Adams Street Record Club: Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly

Like a book club, but for records! Join your peers to discuss albums from Brooklyn Public Library's Vinyl Collection.

This month, we'll discuss To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. Writing for Rolling Stone, Greg Tate called the album "a masterpiece of fiery outrage, deep jazz and ruthless self-critique ... a densely packed, dizzying rush of unfiltered rage and unapologetic romanticism, true-crime confessionals, come-to-Jesus sidebars, blunted-swing sophistication, ... and rap-quotable riot acts."

Kyle Anderson at Entertainment Weekly declared that the album "doubles down on density, embracing the entire history of black American music in the process—not just chest-pounding rap but throwback soul, churning jazz, Sly Stone-style riot funk, front-porch blues, and highly politicized spoken word." Join the conversation and let us know what you think! Register online to receive digital listening information and optional supplementary reading!