To Pimp a Butterfly - wikipedia To Pimp a Butterfly To Pimp a Butterfly Studio album by Kendrick Lamar Released March 15, 2015 ( 2015 - 03 - 15 ) Recorded 2012 -- 2015 Studio Chalice, Hollywood, CA Notifi, St. Louis, MO Downtown, New York City, NY House, Washington, D.C., US No Excuses, Santa Monica, CA Genre Hip hop conscious rap jazz rap experimental hip hop Length 78 : 51 Label Top Dawg Aftermath Interscope Producer Anthony `` Top Dawg '' Tiffith ( exec. ) Dr. Dre ( exec. ) Dave Free ( co-exec. ) The Antydote Boi - 1da Flippa Flying Lotus Knxwledge KOZ Larrance Dopson LoveDragon Pharrell Williams Rahki Sounwave Tae Beast Taz Arnold Terrace Martin Thundercat Tommy Black Whoarei Kendrick Lamar chronology Good Kid, M.A.A.D City ( 2012 ) To Pimp a Butterfly ( 2015 ) Untitled Unmastered ( 2016 ) Singles from To Pimp a Butterfly `` i '' Released : September 16, 2014 `` The Blacker the Berry '' Released : February 9, 2015 `` King Kunta '' Released : March 24, 2015 `` Alright '' Released : June 30, 2015 `` These Walls '' Released : October 13, 2015 To Pimp a Butterfly is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with production from Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Taz `` Tisa '' Arnold, Thundercat, Rahki, LoveDragon, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Boi - 1da, and several other high - profile hip hop producers, as well as executive production from Dr. Dre and Anthony `` Top Dawg '' Tiffith. The album incorporates elements of jazz, funk, soul, spoken word, and avant - garde music and explores a variety of political and personal themes concerning African - American culture, racial inequality, depression, and institutional discrimination. The album was supported by five singles -- `` i '', `` The Blacker the Berry '', `` King Kunta '', `` Alright '' and `` These Walls ''. All five singles entered the US Billboard Hot 100. Lamar also went on the Kunta 's Groove Sessions Tour, which included eight shows in eight cities, in late 2015 to early 2016. To Pimp a Butterfly debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its musical scope and the social relevance of Lamar 's lyrics. It was ranked as the best album of 2015 by many publications, including Rolling Stone, Billboard and Pitchfork. It was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. Its singles `` i '' ( in 2015 ) and `` Alright '' ( in 2016 ) each won a Grammy for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, with the latter also nominated for Song of the Year. Additionally, `` These Walls '' won Best Rap / Sung Collaboration. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ). By June 2017, the album had sold one million copies in the United States. Contents 1 Background 2 Recording and production 3 Music and lyrics 4 Release and promotion 5 Critical reception 6 Academic reception 7 Track listing 8 Personnel 9 Charts 9.1 Weekly charts 9.2 Year - end charts 10 Certifications 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External links Background On February 28, 2014, Kendrick Lamar first revealed the plans to release a follow - up to his second studio album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City ( 2012 ), during an interview with Billboard. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he was quoted as saying, `` Just putting the word ' pimp ' next to ' butterfly '... It 's a trip. That 's something that will be a phrase forever. It 'll be taught in college courses -- I truly believe that. '' In an interview with MTV, Lamar said : `` To Pimp a Caterpillar was the original name and they caught it because the abbreviation was Tupac, Tu - P-A-C. Me changing it to Butterfly, I just really wanted to show the brightness of life and the word ' pimp ' has so much aggression and that represents several things. For me, it represents using my celebrity for good. Another reason is, not being pimped by the industry through my celebrity. '' The album was at one point believed by many to be called Return of Enoch. Between the releases of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar traveled to South Africa. Touring the country -- visiting historic sites such as Nelson Mandela 's jail cell on Robben Island, heavily influenced the direction of the record. The album continues a nuanced dialogue about weighty topics that affect the African - American community. Releasing his album in a time of renewed black activism, Lamar 's song `` Alright '' has become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. With lyrics like `` and we hate po - po / Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho, '' He makes it clear that he is supportive of the movement and the families of black men and women like Mike Brown, Sandra Bland, and Tamir Rice who have fallen victim to police brutality in the United States. Lamar takes his opinions further to lend his position on black on black crime in the song `` The Blacker the Berry ''. He criticizes