Kendrick Lamar’s Jazz Funk Masterpiece | TPAB Analysis
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.พ. 2025
- From the music, to the lyrics, to the overall story, let's break down Kendrick's "To Pimp a Butterfly"
Watch the full extended edit that's 5 mins longer by becoming a DTG member at / diggingthegreats
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Topics Covered
Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp a Butterfly
Analysis
Breakdown
Samples
Lyrics
Story
Explained
Wesley's Theory
For Free
King Kunta
Institutionalized
These Walls
u
Alright
For Sale
#kendricklamar #topimpabutterfly #hiphop
Hope this really shows the older generation how truly great Kendrick is
The older generation WOULD get this if heard. It’s Kendrick’s own generation and younger that overlook this album. I pray they’ll realize it’s gravity later down the years.
I'm an old 90s hip hop head that stepped away from rap the past couple decades, and realized I've slept on Kendrick for far too long
@@pastensea lot of people write off any music released after a certain time period no matter how good it is. That is happening with the older generation
Some of us get it…just how nice Kendrick is
@@pastense exactly
When my mom was ailing, a couple of years before she passed she would request “Alright”, in the hospital to get her through….Love you Ma.🕊️
❤️❤️❤️
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
you gonna be al right
🙏🏿
My condolences fam.
7 minutes in and we're still just in the first verse of the first song lmao, just shows how incredibly dense this album is
It’s insane 🤯 just wait for the end, there’s more 😳
There’s a reason dude won a fucking Pulitzer
@@diggingthegreats damn bro I was watching the time run out and we still had so much more to go lmfao
@@billyalarie929 and he won it with DAMN. lmao, not even his best album.
Can't wait for mortal men❤😢
David Bowie loved this album and it inspired him while making his last album
David Bowie has always respected hiphop and recognized the influence and intricaty of the genre. I massively respect him for being able to see past the boundaries and simply recognize greatness no matter what genre that greatness stems from. What a guy.
Fact!
This is crazy to think about
TPAB was the new landmark for jazz/funk hip-hop.
I think civilia demo by Isaiah rashad really was it. You can tell that Kendrick borrowed a few things for tpab
@@TTMPLMKR and the low end theory
@@realstory5818isn’t that just mostly Jazz though?? I don’t think they sampled funk as much on that album. Funk like The chronic or Ice Cube The Predator. Kendrick kinda mixes both of the styles into perfection. A good example would be the G- funk sounding beats like King Kunta or Alright and then the Jazzy instruments that play throughout the songs and albums. Also Untitled Unmastered is also good and Kendrick kinda made a hybrid of a funk, Jazz and trap songs with untitled 02 and 07 😅
Any suggestions on music/artists that is similar?
Absolutely love TPAB, but I've never really heard anything else like it.
this is an s tier music channel. your musicianship, dj skills , music and video editing makes your analyses unparalleled
🙏🙏🙏
💯 !!
Facts
The story of How Much A Dollar Cost is truly genius. I hope someone makes that into a movie
the idea of God testing you without you knowing too… A scary thought
@@TJ_ShredderThen there’s also BLOOD from DAMN which I see as the opposite of How much a dollar cost, crazy!
please never stop making videos they make me love music again and again.
Couldn't have said it better. Still waiting on that Interstellar 5555 album by Daft Punk
@@teoigi3247 he already made a video about Discovery, which is the soundtrack for Interstella 5555!
as a younger teen I always wondered if we were ever going to get a great Jazz Rap album, like what Tribe Called Quest did. then this album came out. I fucking loved it all.
Can’t wait for part 2, dawg!
Another amazing jazz rap album I'd really recommend is Care For Me by Saba, the production and the story it tells is so good!
PROM / KING in particular is the penultimate track on the album and it's definitely one of the best rap songs I've ever heard
Nujabes as well. He was a mostly jazz producer and his albums put on underground MC's with a message. Sad he died in that car accident 😪
@edwardsanders4853 thank you for mentioning this. I definitely found his album and this beautiful song years ago and was obsessed but had almost forgotten about it! Im glad someone recognizes!! Saba is so slept on .... he kinda is the Chicago kendrick 😍😍😍.
@@TheTriggerIGbcottonemt I can see that!
@@RideTheSkiesoh I love Nujabes, legendary producer imo. Dude literally created a subgenre haha. also his music helps me get through anxiety.
It's amazing how often I hear the Pharrell tag and forget that's him because it just fits the song every time.
And that's why K-dot takes years to work on an album. A true musical artist.
all of TDE go against the current grain "Quality> Quantity" that the music industry does is Quantity over Quality
Now people understand why it takes him 5 years. He produces real Art not club bangers.
