The Native man teaches him the value of land and to set his roots. The Asian man teaches him to meditate and think to take care of his health instead of money and fame. He runs over metaphorical lessons taught by men of different races, combining to represent America’s issues as a whole. Lamar takes a poignant view on various cultures on the third track. “Untitled 02” is another highlight where he speaks on the success of his entire group of friends and labelmates. This kind of deeply cerebral songwriting is what separates Lamar from other mainstream artists in today’s music industry, and he works to separate himself further on the remaining tracks. The song is a reimagining of the Bible’s Book of Revelation, and depicts Kendrick’s judgment day as he tries to return to religion after ignoring it.

His verse begins with “I seen it vividly jogging my brain memory” and closes with “All man, child, woman, life completely went in reverse/I guess I’m running in place trying to make it to church.” He parses over the evils of life and the church before he eventually shifts into a conversation with God. “Untitled 01” opens with a deep male voice speaking sultrily to a women, eventually fading into Lamar rapping frantically about religion. From a subject matter standpoint, the Compton native takes a chance to comment on the Black experience in America, the evils surrounding his hometown, and grappling with rising success. The compilation album’s eight tracks are equally as jazz- and funk-laden as his previous project. With untitled unmastered, Lamar compiles loose ends collected over his previous album’s recording sessions.

Last year, Kendrick Lamar released the momentous To Pimp A Butterfly, which has since become one of the most significant pieces of racial artistic expression ever released.

Untitled unmastered review