Kendrick Lamar Discusses South African Trip That Inspired His Magnum Opus

The Compton rapper shared a story about what directly led him to make “To Pimp A Butterfly.”
At this point in Music history, I think it’s safe to say that Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly is a certified classic. From the visuals of the music videos, cohesive thematic elements found on the project, and the lyrical masterclass performed by Kendrick, TPAB earned its place in the history books, rightfully so. So, it should come as no surprise that several podcasts offer their opinions on the magnum opus to this day. Recently Higher Ground and the Spotify podcast The Big Hit Show have released their latest episode, which has a sole focus on Compton native’s 2015 album.

The latest episode offers new insight into creating the body of work from many of Kendrick’s close collaborators and contemporaries. The podcast hosts look to uncover Lamar’s intentions behind the work, which directly inspired and why. Kendrick himself offered some insight into these questions as he spoke with the Spotify podcast and detailed his thought process behind the classic album.

After visiting South Africa and taking in the historical connection he shared with the continent, Lamar felt moved to give back to the beauty he witnessed. “You know [Mandela] was fighting for equality, served 27 years, 18 years in that small little cell, but still kept his mental capacity and still kept his integrity and his enthusiasm to motivate not only himself but the people around him. It inspired me a hundred percent.” Going into further doubt about what he wanted to take from Africa and put on his album, Lamar explained that he needed to show his friends back in Compton how beautiful Africa was and “what he learned.”

Elaborating on the subject of the Big Hit Show, Kendrick said, “I took that experience and looked within myself for my own experiences. Okay, I come from a background of a neighborhood that wasn’t so much perceived to be great, but I can’t let these four corners define who I am or define who my homeboys are.” Kendrick continued, “I took that experience and the whole concept about To Pimp A Butterfly was to share that experience with them. To go back to Compton and to tell them what I’ve learned. … It was me explaining my experiences and what emotions it brought up from that experience. And tell them, ‘Yo it’s something bigger than Compton and where we from.’”

The new insight solidifies what some fans have already known through the album’s content for some fans who hadn’t Lamar confirmed it through the latest episode of The Big Show. With no new Kendrick Lamar music in sight, it should be only suitable, especially after learning this information, to press play on To Pimp A Butterfly again. We know we will.