I am hiphop and soul journalist Mats Nileskär. Spacerider and time traveler in the name of hiphop and politics. Or as Jay Z said, the dopest music journalist ever.
For over 40 years I’ve been interviewing both legendary and up-and-coming soul and hiphop artists around the globe for Swedish national radio channel P3. Started in 1978 and originally called ’Soul Corner’, my program ’P3 Soul’ airs every Sunday night.
Interviewed artists include Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sly Stone, Whitney Houston, 2Pac (the interview was later featured on Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly”), Beyoncé, Jay Z, Kanye West, Nas, Patti LaBelle, D’Angelo, Michael Jackson, Curtis Mayfield, Timbaland, Quincy Jones, Mobb Deep, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Aaliyah, Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Young Jeezy, Barry White, Smokey Robinson, Bill Withers, Lauryn Hill, J Dilla, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, The Roots, Denzel Curry, Future, Mick Jenkins, Joey Bada$$, Vince Staples, OutKast, Common and thousands more.
As a helping hand, my digital editor Oskar will be sitting here with me.
Ask me anything.
EDIT: Questions will be answered from circa 14:30 GMT.
EDIT 2: Unfortunately, time’s up. Thank you for all your questions and compliments, it’s been very fun. Until next time, peace
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This was said somewhere before I'm sure, so sorry for that but I never saw it. Also sorry if it doesn't make sense(I mean overall and also specific worse maybe due to my mistakes in writing this English is not my first language).It did make sense to me so it will hopefully to others too.
So I will write it here my interpretation maybe it will mean something to someone one day.
In the end Kendrick Lamar has conversation with his idol that he never met in such a way and never had conversation with. And I think it's so important because it is a key metaphor here and why it all ends in such a way.
Throughout the mortal man he often mentions us leaving the song and therefore the album. Because it obviously has to come to an end.But he tries to transcend that end somehow.
But we are not only leaving the album.
He talked about wanting to make art that will always mean something.
Although there are specific things in the final poem tied to an album and current time he has said as mentioned before that he always wanted to leave something transcended that will always mean something. So he gives a symbol of caccon and butterfly as last part of poem,something that isn't only tied to current time but can have meaning that transcends time.
So in the end his idol he never talked to leaves him. Which I think is symbol of him leaving us.
And most impotant transcendent symbol of humans leaving something for next generations,for future.
He leaves us to go on our own journeys. It's a painful moment like it was for him,we don't want to leave it's hard we don't want to make and see hard changes that come after, but we have to. Because that's the way of life.
So we have to continue on our journeys and give a meaning to his journey like he as given meaning to journey and dreams of person and people before him and like humans will always do.
And although for now he symbolicly leaves us.One day he will truly leaves us and not only him but everyone else will leave us one day.But more importantly he doesn't leave only us at the end but future generations who will listen to this album when he is gone so when it ends he leaves them too so they can go on themselves and continue to give meaning to our existence and life. And through that we transcend death and give at least some meaning to life.
I have been thinking about the idea of combining the two albums but still keeping the original story. So, I am here to ask what would be the best tracklist with both albums. If you want to add songs that is ok too Edit: Don't cut songs, all the songs are fire. Personally I think I would the single version of i and maybe the live verison of untitled 3 from Stephen Colbert because of intro. But yeah make your tracklist.
Even though I love that album I’d like to hear why even Joe treaded lightly when he brought it up. Shit sounded juicy pause
Hello, I just finished to listen for the second time the album ''DAMN.'' I think that's an amazing album, so I want to hear more about this artist. What to listen now, GKMC or TPAB?
edit: seeing this post after a month makes me laugh, long live kendrick
In my opinion yes. This album is a classic and a lot of people may disagree and that's fine but, hear me out. There's a difference between what is your favorite vs what is the best. T.P.A.B. is Kendrick's best album based on the list that gives a reason why.
- PRODUCTION: The music carries a style of jazz, funk, and hip-hop all mixed together. A lot of time we forget that when it comes to a certain sound of music that will last over time, it's usually jazz and funk. In most countries like America and the UK, jazz and funk hold a very strong ground over every genre of music. They have a timeless sound.
- MORE THAN A RAPPER: Granted, yes, Kendrick has done things with his music that proved to us that he was another game-changer but, when it came to this project, Kendrick proved to us that he's more than just a rapper...he's an artist...matter of fact, you can argue that he's a genius with his craft. During the making of this album, one of the producers (I believe Tae Beast) spoke about the conversation he had with Jay-Z. He mentioned to Jay that they were working on this album that was completely different and hard to explain. He said Jay responded by saying "That's great, it's always good to create something that people can't explain because they'll never put you in a box".
