@@tidiarr Quite literally. I hope I can speak on it when I do my Additional Thoughts. There's a personal reason (nothing bad, music related) as to why those closing lines struck me so hard.
Great reaction, i cry when i hear the ending of this album. Having Tupac towards the end. bring it full circle. The poem he wrote to him day before he died. P.s the song these walls, it play on words. The wall of the vagina, the walls of home and walls behind bars. It me while to figure it out. P.s.s i don't know if anyone told you this but this part 3 of a trilogy. Section 8, good kid maddcity and to pimp a butterfly. Youth to currentl events With that been said, TPAB cross-reference previous albums and people he mention. Like having sex with Dave's killer's girlfriend to get back at him while he is lock up
People often use hyperbole when describing music or just things they love in general, but this album is literally one of - if not the most lyrically dense album ever made. It’s hard to even describe how much weight it holds and the amount of meaning it possess. It’s really more than an album. Although this type of praise seems overzealous and even unnecessary, once you go down the rabbit hole of research/ simply listening and discovering the different meanings it’s very difficult to dismiss. While I don’t like to throw around the word “genius” this is an album that could only be made by someone with an astute understanding of the world at large and more importantly themself.
@@allenpomme8881 there’s certainly albums that rival it. Such as El Negro by Signor Benedick the Moor, A piece of strange by CunninLynguists or How I got over by the Roots.
@@sadlib8289 I disagree with the all but A Piece Of Strange comes a little close, and I haven’t been able to decipher the greater majority of Superflat’s verses than A Piece Of Strange (e.g. it’s raining garbage trucks).
In "U" Kendrick is talking to himself not a woman. He is battling himself due to his past mistakes, which he feels led to causing pain to others and even death.
Seeing the emotion at the end of this video made my eyes get a bit watery to be truthful. This is obviously a milestone reaction and to see the growth in this channel and you personally is astonishing and my vote for most endearing and heartwarming story of all 2021. I’m a black dude from the south who has loved hip hop dearly since basically as long as I can remember. Even so much I moved to NY this year just to be in the Mecca and experience the foundations of the culture. To see that hip hop music can effect a random white gen x male to that point hits a nerve that makes me realize positivity, love and equality still exist (We Gon Be Alright lol). Believe it or not Bob, YOU are a part of the culture now. Yes, YOU. These reactions count as a piece of modern hip hop culture. So thank you for your positive contributions and am looking forward to more milestones in the New Year.
There's a lot I'd like to say to this, but I honestly feel like I'd ramble on for so long I'd only ruin it. So I'll simply say, with all the sincerity that text online can muster, thank you. Thank you so much. What you've said means a lot to me, and it's a great summary for what I hoped this channel would become.
U is Kendrick talking to himself, the whole way through. Lucy is Lucifer. Hence why For Sale is so pretty sounding. Like the devil being tempting. This album is endlessly replayable for so many reasons (the music, the flows, the vocal inflections, the production, the themes, the metaphors and lyrical genius, etc). It would actually be 100% impossible to pick it all up on first listen. Also shoutout to u for immediately having How Much a Dollar Cost being ur fav off this.
@@TommyTom21 Oh, of course. But I think he's personifying the music industry AS the devil too. Lucy is the devil, meaning something tempting that will lead you down a negative path, even though it promises you greatness.
@@TommyTom21 I agree, since people ‘sell their soul’ to the industry when they sign a record deal. Kind of like the saying ‘selling your soul to the devil’ (Lucy)
THANK YOU!!!! Lucy is Lucifer lol (for sale?) The song is what it sounds like when the devil tries to buy your soul. He makes it sound nice and sweet. Genius
When the last poem finishes, and it all makes sense, the songs fit the poem that's being read throughout, and both the songs and the poem fit the allegory for the caterpillar and the butterfly. So fucking brilliant. And then Pac being gone, tears again. so happy for you to experience this. Also, you being speechless was me in my hotel room in 2015 when it came out. I was 17 and on a school trip. Woke up, saw Apple released it early by accident, and listened immediately. It was like 6 something in the morning, and when I heard Tupac at the end I began to tear up and cry, and then when the album ended I started crying more, but also was just left with this overwhelming feeling of speechlessness. I wrote something about it after 2 weeks, I'll leave it here for you. "To Pimp A Butterfly. I didn't know if I was ready for it. I wasn't. No one was. The greatest rap album of the decade, of this generation, and likely of all time. The jazzy funk instrumentation, with the incredibly deep roots of black culture, all packaged with one of the most important messages anyone could've put out there. This album is not just great, but important."
I knew something special was building when I started to see that the poem was progressing with the album, but I had no idea it would wrap up the way that it did. Kendrick did something incredible here. He has a special way of capturing emotion that can only be expressed in music. It's almost ironic to me in that he says SO MUCH in this album, but there's even more magic in what's hidden between the lines. The music alone carries a lot within. It's a great piece of work (to put in mildly)
Definitely don't skip over the "Untitled" album of previously unreleased tracks or B-sides, whatever you want to call them, that he released between this album and his next full LP , DAMN. It's not a traditional album in the sense that it has narrative or super cohesive structure but holy shit there are some jams on there. You'll definitely vibe to it
@@leorodrigues9596 i see the argument bc i love utum, but i mean damn is amazing (9) and i think utum is like an 8, both have amazing songs and lyrics but I think in a way hes right. It's not what this channel goes for
I love how you took your time, went through relevant hip-hop, went through Kendrick’s discography, and then approached this. Clearly not milking views, and just trying to appreciate it as honestly as possible.
That's the goal. To really understand the genre and the people making it. Had I not listened to 'Me Against the World' before this, I would have completely missed the ending. Honestly, I wanted to do 'Ready 2 Die' and 'All Eyes on Me' beforehand too, but I had been putting off TPAB for so long... I had to pull the trigger at some point.
@@bobthepoppop thats dope man, tupac will be an ok listen but you should listen to his greatest hits . Because a lot of times he had to switch his style from positive stuff to gangster stuff and that might confuse your opinion of why ppl regard him so much. I think JayZ would be a better listen than Biggie only because Biggie had a great flow and delivery but his content was hardcore and brutal .. like some of what he says just is off the rails
I loved the reaction but a couple of things you missed: In These Walls, the songs overall message was that Kendrick was sleeping with the wife of the man who killed Dave in Good Kid, Maad City (Sing about me), in order to get back at him. In U, the entire song is Kendrick talking down to himself, getting increasingly more drunk and honest. Lucy is representative of Lucifer, or a thought in the back of Kendrick's mind to waste all of his money on material possessions instead of helping people. This is what the girlfriend verse was about in Wesley's Theory. He grew tired of loving his girlfriend sincerely (Using his power and position to help people) and instead decided to just use her for sex (Using his influence to get what he wants like in These Walls).
@@mortgagesdemystified that’s part of the reason that is one of my favorite songs of all time. Besides the fact that it sounds good sonically, the way he painted the picture and compared “These Walls” of the woman he’s sleeping with to the walls of the prison cell her man is serving time in for murdering Kendrick’s best friend is genius
I LOVEEED the analogy you did in "I" with the n-word and how you tried to understand how that word still exists in the black commumity, it shows that even that you will not 100% get it ever, still shows how this journey through rap and hip-hop music made you acknowledge their struggles. Great reaction as always!
I’m glad you chose to listen through to the end. Your summary at the end perfectly sums up how this album left me on first listen. Speechless and emotional. Wasn’t expecting to shed a tear when I listened to that album the first time. And after not hearing it in awhile, listening to that interview again during this reaction brought that back again. Man…such a powerful moment. Pac was on his way to becoming that butterfly despite how angry he was and who he had aligned himself with just before his death. He had a vision of bringing the east and west together calling it One Nation. He never got the chance to realize his vision. That move would have cracked the cocoon and given Pac his wings while he was alive. This album is nothing short of epic and the ending is absolutely brilliant.
