Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Alexandra (class of 2026) and features our vinyl copy of Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. Thanks, Alex!
Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly album is still as popular now, if not more, than it was when it was released in 2015. The album features a wide variety of songs, with some more jazzy, experimental, and some more typical hip-hop. One of the most infamous songs featured is “Alright.” The instrumental was produced by Pharrell Williams in 2014 for rapper Fabolous. When Fabolous turned the song down, it was turned over to Kendrick Lamar where he started creating lyrics. Initially, Kendrick Lamar stated he felt the song did not fit well with the rest of the album. After adding some drums to the background, Kendrick approved it for his album.
“Alright” alone received four nominations for Grammy awards, winning Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. The total album earned Lamar seven nominations at that year’s Grammy Awards. The album went on to win Best Rap Album for the year. In the years following, To Pimp A Butterfly was named one of the best albums of the 2010s and Rolling Stone’s added it to The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. All of the awards highlight the experience the album provided. The numerous musical styles and messages provided in each song have continued to make it feel fresh after each listen, contributing to the popularity of the album still seen today.