To Pimp a Butterfly

Untitled

To Pimp a Butterfly is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar. The album was released on March 16, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and distributed by Interscope Records.

Background

Kendrick Lamar first revealed plans of releasing a follow-up to his major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012), on February 28, 2014, during an interview with Billboard. Lamar has described the album, which incorporates elements of funk, spoken word poetry and jazz, as "honest, fearful and unapologetic."

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Kendrick indicated that the title was a play on Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He was quoted as saying, "Just putting the word 'pimp' next to 'butterfly'… It's a trip. That's something that will be a phrase forever. It'll be taught in college courses — I truly believe that."

Release and promotion

On March 10, 2015, Lamar announced his third album to be titled, To Pimp a Butterfly. On the same day, Lamar unveiled the album cover, when he posted a picture of it on his official Instagram page. After a rumored track-listing surfaced via the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), on March 12, 2015, Lamar confirmed the album's track-listing.

On March 15, 2015, the album was released on iTunes eight days ahead of its scheduled release date. According to TDE's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, the album's early release was unintentional, apparently caused by an error on the part of Interscope Records. On the following day, the option to purchase the album was removed from iTunes and the release date was reverted back to March 23.

Singles

On September 23, 2014, Kendrick Lamar released "i", as a single via digital distribution. On November 15, 2014, Lamar appeared on Saturday Night Live, as the musical guest, where he performed the extended version of "i" which is the copy that will be included on the album.

On February 9, 2015, Lamar released the album's second official single, titled "The Blacker the Berry".

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
GQ	Very favorable
NY Daily News
The Guardian

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Wesley's Theory" (featuring George Clinton and Thundercat)	Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, George Clinton, Steven Ellison, Ronald Colson, Stephen Bruner, Boris Gardiner	Flying Lotus, Ronald "Flippa" Colson, Sounwave (add.), Thundercat (add.)	4:47
2.	"For Free? (Interlude)"	K. Duckworth, Terrace Martin, R. McKinney	Terrace Martin	2:10
3.	"King Kunta"	K. Duckworth, S. Bruner, Johnny Burns, Michael Jackson, Ahmad Lewis, Stefan Gordy	Sounwave, Terrace Martin (add.)	3:54
4.	"Institutionalized" (featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Snoop Dogg)	K. Duckworth, Columbus Smith, Frederik Halldin, Sam Barsh, Itzik Bensoli	Itzik Bensoli	4:31
5.	"These Walls" (featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat)	K. Duckworth, T. Martin, Larrance Dopson, James Fauntleroy, R. McKinney	Terrace Martin, Larrance Dopson, Sounwave (add.)	5:00
6.	"u"	K. Duckworth, Taz Arnold, Michael Brown	Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A, Whoarei, Sounwave (add.)	4:28
7.	"Alright"	K. Duckworth, Pharrell Williams, Mark Spears	Pharrell Williams, Sounwave	3:39
8.	"For Sale? (Interlude)"	K. Duckworth, T. Arnold	Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A, Sounwave (add.), Terrace Martin (add.)	4:51
9.	"Momma"	K. Duckworth, Glen Boothe, T. Arnold, Sylvester Stewart, Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson, Rex Rideout	Knxwledge, Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A	4:43
10.	"Hood Politics"	K. Duckworth, Donte Perkins, M. Spears, S. Bruner, Sufjan Stevens	Tae Beast, Sounwave, Thundercat	4:52
11.	"How Much a Dollar Cost" (featuring James Fauntleroy & Ronald Isley)	K. Duckworth, T. Martin, Josef Leimberg, R. McKinney, J. Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley	LoveDragon	4:21
12.	"Complexion (A Zulu Love)" (featuring Rapsody)	K. Duckworth, S. Bruner, M. Spears, Marlanna Evans	Thundercat, Sounwave, Terrace Martin (add.), Antydote (add.)	4:23
13.	"The Blacker the Berry"	K. Duckworth, Matthew Jehu Samuels, Stephen Kozmeniuk, K. Lewis, Brent Kolatalo, Jefferey Campbell, Alexander Izquierdo, Zale Epstein	Boi-1da, KOZ, Terrace Martin (add.)	5:28
14.	"You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)"	K. Duckworth, T. Martin, R. McKinney, J. Leimberg, M. Spears	LoveDragon	4:01
15.	"i"	K. Duckworth, Columbus Smith, R. Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley, Christopher Jasper	Rahki	5:36
16.	"Mortal Man"	K. Duckworth, M. Spears, S. Bruner, Fela Anikulapo	Sounwave	12:07
Total length:				78:51

Sample credits

• "Wesley's Theory" contains elements of "Every Nigger Is a Star", written and performed by Boris Gardiner.
• "King Kunta" contains interpolations of "Get Nekkid", written by Johnny Burns, as performed by Mausberg; resung lyrics from "Smooth Criminal", written and performed by Michael Jackson; elements of "The Payback", written by James Brown, Fred Wesley, and John Starks, as performed by James Brown; and samples of "We Want the Funk", written by Ahmad Lewis, as performed by Ahmad.
• "Momma" contains elements of "On Your Own", written and performed by Lalah Hathaway, along with "Computer Love", written and performed by Zapp and Roger.
• "Hood Politics" contains a sample of "All for Myself", written and performed by Sufjan Stevens.
• "i" contains a sample of "That Lady", written by Ronald Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley, and Christopher Jasper, as performed by The Isley Brothers.
• "Mortal Man" contains excerpts from "I No Get Eye for Back", written by Fela Anikulapo, as performed by Houston Person; and a sample of music journalist Mats Nileskar's November 1994 interview with Tupac Shakur for P3 Soul Broadcasting Corporation.

Notes

• "Wesley's Theory" contains additional vocals performed by Dr. Dre, Anna Wise, Ash Rise, Josef Leimberg and Whitney Alford.
• "For Free? (Interlude)" contains additional vocals performed by Anna Wise and Darlene Tibbs.
• "King Kunta" contains additional vocals performed by Whitney Alford.
• "u" contains additional vocals performed by Bilal, Jessica Vielmas and SZA.
• "Alright" contains additional vocals performed by Pharrell Williams, Candace Wakefield and Thundercat.
• "For Sale? (Interlude)" contains additional vocals performed by Bilal, Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A, Preston Harris and SZA.
• "Momma" contains additional vocals performed by Lalah Hathaway and Bilal.
• "Hood Politics" contains additional vocals performed by Bilal, Anna Wise, Preston Harris and Dion Friley.
• "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" contains additional vocals performed by Thundercat, Lalah Hathaway, Talkbox Monte, Javonte and Pete Rock.
• "You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)" contains additional vocals performed by Thundercat, Preston Harris, Wyann Vaughn and Javonte.
• "i" contains additional vocals performed by Taz Arnold AKA Ti$A, William Sweat, Candace Wakefield, Devon Downing, Edwin Orellana, Dave Free, Dion Friley and Ronald Isley.
• "Mortal Man" contains additional vocals performed by James Fauntleroy, Javonte & Tupac Shakur.