History Music / ToPimpAButterfly

# Wesley's Theory (4:47)
# For Free? (Interlude) (2:10)
# King Kunta (3:54)
# Institutionalized (4:31)
# These Walls (5:00)
# u (4:28)
# Alright (3:39)
# For Sale? (Interlude) (4:51)
# Momma (4:43)
# Hood Politics (4:52)
# How Much a Dollar Cost? (4:21)
# Complexion (A Zulu Love) (4:23)
# The Blacker the Berry (5:28)
# You Ain't Gotta Lie (Mama Said) (4:01)
# i (5:36)
# Mortal Man (12:07)

* LongestSongGoesLast: The 12:07 album closer "Mortal Man". Worth nothing, though, that only the first 5 minutes are music, while the rest of it features Kendrick talking to no other than 2Pac in regards to political awareness.

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Averting this trope was the point of "The Blacker the Berry".

* RichesToRags: The theme of "Wesley's Theory," a cautionary tale about young rappers who get rich but are so careless with their money that they end up broke again.
--> ''But everything you buy taxes will deny''
--> ''I'll Wesley Snipe yo' ass before 35''

---> ''But everything you buy taxes will deny''
---> ''I'll Wesley Snipe yo' ass before 35''

I'll Wesley Snipe your ass before thirty-five\\
* {{Concept Album}}: While not a story like ''GKMC'', it still has a unified concept, as it follows Kendrick after he becomes successful and starts dealing with depression, institutional racial inequality, and the various facets of black culture in America.

[[caption-width-right:300: ''Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon' be alright'']]

This [[ConceptAlbum album’s concept]] explores themes of self-love and hate, fame, depression, violence, race, and politics through a spoken-word poem that interweaves between songs, leading up to the climax. The poem is wrapped up on the final track, "Mortal Man," where it is revealed that Kendrick was reading the poem to 2Pac all along.

The album was heavily inspired by Lamar’s trip to South Africa in 2014, where he visited historical sites such as Nelson Mandela’s jail cell, birthing recurring motifs like Apartheid, distinctions between African and American culture, or institutionalization, among many others. Kendrick creates many allegorical comparisons between Compton and South Africa, especially on the song "Momma."

''To Pimp a Butterfly'' was met with widespread critical acclaim. On review aggregator site Rate Your Music, ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is ranked as the highest-rated album of 2015, the highest-rated album of the 2010's, and the 6th highest-rated album of all time. In 2020, ''Magazine/RollingStone'' magazine ranked it at #19 on their most recent list of [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], having the second highest-placing album of the 21st century, behind Music/KanyeWest's ''Music/MyBeautifulDarkTwistedFantasy'' at #17. Also, as of 2020, it sits at No. 17 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time (as well as the most acclaimed album of the entire 2010's). The album was an influence on Music/DavidBowie's final studio album, ''Music/BlackstarAlbum''. As its producer Tony Visconti recalled, he and Bowie were "listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar [...] we loved the fact Kendrick was so open-minded and he didn't do a straight-up hip-hop record. He threw everything on there, and that's exactly what we wanted to do."

* FadingIntoTheNextSong: The whole album

# Wesley’s Theory
# For Free? (Interlude)
# King Kunta
# Institutionalized
# These Walls
# u
# Alright
# For Sale? (Interlude)
# Momma
# Hood Politics
# How Much a Dollar Cost?
# Complexion (A Zulu Love)
# The Blacker the Berry
# You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Mama Said)
# i
# Mortal Man

* WhatTheHellHero: "How Much a Dollar Cost" is essentially God sending this message to Kendrick in the midst of his fame-induced greed.