Introducing LAST SONG STANDING, a new show in which Cole Cuchna (Dissect) and Charles Holmes (The Ringer) attempt the impossible: crowning the single best Kendrick Lamar song of all time.
To do this, Cole and Charles will debate their way through Kendrick’s entire catalog over 7 episodes. First up? good kid, m.A.A.d. city.
Listen to LAST SONG STANDING now on the Dissect feed.
Season 5 dissects Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize winning album, DAMN.
A direct continuation of To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN. tells the story of conflicted prophet Kung Fu Kenny who rejects God’s call to prophesy in order to pursue sex, money, and murder. We follow Kenny as he attempts to reverse his curses into blessings.
Listen to Episode 1 on Spotify now (and a week later everywhere else).
UPDATE: You can now purchase The Blacker the Berry book at blackerberry-book.com.
I’ve teamed with artist/Dissect listener Hannah Sellers to create a book called The Blacker the Berry, now available for pre-order on Kickstarter. The book is a visual exploration of the social and historical context of Kendrick Lamar’s song “The Blacker the Berry.” Hannah created beautiful graphic collages that accompany my analysis of the song, and it really enhances your experience and understanding of Kendrick’s message. Seriously, this thing is absolutely gorgeous, a true piece of art.
For a limited time, you can back this project by pre-ordering your very own copy. We’ve also set a stretch goal, and if reached, we’ll donate $1 of every book sold to Social Works, a youth empowerment charity started by Chance the Rapper.
Support this project by visiting our Kickstarter!
Throughout Dissect Season 1, we collected donations to benefit Compton’s Centennial High School music program. This was Kendrick Lamar’s alma mater, a school he’s since donated money to in an effort to keep off the streets and in the music studio.
On Friday, April 7th, the Centennial High Jazz Band traveled to Palo Alto, California to perform in the World Strides competition. After their performance, they went sightseeing in San Francisco.
For many of the kids, the trip was the first time traveling such a distance outside of Compton. Dissect funds were used for those kids could not afford the trip on their own, but were able to attend due to our support.
I had the opportunity to travel to Palo Alto, see the performance, and meet the band afterwards. Band director Manuel Castaneda was very gracious, and the kids themselves were very polite and appreciative. It was a beautiful experience, something I’ll never forget.
Thank you to all the Dissect listeners who donated to this cause. You helped to provide a memorable life experience for those would otherwise could not have attended. Small acts, big rewards.
Our season long analysis of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar continues with the album’s final song “Mortal Man”.
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
Part 1 examines the song “Mortal Man” while Part 2 dissects the conversation between Kendrick and 2Pac that concludes the album.
Our season long analysis of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar continues with “i.”
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
Part 1 examines the studio single version of “i” while Part 2 studies the staged live version that appears on the album.
I have a goal of raising $1,000 by the end of Season 1. I think we can easily achieve this goal! Updates will be given weekly.
DONATION PERKS:
Dissect T-Shirt (S-XL)
Riz Apparel “Levitate” Hat. Riz Apparel is a brand of dad caps curated by culture.
Printed and Signed Season 1 Manuscript
(to be made upon completion of Season 1)
All donation perks will be sent digitally or physically upon completion of Season 1 in late January.
DONATION TIERS:
You will receive a confirmation e-mail from me within 24 hours. If you experience trouble using the link above, please e-mail DISSECTPODCAST@GMAIL.COM
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*Proceeds=all money after recouping shipping and perk production costs. Each Donation perk = $15 (includes shipping in United States**)
For example, if you contributed $30, $15 goes to cover the cost of donation perk, and $15 goes to music program fundraiser.
**For international shipping, additional cost will be required depending on location. Please contact dissectpodcast@gmail.com to arrange your order.
Our season long examination of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar continues with the “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said)”
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
Our season long analysis of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar continues with the album’s thirteenth track “The Blacker the Berry.”
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
The song was the album’s second single and released amidst the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s incredibly potent, packed with references to the historic oppression of the black community, race relations in contemporary American society, police brutality, the US penitentiary system, and the complexities of black identity, among many others. Continue reading “S1E15/16 – The Blacker the Berry by Kendrick Lamar”
We continue our season long analysis of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar with the album’s twelfth track “Complexion (A Zulu Love).”
Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes
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”
