Introduction to the Symposium on Kendrick Lamar’sTo Pimp a Butterfly

Abstract

In this introduction to the symposium on Kendrick Lamar and his albumTo Pimp a Butterfly, I give a brief overview of each of the five articles of the symposium while highlighting certain aspects of the work that I find particularly important. I also suggest, along the way, parts that may prove useful to rap studies specifically and music theory generally.