Late Thursday night, Kendrick LamarreleasedUntitled Unmastered, his first collection of new songs since 2015sGrammy-winningTo Pimp A Butterfly.
The songs arent entirely foreign to fans either.
And fans of Lamarsinstant classicwill findUntitledthrilling for many of the same reasons as its precursor.
Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Untitled Unmastered.demands repeat listens and unpacking but here are some of the initial highlights from Lamars newest project.
The dates in each song title might not necessarily represent when Lamar finished given tracks.
Take untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.
Lamar lists the date of June 23, 2014 and the tracks free-jazz style echoesButterflys abstract moments.
Did Lamar go back and record a fresh verse over a track from June 2014?
Was the entire song justinspiredby that date?
Or was that reference presciently included all along?
Untitled Unmasteredfeatures more subdued moments thanTo Pimp A Butterfly.
The project is also Lamars jazziest to date.
If anything, the unifying theme behindUntitledcould be that its tracks wouldve beentoojazzy to fit onButterfly.
Its an instrumental aesthetic thatd sound at home on Washingtons 2015 triple LPThe Epic.
But jazz influences dont trump Lamars hip-hop roots.
Lamar continues his lyrical focus on the theme of being an outsider.
OnButterfly, the MC grappled with the challenge of remaining humble despite his newfound wealth and fame.
CeeLo stops by.
Even Lamar listens to public opinion.
The MC premiered some of these songs on national television despiteexternal ambivalenceabout ever actually releasing them.
