Kendrick Lamar has made a name for himself as one of the contemporary hip hop's biggest acts, and in an exclusive interview, the rapper revealed where the inspiration and influence for making the album, 'To Pimp A Butterfly,' came from.
The 2016 Grammy Awards are coming up on February 15, and Kendrick Lamar is nominated for 11 awards on his work on 'To Pimp A Butterfly.' As preparation for the ceremony, the Grammys released details on this year's nominated albums, and it included Lamar's record. In the said release, the rapper revealed several details about the album, including where he pulled out his inspiration.
According to Lamar, his recent trip to South Africa provided all the inspiration he needed to craft the album. Lamar mentioned how he wants to bring the feeling of seeing such a beautiful place while being stuck in the ghetto.
"I felt like I belonged in Africa... I saw all the things that I wasn't taught. Probably one of the hardest things to do is put [together] a concept on how beautiful a place can be, and tell a person this while they're still in the ghettos of Compton," wrote the rapper, as reported by DIY Magazine.
"I wanted to put that experience in the music," added the rapper. This particular trip gave the rapper a huge amount of inspiration that it made him write so much that he ended up having enough material for "two to three albums."
"I wanted to do a record like this on my debut album but I wasn't confident enough. The title grasped the entire concept of the record. [I wanted to] break down the idea of being pimped in the industry, in the community and out of all the knowledge that you thought you had known, then discovering new life and wanting to share it," added the rapper.
In a separate report by MTV, Lamar also explained some of the meanings behind the lyrics of the songs in the highly acclaimed album. The rapper is also set to release a mixtape with J.Cole, which is said to be released on February 16.