himself and his community by rapping, `` So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street ? / When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me ? '' Some critics claim that his attitude facilitates the rhetoric that silences the Black Lives Matter movement. Stereo Williams of The Daily Beast wrote in response to his lyrics that `` it 's dangerous to use that violence as a silencing tactic when the public is angry about the systematic subjugation of black people. '' Recording and production To Pimp a Butterfly was recorded from 2012 to 2015 at a variety of studios ; including Chalice Recording Studios, Downtown Studios, House Studios, Notifi Studios and No Excuses Studios. Lamar wrote the lyrics to the song `` Mortal Man '', while on Kanye West 's Yeezus Tour. During the whole tour, producer Flying Lotus played Lamar a selection of tracks that was intended for Captain Murphy 's album ( Flying Lotus 's alter ego ). Lamar kept all the tracks, but only opener `` Wesley 's Theory '', which also features Thundercat and George Clinton, made the final cut onto the album. Lotus had produced a version of `` For Sale ? ( Interlude ) '' that was ultimately discarded, with Lamar using Taz Arnold 's version of the song on the album instead. Lotus stated that it is unlikely his version of the song will see a release. American rapper Rapsody appeared on the album, contributing a verse to the song `` Complexion ( A Zulu Love ) ''. Lamar had requested that 9th Wonder contact Rapsody and request her appearance. Rapsody and Lamar discussed the song but there was little instruction from Lamar regarding her contribution. Speaking about the song, she stated that Lamar had already decided on the concept of the song and stated that the only instructions he gave were the song 's title and the idea that ``... we are beautiful no matter our race but he really wanted to speak to our people and address this light versus dark complex ''. Bass player Thundercat ( left ) and singer Bilal are among the musicians who contributed to the album. In 2014, Pharrell Williams, who previously worked with Lamar, along with producer Sounwave, played the `` Alright '' - track at the Holy Ship Festival. The track features the same unidentified sample that Williams used on Rick Ross ' track `` Presidential '' from his album God Forgives, I Do n't ( 2012 ). Reportedly, at one time it featured a guest appearance from American rapper Fabolous. The album went through three different phases before the production team could move forward with the idea. Afterwards, producer Thundercat was brought into the process, after Flying Lotus brought him along to see Lamar 's performance on The Yeezus Tour. The album 's lead single, titled `` i '', was produced by Rahki, who also produced a song for the album entitled `` Institutionalized ''. Although the version of `` i '' appearing on the album is drastically different from that on the single release, both versions contained a sample of the song `` That Lady '' performed by The Isley Brothers. Lamar personally visited The Isley Brothers ', to receive permission from lead vocalist Ronald Isley to sample the song. Lamar began traveling to St. Louis and began working with Isley at the studio. Isley also performed on the song `` How Much a Dollar Cost '' alongside the singer - songwriter James Fauntleroy. Producer and rapper Pete Rock provided some backing vocals and scratches to the song `` Complexion ( A Zulu Love ) '', and as he stated, the contribution was unusual, as he was not the producer for the track. Singer Bilal features on the songs `` Institutionalized '' and `` These Walls '', and has provided un-credited backing vocals on the songs `` u '', `` For Sale ? ( Interlude ) '', `` Momma '' and `` Hood Politics ''. Bilal stated that he and Lamar were initially unsure of how many songs he would be featured on, stating he worked on various tracks, but did not yet know the outcome. `` For a lot of the material, Kendrick had a idea of what he wanted. He would sing out the melody and some of the words, and I would interpret what he was telling me. '' On the songs where Bilal added backing vocals, he stated that ``... some of it was freestyle ; just adding color to make it a fuller sound. '' Lamar also reportedly worked with American musician Prince, however, the duo were too pressed for time during the recording session and therefore were unable to complete any work for inclusion on the album. Lamar professed to having listened often to Miles Davis and Parliament - Funkadelic during the album 's recording. In 2016, Lamar released Untitled Unmastered, a compilation album, which contains previously unreleased demos that originated during the recording of To Pimp a Butterfly. According to producer Thundercat, it `` completes the sentence '' of Lamar 's third studio album. The booklet included with To Pimp a Butterfly 's CD version was produced with braille letterings, which