Kendrick Lamar‘s To Pimp a Butterfly entered the UK Albums Chart at Number 1, giving the rapper his first chart-topping project in the United Kingdom. Lamar managed to beat out Sam Smith‘s In The Lonely Hour, which continues to dominant the UK chart. To Pimp a Butterfly is also Number 1 on Australia’s albums chart, marking another first for the Compton rapper.
Lamar is also expected to top the US Billboard 200 Albums chart, which will be released on March 25th. In addition to topping the music charts, To Pimp a Butterfly also made history on Spotify. The album was streamed 9.6 million times on Spotify, making it the most streamed project in a single day.
Kendrick Lamar describes his new album as honest and courageous. The rapper believes the consumers have grown tired of rappers bragging about how much money they have, and the people were “craving” music with substance. To Pimp a Butterfly may not be a typical “mainstream” project, but the album’s success proves Lamar’s theory was correct. “I know every artist feels this way, but in order for it to come across on record for your average 9 to 5 person is the tricky part. I have to make it where you truly understand,” the rapper told The New York Times. He added, “This is me pouring out my soul on the record. You’re gonna feel it because you too have pain. It might not be like mine, but you’re gonna feel it.”
The Grammy-winning rapper said he has a “calling,” and he is going to use his voice to educate the people on subjects that encourage strength and growth. “What gives me inspiration is giving game to people who don’t have it. Compton is where we’re putting in the real work with these kids and these ex-convicts,” Lamar stated to The New York Times. To Pimp a Butterfly features the singles “i” and “The Blacker the Berry.”
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the rapper was just named as one of the headliners for Summerfest 2015 on July 1st. Thus far, the other headliners for the festival include Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Ed Sheeran, Zac Brown Band, Linkin Park, and Kings of Leon. The Summerfest organizers revealed Lamar’s labelmate, Schoolboy Q, will be one of the opening acts for the festival.
FDRMX Eyes: Ottawa is an American rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Ottawa has recently released a live sessions video of their track called “Fever.”
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