[video] NOISEY Bompton: Growing up with Kendrick Lamar (Part 1)

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Compton, California, is one of hip-hop’s most celebrated locales, the birthplace of acts like N.W.A. and, more recently, Kendrick Lamar. It’s also home to a complicated gang culture. Noisey Bompton centers around Kendrick Lamar and the friends he grew up with on the West Side of Compton, many of whom feature on the cover of his album ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’ n the first of six segments, we sit down with Kendrick to talk about his acclaimed albums, pay a visit to his high school, Centennial, and get to know his childhood friend Lil L.

Noisey Bompton is a new documentary made by the people who brought you Noisey Atlanta and Noisey Chiraq. It’s the first episode in an eight part series, NOISEY, on VICE’s upcoming TV network VICELAND. Each episode focuses on a different city, its major stars, and the stories and issues that influence its music scene.

Does Lack of ‘Enjoyment’ Make or Break ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’?: A Response to Justin Charity’s Complex Article

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Photo Credit: Jason Speakman

Photo Credit: Jason Speakman

My big bro, Majesty, here at Street Knowledge Media asked my thoughts on Justin Charity’s Complex article “Why Did Everyone Claim to Enjoy Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly'” yesterday. This was my response via text message, with a few changes that I made later upon further reflection:

“Exactly. I don’t understand why people can’t just let music be music. What is Charity’s criteria for ‘enjoyable?’ If he agrees that it was an important album, why critique it by how ‘enjoyable’ it is, months later? What may make it enjoyable to many people could be the fact that it is Black-centered, incorporated elements of jazz and funk, and had substance. I think this article was published strictly to generate traffic to the blog through controversy. The bubble gum bullshit is never critiqued in this manner, only the positive music.

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