There’s so so many stories being told, so many metaphors going on, so many layers and levels to the meanings going on that noone can understand it all at first, or even fully understand it ever. Unforgettable album and probably the biggest concept, ambition, amount of effort ive ever heard put into the album. He did a few really insightful interviews about the album when it came out, though i dont remember the interview names right now on youtube. But the track Momma was partially about when he went to South Africa, his first time in Africa, which was a powerful and lifechanging experience for him and the boy hes talking about is a boy in South Africa. He actually had a whole album he was making before the trip, but after the trip, he scrapped it and made this album instead. Also , you’ll pick up on it in later listenings but “u” is him talking about himself, the guiltiness that he feels, the suicidal thoughts, the depression. I think “u” is the best song on the album because its just incredibly vulnerable and one of the most emotional, honest songs ive ever heard. And all the emotion in his voice. You mentioned Suicidal Tendencies, and something REALLY surprising you might notve known about the band, Thundercat was a member of it!!!! I havent actually heard them but from what ive read, theyre apparently a punk band and Bad Brains are my favorite punk band and i only know a few others. Marcus Garvey (mentioned in the Blacker the Berry) was a Black leader who preached back-to-Africa and had around 15 million followers globally, which is massive. Ive never listened to his speeches or writings, so i cant speak on who he was fully, but a great historical figure.
Also you were being attentive to lyrics on genius so its understandable you didnt have this shock - but the collective experience of people hearing Tupac speak on the last track, was shock. Like, PAC?????? Like it was worked in so smoothly like theyre having a conversation, even though its of course an interview Tupac did in the 90s, with Kendrick editing it and adding his things to it. It was never before heard words from Tupac, too, until this album.
And yeah it’s impossible to pay full attention to both the music and the lyrics all on the first listen, the lyrics demand attention but the production is just as incredible of a feat as the lyrics. So many details to the production too. FLYING LOTUS produced Wesley’s Theory and you would be BLOWNNNNNNNN AWAAAAYYYYYYY by his album You’re Dead!. Its a maybe 75% instrumental hip hop / electronic album and Kendrick and Thundercat are both on it. Flying Lotus is an incredible producer, he even has David Lynch on a song.
Kendrick often raps from the point of view of other characters, creating a dialogue within the song. I noticed you might have missed that on Institutionalized
Man, Im so fucking glad you liked it. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to GKMC for you, since that album literally brought you to tears. I didn’t expect that kind of emotional response from you with TPAB, and I’m so glad I was wrong. This album is truly a masterpiece.
Your reaction videos have honestly made me appreciate my favorite albums even more. The way you analyze music, and allowing yourself to come in with a fresh mindset and new perspective has introduced me to ideas and concepts that I did not catch listening on my own. This is music I’ve listen to on a daily, music I’ve listened long before you have. So thank you. Keep doing what you do.
Thank you, and will do. It's crazy to me something like that can happen, that I can bring in new perspectives while also being such an outsider (less so, lately) to hip-hop, but I'm glad I can. I love music, and I think it's a medium that can connect us all. Your comment reinforces that idea for me.
I remember I was at the office working a couple years ago and finished listening to the album. Had tears in my eyes. Bunch of co workers asked me if I was okay, had to tell them I had allergies 😂
The song “Momma” is a story, about Kendrick and his shift from knowing himself and the things he’s learned but later taking a trip to Africa and learning a lot more that’s why he said “I know what I know and I know it well not to ever forget..until I realized I didn’t know shit, the day I came home” Home meaning Africa, the natural birthplace of African Americans, which ties into the 3rd verse when he encounters a little boy in Africa explaining to Kendrick that he doesn’t really know anything. You might be wondering why it’s called Momma but there’s no inclusion of his mother anywhere in the song, mainly because he’s referring to the feeling of what a mother brings a feeling of comfort, comfort is often found inside of a home, hence him reverting back to that word at the end of every verse.
Wow!! That's an awesome take on this track. I enjoy KDot's projects because his brilliant overthinking and constant selfanalysis makes his writing so meaningful and vastly comprehensive. Therefore, each listener can take away different perspectives, hopefully one that is life altering by the end of this album. I don't study his work like many of you obviously have to develop such a deep understanding of his lyrics. But whether I'm wrong or right, I realize that all viewpoints are validly valuable. After hearing this song, I thought possibly it's called "Momma" because the subject is Africa and for many years AA referred to the continent as our "Motherland" that we've never even seen. When I was born in the 70s a time of extreme ProBlackness with returning to the Motherland a dream for so many AA. But I'm not sure if Ken has such a close relationship that he calls our homeland "Momma" though lol. I truly appreciate these reactions and the comments section for clarification purposes.
These Walls is heavily underrated. It's so dense with double meaning and storytelling. U is in my opinion one of kendrick's best songs, same with the blacker the berry
It's actually a triple meaning... The first verse is about having sex with a woman.. The second verse was about gaining her trust in order to have sex in the first place(bringing down her walls of trust)and the 3rd verse is the walls of the prison cell of her boyfriend which is also who killed his friend and the fact that he manipulated the girl to have sex with him as revenge... and kendrick wishes the killer could know what was going on in the girls room as if the walls talk. Very underrated.. One of my favorite songs of all time.
This is my favorite piece of art ever made. So dense, so profound, and so musically sound on top of that. I’ve listened to this album countless times and I get emotional each and every time I hear “although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same”. It just has this supremely profound nature in the way it’s presented. The music swells and you’re met with this thought of the rich and the poor, the artful and the artless, the escapee and the imprisoned, all coming from the same roots as we all do. It isn’t hyperbole to say this album made me a better man, and at the risk of sounding like a pretentious douchebag, I will forever thank Kendrick for that.
I haven’t even gotten to the first track yet, but I really appreciate how open minded you are to others views and experiences. This album helped open my eyes as a teenager in a white rural farm town to the realities of racism because it was presented so personally by Kendrick.
Just to clarify if you don't know, 'Lucy' is what kendrick interprets as lucifer/devil. Stated in the poem at the end of 'Alright' "the evils of lucy was all around me". Kendrick has attached lucy to his overall success and the corporate greed which gives that evil feature. At the end of 'For Sale?' the poem gets extended and states "so i went runnin' for answers, untill i came home" which leads to the track 'Momma' shows that kendrick coming back home and seems to be out of touch with reality due to his fame and success. Kendrick thinks he knows it all but figures that his roots is some sort of a guide that keeps him humble and more in touch with reality as it gives him a new perspective on his own life. 'Momma' also tries to show that He also tries to influences his homies with his new knowledge with this line "But if you pick destiny over rest in peace then be an advocate Tell your homies especially to come back home". Kendrick hopes that his homies can find new purpose and meaning in life, and create peace with themselves and each other by returning back to their 'African' roots.
Whoa! it also just hit me while reading your comment and considering Africa and "Roots" that the title "Momma" is his twist on "Mother"- as in "Motherland" as in where he considers home!!!
I've listened to this album over 100 times easily.. lost count. I love your reaction as it still gave me more perspectives and information I never considered. Thankyou so much for this! The ending was just perfect. Masterpiece, and I can tell you know it from first listen.
This is an album that’ll age like fine wine. It’s been out for 6 years already and it’s one of my favorite albums ever made. Kendrick is a force to be reckon and I cannot wait to hear his next album!
To Pimp a Butterfly is a great hip-hop album. Its interesting (as an analytical person) to see you watch stuff like this, and see some parallels between my reaction and yours on a first listen. I also felt similarly at the end of the album: didn't know quite what to say about it. Great reaction, and I'm glad this version was able to stay up. On another note: I agree you should stop looking at genius during these tracks. I understand it might be tempting, but the discovery of a song's meaning is part of why I enjoy listening to music. I don't use any break-downs on my first-listens because I want to experience things in as raw and connected a manner as possible. I am saying this from the perspective of someone who listens to hip-hop for the enjoyment of it, but also to teach myself, like you are. You will learn a lot more about yourself when you look back at your raw reactions to music. It may not be the best way to stage a video, which I understand in that case, but I think that some music is best left without a Lucy on your shoulder asking you to look at other people's opinions. Especially when those opinions are coming from people who have sat on this music for years.
Genius is tough because there are still times when I don't understand the references being made, and sometimes is something as simple as a pop-culture reference. I prefer to form my own opinion, but Genius has helped with tiny gaps like that.
One thing people miss about this album is that each song is different form of Black music. Wesley's Theory - Funk Aint Free - Spoken Word. .... The other songs are reggae, trap, r&b, disco, neo soul, etc....
my god the way you ended this video and how the album left you completely speechless really says something about how powerful of an experience this album is this is by far the best reaction i have ever seen to this album even if you were kinda off on certain things its ok not all of it is gonna click on first listen and im glad that it impacted you in the way that it did cant wait to hear your thoughts about it
"i" is sincerely about loving one's self. It's something of the culmination of Kendrick's journey throughout the album and stands in direct contrast to "u", which is about self hate. He breaks it off in the middle with the pretext of an argument happening off stage to give his speech about self love and pride to the community which is often at odds with each other (especially in the form of gang violence, something kendrick has discussed a lot). There's a great single version as well that isn't on the album. It lacks the spoken word segment since that doesn't make sense outside of the album's context, but it's a very fun song and comes across heartfelt.
