There is no doubt that K-Dot has kept the industry awaiting his next move, as the secrecy behind the upcoming LP has been somewhat prolonged. Having only previewed a short glimpse of, well, a blank track list, we were left imagining the entire concept and arrangement.

Luckily for fans, Kendrick’s long awaited album is now in the works, as he steps forward to promote the interesting cover art and message behind the unique title that is: To Pimp a Butterfly.

Available for pre-order March 23rd, we are sure that the theme of the project will reflect such intricacy and differentiation as anticipated.

Check out the capturing cover art; and here’s something Kendrick wants you to set your mind to:

“Don’t all dogs go to heaven? Don’t Gangsta’s boogie? Do owl shit stank? Lions, Tigers & Bears. But TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY. Its the American dream n*gga….”
– lil Homie.

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Though other rappers have said more about Kendrick Lamar‘s verse on “Control” more than the author himself, the figures aren’t absolutely skewed against Kendrick. K. Dot recently sat down with Chelsea Handler to discuss the verse. It’s a brief segment and Handler is unsurprisingly obnoxious and racist (“You’re black so obviously you know about basketball” – hardy, har har), but Kendrick handles it with poise. The segment is only two minutes, but why wouldn’t it be? The verse truly is that easy to explain, despite the histrionics from the rap community. Watch below and never watch Chelsea Lately again.

For additional words from Kendrick himself regarding the verse, listen to his interview with Peter Rosenberg. It’s slightly sycophantic and over-dramatic, but it’s an interesting listen nonetheless. Kendrick is a very thoughtful dude.

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The Come Up Show got a hold of Kendrick Lamar to talk about a whole range of topics. Formerly K-Dot, the Compton rapper explains why he opted to use his full name for his debut album, Section#80.

“When I first started rapping, I just wanted to be the best lyricist, the best rapper… so I went back and I studied some legends – Jay-Z, Eminem, Tupac, Nas. I found that what they were doing with the lyrics was making people feel them…I wanted to go about my crap the same way they did. So I figured what better way to start? I’ll use my real name – same thing my mother calls me.”

Lamar also put in a good word for J.Cole, who has gotten heat for his production in the past.

“His production is crazy, man. The first time we locked in, he played about 10 beats. I wanted 11 of ‘em,” he said.

Later in the interview, Lamar talked about his father’s influence, more on working with J.Cole, and the meaning behind HiiiPoWer. Apparently, it’s deeper than it seems… Watch the full interview to find out more about the philosophy behind Lamar’s new song.

You can also hear some of the songs from his upcoming album. Section#80 drops tomorrow.

The post Kendrick Lamar Talks About His Influences and HiiiPoWer appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

K-Dot premiered this live during his gig in Brooklyn last week. Now, here’s the compact disc quality courtesy of TDE. Section.80 drops July 2.

Via Rap Radar

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