Why To Pimp A Butterfly Is The Greatest Album Ever Made 

CORRECTION: I would like to correct some mistakes that commenters called me out for, rightfully so. I happened to make a mistake in the Section 80 part, where I misinterpreted the meaning of Keisha's Song. I would also like to mention the mistake where I said that Angel Dust was cocaine, even though it was actually PCP. I just wanted to leave this comment here just in case anyone was confused or happened to be aware of the mistake I made in the video. In the future, I will do my best to not get any of these details incorrect, especially now that I have a bit more eyes on my channel.

Jesus christ after i watched this video i assumed you were a huge channel with hundreds of thousands of subs cause this is not 352 subscriber content. This is amazing.

i think we found another youtube gem.

I love how “this dick ain’t free” means both 1. That Kendrick is demanding to be payed what he’s worth. Refusing to be pimped 2. He literally isn’t free. Regardless of his protests, at this point in the album he is still being pimped.

The ending is the biggest plot twist ever

Its only been 6 years, yet this album will be talked about for the next 25 years, that's how potent, deliberate and poetic this album is A timeless classic

TPAB is my favorite album of ALL TIME. This album made me love myself, made me love being black, made me comfortable in my own skin, made me love my nappy hair, the gap in my smile, my roots, EVERYTHING.

Thundercat had so much to do with the sound of this album. That man is a true force of creative power. Kendrick joining with him made some truly special. An album for the ages

Bro made this entire video just to say that at the end

sad to say but Kendricks- U helped me get through suicidal thoughts

Fun fact: Kendrick originally wanted to name the album 'To Pimp A Caterpillar' which initials read Tu.P.A.C. Correction: 2 Pimp A Catterpillar --> 2PAC. Tnx for pointing it out in the replies❤️

Still amazes me that in 2012 he released the greatest rap album of all time and 3 years later he drops the greatest album of all time

Kendrick is truly a generational talent. A top 10 rapper of all time without a doubt. Glad I got to see his growth from section 80 to Damn.

this is insane. im so glad I got this in my reccomended

The end of Mortal Man where Kendrick speaks with Tupac is also a metaphor in of itself. Tupac lived both as the caterpillar and the butterfly just like Kendrick. Also pimped to the industry's benefits. At the end of their conversation Kendrick reads Pac a poem a good friend of his wrote describing his world. The caterpillar and the butterfly. Kendrick asks Pac's perspective on that at the end, but Tupac vanished. Leaving Kendrick on his own. Pac was an influence of his generation, and now, Kendrick is the influence of this one. Despite being different, they too, are one in the same.

i just watched 34 minutes and 13 seconds of fantastic analysis and passion for this great album just for him to drop the hard R as the last word of the video.

And now, he released MMATBS, an album about him trying to let go of his savior complex, and his trauma. He is finally giving himself more freedom from the personality he formed out of the bad experiences he had. He heals the world, by healing himself.

I recommended kendrick lamar to a girl in my class and I remember her saying "I love that happy song alright". So many people listen to kendrick without really listening. It's more like they hear kendrick then listening to him.

Shit this is deep, time to re-listen to the album

If you are a poet, you'll love tpab for the depths and the metaphors If you are into jazz or g-funk or r&b - soul blues - youll love tpab If you are a cinephile or a book reader. You'll definitely love gkmc. For the whole narrative he successfully delivers

There’s actually a bunch of underlying subliminal messaging about how Kendrick sees himself as plankton desperately trying to figure out the Krabby Patty secret formula the MAAD is also an acronym for My Aching Appetite Described and hell the song King Kunta is literally a call on the name of the restaurant Krusty Krab. Kendrick is a genius man.

I knew this album was good but I was never smart enough to understand some of the double meanings in the songs and my mind is being blown rn

One of the best albums ever made hands down. But, you have to listen to it as an album, front to end. It’s crazy how almost no one does that anymore and therefore almost no one makes complete albums anymore, just some single and fillers

Bro said the n word like he was from the projects🤣🤣

“Maybe im just another nigga” *walks into the sunset* I feel like u made this doc just for that lmao

English is not my first language and sometimes I miss all these double meanings in the songs, I think this kind of videos really help people like me, thank you, really good video!