when translated reveal, according to Lamar, the `` actual full title of the album. '' Complex commissioned a braille translator, who found that it literally translated to A Kendrick by Letter Blank Lamar which Complex noted was most likely supposed to read as A Blank Letter by Kendrick Lamar. Music and lyrics `` Institutionalized '' Lamar 's lyrics explore the results of institutional racism. Problems playing this file ? See media help. Stereogum described To Pimp a Butterfly as an `` ambitious avant - jazz - rap statement, '' while Billboard categorized it as a `` politically - charged '' conscious rap album, and The Source categorized the album as an experimental hip hop release. Lamar described the release as an `` honest, fearful and unapologetic '' work that draws on funk, hard bop, spoken word and soul while critics also noted elements of West Coast hip hop and the avant - garde. Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly described the album as `` embracing the entire history of black American music. '' Dan Weiss of Spin noted `` shades of Miles Davis ' On the Corner and free jazz all over (... ), as well as Sly Stone 's There 's a Riot Goin ' On and Funkadelic and Erykah Badu 's similarly wah - crazy but comparatively lo - fi New Amerykah ( 4th World War ), '' but stated nonetheless that `` the sense of this album is vividly contemporary. '' Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune also noted the album 's affinities with previous black music, but argued that `` Lamar takes familiar musical tropes into new territory. '' The Atlantic noted the influence of collaborator Flying Lotus, writing that `` his signature sound -- jazz instrumentation and hip - hop layered into chaotic collages -- is all over the album. '' Steve Mallon of The Quietus noted an `` eerily warped psychedelia bursting out of its idiosyncratic arrangements. '' The album 's lyrics explore a variety of political and personal themes related to race, culture, and discrimination. Critic Neil Kulkarni said it appraises `` the broken promises and bloody pathways in and out of America 's heartland malaise ''. In an interview with MTV, Kendrick discussed the meaning behind the tracks `` Wesley 's Theory '' and `` King Kunta ''. The album 's opening track, `` Wesley 's Theory '', is a reference to Wesley Snipes and how the actor was jailed for tax evasion. In the interview Lamar stated that `` no one teaches poor black males how to manage money or celebrity, so if they do achieve success, the powers that be can take it from right under them ''. `` King Kunta '' is concerned with the `` history of negative stereotypes all African - Americans have to reconcile ''. Lamar also explained his criticism of rappers who use ghostwriters on `` King Kunta '', revealing that he came to prominence as a ghostwriter, and has respect for writers, but says that `` as a new artist, you have to stand behind your work. '' `` These Walls '' has been described by Billboard as `` pondering sex and existence in equal measure ; it 's a yoni metaphor about the power of peace, with sugar walls being escape and real walls being obstacles. '' Lamar revealed that `` u '' was inspired by his own experience of depression and suicidal thoughts. He also mentioned feelings of survivor 's guilt as inspirations for the album. `` Alright '' begins as a spoken - word treatise before exploding into a shapeshifting portrait of America that brings in jazz horns, skittering drum beats and Lamar 's mellifluous rapping as he struggles with troubles and temptations. Yet at the end of each verse, he reassures himself that `` We gon ' be alright '' -- a simple rallying cry for a nation reeling from gun violence and police brutality. For critics a `` celebration of being alive '', Lamar described `` Alright '' as a message of hope. `` The Blacker the Berry '' features a `` boom bap beat '' and lyrics that celebrate Lamar 's African - American heritage and `` tackle hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on. '' The song 's hook is performed by Jamaican dancehall artist Assassin, notable for performing on Kanye West 's 2013 LP Yeezus, whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans. Release and promotion To Pimp a Butterfly was first released to the iTunes Store and Spotify on March 15, 2015, eight days ahead of its scheduled release date. According to Anthony Tiffith, CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment, the album 's early release was unintentional, apparently caused by an error on the part of Interscope Records. The following day, it was made unavailable on iTunes, and the release was rescheduled for March 23, although it was still available for streaming on Spotify. To Pimp a Butterfly debuted at number one on record charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, where it sold 324,000 copies in its first week. The album was streamed 9.6 million times in its first day on