I've always thought that the interruption in the middle of "i" is a stroke of genius in itself. I remember the single version of the song drawing criticism when it was first released for leaning so heavily in a pop direction. I interpret the interruption in the album version as an indirect response to critics of the single, as Kendrick takes the time to actually explain what the song means and why it fits so perfectly in the context of the album. I also find it interesting that the last verse of "i" is a summary of many of the themes on the album, but is actually left off of the album and is only on the single. By leaving it off, he shines a spotlight on it. Genius.
I judged "i" too harshly on the first listen. It caught me off guard, and it was a rare moment where I wasn't certain what Kendrick was trying to do. It was probably the only time I felt unsure of his direction with the album. I still need to listen to the singles version too 👍
@@bobthepoppop this song samples That Lady by the Isley Brothers, a great song in its own right. The final verse, one that doesn't appear on the album version, makes me think it's less joyous and hopeful than it may seem - it's more like accepting his inevitable fate and preparing those that will survive him for his eventual departure.
@@bobthepoppop I can see why you felt of i that way on the first listen. I think TPAB's story is a bit more esoteric, so it takes repeated listens to really get everything that's going on in it. Also, definitely recommend the single version. It isn't as high minded, but in exchange it's infectiously fun.
I recommend everyone in the thread to listen to the "best of both" version once you have heard the single version. It mixes the hyperactive energy of the album version with the extended funk outro of the single version. It turns the song into a straight up masterpiece you can listen to outside of the album format.
Bob your dissemination skills are second to none out of all these reactors you really catch the meaning to these songs. You've caught so much of the hard hitting moments in a lot of your reactions that go over others head.
For “i” that was an actual live performance where a fight broke out, and Kendrick decided to use that version of the track for the album rather than the studio version
I'm one of the lucky few who got to watch the full video that got taken down earlier before it happened. Watched the whole 2hrs and 30 minutes. Great video, I been waiting patiently for this reaction for about a month now.
Man.. I didn’t think the ending could hit me like that after so many listens. But seeing your reaction got me a little teary eyed. Thank you for sharing that moment with us.
Fuck… “U” still makes my eyes watery to this day. Broke my heart the 1st time I heard that track. I was going through a very hard time. Depression and all. Thought a new album from my favorite rapper would cheer me up and it did until I got to “U”. Not only did I understand his pain but at some point it felt like he was talking to me too.
That shipmate connection was so on point. This is why I love your channel, beyond connecting the music together and what it means cohesively, you’re really good at connecting music to your own experiences whether or not it directly relates to your experiences. You’re the kind of person you want to listen to.
Peace, first off this is the 3rd video I watched on your channel and let me tell you I've watched a good handful of "reaction" videos but your channel is something special I love how honest you are in allowing hip hop to structure or transform your thoughts, man it's hard to throw preconceived notions aside. I am an actual student of music from blues, jazz, soul, reggae, classic rock, folk, but Hiphop is me, my time, my generation, I mean its mine, it can contain any of the other genres that i have said previously and make a new dish with it ( sorry I'm also a chef lol) i just want to say I appreciate your channel. Sometimes I see you apprehensive on giving an opinion or getting on your soap box but let me tell you we see your love, honesty, and authenticity, dont be scrrred. Peace FAM keep em coming
Really enjoy your reviews and the fact that you are taking the time to look into the backstory and build up to these albums. Listening to you miss these pretty common black references/historical facts (e.g. roots, "all's my life I has to fight" from the color purple, Marcus Garvey) really illustrates the divide in awareness of culture in america. Which is by design. Im so glad that you are/will be taking time to dive into these references in an effort to better understand the album. More people should. Keep it up!
This is the best album ever made. It’s what got me into music as a whole, and I owe so much of myself to it. Wesley's Theory is still (imo) the best rap song ever made and Blacker the Berry is a very close second. Every time I go back to it I find something new and it makes me love it even more. Like Blacker the Berry talking about how he's the biggest hypocrite (because of the direct subject matter ofc), but also because of the implication that blacker is better right after a song talking about how complexion doesn't matter? Like it's all these little things that build up to make this such a gargantuan achievement of music and I love it so much
Good find but the KEY lyric of blacker the berry is the willie lynch theory reversing a million times. He claimed to be a proud monkey, etc. taking all their hate and reversing it exactly but still being real about being a hypocrite
@@DanteHarrisMusic yea I know what the damn song's about bro it's prolly the least subtle song on there things (especially things on an album as lyrically dense and well thought-out as this) can have multiple meanings/connotations and that was just one I noticed, it's not an accident complexion comes right before blacker the berry
@@solomonsam8927 before I actually go and justify what is actually a fairly popular pick for best album ever made (which is a shame, being on the cutting edge is always nice) I wanna hear what your pick is.
@@solomonsam8927 idk why that’s a hot take. IMO loveless by mbv is the best album ever, but tpab is most definitely up there and if that’s someone favorite ever it’s completely understandable
I got really emotional at the end of that album too. That silence when Kendrick was calling out for PAC hit me hard too. It was so haunting. It's such a beautiful album. Great review my brother.
I have loved hip-hop as long as I can remember. The 1st time I heard this album, I cried when I heard Tupac at the end. It's so powerful, so moving, so important.
Funny you mentioned Suicidal Tendencies. Two former band members, Thundercat and Ronald Bruner Jr, are on this album. Thundercat did a ton of bass and vocals on TPAB.
Really bummed about the yams thing. Genius doesn't do a great job of explaining it but it's actually a reference to two literary classics. I believe yams were the main crops grown in precolonial Nigeria. That's certainly how they are presented in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", where they serve as a metaphor for the brazenly African, traditionally masculine, resource rich power Okonkwo strives for. This is of course the idea of the entire song: unapologetically black and incredibly wealthy and powerful. Smelling them walking down the street is a reference to invisible man.
The ending of this album made me cry too first time I listened too it. I’m so glad you did a reaction video to a tupac album before you did TPAB, it adds so much more value to your experience
The lost for words at the end… 👌🏾 This is music and art at its finest.. album is absolutely perfect. Even without you understanding the language as far as terminology in the hood. The music spoke to you and you allowed yourself to receive it. Respect to you.
Always appreciate your willingness to show emotion in these videos. It’s so much better than a typical reaction seeing someone completely lost for words
This is one of the most brilliant albums I have ever heard. Any genre. So many layers to unpack. Trying to decipher it on first listen is impossible. That said, your reaction so far is great. I’m only halfway through the reaction so far. Just a note…Lucy is Lucifer. The devil. The temptation, the love of money (which is the root of all kinds of evil), the selfishness, the lies, all traits of Lucifer. But all these traits are disguised to appear alluring. Kendrick was being enchanted by it. But there’s so much more to this album. Classic album is a severe understatement. Ok, lemme get back to this review.
I rarely comment but all I can say is thank you so very much for this in-depth reaction. I enjoyed it thoroughly and believe truly that you will go far in this RUclips journey. All because of your intellect and approach to understanding the music, your emphasis on saying how you feel and what you think regardless of you think it’s correct or incorrect and your honesty and integrity with not pretending to understand anything you don’t. Now I’m rambling but basically, thank you, and well done!
Speechlessness is an appropriate response to the ending of this album. I really appreciated the insight you provided, and am looking forward to your additional thoughts. Thanks for always being so open and honest, I subbed when I saw your Illmatic review, and this was a real treat. Stay well sir, have an enjoyable holiday season with your family
I appreciated your story and perspective at the end of “i”. Very thought provoking stuff when you are sharing your experiences. Always appreciate hearing about things you can relate to that help contextual how you are approaching the album.
In the song “Wesley’s Theory” the beginning verse is Kendrick is talking about the Rap Game itself. How at first he was in it for the culture, the “love” he had for it. But once he saw the money It brought it, he started doing it for the Lust. Aka the money
1:31:07 “The back of the back” of the head is just a clever way of the saying _the front_ of the head. The back of the front of something would be the back, so the back of the back would in turn be the front of something, basically.
