To Pimp a Butterfly 1

To Pimp a Butterfly
The album and its concept
Central narrative

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Slide 1: Slide
EngelsMiddelbare schoolvwoLeerjaar 5,6

This lesson contains 14 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

time-iconLesson duration is: 45 min

Items in this lesson

To Pimp a Butterfly
The album and its concept
Central narrative

Slide 1 - Slide

Slide 2 - Slide

Wesley's Theory
For Free
King Kunta
Institutionalized
These Walls
Alright
U
For Sale?


Momma
Hood Politics
How Much a Dollar Cost
Complexion
The Blacker the Berry
You Ain't Gotta Lie
I
Mortal Man

Slide 3 - Slide

Which songs have you heard before?

Slide 4 - Mind map

Wesley's Theory
For Free
King Kunta
Institutionalized
These Walls
Alright
U
For Sale?


Momma
Hood Politics
How Much a Dollar Cost
Complexion
The Blacker the Berry
You Ain't Gotta Lie
I
Mortal Man

Slide 5 - Slide

To Pimp a Butterfly: concept album
But what is a concept album?

Slide 6 - Open question

To Pimp a Butterfly: concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical
  

  • What is Kendrick Lamar’s central narrative or theme?
  • Each time we look at a track individually we should be able to relate it back to the central narrative or theme.


Slide 7 - Slide

To Pimp a Butterfly: concept album
Kendrick Lamar makes it a little easier for us. He has included the album's central narrative in the album: as a poem! 
The album has sections - after each section he gives us a little bit of the poem
Full poem -> at the end of the album (after Mortal Man)

Slide 8 - Slide

“The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it
Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it
In order to protect itself from this mad city
While consuming its environment
The caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him
But praises the butterfly
The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness
And the beauty within the caterpillar
But having a harsh outlook on life
The caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak
And figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits
Already surrounded by this mad city
The caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon
Which institutionalizes him
He can no longer see past his own thoughts
He’s trapped
When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take root, such as
Going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city
The result?
Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant
Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations
That the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle
Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different
They are one and the same”

What's the significance of the caterpillar/butterfly symbolism?

Slide 9 - Slide

What's the significance of the caterpillar/butterfly symbolism?

Slide 10 - Open question

Slide 11 - Slide

The caterpillar and the butterfly:
Kendrick takes an entomological and optimistic approach using caterpillars, cocoons and butterflies to describe not only his own metamorphosis, but the potential for change contained within everybody. Everyone starts out as a caterpillar and is faced with a choice: To become a butterfly or to pimp a butterfly.

Slide 12 - Slide

The caterpillar and the butterfly:
To become a butterfly requires passing through the cocoon. Every caterpillar’s cocoon is different and dependent on its own surroundings. Kendrick’s cocoon was Compton. More specifically, identifying and overcoming the trappings of gang violence, racism, sex, alcohol, drugs and plenty of other stumbling blocks.

The album is a chronicle of how he turned himself from a caterpillar into a butterfly.


Slide 13 - Slide

Tomorrow: 
The caterpillar phase:

  • Wesley’s Theory
  • For Free
  • King Kunta
Full lyrics for each song can be found in OneDrive.


Slide 14 - Slide