Spotify, setting the service 's global first - day streaming record. It reached sales of one million copies worldwide at the end of 2015. By March 2016, it had sold 850,000 copies in the US, where it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ). As of June 2017, it has sold one million copies in the country. The album 's release was preceded by the release of two singles, `` i '', on September 23, 2014, and `` The Blacker the Berry '' in February 2015. The former became Lamar 's sixth top - 40 single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was performed on Saturday Night Live. Following the album release, `` King Kunta '' was released as the third single in March 2015, and `` Alright '' was released to radio stations on June 30. With its release, several contemporary progressive news outlets, including BET, raised the idea of `` Alright '' being the modern Black National Anthem, while the media reported youth - lead protests against police brutality across the country chanting the chorus of the song. Primarily for the latter, Lamar was featured on Ebony Power 100, an annual list that recognizes many leaders of the African - American community. `` These Walls '' was released as the album 's fifth single on October 13. Aside from the singles ' accompanying music videos, the song `` For Free ? ( Interlude ) '' also featured visuals, as did `` u '' with `` For Sale ? ( Interlude ) '' as part of the short film God Is Gangsta. In October 2015, Lamar announced the Kunta 's Groove Sessions Tour, which included eight shows in eight cities. Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating AnyDecentMusic ? 9.3 / 10 Metacritic 96 / 100 Review scores Source Rating AllMusic The Daily Telegraph Entertainment Weekly The Guardian The Irish Times NME 8 / 10 Pitchfork 9.3 / 10 Rolling Stone Spin 10 / 10 USA Today To Pimp a Butterfly received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 96, based on 44 reviews. Spin magazine 's Dan Weiss hailed it as the `` Great American Hip - Hop Album '' and an essential listen, while Neil McCormick from The Daily Telegraph called it a dense but dazzling masterpiece. Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Kyle Anderson found the record twice as substantial as Lamar 's debut major label album and more comprehensive of African - American music styles, with supremely `` cinematic '' production qualities but `` the freedom of a mixtape ''. Irish Times journalist Jim Carroll deemed it `` a record for the times we 're in '', in which Lamar transitioned from his past narratives about Compton to fierce but precise reflections on `` black America ''. In Rolling Stone, Greg Tate deemed To Pimp a Butterfly `` a masterpiece of fiery outrage, deep jazz and ruthless self - critique '' that along with D'Angelo 's third album Black Messiah, made 2015 `` the year radical Black politics and for - real Black music resurged in tandem to converge on the nation 's pop mainstream. '' Robert Christgau wrote in his review on Cuepoint that not many artists were as passionate and understanding as Lamar, who offered `` a strong, brave effective bid to reinstate hip hop as black America 's CNN '' during an era of social media. New York Times critic Jon Caramanica was less enthusiastic, feeling Lamar still struggled in reconciling his density as a lyricist with the music he rapped over : `` He has n't outrun his tendency towards clutter ( and ) still runs the risk of suffocation. '' In The Guardian, Alexis Petridis found the music somewhat erratic and lamented `` moments of self - indulgence '' such as the twelve - minute `` Mortal Man '' and Lamar 's reflections on fame. At the end of 2015, To Pimp a Butterfly was the most frequently ranked record in top ten lists of the year 's best albums. According to Metacritic, it appeared 101 times in the top ten of lists published by critics, magazines, websites, and music stores. The record topped 51 lists, including those by Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pitchfork, Slant Magazine, Spin, The Guardian, Complex, Consequence of Sound, The Irish Times, and Vice. NME ranked it second on their list, while Time named it the year 's third best album. It was voted the best album of 2015 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics nationwide, published by The Village Voice. Christgau, the Pazz & Jop 's creator, ranked it fourth in his ballot for the poll. The album placed ninth in British magazine The Wire 's annual critics ' poll. To Pimp a Butterfly also earned Lamar 11 nominations at the 58th Grammy Awards, which was the most nominations for any rapper in a single night. It was nominated in the categories of Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, winning the latter. `` Alright '' won for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song while also being nominated for Song of the Year and Best Music Video. `` These Walls '' won for Best Rap / Sung