To Pimp a Butterfly is a timeless classic

Jun 17, 2025

For

Between his second and third studio albums (Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and To Pimp A Butterfly), Kendrick took a life-changing trip to South Africa in 2014. He traveled across the country and visited historical sites, such as Nelson Mandela's cell. He saw things he had not been taught. This experience made him discard two or three entire albums, according to his engineer MixedByAli. He comments that Lamar is like a sponge, incorporating everything happening in Africa and in his life to complete a gigantic puzzle.

Kendrick also aimed to point out the roots of the problem, arriving at how the state, the entertainment industry, and the American way of life contribute to violence and racism against him. Even though these questions arose in 2015, they can and should still be asked today.

The desire was to create music that reflected the sounds of his upbringing in Compton. Listening to Sly Stone, Donald Byrd, and Miles Davis, TPAB emerged — incorporating jazz, funk, soul, spoken word poetry, and of course, hip-hop. "I wanted to make an album like that on my debut album, but I didn't have enough confidence," Lamar said.

The album became an interpretation of the issues faced by black people in America, discussing concepts of identity conflict, mental slavery, suicide, intergenerational trauma, apartheid, Uncle Sam, white supremacy, etc. “The theme of the album was forming over time, and many of the social issues he presents in the album were inevitable for him as a black man in America,” said Thundercat in an interview. The widely acclaimed project received 11 Grammy nominations, including Best Rap Album and Album of the Year.

“The title captured the entire concept of the album. [I wanted] to deconstruct the idea of being exploited in the industry, in the community, and all the knowledge you thought you had, only to discover a new life and want to share it.”

The cover shows the consequences of a black revolution in the backyard of the White House. The album is a soundtrack for the new struggle faced by people of color. Courageous, Kendrick is honest and has no excuses to speak what he feels. He is a product of a failed system.

“This song is the cover of the album,” comments Sounwave, who co-produced with Thundercat the first track — “Wesley's Theory.” The song emerged from a particular beat that Flying Lotus was playing while they were on tour with Kanye West. "You know nothing about this. This is real funk. You’re not going to rap about this." That’s when Kendrick saw it as a challenge.

In a range of characters, such as old friends, a boy, a homeless man, and Lucy, Kendrick tells his story. America and its government are personified in Uncle Sam. A conversation between Tupac and Lamar closes the album. Black culture, racism, black pain, depression, identity, spirituality, fame, and image are themes discussed from start to finish.

Two poems outline the main concept of the album and continue the narrative. The poem from which the album takes its name tells the story of a caterpillar trapped by its environment. The caterpillar resents the butterfly, which represents all the beauty and potential within itself. The butterfly also represents change and transformation. As the caterpillar is trapped within the institutionalized walls of the cocoon, it begins to learn and frees itself from the eternal struggle. Free, it shines light on situations the caterpillar never considered. “Though the butterfly and the caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same.”

The other poem, revealed gradually throughout the album, narrates Kendrick's personal struggle with everything he is dealing with: pain, depression, spiritual warfare, fame.

"I remember you were conflicted Using your influence — sometimes, I did the same Abusing my power, filled with resentment Resentment that turned into a deep depression"

“I had to find George Clinton in the woods, man. He was somewhere in the South, and I had to fly to him. We got to the studio and connected immediately. Working with him took my art to another level and inspired me to make more music like this for the album,” said Kendrick — "Wesley's Theory" and "For Free?" are the opening tracks that serve as an introduction to the album. The first alludes to Wesley Snipes, an actor who was imprisoned for tax evasion; additionally, it features a sample from “Every Nigger Is a Star,” by Jamaican singer Boris Gardiner. With Thundercat and George Clinton, the track anticipates the arc of the album: illusion of success, ego, and crisis.

The second, referencing Charles Mingus's bebop, is a declaration. Kendrick responds to a woman — an allegory for the USA — who treats him as property, just as the country consumes the black body without payment: “This dick ain't free!”.

They provide a good overview of what the album is about, but the story or concept is solidified in “King Kunta,” with Kendrick’s personal poem. Kunta Kinte, a symbol of the struggle against slavery, is the central reference. With funk that recalls James Brown, it features Thundercat's prominent bass. “That strong beat with drums and bass was created by me and Sounwave watching "The North Star Fist" while eating Yoshinoya,” comments the producer. Here, Kendrick positions himself as a king that the system tries to control — an anthem of power and racial consciousness.

In “Institutionalized,” the mind remains “institutionalized” even outside prison, a critique of social conditioning. In a blend of jazz-soul with boom bap, Kendrick narrates how his friends from Compton react to the luxurious environment of Hollywood. “These Walls” is one of the album’s most sophisticated compositions, combining layers of spiritual identity, sexuality, guilt, and social critique in verses filled with visual metaphors and sophisticated arrangements. The production and lyrics work together to create a powerful narrative about physical, mental, social, and intimate boundaries.

“The session for "u" was very uncomfortable. He wrote this in the booth. The microphone was on, and I could hear him going back and forth with super angry vocals. Then he began to record with the lights off and it was super emotional. I never asked him what affected him that day,” said MixedByAli in an interview. For Kendrick, it was truly uncomfortable, as he was dealing with his own issues. The great dilemma for him was being back home sending a ‘message of salvation’ or on the road, rapping.

