We continue our season long analysis of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar with the album’s twelfth track “Complexion (A Zulu Love).”
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After battling depression, survival’s guilt, temptation, selfishness, and suicidal thoughts, Kendrick was humbled by an encounter with god on the album’s previous track “How Much a Dollar Cost?” Continue reading “S1E14 – Complexion (A Zulu Love) by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”
Kendrick, I’ma let you finish, but I just saw one of the craziest concerts of all time.
We’re interrupting our regularly scheduled episode of Dissect for a special piece about my experience at the now infamous Kanye West show in my hometown Sacramento, California.
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This episode is adapted from a piece I wrote for City Scout Magazine called “What We Missed at the Kanye West Sacramento Experience.”
It’s really a piece about empathy, disguised as a piece about Kanye West. I hope you enjoy. We’ll be back next week to continue our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.
Here’s a transcript of Kanye’s now infamous rant: Continue reading “Ye’s Cry for Help (Bonus Episode)”
Our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly continues with the album’s eleventh track, “How Much a Dollar Cost?”
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
Plagued by Uncle Sam (the American Dream) and Lucy (temptation), Kendrick has stood at a metaphoric crossroads for most of the album, deciding whether to use or pimp his talent for good or evil. “How Much a Dollar Cost?” will force Kendrick’s hand. Continue reading “S1E13 – How Much a Dollar Cost? by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”
Our season long examination of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar continues with the album’s tenth track “Hood Politics.”
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Continue reading “S1E12: Hood Politics by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”
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Our season long examination of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar continues with the album’s ninth track “Momma.”
On “Momma,” Kendrick returns home to Compton for the second time on the album. On his first return, he gloated about his success and status on the song “King Kunta.” This time around Kendrick shows signs of maturation. He’s reflective, nostalgic. Having been through the trauma of “u” and the hypnotic seduction of “For Sale?,” home is now a place of grounding comfort that helps Kendrick in his search for clarity and contentment.
Continue reading “S1E11 – Momma by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”
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Whereas the album’s second track “For Free?” was an external reaction to the seductive lures of Uncle Sam, the American Dream incarnate, “For Sale?” is the internal reaction to seductive lures of Lucy, the Devil incarnate. Continue reading “S1E10 – For Sale? by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”
Our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly continues with the album’s seventh song “Alright.”
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
In the context of the album’s narrative, “Alright” takes place the morning after the drunken confession heard on the previous song “u.” After a therapeutic confrontation of his demons, it seems Kendrick has awoken with a more optimistic outlook and seems determined to overcome his anxieties.
Continue reading “S1E9 – “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”
Our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly continues with the album’s sixth song “u.”
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Our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly continues with the album’s fifth song “These Walls.”
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iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6
Our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly continues with the album’s fourth song “Institutionalized.”
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iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6
