Since its premature release earlier this week, everyone from Kanye West to Talib Kweli has been out offering their take on Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album, To Pimp A Butterfly.
During a recent conversation with MTV’s Rob Markman, producer Pete Rock weighed in on K.Dot’s latest effort, calling the 16-track collection “the best album out.”
Rock, who appears on track #12 of the album “Complexion (A Zulu Love),” says his admiration for the project would still be as strong even if he weren’t featured on the effort.
“I would say this even if I wasn’t on it,” he says.
Continuing, Rock spoke on his contributions to the aforementioned record, which also features Rapsody and production from Thundercat, Sounwave, Terrace Martin and Antydote.
“The beat wasn’t produced by me, but I did the hook and scratches,” he reveals. “He asked me to jump on it and I did that. That came together really beautifully; [Kendrick] just told me what he liked and I did it. I just put it in the place where I felt it made sense. I didn’t even hear what he was gonna say over it, I just did what he asked me to do and that was that.”
Later in the conversation, Pete Rock applauded Kendrick for his strong production and admired K.Dot’s vision when it comes to making the sound he wants to create.
“It’s like the best album out, so we’re listening to it and I’m loving the musicians that he picked to play on his album and the beats that he picked,” he says. “I was pretty impressed with it. It just goes to show you how much an ear he has for his sound and what he’s trying to accomplish. The album sounds great.”
To Pimp A Butterfly earned a prestigious five out of five rating from HipHopDX. In his review of the album, DX’s Editor-in-Chief Justin Hunte said: “To Pimp A Butterfly is ambitious in its attempt to inspire a generation to change the world for the better and poignant enough to actually do so.”
For additional Kendrick Lamar coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
“best album out” but not selling anywhere near the actual best from drake, LOL. A weak sales day from drake easily tops kendrick’s best.
Yeah, pop artists tend to sell more that hip-hop artists.
A very good majority of Aubry’s Fans are tweens and women.
^Why do y’all always feel the need to reply to this dude? He obviously trolling you, and you’re falling for it.
Drake isn’t any good either
GKMC went platinum, and TPAB will move 400-500k in the first week.
Still, sales ain’t shit. Nas never had a platinum album in the U.S. and you can’t tell me Drake is better than Nas
Nas has like 8 platinum album in the U.S…
All of which are weak platinum. Drake went strong platinum with each of his albums.
It Was Written has sold over 4 Million in the U.S. That is more than what any Drake album has sold.
No such thing as weak or strong platinum, platinum is platinum.
Damn nigga you on every Kendrick page talking shit about Kendrick. Get Drake’s dick out yo mouth and listen to some real HIP POP not POP.
go suck drakes Canadian dick kendrick is more diverse, lyrical, deep, and musically talented than drake ever will be, plus both his albums are concept albums they both tell a story and paint a picture in your mind when all drake does is make music for girls and soft niggas
Pretty pathetic sale total for it was written when mc hammer, vanilla ice, and a low key member of no limit records (at the time) could outsell him.
^ They didn’t though. Nothing pathetic about 4 million.
Diddy easily outsold NAS and actually got a grammy.
Because Diddy made pop music and the Grammys got it wrong as usual when it comes to rap. Nothing but old white men voting.
I need to listen to Kendrick’s album more, it’s good, but I’m not even certain it’s his best work. I think Tetsuo and Youth is one of the strongest conceptual hip-hop albums ever. Lupe’s got bars for decades on that. Joey’s album is also great. A lot of strong releases in 2015, that’s good for hip-hop.
Fully agree. Lupe shit is the album of the year for me. Joey’s debut was definitely a good one.
No doubt on Lupe’s T&Y and we can add Fashawn’s Ecology to the list of dope shit out there. Kendricks latest is cool but classic, no.
man that is the best album i’ve heard thusfar no doubt. drake’s is good, too, though.
Better than Cole, Forest Hill Drive…Man Please!
How is FHD better than TPAB? Because of the trendy beats? Content wise TPAB is 10x deeper than FHD.
Of course, neither of them compare to If You’re Reading this, Its too Late. That was a classic.
Aubrey’s weak ass mixtape is not a classic and isn’t better than TPAB or FHD.
IYRTITL is trash, not classic.
this nigga only said this because he has issues with lupe.
Why you bringing up Lupe? He’s talking about Kendrick
They resolved that issue a long time ago. Sounds like you’re still hurt about that.
Yo OVO, putting record sales, popularity, and history aside….How is Drake’s music better than Kendricks? Like i’m talking lyrically how is he better than Kendrick? What does he talk about in his music that makes him better than Kendrick?
You honestly expect an honest, well thought out response from OVO? Come on, man. You guys are making it worse for those of us who pay him no mind and don’t take his comments seriously. Stop giving in to him!
Drake got a grammy for best rap album. Dumbo doesn’t. Drake touches on real life shit while kendrick is a gangster poser.
Kendrick has Grammys for both Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performeance. And you got it wrong, Kendrick always touches on real-life shit black people go through everyday, he’s not a gangster poser like Rick Ross. Drake only aps about fist world problems.
Just a heads up to all my brothas and sistas out there. Make sure you are doing your part in editing different RapGenius lyrics. I’ve looked at the interpretations of the new Kendrick album and you can tell that most of it is coming from people who arent traditional to the culture (Afro Americans). Let the people whose culture is being represented, interpret the meaning behind the content. I don’t want some white person interpreting Kendricks Pro Black album!
Co-sign..
So your saying kendricks new album is only for black people? As if a white person cant relate to it? Are you one of those ignorant (afro americans) that think all white people are racist? like a white person never struggled in life or grew up poor. get off that bull shit
right, the best ever, forget decades of history of rap, k dot is the messiah. or that fuckboy drake. whatever. mainstream bullshit
I gave it a few listens all the way through, but…
GKMC > TPAB
The album is overrated garbage. And Pete saying it’s the best album out means nothing, since there are no good rap albums out anyway.
That’s the damn truth. So… this is better than the new Drake album. And that is saying what?