Also the easiest way to understand _i_ is to know it’s a direct mirror of the song _u_ in theme. _u_ is full of self loathing and wallowing in everything wrong with himself, and _i_ is just a flip of that, full of self appreciation and uplifting. Also this is the album version of _i_ but the single version was meant to promote the album so it’s gonna be one of the more general sounding songs.
i little off topic but you just seem like one of the most secure people I've followed on this site. in your beliefs and your interests. couldnt think of a better personality to engage with this new music journey.
Incredible album and always love hearing your analysis. This isn’t just music it’s really an experience, a masterpiece, not easy to digest. Thank you for the content 🙏🏻
It's the only album I've ever referred to as a masterpiece. This was the 1st album that taught me that you can go from hating an album to loving it with more listens.
Bro! This! I didn’t absorb it the first few listens and preferred DAMN over it. I still might, but that gap is steadily closing. This is audio literature it’s genre defining and awe inspiring all in one
Listening through it right now and it’s crazy how I’ll listen to a song, go “eh, least favorite off the album so far” and then listen to it like 3 days later in the car and absolutely love it. I agree with you, this is the first album for me where I disliked songs pretty heavily only to love them on a re listen.
Great listen through, can’t believe I watched the whole thing in one go. Reminds me of the first time I listened to this album. Had heard great things about it and was expecting a lot but was still speechless after the fact. Fyi, the song “i” is a single that came out before the album, the “original” version does not have the skit of the crowd disrupting the song. You said it sounds a bit disingenuous or that it sounded “too happy” for Kendrick, which I don’t know if I agree with, but I can totally see where you’re coming from. To me, it could make sense that one of the reasons that he chose “i” to be the single, other to appeal to radio etc, is to have the turn from dark, depressive, self-hating chapter of the album give the song the context it needs to be more than the single some could overlook as just being superficial pop-rap. This might explain the reason to not have the original version in the album and to interrupt the song with a skit as well, that goes further into the context of the message of the album.
I know I’m a little late but ofc as this is 2 hours long I wanted to make sure I had time to set aside to watch it all. I really liked your thoughts on “i.” I find often when people review this album they hear it is the best album of all time etc. and are afraid to critique it. While your qualms with it I think can be easily dispelled with a few listens (and may already be based on your comments in the comment section), I love seeing what you really think. Your knowledge base of rock music gives you an outsider perspective, but your involvement with Kendrick’s previous works in preparation for this allow you to offer really valuable insight even on first listen. Makes me think of things I’ve never thought before, and I think that’s really one of the most valuable things you get out of reviews/reactions. Overall great job as always. Killing it.
You and Mercurial Number Six are my favorite reactors. You cover the lyricism and have a deep passion for understanding the message like nobody else and he has a deep understanding and knowledge of the actual musicality/ sonics . It’s a perfect combo !!
I’m subscribing. This was the most considerate and enjoyable listening experience and I love seeing someone else experience something this beautiful for the first time. As a musician, you learn so much from watching other people listen to music, especially this thoughtfully and with this much care. You’re a cool guy.
Still think this is the best album I’ve ever heard. It may not be my favorite but just genuinely the most complete and important musical work I have ever heard. Sensational. Better and better even after 100 listens.
In the song “U” he’s basically making a diss track to himself. The whole song is him telling himself off. About how he failed despite being this huge success
Sup man don’t feel too much pressure to get everything on the first listen. The production and musicianship is a huge part of the genius of the album. This album is one to live with and catch more meaning on repeated listens. I don’t think there’s a single person on Earth that could fully comprehend and communicate what’s being achieved on this album on first listen 😂 it’s okay to just sit back and vibe every now n then, looks exhausting dude
@BobthePoppop you need to have uncut versions, probably on Patreon or whatever. Sometimes we just want to sit in the room with you throughout the entire album and really experience it with you. Don't mind the length, we're here for it. Love your work.
In these walls, the meaning of walls changes every verse. Overall too it shows the similarity of being institutionalized and trapped in a pleasure that just reinforces captivity and then institutionalized in a prison
I love what you said that the deeper you go the more you realize you don't know. You were talking about the album, but you can apply that line to a lot of things in life
this album and life in general also has me at a loss for words, so i don’t really know how to say everything i want to say. but thank you for this great reaction. much love to you. here’s to hope and the betterment of society
A studio version of “i” was one of the first singles Kendrick released after GKMC. It’s a song about loving yourself and accepting who you are, and some definitely loved it, a lot of people criticized him for coming out with such a happy song “self-love” type song. The TPAB version of “i” is Kendrick’s way of reconciling this. You can even hear throughout the “live” album version in the background that people are chattering and not really paying attention, which to me symbolizes that those just looking for club bangers completely ignored the message of the song. Finally, the commotion happens and he goes into the a cappella section. It’s him trying to recapture the attention of those people and say “listen, this is what I mean”, which is that people categorize black people and try to tell them how they should feel and put them in boxes and you should reject that and be empowered by their culture and break through the stereotypes. This is just how I perceived this song but I’m open to more commentary/discussion!
This one cleared checks y'all. It's staying (to my knowledge). Enjoy 🤘 (I sure as hell did)
the last 5 minutes really were speechless
@@tidiarr Quite literally. I hope I can speak on it when I do my Additional Thoughts. There's a personal reason (nothing bad, music related) as to why those closing lines struck me so hard.
“u” is kendrick talking to himself
Great reaction, i cry when i hear the ending of this album. Having Tupac towards the end. bring it full circle. The poem he wrote to him day before he died.
P.s the song these walls, it play on words. The wall of the vagina, the walls of home and walls behind bars. It me while to figure it out.
P.s.s i don't know if anyone told you this but this part 3 of a trilogy. Section 8, good kid maddcity and to pimp a butterfly. Youth to currentl events With that been said, TPAB cross-reference previous albums and people he mention. Like having sex with Dave's killer's girlfriend to get back at him while he is lock up
@@bobthepoppop Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
People often use hyperbole when describing music or just things they love in general, but this album is literally one of - if not the most lyrically dense album ever made. It’s hard to even describe how much weight it holds and the amount of meaning it possess. It’s really more than an album. Although this type of praise seems overzealous and even unnecessary, once you go down the rabbit hole of research/ simply listening and discovering the different meanings it’s very difficult to dismiss. While I don’t like to throw around the word “genius” this is an album that could only be made by someone with an astute understanding of the world at large and more importantly themself.
Superflat is more dense but yeah
@@allenpomme8881 there’s certainly albums that rival it. Such as El Negro by Signor Benedick the Moor, A piece of strange by CunninLynguists or How I got over by the Roots.
@@sadlib8289 I disagree with the all but A Piece Of Strange comes a little close, and I haven’t been able to decipher the greater majority of Superflat’s verses than A Piece Of Strange (e.g. it’s raining garbage trucks).
The album is more than an album its surely a blessing
try any Aesop Rock or Busdriver album
In "U" Kendrick is talking to himself not a woman. He is battling himself due to his past mistakes, which he feels led to causing pain to others and even death.
Seeing the emotion at the end of this video made my eyes get a bit watery to be truthful. This is obviously a milestone reaction and to see the growth in this channel and you personally is astonishing and my vote for most endearing and heartwarming story of all 2021.
I’m a black dude from the south who has loved hip hop dearly since basically as long as I can remember. Even so much I moved to NY this year just to be in the Mecca and experience the foundations of the culture. To see that hip hop music can effect a random white gen x male to that point hits a nerve that makes me realize positivity, love and equality still exist (We Gon Be Alright lol). Believe it or not Bob, YOU are a part of the culture now. Yes, YOU. These reactions count as a piece of modern hip hop culture. So thank you for your positive contributions and am looking forward to more milestones in the New Year.
There's a lot I'd like to say to this, but I honestly feel like I'd ramble on for so long I'd only ruin it. So I'll simply say, with all the sincerity that text online can muster, thank you. Thank you so much. What you've said means a lot to me, and it's a great summary for what I hoped this channel would become.
@@bobthepoppop
Beautifully said my man.
Big fax
Love Hip-Hop
U is Kendrick talking to himself, the whole way through.
Lucy is Lucifer. Hence why For Sale is so pretty sounding. Like the devil being tempting.
This album is endlessly replayable for so many reasons (the music, the flows, the vocal inflections, the production, the themes, the metaphors and lyrical genius, etc). It would actually be 100% impossible to pick it all up on first listen.
Also shoutout to u for immediately having How Much a Dollar Cost being ur fav off this.
