Mar 14, 2016 After the success of good kid, m.A.A.d. city, I wondered whereKendrick Lamar would go next. He responded with To p---- a Butterfly--a transcendent concept album that rivals its predecessor in excellence. After To p---- a Butterfly, I wondered if Kendrick had exhausted himself. TPAB is a tricky album to follow-up. It charges at you like a bull at full speed. It infuriates and ignites. Yet it's reassuring in equal measure. So how do you follow up an album of such great significance? You don't. You create something distinct that still lies within your purview. Eight new tracks, all untitled, each with a powerful focal point. "The tallest building plummet, cracking, and crumbling. The ground is shaking." It opens with an apocalyptic scene, including references that sound like a scene out of Mad Max: "Ocean water dried out, fire burning more tires out/Tabernacle and city capital turned inside out." Kendrick's word work immediately eliminates any doubts that these songs are leftovers from theButterfly sessions. Life no longer infinity this was the final calling No birds chirping or flying, no dogs barking We all nervous and crying, moving in caution In disbeliefs our belief's the reason for all this The tallest building plummet, cracking, and crumbling The ground is shaking, swallowing a young woman With a baby, daisies, and other flowers burning in destruction The smell is disgusting, the heat is unbearable Preachers touching on boys run for cover, the paranoid Rapists and murderers hurdle alleys Valleys and high places turn into dust Famous screaming in agony Undoubtedly, untitled unmastered was packaged as a gift for Kendrick fans eager to hear more from the reigning rap king. Tracks like "untitled 03" and "untitled 08" sound like they could fit perfectly with To p---- a Butterfly. The latter is a neck-snapping funk jam, previously unveiled on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon when it was still known as "untitled 02." The second part of that Tonight Show performance introduced another would-be "untitled track," the eventual "untitled 02," in which Kendrick sends warning shots to his peers: "I can put a rapper on life support/Guarantee that's something none of you want." In fact, Cornrow Kenny really let his hair down on "untitled 02," which also nods to several members of the Top Dawg Entertainment crew: "Me and Top is like a Kobe and Phil A father figure, play with him, you get killed Play with me and he will k--- you himself TDE the mafia of the west Move in silence, yeah, we juggin’ like that Act of violence, yeah, we juggin’ like that I did a lot of dumb things in my past Lord forgive me, hoping I don't relapse Dave just bought a new nine eleven Almost thought I’d seen another plane crash Q just bought a brand new McLaren Rock-a-lack about to buy the projects Moosa got his son dripping in gold Ali 'bout to let his hair down on hoes Me, I'm about to let my hair down on hoes Top billing that’s a million a show Might blow the whole Remy on soul Might tell Obama be more like Punch Sounwave caught a Grammy last year Mack wop, bet he do what he want" The most musically complex song on untitled is "untitled 05," a 5-and-half-minute avant-rap jigsaw puzzle. With Thundercat (bass), Terrace Martin (keys and sax), and Sounwave (drums) working in concert, it combines hip-hop's deepest roots--jazz, funk and soul. It also sports some of the album's most harrowing content, courtesy of Lamar, Punch and Jay Rock. "No you're not easily impressed, but I possess qualities that you need to see." "Untitled 07" is a three-part track co-produced by Egypt Dean, the 5 year-old son of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. It captures an emotional high and the eventual deflation, capped by a jam session in which Kendrick illustrates a vision for another song on the EP. Overall, untitled unmastered fits nicely with Kendrick’s mantra as a rapper: leadership, awareness, influence, and the occasional sexual allusion. Every track on the album is attached to a specific date. Although, the chant at the beginning of the tracks help unify the album, the songs were likely created piecemeal, rather than as a collective body of work. As if his dominance was ever in question, Kendrick has made an even more powerful statement with untitled unmastered. Although it lacks the cohesive focus of his last two efforts, untitled unmastered remains a remarkable addendum to Kendrick Lamar's catalog. http://rap.about.com/od/reviews/fl/Kendrick-Lamar-untitled-unmastered.htm
Mar 14, 2016 It's not that in depth of a review but it highlights some of the albums best features...I enjoyed
