Wreckord Reviews: Untitled 09 | 03.14.2016

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: TOP DOG ENTERTAINMENT
Much like the album, this article is untitled, unmastered and unedited.

By virtue of his thought provoking lyricism, unique jazz influence and captivating live performances, Kendrick Lamar has become more than just a household name.

After the release of 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly, he performed a series of untitled songs during live concerts that caught quite a bit of attention from fans. These concerts included appearances on The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show and most recently at this year’s Grammy Awards. On March 3, Lamar finally responded to the public’s growing interest by releasing a surprise album referred to as untitled unmastered.

While Kendrick’s latest release bears all the marks of a well-rounded mix tape, it exists in the same cohesive realm as its predecessor. Recorded for the most part in 2014, the album consists of eight tracks that didn’t quite make the cut for To Pimp A Butterfly.

While many artists release all of their ‘b-side’ songs as extended albums, Lamar wanted to let these songs exist in their raw and unfinished form. untitled unmastered. is no To Pimp a Butterfly, but as a collective, these songs create an incredibly unique and immersive listening experience.

The album opens with a vivid reimagining of the Bible’s Book of Revelation. The song starts with an unsettling dialogue enclosed by discordant jazz and sparse pads that pan left and right. This prologue seems to set the mood for what the album will bring. It feels out of place and unexpected when looking at the rest of the song, but seems to perpetuate it nonetheless. The following verse plays out over the course of an apocalypse and as it ends, so does the world.

At the end of the song, Lamar reflects on modern Christians simply settling for repentance instead of living by the book. This first song of untitled unmastered. is riddled with provocative imagery and hard-hitting lines that show the album isn’t just a throwaway money- grab of unused material.

The album concludes with a catchy funk track that looks at Lamar’s rising success in spite of the financial difficulties of today. Throughout the track he uses the term “blue faces” to refer to both sad, dissatisfied people, and to freshly printed $100 bills. Behind the interesting juxtaposition of lyrics, Lamar channels his inner Michael Jackson, filling out the composition with unique vocal sounds.

Song eight isn’t the only track that looks at poverty in the world. This topic surfaces again on song four and in parts of song seven, in which Lamar draws attention to the corruptions of modern society. Song four in particular reflects on the underlying complications of welfare and religion in a broken system.

In a genre that is so diluted by songs about sex and money, Lamar uses his art as a platform to talk about the issues that keep him awake at night. The album’s focus jumps around from song to song but then again, it was never designed to be an album, per say. untitled unmastered. is merely a glimpse into the time and thought process that surrounded To Pimp A Butterfly. It’s a deconstruction of Lamar’s process and showcases his creativity before it’s been flushed out and reworked for popular consumption.

Rating: 3 out of 5
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