I think Lucy has a double meaning cause lucy being a metaphor for the music industry or record labels makes a lot of sense.
@@TommyTom21 Oh, of course. But I think he's personifying the music industry AS the devil too. Lucy is the devil, meaning something tempting that will lead you down a negative path, even though it promises you greatness.
@@TommyTom21 I agree, since people ‘sell their soul’ to the industry when they sign a record deal. Kind of like the saying ‘selling your soul to the devil’ (Lucy)
THANK YOU!!!! Lucy is Lucifer lol (for sale?) The song is what it sounds like when the devil tries to buy your soul. He makes it sound nice and sweet. Genius
@Ali Chaudhry I only pointed it out because Bob didn't catch it
Fun fact Thundercat was at one point the bassist for Suicidal Tendencies
Holy shit that's such a strange occurrence, I never would've thought hahahah
I do think it shows how flexible his bass is tho
That's fucking awesome Thundercat seriously a legend in the industry
I may be covered in cat hair
But I smell good
Thundercat should be the bassist for everything
@@BOGOworms4salefacts
When the last poem finishes, and it all makes sense, the songs fit the poem that's being read throughout, and both the songs and the poem fit the allegory for the caterpillar and the butterfly. So fucking brilliant. And then Pac being gone, tears again. so happy for you to experience this.
Also, you being speechless was me in my hotel room in 2015 when it came out. I was 17 and on a school trip. Woke up, saw Apple released it early by accident, and listened immediately. It was like 6 something in the morning, and when I heard Tupac at the end I began to tear up and cry, and then when the album ended I started crying more, but also was just left with this overwhelming feeling of speechlessness. I wrote something about it after 2 weeks, I'll leave it here for you.
"To Pimp A Butterfly. I didn't know if I was ready for it. I wasn't. No one was. The greatest rap album of the decade, of this generation, and likely of all time. The jazzy funk instrumentation, with the incredibly deep roots of black culture, all packaged with one of the most important messages anyone could've put out there. This album is not just great, but important."
I knew something special was building when I started to see that the poem was progressing with the album, but I had no idea it would wrap up the way that it did. Kendrick did something incredible here. He has a special way of capturing emotion that can only be expressed in music. It's almost ironic to me in that he says SO MUCH in this album, but there's even more magic in what's hidden between the lines. The music alone carries a lot within. It's a great piece of work (to put in mildly)
Also the name of the album. To Pimp A Butterfly = To Pimp A Caterpillar = Tupac.
what!? WHat?! crazy layers
@@Doomer253 holy shit i never thought of that
Definitely don't skip over the "Untitled" album of previously unreleased tracks or B-sides, whatever you want to call them, that he released between this album and his next full LP , DAMN. It's not a traditional album in the sense that it has narrative or super cohesive structure but holy shit there are some jams on there. You'll definitely vibe to it
He should definitely skip over it. There are bops but like you said it isn’t cohesive and doesnt fit what this channel is looking to do
@@brianestepa2376 ?? untitled has a lot more to it than either of you are giving credit.
@@brianestepa2376 man i could argue with you for hours how UU is hetter than DAMN
@@brianestepa2376 L
@@leorodrigues9596 i see the argument bc i love utum, but i mean damn is amazing (9) and i think utum is like an 8, both have amazing songs and lyrics but I think in a way hes right. It's not what this channel goes for
I love how you took your time, went through relevant hip-hop, went through Kendrick’s discography, and then approached this. Clearly not milking views, and just trying to appreciate it as honestly as possible.
That's the goal. To really understand the genre and the people making it. Had I not listened to 'Me Against the World' before this, I would have completely missed the ending. Honestly, I wanted to do 'Ready 2 Die' and 'All Eyes on Me' beforehand too, but I had been putting off TPAB for so long... I had to pull the trigger at some point.
@@bobthepoppop thats dope man, tupac will be an ok listen but you should listen to his greatest hits . Because a lot of times he had to switch his style from positive stuff to gangster stuff and that might confuse your opinion of why ppl regard him so much. I think JayZ would be a better listen than Biggie only because Biggie had a great flow and delivery but his content was hardcore and brutal .. like some of what he says just is off the rails
@@Cashmere__ I agree with this
@@Cashmere__ it's history though, he can't just disregard it like that
@@willoverdoseonmusic i know im not saying he shouldn’t listen to them at all , but he should get a feel for what made them great you know
I loved the reaction but a couple of things you missed:
In These Walls, the songs overall message was that Kendrick was sleeping with the wife of the man who killed Dave in Good Kid, Maad City (Sing about me), in order to get back at him.
In U, the entire song is Kendrick talking down to himself, getting increasingly more drunk and honest.
Lucy is representative of Lucifer, or a thought in the back of Kendrick's mind to waste all of his money on material possessions instead of helping people. This is what the girlfriend verse was about in Wesley's Theory. He grew tired of loving his girlfriend sincerely (Using his power and position to help people) and instead decided to just use her for sex (Using his influence to get what he wants like in These Walls).
He’s speaking of rap music in Wesleys Theory.
For free is America the bad bitch. His “first” girlfriend
That's wild about If these walls, went over my head
100
@@mortgagesdemystified that’s part of the reason that is one of my favorite songs of all time. Besides the fact that it sounds good sonically, the way he painted the picture and compared “These Walls” of the woman he’s sleeping with to the walls of the prison cell her man is serving time in for murdering Kendrick’s best friend is genius
fun fact: the original name of the album was “To Pimp A Caterpillar”, an homage to Tupac in its abbreviation
it was "Tu Pimp A Caterpillar" or "2 Pimp A Caterpillar"
That sounds like cap but I'll believe it anyway
@@eliasmg9144it’s actually true
@@eliasmg9144nah it’s true. Considering the poem is also directed towards Tupac, it makes sense. The whole album is for Tupac’s ears
I LOVEEED the analogy you did in "I" with the n-word and how you tried to understand how that word still exists in the black commumity, it shows that even that you will not 100% get it ever, still shows how this journey through rap and hip-hop music made you acknowledge their struggles. Great reaction as always!
Even people in the black community doesn't know
One of the great American works of art. Seminal piece of culture that will be remembered decades from now. Like Miles Davis.
Kendrick is a genius hands down
Don’t skip over untitled unmastered. Its basically the B sides to this album and its still fantastic
with an album like this, even the *D* sides would be top notch
Yes!
That is the most perfect way to described that album 🔥🔥
@@xbenci mmopn
@@xbenci opn
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST RAP/HIPHOP ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
Yes it is
Correction, it's one of the best ALBUMS of all time
wlr>
@@SaulHernandez-oi8qf 🤣
@@SaulHernandez-oi8qf waaaaa lyrics
I’m glad you chose to listen through to the end. Your summary at the end perfectly sums up how this album left me on first listen. Speechless and emotional. Wasn’t expecting to shed a tear when I listened to that album the first time. And after not hearing it in awhile, listening to that interview again during this reaction brought that back again. Man…such a powerful moment. Pac was on his way to becoming that butterfly despite how angry he was and who he had aligned himself with just before his death. He had a vision of bringing the east and west together calling it One Nation. He never got the chance to realize his vision. That move would have cracked the cocoon and given Pac his wings while he was alive.
This album is nothing short of epic and the ending is absolutely brilliant.
The ending is like getting hit by a truck full of pain and reality.
It’s heavy, bro.
The song “U” is not only Kendrick speaking about himself, but he said it was the hardest song to write and record. It was very difficult for him.
There’s so so many stories being told, so many metaphors going on, so many layers and levels to the meanings going on that noone can understand it all at first, or even fully understand it ever. Unforgettable album and probably the biggest concept, ambition, amount of effort ive ever heard put into the album.
He did a few really insightful interviews about the album when it came out, though i dont remember the interview names right now on youtube. But the track Momma was partially about when he went to South Africa, his first time in Africa, which was a powerful and lifechanging experience for him and the boy hes talking about is a boy in South Africa. He actually had a whole album he was making before the trip, but after the trip, he scrapped it and made this album instead. Also , you’ll pick up on it in later listenings but “u” is him talking about himself, the guiltiness that he feels, the suicidal thoughts, the depression. I think “u” is the best song on the album because its just incredibly vulnerable and one of the most emotional, honest songs ive ever heard. And all the emotion in his voice.
