Kendrick Lamar's New Album Debuts A Week Early After Online Leak
Hip hop performer Kendrick Lamar's much anticipated second album, To Pimp A Butterfly made digital waves Sunday after it leaked online.
"Overly Dedicated" rapper Kendrick Lamar's second major album, To Pimp A Butterfly, made its debut on iTunes and Spotify one week before its scheduled March 23 launch.
The 16-song set appeared on iTunes briefly before being pulled down, but remains available for streaming via Spotify, earning the ire of Lamar's record label, Top Dawg Entertainment head, Anthony Tiffith, who posted an angry tweet in response to the leak.
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The highly-awaited release with all its 16 tracks features guest appearances by various artists including Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, George Clinton and Flying Lotus.
To Pimp A Butterfly is the Compton emcee's follow up to his critically acclaimed 2012 album, Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. According to Lamar, the title of his latest effort is a play on iconic author Harper Lee's classic novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird."
"Just putting the word 'pimp' next to 'butterfly'… It's a trip," Lamar told Rolling Stone in an interview a week ago. "That's something that will be a phrase forever. It'll be taught in college courses — I truly believe that."
Good Kid, m.A.A.d City revolved around the story of a young black man growing up in Compton, and it was one of the best-reviewed releases in hip hop in 2010. To Pimp A Butterfly tells an emotionally gripping and conflicted story of the same young man unleashed upon the world and coming to terms with his place in it.
Considered this generation's hip-hop introspective rapper, Lamar's forward-thinking and gravitas-laden second album cements his reputation as a serious artist.
