With To Pimp A Butterfly (2015), Kendrick Lamar caused a landslide. The hip-hop world had already held him high after the strong album (2012), but now Lamar received recognition from the entire industry. For example, 's jazz improvisations were a great source of inspiration for 's latest album . Expectations for successor Damn. were high-strung and every shred of information was thoroughly
… studied. That and playing along caused some commotion beforehand. What did those pop stars have to do with the most progressive rapper? However, Lamar records are often daring concept albums, which you cannot grasp at once, let alone in advance. Their contributions turn out to be very modest and only part of a larger whole. That is also Lamar's greatest achievement. He knows how to forge everything into a whole: radio-friendly singles and more complex music. Sometimes he even does this within a single song. A relaxed beat can still degenerate into a furious rap track halfway through. His story is leading, not the music. (JE)more
