I bought it about a month after it was released. As an oldhead by Coli standards, I appreciate KL's music. You can tell his influences are older respectable artists, yet he doesn't take himself so seriously that he can't name drop Gucci as an influence too. This album though, what surprises me the most is, rhyme-wise, it's not intricate at all despite the fact that he's up there with all of the proficiently technical emcees. What he toned down on skill wise, he made up for with subject matter. The topics he's addressing are weighty subjects and not just any rapper can tackle them. Skin tone, self hate, hypocrisies associated with Black pride from an individual's POV, nuances associated with your old friends that arise after you achieve success, homelessness and panhandling, Christian ideals vs. Reality, Perceptions of African Americans both internalized and external, hypocritical misogyny towards Black women, and a plethora of other subjects I'm neglecting at the moment are what makes this album an ambitious effort. And yet, I think he nailed it. I mean of course there are some misfires such as "I", and to a lesser extent King Kunta (James Brown girls were out of place to me). It's still a well crafted album though. 4.5 mics easy.
The influences are evident too. I think I heard Death Certificate Cube, Chronic Dre, Rhythalism Quik, Stankonia Outkast, any Roots album although the artwork for Pimp A Butterfly has me leaning towards Undun being a factor. I'm assuming Pete Rock was the mastermind behind Complexion, and I would have loved it had CL Smooth been a guest on the track kinda like Eiht was on M.A.A.D. City. Real talk though, to be so young in the game, Kendrick's music is old souled. This album could have dropped in the mid to late 90s, early 2G, and fit right in with all the classics that were around during those years. One last thing, Nas is my favorite and personal GOAT. I thought the N!gger album had some misfires and part of that was because social records can be ambitious mountains to conquer. Between the subject matter, trying to not sound preachy, give the listener something to rock to, all the while still try to push units and remain relevant, these projects can be difficult to pull off. I still think for the most part Nas succeeded, however, I think it took a younger and hungrier artist such as Kendrick to fully pull off what really should have been a proper N!gger album. TPABF reminds of N!gger and Death Certificate rolled up into one. I dont know how many units it will push, as it's meatier than a Texas steakhouse and people prefer Taco Bell. Regardless, I'm glad K.Dot went there with this project.