For those of you that have been living on Mars for a few years; Kendrick Lamar is one of the most highly touted and well-respected rappers to emerge in recent times. Adored by both rap fans and fellow musicians, he has been compared to the likes of Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube and Bob Dylan. And before you ask….Yes, I said Bob Dylan. Well, Pharrrel Williams did.

After taking an almost 3 year hiatus, The Compton native released “To Pimp a Butterfly”, his first album since the critically acclaimed “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”. The story behind the album title is a strange one; after ditching several other planned titles, Kendrick claimed, “I just really wanted to show the brightness of life and the word “pimp” has so much aggression, and that represents several things. For me, it represents using my celebrity for good. Another reason is, not being pimped by the industry through my celebrity.”

The anticipation for this album is something that’s been lost from Hip-hop in recent times. In all honesty, the last time I can remember a hip-hop album release becoming so captivating was on September 11^th 2007, when both Kanye West and 50 Cent released their respective albums (“Curtis” and “Graduation”).

The pressure was well and truly on Kendrick, who at this point has become a rap deity to his fans. With titles such as “savior of hip-hop” and “the new Tupac Shakur” synonymous to Kendrick, there’s no question many were expecting a classic in the proportions of “Illmatic”.

Did the album live up to expectations? I don’t think it did. I think it surpassed them.

Many expected him to release a music album and what his fans got instead was a socio-political manifesto, the likes of which I personally haven’t experienced through the medium of modern hip-hop music (on this level anyway). The album is both contextually poignant and thought provocative. There are many layers to the album and to mention them all in this article would read similarly to a college dissertation. So I’ll try and keep it brief.

After first listening to the album, I was completely flabbergasted. I was overawed by his consistent challenges to black culture’s ethos, as well as the condemnation and reluctance to allow himself to become “pimped” or bought by the entertainment industry in the name of selling out his morality. This theme has been heard by many black entertainers before; Dave Chappelle for example quit his show and allegedly turned down £50 million dollars to stay, in the name of his morality and racial integrity. “And if I gotta brown nose for some gold, then I’d rather be a bum than a motherfuckin’ baller” sums up his argument in “King Kunta”. Pretty heavy stuff, considering we’re only on track 3.

The constant idea that Kendrick is the new face and voice of the black community is constantly reinforced. He has mixed views on this idea and can be heard In “Mortal Man” interviewing Tupac Shakur posthumously about this. The complexities associated with Kendrick taking on this role are consistently referred to. “I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence, sometimes I did the same” is heard repeatedly throughout the album to reinforce this.

His overall disgust and confusion about himself is also referred to in “Blacker the Berry” when he says, “So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street, when gang banging make me kill a n***a blacker than me? Hypocrite”. The mention of both the Trayvon Martin case and black gang culture are very sensitive subjects, but Kendrick shows bravery by going headfirst into it. He holds nothing back and condemns his own actions and thoughts. More importantly, this lyric directly condemns the gang elements related to civil rights cases, such as the events surrounding the Trayvon Martyn case. The term “paradigm shifting” isn’t a strong enough expression for a message as powerful as this, and sets this album apart from other modern hip-hop albums. Truly revolutionary material.

Kendrick’s brutal honesty and constant referral to historical context and political influence is a breathe of fresh air in modern hip-hop. Kendrick’s taken the genre of politi-rapping to a previously unattainable level, and has embedded this poetic message into a beautifully produced music album. His unique commentary on black culture is an audio masterpiece and his take on entertainment and show-business is fascinating. This, in my opinion, is the best album I’ve heard in years and a true lyrical masterpiece. I’d rate this album 10/10, 5 microphones out of 5 and reward the album all the accolades I could. I don’t think anything rap/hip-hop related holds a candle to this. Nothing even comes close.