TPAB is truly great and definitely deserves a two-parter Digging The Greats. thank you so much and stay real
Kendrick is actually unbelievable, I've never seen anyone do what he does with music
Andre 3000, a tribe called quest, bone thugs, 2pac, Dr. Dre, Nas… lots of elements.
@@MajorG13no, they might be just as good, but the way Kendrick does hip hop is very different than these guys
and Dre is not a rapper
@@c0mplex_AleAndre was pretty abstract too
Nobody has a world class studio at their disposal
i knew you'd finally break down TPAB, i've been waiting since your GKMC breakdown
The bass line on Wesley’s Theory brings tears to my eyes.
To pimp a butterfly got me into music not just hip hop. My all time favorite artist and album ever.
I find it very strange that I never liked this album when I was younger, in fact I didn't even listen to Kendrick at the time but since MMATBS came out I went back to his albums and fell in love with his music, his personality and artistry. Now he's literally my favorite rapper of all time since 2022 and now I understand why TPAB is the most rated/best album of all time.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the support 🙏
I saw the timestamp and immediately thought “there’s no way he’s gonna go thru the entire album in depth in half an hour” lmao I’m rlly glad ur taking ur time with this
You really need to do a whole video dedicated to diving into Thundercat. Would be cool to get your perspective as a base player yourself.
I love this breakdown! One of my favorite albums all time too, and I'm an old head of 43 😂.
One thing I think Good kid did was set this album up after "real" when his mom said
"If I don't hear from you by tomorrow, I hope you come back and learn from your mistakes. Come back a man, tell your story to these black and brown kids in Compton. Let 'em know you was just like them, but you still rose from that dark place of violence, becoming a positive person. But when you do make it, give back with your words of encouragement, and that's the best way to give back. To your city... "
I always felt like To Pimp A Butterfly is him fulfilling that promise.
The beat switch in Institutionalized brings me life.
¡Gracias!
Thank you so much for the support 🙏
I actually hold "To Pimp A Butterfly" in the same regard as "Sgt Pepper " by the Beatles, "Pet Sounds" by the Beach Boys, and "Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd. It's among one of the best albums I've ever heard regardless of Genre.
Easily a top 5 hip hop album of all time. Might not be Kendrick’s best even, I personally prefer GKMC, but this album has so many layers, the production is immaculate and every single word has a meaning to it. Amazing record front to back and one that will live on for decades to come.
It's truly astounding
I think this album is his greatest. but you can argue for both good kid and damn as his best easily. Kendrick just has a really strong discography.
my favorite kendrick album is literally a three-way tie between GKMC TPAB and MMTBS 😭
How'd you feel about DAMN? His fourth album?@@pangolinh
@@zionnewkirk4838 i liked it but i thought it was his weakest project
To this day, this is my favourite album of all time. The themes, lyrics, production, everything just hits with this record. I found the building of the poem throughout each track especially mind-blowing as well upon first listen. Just an all around masterpiece
Man, you're making us wait til next week? 😂 This was a great analysis, though. I've listened to this album over and over again, and while I see a lot of what you say, there were some things I didn't before. And this is why I love watching your videos.
No better channel than this in music schooling. The feel and narration is just amzing.
I commend you for the bravery of breaking down this masterpiece. It's something everybody wants to do but is too scared to do since the subject matter is so meaningful in different ways to each and every listener. Good job my friend, I'm sure your script must have gone through dozens of rewrites to get it as clear and concise as you got it.
Im 29
and I JUST LISTENED
T.P.A.B
for the first time EVER about a week ago.
So your Analysis
is RESOUNDINGLY
Right on Time !!!
The Edits and Accreditations
you did were also AMAZING !!!
I Love Deep Dives into Music History like this.
Thank You,
and I'm Looking Forward to The Next Installment of this Video.
So much has been said about this record over the years, but this breakdown is definitely worth the watch no matter how well you already know the story. Thanks for taking it on and explaining it so succinctly
For me the fight between the greatest hip hop album of the 2010s is between this and Tribes Thank You for Your Service
Doing my part to make sure we get more of these videos. You're doing an excellent job, and I can't say thank you enough for covering the music of my culture that raised me, and continues to inspire me.
Thank you so much for the support 🙏
Ive listened to this album probably 100 times, but this video has genuinely changed my perspective on this album, thank you so much for showing me this albim just gets better and better!
Skipping "u" in a video about jazz masterpieces hurts me. The jazz melodies on that song are straight flawless and will have you in another world
oh my god the part where he’s extremely drunk and talking about his friend that he lost actually makes me so uncomfortable, such a bone chilling song.