You mentioned Suicidal Tendencies, and something REALLY surprising you might notve known about the band, Thundercat was a member of it!!!! I havent actually heard them but from what ive read, theyre apparently a punk band and Bad Brains are my favorite punk band and i only know a few others.
Marcus Garvey (mentioned in the Blacker the Berry) was a Black leader who preached back-to-Africa and had around 15 million followers globally, which is massive. Ive never listened to his speeches or writings, so i cant speak on who he was fully, but a great historical figure.
Also you were being attentive to lyrics on genius so its understandable you didnt have this shock - but the collective experience of people hearing Tupac speak on the last track, was shock. Like, PAC?????? Like it was worked in so smoothly like theyre having a conversation, even though its of course an interview Tupac did in the 90s, with Kendrick editing it and adding his things to it. It was never before heard words from Tupac, too, until this album.
And yeah it’s impossible to pay full attention to both the music and the lyrics all on the first listen, the lyrics demand attention but the production is just as incredible of a feat as the lyrics. So many details to the production too.
FLYING LOTUS produced Wesley’s Theory and you would be BLOWNNNNNNNN AWAAAAYYYYYYY by his album You’re Dead!. Its a maybe 75% instrumental hip hop / electronic album and Kendrick and Thundercat are both on it. Flying Lotus is an incredible producer, he even has David Lynch on a song.
@@dylangrieb5986 great review
Kendrick often raps from the point of view of other characters, creating a dialogue within the song. I noticed you might have missed that on Institutionalized
I missed a lot on my first listen :)
@@bobthepoppop I don't think anyone really can understand a lot of these songs with only one listen
Man, Im so fucking glad you liked it. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to GKMC for you, since that album literally brought you to tears. I didn’t expect that kind of emotional response from you with TPAB, and I’m so glad I was wrong. This album is truly a masterpiece.
Your reaction videos have honestly made me appreciate my favorite albums even more. The way you analyze music, and allowing yourself to come in with a fresh mindset and new perspective has introduced me to ideas and concepts that I did not catch listening on my own. This is music I’ve listen to on a daily, music I’ve listened long before you have. So thank you. Keep doing what you do.
Thank you, and will do. It's crazy to me something like that can happen, that I can bring in new perspectives while also being such an outsider (less so, lately) to hip-hop, but I'm glad I can. I love music, and I think it's a medium that can connect us all. Your comment reinforces that idea for me.
I remember I was at the office working a couple years ago and finished listening to the album. Had tears in my eyes. Bunch of co workers asked me if I was okay, had to tell them I had allergies 😂
This is a certified hood classic. Also consider listening to kids see ghosts by Kanye and kid cudi it’s amazing.
I think he needs to listen to MOTM first. Such a good album and it’s different from anything else he’s listened to imo.
If he chooses to consider KSG as a Kanye album, he's gonna get to that later since I think he's doing Ye's albums in order
@@thekingofsomewhere I wouldn’t consider it a Kanye album personally
I hope he does my beautiful dark twisted fantasy
@@khailils446 I see no real reason not to
1:45:55 album got bro questioning life
The song “Momma” is a story, about Kendrick and his shift from knowing himself and the things he’s learned but later taking a trip to Africa and learning a lot more that’s why he said “I know what I know and I know it well not to ever forget..until I realized I didn’t know shit, the day I came home”
Home meaning Africa, the natural birthplace of African Americans, which ties into the 3rd verse when he encounters a little boy in Africa explaining to Kendrick that he doesn’t really know anything.
You might be wondering why it’s called Momma but there’s no inclusion of his mother anywhere in the song, mainly because he’s referring to the feeling of what a mother brings a feeling of comfort, comfort is often found inside of a home, hence him reverting back to that word at the end of every verse.
Wow!! That's an awesome take on this track. I enjoy KDot's projects because his brilliant overthinking and constant selfanalysis makes his writing so meaningful and vastly comprehensive. Therefore, each listener can take away different perspectives, hopefully one that is life altering by the end of this album. I don't study his work like many of you obviously have to develop such a deep understanding of his lyrics. But whether I'm wrong or right, I realize that all viewpoints are validly valuable. After hearing this song, I thought possibly it's called "Momma" because the subject is Africa and for many years AA referred to the continent as our "Motherland" that we've never even seen. When I was born in the 70s a time of extreme ProBlackness with returning to the Motherland a dream for so many AA. But I'm not sure if Ken has such a close relationship that he calls our homeland "Momma" though lol. I truly appreciate these reactions and the comments section for clarification purposes.
These Walls is heavily underrated. It's so dense with double meaning and storytelling.
U is in my opinion one of kendrick's best songs, same with the blacker the berry
It's actually a triple meaning... The first verse is about having sex with a woman.. The second verse was about gaining her trust in order to have sex in the first place(bringing down her walls of trust)and the 3rd verse is the walls of the prison cell of her boyfriend which is also who killed his friend and the fact that he manipulated the girl to have sex with him as revenge... and kendrick wishes the killer could know what was going on in the girls room as if the walls talk. Very underrated.. One of my favorite songs of all time.
The last verse is the most chilling i've ever heard.
This is my favorite piece of art ever made. So dense, so profound, and so musically sound on top of that. I’ve listened to this album countless times and I get emotional each and every time I hear “although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same”. It just has this supremely profound nature in the way it’s presented. The music swells and you’re met with this thought of the rich and the poor, the artful and the artless, the escapee and the imprisoned, all coming from the same roots as we all do. It isn’t hyperbole to say this album made me a better man, and at the risk of sounding like a pretentious douchebag, I will forever thank Kendrick for that.
I haven’t even gotten to the first track yet, but I really appreciate how open minded you are to others views and experiences. This album helped open my eyes as a teenager in a white rural farm town to the realities of racism because it was presented so personally by Kendrick.
Just to clarify if you don't know, 'Lucy' is what kendrick interprets as lucifer/devil. Stated in the poem at the end of 'Alright' "the evils of lucy was all around me". Kendrick has attached lucy to his overall success and the corporate greed which gives that evil feature. At the end of 'For Sale?' the poem gets extended and states "so i went runnin' for answers, untill i came home" which leads to the track 'Momma' shows that kendrick coming back home and seems to be out of touch with reality due to his fame and success. Kendrick thinks he knows it all but figures that his roots is some sort of a guide that keeps him humble and more in touch with reality as it gives him a new perspective on his own life. 'Momma' also tries to show that He also tries to influences his homies with his new knowledge with this line "But if you pick destiny over rest in peace then be an advocate Tell your homies especially to come back home". Kendrick hopes that his homies can find new purpose and meaning in life, and create peace with themselves and each other by returning back to their 'African' roots.
Whoa! it also just hit me while reading your comment and considering Africa and "Roots" that the title "Momma" is his twist on "Mother"- as in "Motherland" as in where he considers home!!!
Momma has double meaning in the song. Literal Mother and Africa (South Africa to be exact)
Hopefully this one stays up! Your full reaction was really nice and that emotional ending was a-1 👍
w profile pic
@@lifesatin Yup W
I've listened to this album over 100 times easily.. lost count. I love your reaction as it still gave me more perspectives and information I never considered. Thankyou so much for this! The ending was just perfect. Masterpiece, and I can tell you know it from first listen.
This is an album that’ll age like fine wine. It’s been out for 6 years already and it’s one of my favorite albums ever made. Kendrick is a force to be reckon and I cannot wait to hear his next album!
To Pimp a Butterfly is a great hip-hop album. Its interesting (as an analytical person) to see you watch stuff like this, and see some parallels between my reaction and yours on a first listen. I also felt similarly at the end of the album: didn't know quite what to say about it. Great reaction, and I'm glad this version was able to stay up.
On another note: I agree you should stop looking at genius during these tracks. I understand it might be tempting, but the discovery of a song's meaning is part of why I enjoy listening to music. I don't use any break-downs on my first-listens because I want to experience things in as raw and connected a manner as possible. I am saying this from the perspective of someone who listens to hip-hop for the enjoyment of it, but also to teach myself, like you are. You will learn a lot more about yourself when you look back at your raw reactions to music. It may not be the best way to stage a video, which I understand in that case, but I think that some music is best left without a Lucy on your shoulder asking you to look at other people's opinions. Especially when those opinions are coming from people who have sat on this music for years.
Genius is tough because there are still times when I don't understand the references being made, and sometimes is something as simple as a pop-culture reference. I prefer to form my own opinion, but Genius has helped with tiny gaps like that.
One thing people miss about this album is that each song is different form of Black music.
