- Record Label: Interscope / Aftermath
- Release Date: Mar 16, 2015
User Score
Universal acclaim- based on 4386 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3,962 out of 4386
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Mixed: 91 out of 4386
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Negative: 333 out of 4386
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Mar 24, 2015
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Mar 17, 2015I'll be honest. Not feeling it. I respect the lyrics but this album is to left field for me. On the music side I will give it points and I understand the artist in Kendrick putting this together. Overall the album flows together and the content is there. Production is so so but not a fan of the off beat flows at some points. Just not for me.
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Mar 19, 2015
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Apr 28, 2015
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Jun 27, 2015the one thing about kendrick is that his sound sets him apart from others. there is no confusing kendrick with someone else. his second album is a solid one but i think kendrick got lost in trying to be too different rather than just focusing on the music. his first album is a hip hop classic. this is a solid release and i am excited to hear more from him in the future.
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Mar 18, 2015Not feeling it after 4 listens. I could hop on the bandwagon and gush but let me say I'm a dedicated rap fan and a big K-Dot fan and I don't like this album. Why? The beats fall flat on 80% of the album and don't do it for me. It's a work of art and I respect that but I'm underwhelmed.
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Apr 23, 2015Honestly, who is still listening to this? .
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Apr 18, 2015I don't know if it's me and not being ready for it, but To Pimp A Butterfly was just outright weird to me. There are a couple cuts that I found good and worth re-listening to, but so much of this album alienates me. Maybe with more listens it could grow on me, but my first impressions aren't positive. That's unfortunate as I think Lamar has good talent.
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Jul 25, 2015I could probably appreciate the genius and the fine music if it weren't for the puerile gutter language. Even if I could tolerate the excessive expletives I could never listen to this in public or in the company of others without suffering embarrassment.
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Mar 24, 2015
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Apr 29, 2016I think this is an album with a great message, but it fails in quality of sound compared to his other works. I also feel like the audience the message was intended to did not receive it and paritally defeats the purpose of the album. I still think he is a great artist who is trying to expand his sound, but I also feel he is straying away from hip hop sound.
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Jun 9, 2016An exceptional piece pf art with a great message but where is music??? This is ironically a music album which has not got music. It is a collection of some random melodies which sound relevant sometimes.
Favourite tracks - i and Wesley's Theory
Jewel of the album - i -
May 7, 2017
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May 21, 2018It's a hit or miss for me. There are a few bangers in there. I realize that this album sends a message deeper than many of us pick up on first or second listen.
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Jul 20, 2018An OK album, from an OK artist. Some songs like I, Alright and King Kunta are pretty good, but the mediocrity of other songs makes the album as a whole a one listen one. I would say it's one of the best rap albums of the shallow-criticism-of-societal-issues trend. "Racism is the new Anti-Racism" is the best way to describe Lamar's philosophy.
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Nov 5, 2019
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Jan 22, 2020Lyrically very good and creative, his technique as well as production are not as good as on DAMN.
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Sep 9, 2022Kendrick defenity fell off with this bro section 80 and pound syndrome are so much better than this mediocre exucse of a artist smh
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Jul 28, 2023This is an important--a very important--piece of work that will stand the test of time. It’s also an utter blast to listen to and live with.
Awards & Rankings
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The WireMay 15, 2015Lamar offers a commitment to effect change through the work itself. Whether or not that's realistic ideal the delivery is so powerful it's hard not to get caught up in the rapture. [May 2015, p.50]
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The SourceMay 6, 2015Each song means more with reference to the project's overall concept than it does as a standalone record, which shouldn't take away from its impact, but rather speak of the courage of its creator. [Apr-May 2015, p.87]
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Q MagazineApr 29, 2015It's a challenging, ambitious combination of words and music that becomes increasingly absorbing over time. [Jun 2015, p.103]