Yo, this is so incredible, To Pimp a Butterfly is my favorite album of all time, but there’s also some things I wanted to add on. One of the most subtle things in this album is the tracks “U” “Alright” and “I”. Regardless if you believe astrology, there’s potentially another reason Kendrick named those tracks like that. He’s a Gemini which is commonly known to have kinda two sides, which is common theme throughout the album, the caterpillar and the butterfly being two but also being one and the same. “U” is Kendrick looking and speaking to himself as a complete failure and speaking to himself as if he was talking to someone else when in reality it is really him. “Alright” has the phrase “We gon’ be alright” which can also be interpreted as him speaking to himself, referring to both sides of himself, hince saying “We” and “I” being of course the exact opposite of “U” he’s no longer looking at himself as a different person, but rather one and the same and now refers to himself as “I” which also perfectly correlates with his progression throughout the album. Another thing is also the introduction of Uncle Sam and Lucy, their introductions in their songs “Wesley’s Theory” and “Alright” respectively show how they are also one and the same and want to use, seduce and pimp Kendrick to their benefit. They both come to him offering him the same thing at a time in his life where he sees things are kinda looking up for him, “Wesley’s Theory” being when Kendrick first got signed and was bout to make it out the ghetto and “Alright” being when he got himself out of that emotional rut and started to look up a little more.

After that hard r at the end he can never do a face reveal

The end caught me off guard 💀

This only has less than 400 views????

This is my second favorite album of all time (my favorite being Kanye’s “The College Dropout”) I thought this album would be overhyped at first but it deserved all of the hype, 10/10. Every track is perfect and I always find new lyrics I didn’t pick up on the first time, I can’t put into words how perfect this album is.

I’ve played this album on my shitty vinyl player so much I’ve gone through three copies cuz everytime it starts to skip I can’t stand the music being anything but completely whole. tpab is an album that neither kendrick nor anyone else will be able to top for a very very very long time, inarguably a masterpiece. it’s honestly the entire reason why I got into rap, which is now my most listened to genre when before I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of listening to it.

Oh damn you ended all that with the hard r.....

This channel gonna grow fast soon 📈

1840s hard r at the end caught me off guard

This is a fantastic video. Well thought-out, well edited, you can see the amount of effort that went into it. More, please!

People dont talk enough about how good For Sale? Is and for me its my favorite song on the album.

i’m glad youtube recommended this to me, great video

Thank you very much for taking your time to break all of this down. You did an excellent job. You've helped enhance the listen experience

Kendrick is the kind of success story that encourages me as a underground artist with a small following. Seeing how he’s developed his skills and slowly blown up after seizing each and every opportunity he’s been giving has been inspirational! Mans has quickly become a mainstay in the industry and for good reason. Dude is too nice! I know if I put in the work, I can reach a larger audience some day too, but for now, I’m happy being a supporter. My turn will come too. Salute to Kendrick🔥

Kendricks story is truly incredible. I can't help but feel almost emotional in a way. No one should ever go through the type of stuff he did, yet, there are. This is happening all over the world right under our noses and we're just the fortunate ones lucky enough to be able to turn a blind eye.

We seriously need to thank the 2010s rappers for reviving hiphop and saving it from the eminem era and bling era. Kendrick is a big part of that Renaissance

Kendrick is the best rapper of all time, story telling, the message, the voice, the lyrics, the goat

Last word made my heart drop

_"Mum I finna use the van real quick. Be back, 15 minutes"_

This is one of the most in-depth educational videos about music ever it was put together so well amazing editing and even explanations that made you feel for kendrick without the meaning making you feel his emotions just done to absolute perfection

One of the best music breakdown vids i have seen in my life, now time for me to give it a listen 🔥🔥

Such a good video but why’d you end it like that lol

When i first listened to TPAB when i was in high school, i dont think i was able to fully appreciate how truly great it was. I went back and listened this week and it moved me in the weirdest ways but i still couldnt put my finger on as to why. Then i came and found this video and holy shit dude you did a great job. Keep it up

Kendrick is just so beautiful with his words. You can tell how perfect he is with his writing and how he perfectly chooses each word in all his poems and music.

Jesus, that was a movie... shed light on so many aspects that went over my head. Get this man to 100k!!!

What an amazing video. Beautiful editing, an interesting topic, and great execution!

A music review from 2020 about an album from 2015 recommended to me in 2021. The scary part is that I just got into Kendrick's discography. wtf

The “When shit hits the fan is you still a fan” is also talking about when Christians will be hated by the masses. He’s asking “When shit hits the fan, are your roots and is your faith strong enough to keep with me? (God, Jesus) or will your roots wash away. It’s a truly astounding album, makes me cry when I listen to it man.

As a progressive metal artist, this album was the most progressive in the last decade then any that came out.

When Kendrick says “the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice” it’s a reference to keep ya head up by tupac

This album deserves this kind of respect. I can't listen to it at work because I cry every time, its honestly one of the most intense albums to listen to for me, and definitely one of the most beautiful works I've ever heard and that's saying a lot.

Spotify's "Dissect" Podcast has an incredible season delving into this album. Honestly kinda life-changing

Bro... this video is simply amazing. Outstanding job. I just looked at your channel and saw you have more videos just like them and I cannot wait to watch. Have a great day!!

Your interpretation of this album and it's consistencies are f****** spot on Good job brother 🙌

Facts...This album brought me back to listening to music in a way that understands the landscape of the artist making it and using the region of their upbringing to pour out their souls .

