After listening to Kendrick Lamar's unexpectedly released "Untitled Unmastered" album, many critics have regarded it as "a dumping of off cuts" that suspiciously look like a rejoinder to his "To Pimp a Butterfly" album.
According to BBC, Lamar's fourth album is less half as long as its predecessor and arrives in an unadorned sleeve with its tracks nameless and some mysterious dates that may either point out the possible times when the songs were recorded or when the events which inspired the tracks took place. According to the contents of the lyrics, it appears as if the rapper is keen to let the air out of the expectations directed upon him since his third album's release.
The third album's title, "To Pimp a Butterfly," which has been perceived as a self-important phrase consisted of a narrative thread, a vast cast signified by its expansive musical ambitions and a sense of place in the arena of legendary black music. Concisely, the album featured guest appearances from George Clinton, Ronald Isley and Tupac Shakur among other legends.
According to commentaries, the rapper finds himself pressured to pushing his artistic prowess boundaries as he sells millions of copies of his albums while at the same time acting as a hip-hop ambassador. More precisely, he serves as hip-hop's political conscience as pointed out by lyrics in his fourth album's opening track, "to use my vocals to save mankind for you."
Critics also assert that there is a possibility that Lamar has noted that we live in a world of first-listen reviews and instant actions that he has decided to throw his critics a bone. As witnessed in the first eight minutes of the album, there is a burst of Isaac Hayes-ish pillow talk which is directed to a protagonist referred to as "little Lamb."
Even as this is the interpretation of the rapper's fourth album, many fans have been taken aback by the instant and unexpected release. Even more, the indistinct nature of the contents of the album has wrenched the fans minds. Maybe this is because the rapper has referred to it as a "project" rather than an album, Spin reported.
Meanwhile, Lamar's "Untitled Unmastered" is currently available on Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, and Google Music.
Watch a clip on the reaction of "Untitled Unmastered" here: