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RTB Rewind: Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Hits #1

RTB Rewind: Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Hits #1

Published Tue, April 4, 2023 at 9:00 AM EDT

On April 4, 2015, Kendrick Lamar's landmark album, To Pimp A Butterfly, fluttered to #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album wasn't just the project that elevated Kendrick from a supremely talented rapper to one of the most important artists of our time — it's also the first time an album with "pimp" in its title held the top spot.

Of course, that little tidbit is arguably the least interesting thing about a project that in the years since its release has come to be hailed as one of the best rap albums ever made. The lyrically and musically dense album stands as a pivotal entry into Kendrick's stellar discography. While DAMN. has the Pultizer, TPAB is nearly unmatched in execution, a conceptual album that's deeply perceptive over a jazz-scattered sound scape shaped mostly by Terrace Martin and Sounwave.

"It's really about me trying to balance these worlds - where I used to be and where I am today - from all different angles," Kendrick told The Observer. "This album was therapy for me. I was looking at myself in the mirror and trying to figure out who I really am."

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