Tag: Kendrick Lamar

Ye’s Cry for Help (Bonus Episode)

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.

Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes

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)”

S1E13 – How Much a Dollar Cost? 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 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”

S1E12: Hood Politics 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.”

Listen now: iPhone, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes

Continue reading “S1E12: Hood Politics by Kendrick Lamar from To Pimp a Butterfly”

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 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”

S1E7 – “These Walls” 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 fifth song “These Walls.”

iOS: http://apple.co/2bxXWgV
iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6

S1E6 – “Institutionalized” 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 fourth song “Institutionalized.”

iOS: http://apple.co/2bxXWgV
iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6

S1E5 – King Kunta 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 third song “King Kunta.”

iOS: http://apple.co/2bxXWgV
iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6

Dissect now Editor’s Choice on iTunes

Dissect has been selected as an Editor’s Choice podcast on the iTunes homepage! Exciting! We welcome any new listeners gained by the exposure, and shouts out to iTunes for the feature!

iOS: http://apple.co/2bxXWgV
iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6

S1E4 – For Free? 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 second track, For Free?.

Listen:

iOS: http://apple.co/2bxXWgV
iTunes: http://itunes.com/dissect
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ciY7x6

S1E3 – Wesley’s Theory by Kendrick Lamar

We begin our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly with the album’s opening track, Wesley’s Theory.

Listen to Episode 3 on iTunes: iTunes.com/dissect

To Pimp a Butterfly is a concept album that documents Lamar’s journey from caterpillar to butterfly (metaphorically, of course). Wesley’s Theory introduces the album’s protagonist, Kendrick himself, a young, naive rapper that has achieved stardom and escaped from the cocoon of Compton. We also meet the album’s antagonist, Uncle Sam, who looks to exploit young Kendrick for profit.

Through the lens of this song, we’ll cover topics like the American Dream in modern society, the origins of the phrase “40 Acres and a mule”, Dave Chapelle’s exit from his hit TV show, and Wesley Snipes’ tax evasion conviction.

We’ll also examine how Wesley’s Theory is written cinematically and sets the stage for the narrative that unfolds throughout To Pimp a Butterfly.

If you like what you’ve heard so far, consider rating Dissect on iTunes. It really helps.