Performance. At the previous year 's ceremony, `` i '' had won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. To Pimp a Butterfly also received a nomination for Top Rap Album at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. According to Gigwise writer Will Butler, To Pimp a Butterfly was universally hailed by critics as an `` instant classic '' and its immediate influence was felt as `` a pantheon for racial empowerment ''. Of its long - term impact, Butler argued that the record helped create a respected space for conscious hip hop and `` will be revered not just at the top of some list at the end of the year, but in the subconscious of music fans for decades to come ''. According to Tony Visconti, To Pimp a Butterfly was an influence on David Bowie 's 2016 album Blackstar, which Visconti produced : `` ( We were ) listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar... we loved the fact Kendrick was so open - minded and he did n't do a straight - up hip - hop record. He threw everything on there, and that 's exactly what we wanted to do. '' Academic reception To Pimp a Butterfly has been subject to a number of scholarly treatments from academic areas including history, critical race theory, religion, musicology, and psychology. California State University, Fullerton professor Natalie Graham compared To Pimp a Butterfly to the television miniseries Roots. She argued that while `` Roots compresses and simplifies '' black history, To Pimp a Butterfly `` radically disrupt ( s ) meanings of black respectability, heroic morality, trauma, and memory. '' Will Fulton, a musicologist, wrote in the American Music Review that To Pimp a Butterfly -- like D'Angelo's 2014 album, Black Messiah -- engages in and celebrates the black music tradition. Fulton described Lamar and D'Angelo as `` consciously index ( ing ) African American musical styles of the past in a dynamic relationship of nostalgic revivalism and vanguardism. '' In the Toronto Journal of Theology, James D. McLeod Jr. drew parallels between Lamar 's examination of death 's domineering significance in the African - American experience and the works of Christian theologian Paul Tillich, with McLeod calling To Pimp a Butterfly an original example of `` existentialist hip hop. '' Meanwhile, Adam Blum discerned connections between To Pimp a Butterfly and the writings of psychoanalysts such as Wilfred Bion, Nicolas Abraham, and Sigmund Freud. In an essay published in The Lancet Psychiatry, University of Cambridge professors Akeem Sule and Becky Inkster described Lamar as the `` street poet of mental health, '' noting how To Pimp a Butterfly ( as well as its predecessor, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City ) explore topics such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and resilience. Track listing Credits adapted from the album 's liner notes. No. Title Writer ( s ) Producer ( s ) Length 1. `` Wesley 's Theory '' ( featuring George Clinton and Thundercat ) Kendrick Duckworth George Clinton Steven Ellison Ronald Colson Stephen Bruner Boris Gardiner Flying Lotus Flippa Sounwave Thundercat 4 : 47 2. `` For Free ? ( Interlude ) '' Duckworth Terrace Martin Rose McKinney Martin 2 : 10 3. `` King Kunta '' Duckworth Bruner Johnny Burns Ahmad Lewis Stefan Gordy James Brown Fred Wesley John Starks Sounwave Martin 3 : 54 4. `` Institutionalized '' ( featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Snoop Dogg ) Duckworth Columbus Smith Fredrik Halldin Sam Barsh Rahki Tommy Black 4 : 31 5. `` These Walls '' ( featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat ) Duckworth Martin Larrance Dopson James Fauntleroy McKinney Martin Dopson Sounwave 5 : 00 6. `` u '' Duckworth Taz Arnold Michael Brown Arnold Whoarei Sounwave 4 : 28 7. `` Alright '' Duckworth Pharrell Williams Mark Spears Williams Sounwave 3 : 39 8. `` For Sale ? ( Interlude ) '' Duckworth Arnold Arnold Sounwave Martin 4 : 51 9. `` Momma '' Duckworth Glen Boothe Arnold Sylvester Stewart Lalah Hathaway Rahsaan Patterson Rex Rideout Knxwledge Arnold 4 : 43 10. `` Hood Politics '' Duckworth David Friley Donte Perkins Spears Bruner Sufjan Stevens Tae Beast Sounwave Thundercat 4 : 52 11. `` How Much a Dollar Cost '' ( featuring James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley ) Duckworth Martin Josef Leimberg McKinney Fauntleroy Ronald Isley LoveDragon 4 : 21 12. `` Complexion ( A Zulu Love ) '' ( featuring Rapsody ) Duckworth Bruner Spears Marlanna Evans Thundercat Sounwave Martin The Antydote 4 : 23 13. `` The Blacker the Berry '' Duckworth Matthew Samuels Stephen Kozmeniuk Ken Lewis Brent Kolatalo Jefferey Campbell Alexander Izquierdo Zale Epstein Boi - 1da KOZ Martin 5 : 28 14. `` You Ai n't Gotta Lie ( Momma Said ) '' Duckworth Martin McKinney Leimberg Spears LoveDragon 4 : 01 15. `` i '' Duckworth Columbus Smith Isley O'Kelly Isley, Jr. Ernie Isley Marvin Isley Rudolph Isley Christopher Jasper Rahki 5 : 36 16. `` Mortal