New Kendrick: Blaxploitation Music?

"To Pimp A Butterfly"

Kendrick Lamar dropped his new album March 16. With a new style to rap that we have seen in a while. With some funk, jazz, soul ,hard rap, and poems Kendrick makes noise with his new work. 

This new album has so many components that people are talking about starting with the title "To Pimp A Butterfly", what Kendrick means by this is mentioned in "Mortal Man" track.

“The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it

Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city

While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive

One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly

The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar

But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits

Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him

He can no longer see past his own thoughts

He’s trapped

When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots, such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city

The result?

Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant

Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle

Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same."

These verses have a deep meaning of a butterfly and how the saying came about.

Based off the tracklist alone, the listener's can have a sense of what type of album it is. A political statement for the people a source of self-realization...

1. Wesley's Theory ft. George Clinton and Thundercat

2. For Free? (Interlude)

3. King Kunta

4. Institutionalized ft. Bilal, Anna Wise, and Snoop Dogg

5. These Walls ft. Bilal, Anna Wise, and Thundercat

6. u

7. Alright

8. For Sale? (Interlude)

9. Momma

10. Hood Politics

11. How Much A Dollar Cost ft. James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley

12. Complexion ft. Rapsody

13. The Blacker the Berry ft. Assassin

14. You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)

15. i

16. Mortal Man

In "King Kunta", it takes the meaning of him(Kendrick) being the power for a black community such as the slave that tried to escape although he had obstacles in his way to freedom. 

"Hood Politics", the title explains itself, a view of Kendrick childhood of living in the hood. 

To have the lyrics and more background of the album and Kendrick's perspective or message here's a link. 

My favorite song from the album would have to be "Mortal Man", this song structure is something no one has done before with having a interview with the dead (Tupac). If you follow Kendrick you know his biggest influence is Pac, the questions he asked how so many messages for the listeners and perspectives to the issues occurring right now. By having Tupac's opinions heard it brought back the vibe of powerful change and the movement he stood and fought for.

Tupac is famous for stating "If I cant make a change I will hope to spark an individual's brain who knows how to change the world" is Kendrick Tupac's spark for change?  

Kendrick takes us into a new world of music within old sounds and old issues that still occur in todays society. This album reminds me of a Blaxploitation form of art, because it aims to certain audience and takes a drive into young minds by showing them the setting, issues, and history.