Wesley's Theory - Funk
Aint Free - Spoken Word.
.... The other songs are reggae, trap, r&b, disco, neo soul, etc....
I like that idea and was thinking it myself but where is the reggae?
Subbed to the patreon just for this
Y'all lucky as hell, Patreon don't support my national currency
@@TuneSquad296 what currency?
my god the way you ended this video and how the album left you completely speechless really says something about how powerful of an experience this album is this is by far the best reaction i have ever seen to this album even if you were kinda off on certain things its ok not all of it is gonna click on first listen and im glad that it impacted you in the way that it did cant wait to hear your thoughts about it
"i" is sincerely about loving one's self. It's something of the culmination of Kendrick's journey throughout the album and stands in direct contrast to "u", which is about self hate. He breaks it off in the middle with the pretext of an argument happening off stage to give his speech about self love and pride to the community which is often at odds with each other (especially in the form of gang violence, something kendrick has discussed a lot). There's a great single version as well that isn't on the album. It lacks the spoken word segment since that doesn't make sense outside of the album's context, but it's a very fun song and comes across heartfelt.
I've always thought that the interruption in the middle of "i" is a stroke of genius in itself. I remember the single version of the song drawing criticism when it was first released for leaning so heavily in a pop direction. I interpret the interruption in the album version as an indirect response to critics of the single, as Kendrick takes the time to actually explain what the song means and why it fits so perfectly in the context of the album. I also find it interesting that the last verse of "i" is a summary of many of the themes on the album, but is actually left off of the album and is only on the single. By leaving it off, he shines a spotlight on it. Genius.
I judged "i" too harshly on the first listen. It caught me off guard, and it was a rare moment where I wasn't certain what Kendrick was trying to do. It was probably the only time I felt unsure of his direction with the album. I still need to listen to the singles version too 👍
@@bobthepoppop this song samples That Lady by the Isley Brothers, a great song in its own right. The final verse, one that doesn't appear on the album version, makes me think it's less joyous and hopeful than it may seem - it's more like accepting his inevitable fate and preparing those that will survive him for his eventual departure.
@@bobthepoppop I can see why you felt of i that way on the first listen. I think TPAB's story is a bit more esoteric, so it takes repeated listens to really get everything that's going on in it.
Also, definitely recommend the single version. It isn't as high minded, but in exchange it's infectiously fun.
I recommend everyone in the thread to listen to the "best of both" version once you have heard the single version. It mixes the hyperactive energy of the album version with the extended funk outro of the single version. It turns the song into a straight up masterpiece you can listen to outside of the album format.
Bob your dissemination skills are second to none out of all these reactors you really catch the meaning to these songs. You've caught so much of the hard hitting moments in a lot of your reactions that go over others head.
For “i” that was an actual live performance where a fight broke out, and Kendrick decided to use that version of the track for the album rather than the studio version
I'm one of the lucky few who got to watch the full video that got taken down earlier before it happened. Watched the whole 2hrs and 30 minutes. Great video, I been waiting patiently for this reaction for about a month now.
Man.. I didn’t think the ending could hit me like that after so many listens. But seeing your reaction got me a little teary eyed. Thank you for sharing that moment with us.
Fuck… “U” still makes my eyes watery to this day. Broke my heart the 1st time I heard that track. I was going through a very hard time. Depression and all. Thought a new album from my favorite rapper would cheer me up and it did until I got to “U”. Not only did I understand his pain but at some point it felt like he was talking to me too.
That shipmate connection was so on point. This is why I love your channel, beyond connecting the music together and what it means cohesively, you’re really good at connecting music to your own experiences whether or not it directly relates to your experiences. You’re the kind of person you want to listen to.
Peace, first off this is the 3rd video I watched on your channel and let me tell you I've watched a good handful of "reaction" videos but your channel is something special I love how honest you are in allowing hip hop to structure or transform your thoughts, man it's hard to throw preconceived notions aside. I am an actual student of music from blues, jazz, soul, reggae, classic rock, folk, but Hiphop is me, my time, my generation, I mean its mine, it can contain any of the other genres that i have said previously and make a new dish with it ( sorry I'm also a chef lol) i just want to say I appreciate your channel. Sometimes I see you apprehensive on giving an opinion or getting on your soap box but let me tell you we see your love, honesty, and authenticity, dont be scrrred. Peace FAM keep em coming
Really enjoy your reviews and the fact that you are taking the time to look into the backstory and build up to these albums. Listening to you miss these pretty common black references/historical facts (e.g. roots, "all's my life I has to fight" from the color purple, Marcus Garvey) really illustrates the divide in awareness of culture in america. Which is by design. Im so glad that you are/will be taking time to dive into these references in an effort to better understand the album. More people should. Keep it up!
This is the best album ever made.
It’s what got me into music as a whole, and I owe so much of myself to it. Wesley's Theory is still (imo) the best rap song ever made and Blacker the Berry is a very close second. Every time I go back to it I find something new and it makes me love it even more. Like Blacker the Berry talking about how he's the biggest hypocrite (because of the direct subject matter ofc), but also because of the implication that blacker is better right after a song talking about how complexion doesn't matter? Like it's all these little things that build up to make this such a gargantuan achievement of music and I love it so much
Good find but the KEY lyric of blacker the berry is the willie lynch theory reversing a million times. He claimed to be a proud monkey, etc. taking all their hate and reversing it exactly but still being real about being a hypocrite
@@DanteHarrisMusic yea I know what the damn song's about bro it's prolly the least subtle song on there
things (especially things on an album as lyrically dense and well thought-out as this) can have multiple meanings/connotations and that was just one I noticed, it's not an accident complexion comes right before blacker the berry
Lmao best album ever made? really? go outside
@@solomonsam8927 before I actually go and justify what is actually a fairly popular pick for best album ever made (which is a shame, being on the cutting edge is always nice) I wanna hear what your pick is.
@@solomonsam8927 idk why that’s a hot take. IMO loveless by mbv is the best album ever, but tpab is most definitely up there and if that’s someone favorite ever it’s completely understandable
2 Pimp A Butterfly = 2PAB
2 Pimp A Catterpillar = 2PAC
I got really emotional at the end of that album too. That silence when Kendrick was calling out for PAC hit me hard too. It was so haunting. It's such a beautiful album. Great review my brother.
I have loved hip-hop as long as I can remember. The 1st time I heard this album, I cried when I heard Tupac at the end. It's so powerful, so moving, so important.
Funny you mentioned Suicidal Tendencies. Two former band members, Thundercat and Ronald Bruner Jr, are on this album. Thundercat did a ton of bass and vocals on TPAB.
His bass is killer on this, especially on that opening track
u is such a beautiful song, a powerful display of raw, genuine emotion.
From “u” to “I” -> from self hatred to self love
Really bummed about the yams thing. Genius doesn't do a great job of explaining it but it's actually a reference to two literary classics. I believe yams were the main crops grown in precolonial Nigeria. That's certainly how they are presented in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", where they serve as a metaphor for the brazenly African, traditionally masculine, resource rich power Okonkwo strives for. This is of course the idea of the entire song: unapologetically black and incredibly wealthy and powerful. Smelling them walking down the street is a reference to invisible man.
The ending of this album made me cry too first time I listened too it. I’m so glad you did a reaction video to a tupac album before you did TPAB, it adds so much more value to your experience
loved every second of this video man. can’t wait to see your breakdown video on this. it really is a once in a life time album.
The lost for words at the end… 👌🏾 This is music and art at its finest.. album is absolutely perfect. Even without you understanding the language as far as terminology in the hood. The music spoke to you and you allowed yourself to receive it. Respect to you.
Always appreciate your willingness to show emotion in these videos. It’s so much better than a typical reaction seeing someone completely lost for words
Easily one of the greatest endings to an album all time, without question. Impeccable album
The blacker the berry is amazing. Extremely powerful and confronting lyrics, one of the best hip hop songs ever made.
This is one of the most brilliant albums I have ever heard. Any genre. So many layers to unpack. Trying to decipher it on first listen is impossible. That said, your reaction so far is great. I’m only halfway through the reaction so far.
Just a note…Lucy is Lucifer. The devil. The temptation, the love of money (which is the root of all kinds of evil), the selfishness, the lies, all traits of Lucifer. But all these traits are disguised to appear alluring. Kendrick was being enchanted by it. But there’s so much more to this album. Classic album is a severe understatement.