Man '' Duckworth Bruner Fela Anikulapo Kuti Tupac Shakur Sounwave 12 : 07 Total length : 78 : 51 Notes signifies an additional producer `` Wesley 's Theory '' features background vocals by Dr. Dre, Anna Wise, Ash Riser, Josef Leimberg and Whitney Alford `` For Free ? ( Interlude ) '' features background vocals by Anna Wise and Darlene Tibbs `` King Kunta '' features background vocals by Whitney Alford `` Institutionalized '' features background vocals by Taz Arnold aka Tisa `` u '' features background vocals by Bilal, Jessica Vielmas and SZA `` Alright '' features background vocals by Pharrell Williams, Candace Wakefield and Thundercat `` For Sale ? ( Interlude ) '' features background vocals by Bilal, Taz Arnold aka Tisa, Preston Harris and SZA `` Momma '' features background vocals by Lalah Hathaway and Bilal `` Hood Politics '' features background vocals by Bilal, Anna Wise, Preston Harris and Dion Friley `` Complexion ( A Zulu Love ) '' features background vocals by Thundercat, Lalah Hathaway, Shava'sha Dickerson, Talkbox Monte, JaVonté and Pete Rock `` The Blacker the Berry '' features background vocals by Lalah Hathaway and uncredited vocals by Assassin `` You Ai n't Gotta Lie ( Momma Said ) '' features background vocals by Thundercat, Preston Harris, Wyann Vaughn and JaVonté `` i '' features background vocals by Taz Arnold aka Tisa, William Sweat, Candace Wakefield, Devon Downing, Edwin Orellana, Dave Free, Dion Friley, Z Most and additional vocals by Ronald Isley `` Mortal Man '' features background vocals by James Fauntleroy, Wyann Vaughn and JaVonté Sample credits `` Wesley 's Theory '' contains elements of `` Every Nigger is a Star '', written and performed by Boris Gardiner. `` King Kunta '' contains an interpolation of `` Get Nekkid '', written by Johnny Burns and performed by Mausberg ; resung lyrics from `` Smooth Criminal '', written and performed by Michael Jackson ; elements of `` The Payback '', written by James Brown, Fred Wesley and John Starks, and performed by James Brown ; and a sample of `` We Want the Funk '', written and performed by Ahmad Lewis. `` Momma '' contains elements of `` On Your Own '', written and performed by Lalah Hathaway. `` Hood Politics '' contains a sample of `` All for Myself '', written and performed by Sufjan Stevens. `` i '' contains a sample of `` That Lady '', written by Ronald Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley and Christopher Jasper, and performed by The Isley Brothers. `` Mortal Man '' contains excerpts from `` I No Get Eye for Back '', written by Fela Anikulapo Kuti and performed by Houston Person ; and a sample of music journalist Mats Nileskar 's November 1994 interview with Tupac Shakur for P3 Soul Broadcasting Corporation. Personnel Credits for To Pimp a Butterfly adapted from AllMusic and the album 's digital booklet. Kendrick Lamar -- vocals ; art direction George Clinton -- vocals ( track 1 ) Thundercat -- vocals ( tracks 1, 5 ) ; background vocals ( tracks 7, 12, 14 ) ; bass ( tracks 3, 13, 15, 16 ) ; additional bass ( track 5 ) ; producer ( tracks 10, 12 ) ; additional production ( track 1 ) Anna Wise -- vocals ( tracks 4, 5 ) ; backing vocals ( tracks 1, 2, 10 ) Bilal -- vocals ( tracks 4, 5 ) ; backing vocals ( 6, 8 -- 10 ) Snoop Dogg -- vocals ( track 4 ) James Fauntleroy -- vocals ( track 11 ) ; background vocals ( track 16 ) Ronald Isley -- vocals ( track 11 ) ; additional vocals ( track 15 ) Rapsody -- vocals ( track 12 ) Flying Lotus -- producer ( track 1 ) Ronald `` Flippa '' Colson -- producer ( track 1 ) Sounwave -- producer ( tracks 3, 7, 10, 12, 16 ) ; additional production ( tracks 1, 5, 6, 8, 10 ) ; keyboards ( track 14 ) ; string arrangements Terrace Martin -- alto saxophone ( tracks 1, 2, 6 -- 9, 11, 13, 14, 16 ) ; horns ( track 1 ) ; keyboards ( tracks 5, 6, 8 -- 12 ) ; producer ( tracks 2, 5 ) ; additional production ( tracks 3, 8, 12, 13 ) ; vocoder ( tracks 9, 14 ) ; string arrangements Rahki -- producer ( tracks 4, 15 ) ; percussion ( track 15 ) Fredrik `` Tommy Black '' Halldin -- producer ( track 4 ) Larrance Dopson -- percussion ( tracks 5, 11 -- 14 ) ; keyboards, producer ( track 5 ) Taz Arnold aka Tisa -- background vocals ( tracks 4, 8, 9, 15 ) ; producer ( tracks 6, 8 ) Whoarei -- producer ( track 6 ) Pharrell Williams -- producer, vocals ( track 7 ) Knxwledge -- producer ( track 9 ) Tae Beast -- producer ( track 10 ) Lovedragon -- producer ( tracks 11, 14 ) Boi - 1da -- producer ( track 13 ) KOZ -- producer ( track 13 ) Dr. Dre -- executive producer ; background vocals ( track 1 ) James Hunt -- engineer ( tracks 1 -- 7, 13 -- 16 ) ; mix assistant Derek `` MixedByAli '' Ali -- engineer ( tracks 1 -- 6, 8 -- 16 ), mixer Katalyst -- additional drum programming, additional engineering ( track 13 ) Mike Bozzi -- mastering engineer Ash Riser -- background vocals ( track 1 ) Josef Leimberg -- trumpet ( tracks 1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16 ), vocals ( track 1 ) Whitney Alford -- background vocals ( tracks 1, 3 ) Robert Sput Searight -- drums ( track 2 ) ; keyboards ( track 10 ) Robert Glasper -- piano ( track 2 ) ; keyboards ( tracks 5, 12, 13, 16 ) Brandon Owens -- bass ( tracks 2, 16 ) Craig Brockman -- organ ( track 2 ) Marlon Williams -- guitar ( tracks 2, 5, 6, 11, 14, 16 ) ; additional guitar ( track 3 ) Darlene Tibbs -- background vocals ( track 2 ) Matt Schaeffer -- additional guitar ( track 3 ) ; engineer ( tracks 3, 6, 11 -- 16 ) Sam Barsh -- keyboards ( tracks 4, 15 ) Pedro Castro -- clarinet ( track 4 ) Gabriel Noel -- cello ( track 4 ), upright bass ( track 11 ) Paul Cartwright -- violin ( tracks 4, 11, 16 ) Gregory Moore -- guitar ( track 5 ) Kamasi Washington -- tenor saxophone ( track 6 ) ; string arrangements Adam Turchan -- baritone saxophone ( track 6 ) Jessica Vielmas -- background vocals ( track 6 ) SZA -- background vocals ( tracks 6, 8 ) Candace Wakefield -- background vocals ( tracks 7, 15 ) Preston Harris -- background vocals ( tracks 8, 10, 14 ) Lalah Hathaway -- background vocals ( tracks 9, 12, 13 ) Dion Friley -- background vocals ( tracks 10, 15 ) Talkbox Monte -- background vocals ( track 12 ) JaVonté -- background vocals ( tracks 12, 14, 16 ) Pete Rock -- background vocals / scratches ( track 12 ) Ronald Bruner Jr. -- drums ( track 13 ) Wyann Vaughn -- background vocals ( track 14 ) Keith Askey -- guitar ( track 15 ) Kendall Lewis -- drums ( track 15 ) Chris Smith -- bass ( track 15 ) William Sweat -- background vocals ( track 15 ) Devon Downing -- background vocals ( track 15 ) Edwin Orellana -- background vocals ( track 15 ) Dave Free -- background vocals ( track 15 ) Junius Bervine -- keyboards ( track 16 ) Ambrose Akinmusire -- trumpet ( track 16 ) Charts Weekly charts Chart ( 2015 -- 16 ) Peak position Australian Albums ( ARIA ) Austrian Albums ( Ö3 Austria ) 15 Belgian Albums ( Ultratop Flanders ) Belgian Albums ( Ultratop Wallonia ) 16 Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) Danish Albums ( Hitlisten ) Dutch Albums ( MegaCharts ) 9 Finnish Albums ( Suomen virallinen lista ) 14 French Albums ( SNEP ) 17 German Albums ( Offizielle Top 100 ) 7 Hungarian Albums ( MAHASZ ) 34 Irish Albums ( IRMA ) 6 Italian Albums ( FIMI ) 32 New Zealand Albums ( RMNZ ) Norwegian Albums ( VG - lista ) Portuguese Albums ( AFP ) 21 Spanish Albums ( PROMUSICAE ) 91 Swedish Albums ( Sverigetopplistan ) 10 Swiss Albums ( Schweizer Hitparade ) Scottish Albums ( OCC ) Taiwanese Albums ( Five Music ) 11 UK Albums ( OCC ) UK R&B Albums ( OCC ) US Billboard 200 US Top R&B / Hip - Hop Albums ( Billboard ) US Top Rap Albums ( Billboard ) US Top Tastemaker Albums ( Billboard ) US Vinyl Albums ( Billboard ) Year - end charts Chart ( 2015 ) Position Australian Albums ( ARIA ) 23 Belgian Albums ( Ultratop Flanders ) 40 Belgian Albums ( Ultratop Wallonia ) 173 Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) 23 Danish Albums ( Hitlisten ) 52 Dutch Albums ( MegaCharts ) 84 New Zealand Album ( RMNZ ) 32 US Billboard 200 16 US Digital Albums ( Billboard ) 8 US Top R&B / Hip - Hop Albums ( Billboard ) US Rap Albums ( Billboard ) Chart ( 2016 ) Position Australian Albums ( ARIA ) 65 US Billboard 200 61 US Top R&B / Hip - Hop Albums ( Billboard ) 13 US Rap Albums ( Billboard ) 8 Chart ( 2017 ) Position Australian Urban Albums ( ARIA ) 29 US Billboard 200 181 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Australia ( ARIA ) Gold 35,000 Denmark ( IFPI Denmark ) Gold 10,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 170,162 United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 shipments figures based on certification alone See also 2015 in hip hop music List of number - one albums of 2015 ( Australia ) List of number - one albums of 2015 ( Canada ) List of number - one albums from the 2010s ( New Zealand ) List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2010s List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2015 List of Billboard 200 number - one albums of 2015 List of Billboard number - one R&B / hip - hop albums of 2015 List of Billboard number - one R&B / hip - hop albums of 2016 References Jump up ^ Andrew Flanagan ( March 16, 2015 ). `` Explained : Kendrick Lamar 's Chaotic ( and Planned ) Surprise Release of ' To Pimp a Butterfly ' ''. 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External links To Pimp a Butterfly at Discogs ( list of releases ) Kendrick Lamar Discography Songs Awards and nominations Studio albums Section. 