This is magnificent makes me look at TPAB in a totally different perspective.. gonna bump it later 👊🏾💯

Great vid but is no one gonna talk about how bro just dropped the hard r at the end 💀

i only opened this video because the preview animation on this video is so perfectly looped i had to check it out. amazing vid btw!

Mortal Man, How Much A Dollar Cost, and The Blacker The Berry makes me cry every time

Decent summation of the album, but lacked any and all conversation around the music of the album. People like Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Dr. Dre, Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington helped shape the music of the album (and are all musical geniuses in their own right). While it's true the lyricism is a major factor in the album's brilliance, the arrangements, sample choices, deliberate mixing of genres and motifs are a massive part of the album. You also don't really make an argument in this video - you do a great job reading lyrics and summing up tracks, but don't actually put forth an argument of why it's better than any other piece of work. You also spent half the video talking about his other albums, without discussing how they fit into or relate to TPAB. Your editing is great, but you need to do some more research, more development of actual arguments, and more succinct delivery of all of it. Keep up the good work

This video is also so well made,, much appreciated man 🙌

This video is amazing. Keep it going bro your killing it don't let anyone tell you different.

Something about how kendrick says "this is something I might have to get used to." Depressing as hell

Haven't checked any of the other episodes in the series but you have put insane effort into this and is deeply appreciated dude, keep it going!

This is a very great insight, there’s stuff I never even know as a diehard Kendrick fan. You’re a great content creator Dev

This video is so am amazingly put together, this a piece of history fasho. Growing up a DIEEEHARD Kendrick fan, shit almost made me drop a tear

What a great video, i hope you the best man, your work is absolutely good

This is such a good video. I always wanted a video like this that goes in-depth on music as this video does. Well done!!

Brilliant breakdown of a brilliant album. Keep going, your numbers will come.

I haven’t given this album enough of a chance, I became obsessed with Kendricks album DAMN I absolutely love it but after watching this video I’m gonna go back and give to pimp a butterfly another chance

This is my favorite album of album of all time. Thank you for doing it justice! You got a subscriber out of me 🤟🏾

10/10 till the last word spoken 😬, could’ve used a kendrick sound byte there tbh

As a Black South African I completely understand what the old man taught him which changed his life, his outlook on materialism. He learned the spirit of Ubuntu.

As far as rap goes, i’ve been listening my entire life. TPAB is the greatest album i’ve ever heard. My mom hasn’t liked rap since the 90s and she still had this album on repeat for an 11 hr drive…powerful 💯

great video btw. i thought you must have had thousands of subscribers till i looked at your channel tag.

this album literlly change my life. I have never seen something this level, so happy it exists

Please make videos like this!! You deserve to have 100 of thousands of subscribers and you are on the way to it!!

What a fantastic video. Thank you❤

TPAB is the best conceptual album but to me Madvillainy was the best album. For me TPAB has a story that demands repeats to fully understand (your own understanding) While Madvillainy had so many songs that demand repeats to understand the bars and the beats. Both deserve a GOAT type of award

was that last line really necessary O_O 33:53

brilliant story, brilliant documentary. man I love this album, and this video has been made crazy well. Thats a sub from me

this album is so beautiful. i get chills every time i listen to it.

Way too underrated man. I hope you're channel blows up soon, just keep putting out content like this and I'm sure you will.

I have listend to the album many times but after hearing/seeing this at night I couldn’t sleep but only think about how much of an tru master/ artist of lyrics and the art of how to tell the story of truth Kendrick is. This video perfectly deepens the meaning of this album.

This video is 🔥 and perfectly explained why I've always loved To Pimp A Butterfly - It's art! 🙌🏾

Listening to this on the seventh anniversary on this album. Considering how highly intelligent Kendrick is, I wonder if “To Pimp a Butterfly” was to meant to be released on March 15 as a reference to William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” to “beware the Ides of March”. Knowing him, it’s probably not a coincidence, this brother smart! P. S. - TPAB was released early, but what serendipity!

Amazing album! For those who wanna dig even deeper, I highly recommend the Dissect podcast, the guy made an entire series on this album. He goes in depth into every song, the music, the lyrics, the themes, the narrative arc, etc. Worth a listen!

The album transcends the very music its recorded on sd becomes some sort of experience, like watching a film similar to GKMC, but also like reading a novel, like To Kill a Mockingbird. Its an incredible album on many levels takes multiple listens to even begin to understand fully

My favorite Kendrick Album. I have on it CD and Vinyl. Very poetic, conscious, thought-provoking and genuine.

woah woah woah what was that ending

really great video man. now i’m gonna go back and listen from section.80 in preparation for the next album!

"Dedicated to kendrick's sister, who sold herself to prositution..." I don't think that's correct.

Amazing work here my man!!❤

Dude just dropped the n word at the end like its nothing damn!