the world.