Ok, lemme get back to this review.
I rarely comment but all I can say is thank you so very much for this in-depth reaction. I enjoyed it thoroughly and believe truly that you will go far in this RUclips journey. All because of your intellect and approach to understanding the music, your emphasis on saying how you feel and what you think regardless of you think it’s correct or incorrect and your honesty and integrity with not pretending to understand anything you don’t.
Now I’m rambling but basically, thank you, and well done!
Thank you :)
Bout to get 3 additional thoughts vids on this album throughout some time hahaha
I love how he perfectly guessed the music video for "For Free?" just by hearing the song.
Speechlessness is an appropriate response to the ending of this album. I really appreciated the insight you provided, and am looking forward to your additional thoughts. Thanks for always being so open and honest, I subbed when I saw your Illmatic review, and this was a real treat. Stay well sir, have an enjoyable holiday season with your family
Lucy is short for Lucifer
Kendrick uses Lucy as temptation and not Lucifer
I appreciated your story and perspective at the end of “i”. Very thought provoking stuff when you are sharing your experiences. Always appreciate hearing about things you can relate to that help contextual how you are approaching the album.
In the song “Wesley’s Theory” the beginning verse is Kendrick is talking about the Rap Game itself. How at first he was in it for the culture, the “love” he had for it. But once he saw the money It brought it, he started doing it for the Lust. Aka the money
As you were mentioning Tupac during the video, I couldn’t expect more how you would be reacting to the tracks by the end of the album
1:31:07 “The back of the back” of the head is just a clever way of the saying _the front_ of the head. The back of the front of something would be the back, so the back of the back would in turn be the front of something, basically.
Also the easiest way to understand _i_ is to know it’s a direct mirror of the song _u_ in theme. _u_ is full of self loathing and wallowing in everything wrong with himself, and _i_ is just a flip of that, full of self appreciation and uplifting. Also this is the album version of _i_ but the single version was meant to promote the album so it’s gonna be one of the more general sounding songs.
i little off topic but you just seem like one of the most secure people I've followed on this site. in your beliefs and your interests. couldnt think of a better personality to engage with this new music journey.
Incredible album and always love hearing your analysis. This isn’t just music it’s really an experience, a masterpiece, not easy to digest. Thank you for the content 🙏🏻
I love the way you analyze the lyrics so in depth. You picked up some stuff that I never have thought of. Love the vids
It's the only album I've ever referred to as a masterpiece. This was the 1st album that taught me that you can go from hating an album to loving it with more listens.
Bro! This! I didn’t absorb it the first few listens and preferred DAMN over it. I still might, but that gap is steadily closing. This is audio literature it’s genre defining and awe inspiring all in one
Listening through it right now and it’s crazy how I’ll listen to a song, go “eh, least favorite off the album so far” and then listen to it like 3 days later in the car and absolutely love it. I agree with you, this is the first album for me where I disliked songs pretty heavily only to love them on a re listen.
Need to listen to more music. I can name 30 albums off the top of my head that are much better than this.
@@jewel_throne2950 name them then 😭
@@jewel_throne2950 come on name them
I believe the song "U" was Kendrick talking to himself (about internal struggles), which is an ironic contradiction to the song "I"
Great listen through, can’t believe I watched the whole thing in one go.
Reminds me of the first time I listened to this album. Had heard great things about it and was expecting a lot but was still speechless after the fact.
Fyi, the song “i” is a single that came out before the album, the “original” version does not have the skit of the crowd disrupting the song. You said it sounds a bit disingenuous or that it sounded “too happy” for Kendrick, which I don’t know if I agree with, but I can totally see where you’re coming from.
To me, it could make sense that one of the reasons that he chose “i” to be the single, other to appeal to radio etc, is to have the turn from dark, depressive, self-hating chapter of the album give the song the context it needs to be more than the single some could overlook as just being superficial pop-rap.
This might explain the reason to not have the original version in the album and to interrupt the song with a skit as well, that goes further into the context of the message of the album.
I gotta check out the single versions.
I know I’m a little late but ofc as this is 2 hours long I wanted to make sure I had time to set aside to watch it all.
I really liked your thoughts on “i.” I find often when people review this album they hear it is the best album of all time etc. and are afraid to critique it. While your qualms with it I think can be easily dispelled with a few listens (and may already be based on your comments in the comment section), I love seeing what you really think. Your knowledge base of rock music gives you an outsider perspective, but your involvement with Kendrick’s previous works in preparation for this allow you to offer really valuable insight even on first listen. Makes me think of things I’ve never thought before, and I think that’s really one of the most valuable things you get out of reviews/reactions.
Overall great job as always. Killing it.
ALWAYS REMEMBER:
The various VOICES of Kendrick Lamar ALWAYS signify a different CHARACTER!
DO NOT FORGET IT!
ALTHOUGH I AGREE WITH YOU, I FEEL THE NEED TO ASK… WHY ARE WE YELLING?
I DONT KNOW
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
LOUD NOISES!!
Kendrick probably dropping a new album next month... hope we all end speechless again
You and Mercurial Number Six are my favorite reactors. You cover the lyricism and have a deep passion for understanding the message like nobody else and he has a deep understanding and knowledge of the actual musicality/ sonics . It’s a perfect combo !!
I’m subscribing. This was the most considerate and enjoyable listening experience and I love seeing someone else experience something this beautiful for the first time. As a musician, you learn so much from watching other people listen to music, especially this thoughtfully and with this much care. You’re a cool guy.
i made it 13 minutes into the review before deciding that i need to go listen to the album myself again cuz it’s so good
Still think this is the best album I’ve ever heard. It may not be my favorite but just genuinely the most complete and important musical work I have ever heard. Sensational. Better and better even after 100 listens.
I’ve been waiting for this for so long, can’t wait to see what you think of a piece of hip hop history
In the song “U” he’s basically making a diss track to himself. The whole song is him telling himself off. About how he failed despite being this huge success
Sup man don’t feel too much pressure to get everything on the first listen. The production and musicianship is a huge part of the genius of the album. This album is one to live with and catch more meaning on repeated listens. I don’t think there’s a single person on Earth that could fully comprehend and communicate what’s being achieved on this album on first listen 😂 it’s okay to just sit back and vibe every now n then, looks exhausting dude
This shit took me 5-6 listens a good 2 months to get into. I was 14 when this came out and was only really listenin to Hendrix so you know
the shipmate analogy is beautiful and refreshing to hear
@BobthePoppop you need to have uncut versions, probably on Patreon or whatever. Sometimes we just want to sit in the room with you throughout the entire album and really experience it with you. Don't mind the length, we're here for it. Love your work.
This one is gonna need like 3 additional thoughts videos 😂😂
You're more right than you know ;)
In these walls, the meaning of walls changes every verse. Overall too it shows the similarity of being institutionalized and trapped in a pleasure that just reinforces captivity and then institutionalized in a prison
I love what you said that the deeper you go the more you realize you don't know. You were talking about the album, but you can apply that line to a lot of things in life
this album and life in general also has me at a loss for words, so i don’t really know how to say everything i want to say. but thank you for this great reaction. much love to you. here’s to hope and the betterment of society
I was 12 minutes late for the full one 😭
sameeee literally 12 minutes
A studio version of “i” was one of the first singles Kendrick released after GKMC. It’s a song about loving yourself and accepting who you are, and some definitely loved it, a lot of people criticized him for coming out with such a happy song “self-love” type song.
The TPAB version of “i” is Kendrick’s way of reconciling this. You can even hear throughout the “live” album version in the background that people are chattering and not really paying attention, which to me symbolizes that those just looking for club bangers completely ignored the message of the song.
Finally, the commotion happens and he goes into the a cappella section. It’s him trying to recapture the attention of those people and say “listen, this is what I mean”, which is that people categorize black people and try to tell them how they should feel and put them in boxes and you should reject that and be empowered by their culture and break through the stereotypes.
This is just how I perceived this song but I’m open to more commentary/discussion!
You hit the nail on the head with For Free. When you said how you were visualizing the song you described the music video to a tee!
My reaction to mortal man was also so personal for me, that poem is so good and i totally understand it, man i love this reviews
lyrics, energy, the instrumentation, its all here man
LETS GOOOOO
I love your videos because watching you experience these for the first time takes me back to my first time
I really felt that emotional build up at the end too, even after listening to this album for years now. Amazing 🙌🏽
Dis a classic. Hoping for TA13OO next!