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PIMP PIMP HOORAY: Our Review of “untitled unmastered”

PIMP PIMP HOORAY! The Compton-born rapper, Kendrick Lamar did it yet again with another genius album to indulge! I’ve been ruminating the album since he unexpectedly yet welcomely dropped the project early March. The ambiguous album reminiscent of Kendrick’s classic releases from good kid, m.A.A.d city’s, Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst. The collection of off-cuts tracks captures an unfinished feeling that was chaotically to our ears. It’s almost as if he took the scraps from his old albums and created a masterpiece. Hence, the name Untitled Masterpiece!

The album shares a very intimate and celebratory of success for 34 minutes in total. Kendrick raps on each untitled track dated from 2013-2016, with harmonic features from Sza, Jay Rock, Anna Wise, and Ceelo Green on some groovy beats. The instrumentals subsume jazz, keyboards, drums and saxophones sound-waves from many producers such as Thundercat (who also provided sound licking beats from To Pimp a Butterfly) Terrence Martin, Cardo, and Swiss Beats and Alicia Key’s 5-year-old son Egypt.

https://youtu.be/mC9bhmZZdcY


Untitled 01 (08.19.2014)

King Kendrick opens up with a little sexual interaction which leads into his frenetically rapping. He then condemns humanity for its wrongdoings while talking to God, “Who love you like I love you?”. Then outlining himself as a prophet “I made To Pimp a Butterfly ‘for you told me to use my vocals to save mankind for you” Ending with “I guess I’m running in place trying to make it to church.”

Untitled 02 (06.23.2014)
It’s my personal favorite! The vibe of this some compliments the saxophones too well. The very unexpectedly braggadocios song mulls luscious spending. “I just got a raise, spent it all on me, diamonds all appraised, and I’m bossing up, bitch get out my way..” Stating in his last verse, “Shit it’s amazing, I’m feeding my cravings.”

Untitled 03 (05.28.2013)
This very upbeat track weighs a heavy message! As he gets advice from Asian, American-Indian, a black man and a white man as a music executive who wants a piece of his mind as he sells him for less than he worths. “A piece of mine’s, that’s what the white man wanted when I rhyme, Telling me, he selling me just for $10.99.”

Untitled 04 (08.04.2014)
SZA and Jay Rock shares an interlude with a soulful line “Head is the answer, head is the future” as Kendrick whispers a fast monolog about new found fame. “That was done around the same week we did “For Free.” I don’t know why it didn’t make it onto the original album….We were on our low-key, dim candles type shit” Terrence Martin states in an interview with Complex.

Untitled 05 (09.21.2014)
This track was partially debuted at the end of Kendrick’s Grammys 2016 performance. It depicts social inequality, minorities being institutionalized and causing destruction due to circumstances. Anna Wise sings a melody on the hook “somebody said you bumped your head and bled the floor, jumped into a pit of flames and burn to coal, drowned inside the lake outside away you flow” Repeatedly singing “and that means the world to me” as Jay Rock, and Punch goes back and forth with verses to finish the song!

Untitled 06 (06.30.2014)
With a surprising feature of CeeLo Green, Kendrick encourages confidence with this uplifting tune. Highlighting one’s unique trait and to embrace it regardless of societal standards. CeeLo sings it “I’m bizarre, Avant-Garde. Both sides of me are evenly odd. It’s attractive. You’re intrigued. Am I mortal man or make believe?” As Kendrick raps “Look at my flaws, look at my flaws. Look at my imperfections in awe.”

Untitled 7 (2014-2016)
This 3 part track is very ambiguous. Starting with a confidant to “levitate, levitate, levitate, levitate” Then Eygpt’s voice comes in “Compton is where I’m from” as the beat he made switches in. Kendrick then freestyles his growing self-confidence in a braggadocios content. Which brings in a very intimate setting filled with laughter from Kendrick and friends creating verses about government, sex and referencing the line from track 04, “head is the answer, head is the future.”

Untitled 08 (09.06.2014)

This last untitled masterpiece talks about the financial difficulties Black American’s face. “Why so sad? Walking around with them blue faces;” however, the song has a twist, Kendrick raps a voice of how one would view his success: “You never been through shit, you’re hysterical.

This untitled masterpiece just proves what a great rapper Kendrick has always been and how he evolved into a greater artist. Like always, it still holds that raw message of helping Black America and reminding us that he’s not one to conform to the industry.

Shanique Willams About Author

Nica is known for her artsy style throughout the gritty streets of NYC. From freelance acting, writing, blogging and attending various events, Nica has gain a interest to document them all to inspire others. She loves art, street fashion, music and a hot slice of pizza.