@SharpPython by FAR my favorite track on the album for that reason
It’s Digging the Greats, he loves Kendrick and he’s doing a deep dive on TPAB on this Friday morning 🔥🔥🔥.
This albums turns 10 next year 🤯
Good comment, chatgpt 💀
Enjoyed this Album, but never fully appreciated it until seeing this video! Great Work.
Bro I want to tell you I have this project for school and I have to do a biography about a person I admire and admire his work and I chose Kendrick Lamar and your videos really really help me explain the complexity of the albums thank you so much you saved me fr❤
I have watched the good kid maad city video about 100 times to analyze every song you really helped me a lot and now that this dropped I'm so thankful
Have this album on vinyl and it never not gives me the same feeling I had when I first listened to it. Great video, loved it!
Still remember the day I heard this album. The day it was released. I was driving and had to pull over after about the 3rd track because I really couldn’t believe what I was hearing!
I was a classically trained pianist since age 7. Became a deep hip hop head throughout high school and got into the turntablism/battle DJ circuit. Then got back on the keys and now a full working musician. So when it comes to hip hop and music, my ears are keen af. Hearing TPAB for the first time was as if the a new messiah presented itself to me in music form! lol
And what happens at the very end of the last track, Mortal Man gave me the biggest of chills! I wish there were a way to listen to this album with fresh ears all over again.
Man the conclusion of this album is insane
@@diggingthegreats I was sitting in my car that day saying “BUT HOW?!??” lol
Amazing video and I really appreciate you acknowledging g you don't have the necessary life experience to fully comment on the album... but from a musical standpoint, you are more than qualified to give your opinion and interpretation. Keep up the amazing work!
Possibly one of the best videos on your channel. I'm not kidding, I've been following you for about 3 years and by far, this is the most immersive video you made.
Greatness tends to be born of simplicity. People feel like they have to explain everything Kendrick does. Take that as you will. Great breakdown as usual.
so appreciative of how much effort you put into these videos! what a legend!
Your video production, analysis, and just overall vibes are great! I love watching these videos! Been waiting for this video before watching any other analysis on TPAB, especially after watching your GKMC video
🙏🙏🙏
Just watched your GKMC analysis and now you suddenly upload this! 😂 Love the content!
The first time i listened to "U" and the album as a whole was right after i had my own mental breakdown. I instantly clicked to the songs and especially when "Alright" started playing, it hit my spirit. As someone whos endured racial injustice, slander, and was even bullied for my color, TPAB connects so well. Kendrick made an absolute masterpiece making this album, not only for the Black community, but for everyone. We've all been tempted before, but the album really shows how you can get through it despite the contradicting issues that is our reailty.
Amazing video anaylsis man. Youve outdone yourself with this one. Much respect.🙏🏾
Brother, I "discovered" your channel approximately a week ago and have devoured several of your videos already. Some of my hip hop idols and favorites you already covered. And I'm currently on a journey starting a vinyl collection at 39 rediscovering music. A word you often use when talking about lyrical content is "dense" and I can't overemphasize how dense your analyses are. Not just as a musician, DJ and hip hop lover, but also as a narrator, storyteller. If there is one place on TH-cam that I come to and I feel it's all love, positivity, learning, it's your channel. Keep it up! Oh and on Kendrick. I had section 80 on heavy rotation and then just listened to what followed. But I didn't dive into it and appreciate it. Thanks for making me rediscover Kendricks genius years later holding the LP in my hands. One love!
Im here from the future video on D.A.M.N and come here , I think you are an art academic who is teaching the people for free , you are making us appreciate art more
Yess, I'm so glad you made this a two parter. About halfway through I was worried you were gonna have to speed through the rest of the album, but it really deserves to be given the time
Still the best content on youtube, man, keep it up!! 🔥🔥🔥
You give such deep thought to your videos and make listening to music a spiritual journey.
Another excellent video as always; I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for part 2.
Side note, I'd never noticed until now that Kendrick mispronounces "gigantic" on "For Sale?". He switches up the G sounds, like "gijantic" lol
Man I love these series I can't wait for part 2. Keep up the good work man
Kendrick's best album. Good kid maad city is a close second
This album always felt like a spike lee movie in an album form. Similar soundtrack style and political themes and expression of a relatable black experience. Masterpiece.
Dude your channel is so good 🙌 would love you to do albums of all kinds of genres. Your Daft Punk RAM video is amazing
One of the greatest works of art period 🙌🔥
Looking forward to the next installment!