Produced by Pharrell and Sounwave, “Alright” became an anthem of Black Lives Matter. “That beat… I don't think Pharrell was even going to play it for us, but one of his close friends — who is also our friend, and who set up the session — said: “Pharrell, you need to show this beat to them.” And he played it for Kendrick, and the beat was there, but it wasn't fully there, in terms of vibe. So that was my job: to add the layers of drums, call Terrace [Martin] to add some saxophone riffs, and make it ours. It’s a completely different song from the original... you would understand if you could compare, but that probably will never happen.” When it was produced, they did not expect the song to be of protest, but they were sure they were going to do something because the moment they were living made the music perfect.

Lucy — a loving diminutive of Lucifer — talks to Kendrick in “For Sale? (Interlude)” and personifies the industry, fame, and temptation. Lamar speaks about the devil, about selling his soul and how he is fighting against it. The spiritual origin of the album occurs in “Momma,” where Kendrick highlights references to Compton and Africa. Produced by Knxwledge and Taz Arnold, with background vocals from Lalah Hathaway, the song combines elements of R&B, funk, and hip-hop. Kendrick lists everything he “knows,” but ends up recognizing that “he didn't think he knew everything until the day he came back home.”

“It’s been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo” — the critique of the false militancy of mainstream rap appears in “Hood Politics,” where street politics are compared to Washington politics. Kendrick demonstrates his storytelling ability in "How Much A Dollar Cost," a song in which he interacts with a homeless man who in the end reveals himself to be God. The song ends as Ronald Isley sings a prayer of repentance, asking for forgiveness from God. It is at this point that Kendrick frees himself from Lucy & Uncle Sam. (Obama stated this was his favorite song of 2015).

“Thundercat created the foundation of the track, for sure,” Sounwave comments on “Complexion.” In the spirit of J Dilla, the idea was to make a song that reflected all the skin tones of black women — a concept that came from South Africa when Kendrick visited the country. What made the track so special was bringing in Rapsody, a female perspective on skin tone: feeling insecure and at the same time having gratitude for her tone. The critique of America for the perceptions and stereotypes often attributed to black culture continues in “Blacker the Berry.” The phrase “I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015” accompanies each verse of the song, without specifying the reason. Kendrick wants the listener to feel uncomfortable.

Going beyond social criticism, in “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said),” Kendrick assumes a maternal posture, talking to himself. It’s a song composed of things his mother has already told him in life. The lyrics and their meanings come directly from real life. In contrast to “u,” the penultimate track — “i” — is a testament to the love we can have for ourselves. “I love myself.” The song is a triumphant closing to finding oneself in a world that may seem against you. "I've been through a lot. Judgment, tribulation, but I know God."

Finally, to understand the importance of TPAB, just listen to the last track. “Mortal Man” brings the full poem. The tracks are “stitched” together, and you understand, upon deep reflection, the meaning of it all. Here, Kendrick recites the poem “Another N*gga” to Tupac. “When Tupac was here and I saw him as a 9-year-old boy, I think that was the birth of what I'm doing today. From the moment he left, I knew the things he was saying would eventually be conveyed by someone else. But I was too young to know that it would be me who would do it,” Lamar comments in an interview.

Tupac is his idol, who by just a day’s difference, does not share a birthday with the rapper. The interview, considered something unprecedented, was taken by a fan from a Swedish radio station in 1994. The person asking the “questions” was Kendrick himself, without an engineer, without anything. On his computer, editing, already knowing what he wanted to say.

Kendrick positions himself as a spokesperson for injustice to the black community, while reiterating that he is just a mortal man who will also make mistakes. "Will you follow me if I err? Will you love me if I fall?" he quotes. In his conversation with 2pac, he reflects on the status of black people in the US, but also relates it to other countries and eras.

After a two-year process, the album was finalized. Kendrick knew he needed the best by his side. “I wanted to make this dense album. I didn’t want to make something to play on the radio. Nor something for the car. This comes from my love for music and my knowledge of how people connect with an album.”

In TPAB, Kendrick confronts his own insecurities, but in a way that those who listen can also identify. He accepts himself as a leader, values that, and does not shy away from his responsibility. Change is frightening, and he makes that clear throughout the album. The album is a work of art — it doesn't provide answers but contributes to the discussion that must be had daily about race.

“I want you to be able to walk down the street, sit at a bus stop, and keep listening to these songs repeatedly. And I want you to sleep listening to these tracks on your headphones, because what happens is that you start to understand more over time — throughout the week, the month, the year. In ten years, you'll still find new gems in there. And that was, for sure, the goal I wanted to achieve.” Timeless, its importance is fundamental.

“I remember you were conflicted

Misusing your influence

Sometimes I did the same

Abusing my power, filled with resentment

Resentment that turned into a deep depression

I found myself screaming in the hotel room

I didn’t want to self-destruct

The evils of Lucy were around me

So I ran to get answers

Until I got home

But that didn’t stop the survivor's guilt

Going back and forth trying to convince myself of the stripes I earned