- LYRICAL CONTENT: Kendrick surprised us all by showing us that his wordplay isn't a verse of lyrical verse. On T.P.A.B. he shows that he can switch his lyrics into spoken word while making his voice become an instrument.
- INSPIRATION BEHIND THE ABLUM: Shout out to D'Angelo. When producer Terrace spoke about the creative block he was dealing with, he mentioned that D'Angelo's album "Black Messiah" is what spark the light bulb and got him back in the zone. So if you ever get the chance to listen to "Black Messiah" you will notice a strong comparison between this album and T.P.A.B.
- AT THE RIGHT TIME: Between the year 2012 and 2016, following the death of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and many more, along with Police brutality, and the riots, this album dropped and hit a lot of us mentally in so many different ways. The album also became controversial with the song "Alright" that was discussed on CNN.
- BARACK OBAMA: This album got Kendrick invited to the White House. He even performed for America's first Black president.
- NATIONAL ANTHEM: The song "Alright" became a national anthem for movements. Even now, people still play that song when they protest.
- GRAMMY PERFORMANCE:
Which album do you guys prefer, I’m curious to know. I can’t decide yet.
Seriously tho wtf was that. Good news is more motivation for his next project
Loving u is complicated.
TRACKS IN
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Wesley's Theory
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King Kunta
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These Walls
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How Much a Dollar Cost
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The Blacker the Berry
TRACKS OUT
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16th Place: For Sale? (23.9%, 58 votes)
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15th Place: You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) (33.6%, 81 votes)
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14th Place: Complexion (A Zulu Love) (25.6%, 63 votes)
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13th Place: Momma (30%, 68 votes)
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12th Place: Mortal Man (22.5%, 49 votes)
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11th Place: Hood Politics (23%, 59 votes)
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10th Place: Institutionalized (34.2%, 64 votes)
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9th Place: For Free? (44.4%, 107 votes)
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8th Place: i (43.%, 103 votes)
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7th Place: Alright (26.2%, 58 votes)
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6th Place: u (21.1%, 56 votes)
LISTEN
ALBUM INFO
I saw the 10, so I look it up and.... what the fuck is that! This is music? I can't force myself to listen to more than a few songs. It's unbelievable. Like if I recorded myself ripping my own ribs out of my body and sucking my own cock and called it a music video. Where's the appeal here?
I always looked over this album I had a few passive listens but this week on my 40 minute bus ride I decided to have a hardcore listen and this album is the best rap album I have ever heard thank you Kendrick
Hello neighbours.
Today while listening to Pissy Pamper I thought of something that tickled my brain in a funny way. I like Kendrick Lamar and think he's a goat and To Pimp A Butterfly is a fire album. But if the album is seen as a concept album then how can we believe what he is saying? Isn't a concept just something that is made up? If that is the case then isn't everything he talked about made up?
Would love to discuss this. Also does anyone have Playboi Carti leaks I can buy? Thank you
Needless to say this is just speculating, but speculating is part of what makes music discussion fun.
To Pimp a Butterfly is already hailed as a milestone hip-hop album. It has an insane Metacritic score of 96/100 and a Rate Your Music average rating of 4.10. You have to go VERY far back to find another record praised so highly by so many. Kid A?
It seems "big rock" is dead, while indie releases are only pushing boundaries in very small increments, using a lot of throwback sounds to achieve so. This is a generalisation of course. There's a lot of good music out there, but there's been a long time since there's been a milestone rock release, an album that got very popular, was stellar front to back WHILE changing the whole game and breathing fresh blood into the genre.
The closest I can think of in recent memory is perhaps Merriweather Post Pavillion from 2009, otherwise you gotta go way back.
So could we see it in the 2010s? Can we see it ever, or has the music landscape become too fragmented? Who are up to it? Can Radiohead pull it off once more? Will Tame Impala step it up (once more) and give us a masterpiece with their third LP this year?
whats good to all kendrick fans!! just wanted to say im bumping kendrick tonight
If you have a negative opinion on TPAB what is it and why?
i don't love myself enough to stay in.
TRACKS IN
-
Wesley's Theory
-
King Kunta
-
These Walls
-
u
-
Alright
-
How Much a Dollar Cost
-
The Blacker the Berry
TRACKS OUT
-
16th Place: For Sale? (23.9%, 58 votes)
-
15th Place: You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) (33.6%, 81 votes)
-
14th Place: Complexion (A Zulu Love) (25.6%, 63 votes)
-
13th Place: Momma (30%, 68 votes)
-
12th Place: Mortal Man (22.5%, 49 votes)
-
11th Place: Hood Politics (23%, 59 votes)
-
10th Place: Institutionalized (34.2%, 64 votes)
-
9th Place: For Free? (44.4%, 107 votes)
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8th Place: i (43.%, 103 votes)
LISTEN
ALBUM INFO
