With his major label debut (2012), Kendrick Lamar was as one of the most important new names in American hip hop. Under the wing of Compton, Los Angeles native Lamar presented himself as the heir to West Coast hip-hop, while at the same time showing a much broader outlook. Proud of his background, he contrasted with stories about a generation of African Americans who are still growing up in
… difficult circumstances, especially in a notorious neighborhood like Compton. Successor To Pimp A Butterfly also has a strong narrative character, in which Kendrick Lamar does not shy away from sensitive subjects. He creates an impressive structure that is difficult to grasp in one go, not only because of its length (almost 80 minutes) but also because of the depth of the songs and the amount of ideas. The productions on To Pimp A Butterfly are strongly influenced by jazz and are full of original samples ( , ) while Lamar shows that he can handle any rap style and can sound sensitive as well as aggressive or even drunk. Not always easy, but impressive. (IV)more