80 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City To Pimp a Butterfly Damn Compilations Untitled Unmastered EPs Kendrick Lamar Mixtapes C4 Overly Dedicated Soundtracks Black Panther : The Album Concert tours The Damn Tour The Championship Tour Related articles Black Hippy God Is Gangsta Grammy Award for Best Rap Album 1996 -- 2000 Poverty 's Paradise -- Naughty by Nature ( 1996 ) The Score -- Fugees ( 1997 ) No Way Out -- Puff Daddy and the Family ( 1998 ) Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life -- Jay - Z ( 1999 ) The Slim Shady LP -- Eminem ( 2000 ) 2001 -- 2010 The Marshall Mathers LP -- Eminem ( 2001 ) Stankonia -- Outkast ( 2002 ) The Eminem Show -- Eminem ( 2003 ) Speakerboxxx / The Love Below -- Outkast ( 2004 ) The College Dropout -- Kanye West ( 2005 ) Late Registration -- Kanye West ( 2006 ) Release Therapy -- Ludacris ( 2007 ) Graduation -- Kanye West ( 2008 ) Tha Carter III -- Lil Wayne ( 2009 ) Relapse -- Eminem ( 2010 ) 2011 -- present Recovery -- Eminem ( 2011 ) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- Kanye West ( 2012 ) Take Care -- Drake ( 2013 ) The Heist -- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ( 2014 ) The Marshall Mathers LP 2 -- Eminem ( 2015 ) To Pimp a Butterfly -- Kendrick Lamar ( 2016 ) Coloring Book -- Chance the Rapper ( 2017 ) Damn -- Kendrick Lamar ( 2018 ) Pitchfork 's Album of the Year 1998 Outkast -- Aquemini 1999 The Dismemberment Plan -- Emergency & I 2000 Radiohead -- Kid A 2001 The Microphones -- The Glow Pt. 2 2002 Interpol -- Turn on the Bright Lights 2003 The Rapture -- Echoes Arcade Fire -- Funeral 2005 Sufjan Stevens -- Illinois 2006 The Knife -- Silent Shout 2007 Panda Bear -- Person Pitch 2008 Fleet Foxes -- Sun Giant / Fleet Foxes 2009 Animal Collective -- Merriweather Post Pavilion Kanye West -- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2011 Bon Iver -- Bon Iver, Bon Iver 2012 Kendrick Lamar -- Good Kid, M.A.A.D City 2013 Vampire Weekend -- Modern Vampires of the City 2014 Run the Jewels -- Run the Jewels 2 2015 Kendrick Lamar -- To Pimp a Butterfly 2016 Solange -- A Seat at the Table 2017 Kendrick Lamar -- DAMN. Consequence of Sound 's Albums of the Year 2008 TV on the Radio -- Dear Science 2009 Animal Collective -- Merriweather Post Pavilion Vampire Weekend -- Contra 2011 St. Vincent -- Strange Mercy 2012 Frank Ocean -- Channel Orange 2013 Kanye West -- Yeezus 2014 The War on Drugs -- Lost in the Dream 2015 Kendrick Lamar -- To Pimp a Butterfly 2016 Beyoncé -- Lemonade 2017 Lorde -- Melodrama Rolling Stone 's Albums of the Year 1978 -- 1979 1978 Rolling Stones -- Some Girls 1979 Neil Young -- Rust Never Sleeps 1980 -- 1989 1980 The Clash -- London Calling 1981 Rolling Stones -- Tattoo You 1982 Bruce Springsteen -- Nebraska R.E.M. -- Murmur 1984 Bruce Springsteen -- Born in the USA 1985 Talking Heads -- Little Creatures 1986 Paul Simon -- Graceland Bruce Springsteen -- Tunnel of Love Midnight Oil -- Diesel and Dust Neil Young -- Freedom 1990 -- 1999 Sinead O'Connor -- I Do Not Want What I Have n't Got 1991 R.E.M. -- Out of Time R.E.M. -- Automatic For The People Nirvana -- In Utero Hole -- Live Through This 1995 PJ Harvey -- To Bring You My Love Beck -- Odelay Bob Dylan -- Time Out of Mind 1998 Lauryn Hill -- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1999 Rage Against The Machine -- The Battle of Los Angeles 2000 -- 2009 2000 Eminem -- The Marshall Mathers LP 2001 Bob Dylan -- Love and Theft 2002 Beck -- Sea Change 2003 Outkast -- Speakerboxxx / The Love Below Kanye West -- The College Dropout 2005 Kanye West -- Late Registration 2006 Bob Dylan -- Modern Times 2007 M.I.A. -- Kala 2008 TV On The Radio -- Dear Science 2009 U2 -- No Line On The Horizon 2010 -- present Kanye West -- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2011 Adele -- 21 2012 Bruce Springsteen -- Wrecking Ball 2013 Vampire Weekend -- Modern Vampires of the City 2014 U2 -- Songs of Innocence 2015 Kendrick Lamar -- To Pimp a Butterfly 2016 Beyoncé -- Lemonade 2017 Kendrick Lamar -- DAMN. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=To_Pimp_a_Butterfly&oldid=855393921 '' Categories : 2015 albums Aftermath Entertainment albums Albums produced by Boi - 1da Albums produced by Dr. Dre Albums produced by Flying Lotus Albums produced by Pharrell Williams Albums produced by Terrace Martin Concept albums Experimental hip hop albums Grammy Award for Best Rap Album Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums Interscope Records albums Jazz rap albums Kendrick Lamar albums Top Dawg Entertainment albums Hidden categories : CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Pages containing links to subscription - only content CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 Chinese - language sources ( zh ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 Danish - language sources ( da ) Use mdy dates from April 2018 Articles with hAudio microformats Certification Table Entry usages for Australia Certification Table Entry usages for Denmark Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano עברית ქართული Lietuvių Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Suomi Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 17 August 2018, at 23 : 56 ( UTC ). 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Question: who made the album to pimp a butterfly
Answer: American rapper Kendrick Lamar