Kendrick Lamar’s Criticism of Systemic Racism in the Album To Pimp a Butterfly
Pesonen, Joel (2025-03-10)
Kendrick Lamar’s Criticism of Systemic Racism in the Album To Pimp a Butterfly
(10.03.2025)
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on:
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025031417811
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025031417811
Tiivistelmä
This thesis examines how Kendrick Lamar criticizes systemic racism in his album To Pimp a Butterfly.
At the time of making this album in the 2010s systemic racism was a highly discussed topic and the
tension related to the problem was on the rise, especially in the U.S. Examining Kendrick Lamar’s
writing on the album gives a comprehensive look of the effects that systemic racism has on individuals
and on a more societal scale. Lamar writes about his life as a Black male in the U.S. and how the
oppression has followed him and the people around him throughout his life. There are parts in the
album that concentrate more on the experiences Lamar endured in his adolescence and parts more
about his life as of now as a successful music artist. Both experiences share the obstacles and struggles
that systemic racism causes.
Kendrick Lamar makes it clear that no matter the status, these effects cannot be escaped in his life and
in To Pimp a Butterfly. In this thesis I will do a literary review of the album and discuss how Lamar
wrote one of the most acclaimed albums of all time and at the same time an introspective story of the
impact racism has in the U.S. To Pimp a Butterfly humanizes the experiences that millions of people
face because of racism and brings awareness to the issue. The track, “Alright” from the album is proof
of the effect the album has had and since 2015, it has been a civil rights anthem in various events. Still
to this day in 2025 the discussion around the topics brought up in To Pimp a Butterfly are ongoing and
Kendrick Lamar has made an album that will be topical for as long as people suffer from racism in the
U.S.
At the time of making this album in the 2010s systemic racism was a highly discussed topic and the
tension related to the problem was on the rise, especially in the U.S. Examining Kendrick Lamar’s
writing on the album gives a comprehensive look of the effects that systemic racism has on individuals
and on a more societal scale. Lamar writes about his life as a Black male in the U.S. and how the
oppression has followed him and the people around him throughout his life. There are parts in the
album that concentrate more on the experiences Lamar endured in his adolescence and parts more
about his life as of now as a successful music artist. Both experiences share the obstacles and struggles
that systemic racism causes.
Kendrick Lamar makes it clear that no matter the status, these effects cannot be escaped in his life and
in To Pimp a Butterfly. In this thesis I will do a literary review of the album and discuss how Lamar
wrote one of the most acclaimed albums of all time and at the same time an introspective story of the
impact racism has in the U.S. To Pimp a Butterfly humanizes the experiences that millions of people
face because of racism and brings awareness to the issue. The track, “Alright” from the album is proof
of the effect the album has had and since 2015, it has been a civil rights anthem in various events. Still
to this day in 2025 the discussion around the topics brought up in To Pimp a Butterfly are ongoing and
Kendrick Lamar has made an album that will be topical for as long as people suffer from racism in the
U.S.