Always start my Fridays with Diggin in the Greats 🙌🏽
This is my favourite channel to see a new upload from
Your passion for music bleeds through these videos and are some of my favourite analytical pieces on this site! Keep up the great work 👊❤️
I always love to watch a master at his/her work. It's why I'm always down for KDot. You sir are also a master at your work. Kudos.
for anyone wanting to go even deeper with this album, you gotta check out the Dissect podcast which spends like 12 hours over the course of 20-something episodes really picking it apart
Yes! Cole breaks this down on an insane level 🔥 love Dissect
I liked it so I pressed liked and commented because youre awesome, hopefully i will be able to join patreon soon.
i know pretty much every word of this album yet i still find something new every time
fantastic video
SAME
love your videos and TPAB and Kendrick in general uses some fantastic sampling
mortal man is one of my favorite closing tracks to an album ever, that interview bit with 2pac gave me a sense of motivation i haven’t had since freshman year, kendrick is an artist that transcends generational divides
I knew a TPAB video would happen on this channel eventually. A perfect album, Kendrick Lamar's best, and the best album of the 2010s.
This is an ambitious piece! Congrats! Looking forward to next week...
I really enjoy your videos because they feel like that one enthusiastic friend talking about that one record that he is passionate about
Thanks for the amazing content Dig!!!
God damn it, the butterfly wings with the song titles is some beautiful imagery. Just found the channel today and I have been binging all your content.
Trully amazing.
So many layers in the album. When the metaphors and themes have triple and quadruple entendres, you know it’ll be a classic worth replaying for many decades to come.
As someone who tries to find more reason, ideas and explanation from this album after all these years i must admit, you are brought a lot more to the light especially Kendrick referencing the greats and Uncle Sam.
Great stuff
22:00 you bring up a really interesting point about the time signature, and while (to my ears) Alright is definitely in 4/4, I think the 808's are just playing a very standard hip-hop pattern, just at half the tempo. This gives the illusion of splitting the beat into two uneven bars which, in my opinion, boosts the impact the 808 pattern leaves on the listener. Masterful production.
Yesss one off my top albums since ATalien #outkast
I kind of find it coincidental that you made a video about Kendrick at this specific time 😂. Always love seeing these videos 👍🏽
Everyone that didn't listen to Kendrick is now going through his discography, even Mister Morale is getting attention and being studied, this is great for fans of the media.
It's 2PAC = Tu Pimp A Butterfly (Caterpillar). It was also an ode to him and his cause. Mortal Man was the reveal. He talked about it in an interview stating Caterpillar didn't sound good so he changed it. Keep up the good work bro. I love your videos. You're definitely a genuine hip-hop fanatic. Salute!
The entire video i was thinking no way you can do justice in 30 mins 😂
Great video btw !!
Truly one of my favorite albums of all time! I remember listening to it for the first time back in 2015 and it INSTANTLY hit me right where I needed it. I think this is one of those albums that made me want to study and look into music on a deeper level, period. I’m glad so many people are going back and revisiting Kendrick’s albums recently and this video is a great place to start~Looking forward to the next installment 💕
This is one of the best TPAB analysis I’ve seen yet
I saw Kamasi Washington live in Cambridge, MA in like 2014-2015. Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE! One of the best concerts of all-time
I love this channel. I love this record. I have played this record A LOT since 2015. And I’m not done yet.
Wesley's Theory is, imho, one of the strongest intro songs of any album I can remember. Only another song this strong comes to mind, Lost at Birth by Public Enemy
This is my favorite Kendrick album and highly underrated. When it came out, a lot of people were turned off by it because GKMC had a different vibe and then he came with this.
People really slept on this album HARD!
This was really good, and TPAB is definitely a masterpiece! Never stop creating these 👍🏽
I've been waiting for this breakdown analysis. Thank you, brotha. Thank you
Damn I love these breakdowns you’re doing. Can’t wait for DAMN. and Mr Morale
It's definitely has one of the best pieces of album cover art of all time as well.
Love your video, I'm a huge fan of Kendrick, would love to see you do for DAMN and Mr Morale and The Big Steppers
Crazy to think next year is the album's 10th anniversary.
Man, this is my favorite album of his. All good, but a masterpiece is the only way to describe this.
This guy always makes me love my favorite albums more.
Thanks for covering this album. I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced this album when it came out
Great job on breaking down this album, he brings back to what hip hop really represents
❤ brilliant video essay!
“U” has to be my favorite song in the album.
i love the video. tpab saved my life
A true masterpiece and my favorite Kendrick album by far
Listening to “U” was such an incredible song