Score: 4/5
The state of hip-hop has reached a metamorphosis. Artists are now changing their styles to breathe new life into the genre. 
This rejuvenation is apparent in Kendrick Lamar’s third album “To Pimp A Butterfly,” which had a surprise digital release a week before its advertised release date. 
From the single “i,” listeners could tell Lamar had been on a journey since the release of “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. He was far from the heavy hitting bass of songs such as “Backseat Freestyle” and “m.A.A.d city.” 
There are no outright, hard-hitting tracks on this album. Those looking for bass-heavy tracks similar to Migos or 2 Chainz are better off not listening to this project. But this is where “Butterfly” finds its strength. 
The album opens with “Wesley’s Theory,” an instant auditory time machine to the ’70s with its funk elements and features from funk forefather George Clinton and Thundercat. 
After, an interlude comes in featuring a conversation between a man and a woman where she emasculates him until he replies saying he’s done what he should do as a man, but she won’t see that. 
The third track on the album, “King Kunta,” tells the story of the rise to empowerment similar to Kendrick Lamar’s transition to a prominent voice in hip-hop. 
Much of the album follows this pattern. It’s full of jazz and funk elements, which serve as the soundscape for Kendrick Lamar’s views on African-American culture, its separation from the rest of America and his personal journey as an African-American male. As expected from Kendrick Lamar, part of this journey is being alone on a song. 
The number of features on “Butterfly” appears to be low. The only noticeable contributions are from Snoop Dogg and Anna Wise on “Institutionalized.” But there are an abundance of tracks that include samples from other artist’s songs such as Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” in “King Kunta” to The Isley Brothers’ “That Lady” in “i.” 
Each sample is mixed in effortlessly and works to Kendrick Lamar’s advantage. Other standout tracks include “Hood Politics” in which Kendrick Lamar reflects on the world of his childhood and relates it to the rest of America and “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” where Kendrick Lamar supports the idea of ending colorism and beauty standards. 
There are a few skippable tracks on the record such as “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said),” only because they don’t add anything to the album except for extra minutes.  
The concept of the album’s title hides in its final track, “Mortal Man.” During the song, he has a conversation with Tupac Shakur where he looks at himself as a caterpillar of his environment and draws a parallel to the butterfly as weak a but talented human. He plans to take advantage of the butterfly until he finds himself in his own cocoon gathering new ideas and concepts. Kendrick Lamar emerges as the butterfly he once tried to manipulate and places a new perspective on his life. 
Similar to Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “To Pimp A Butterfly” is a conversation in which African-American men are butterflies. They’re harmless and innocent, and as it was a sin to kill the mockingbird, Kendrick Lamar may be saying it was a sin to classify and characterize African-American men. 
This is who Kendrick Lamar is. He has a new perspective. He’s a concept artist. As “GKMC” told one story, “Butterfly” tells a completely different one. It may take a few listens to see how Kendrick Lamar has evolved, but eventually, people will recognize that Kendrick Lamar is one thing — an artist with honesty. 
You can reach Joshua Jackson on Twitter @Joshua_Jackson_.