Home Books The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited …

The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America

The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America

by Marcus J. Moore

Atria Books ·2020 ·288 pages ·Biography
Maybe Someday
Maybe Someday
I Index
37/99
Maybe Someday

36/99

Critics

Maybe Someday

38/99

Readers

n/a

Scholars

6/99

Rating

66/99

Volume

38/99

Rating

39/99

Volume

Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.


About This Book

This first cultural biography of rap superstar and "master of storytelling" ( The New Yorker ) Kendrick Lamar explores his meteoric rise to fame and his profound impact on a racially fraught America--perfect for fans of Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Empire State of Mind . Kendrick Lamar is at the top of his game. The thirteen-time Grammy Award­-winning rapper is just in his early thirties, but he's already won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, produced and curated the soundtrack of the megahit film Black Panther , and has been named one of Time 's 100 Influential People. But what's even more striking about the Compton-born lyricist and performer is how he's established himself as a formidable adversary of oppression and force for change. Through his confessional poetics, his politically charged anthems, and his radical performances, Lamar has become a beacon of light for countless people. Written by veteran journalist and music critic Marcus J. Moore, this is the first biography of Kendrick Lamar. It's the definitive account of his coming-of-age as an artist, his resurrection of jazz, his profound impact on a racially fraught America, and his emergence as the bona fide King of Rap. The Butterfly Effect is the extraordinary, triumphant story of a modern lyrical prophet and an American icon who has given hope to those buckling under the weight of systemic oppression, reminding everyone that through it all--"we gon' be alright."


Preview


Reviews

"a thoroughly engaging, enlightening portrait not just of celebrated rapper Kendrick Lamar's life and music...but more broadly of Lamar's indelible stamp on contemporary musical landscapes and popular culture ..."

Katie Weed· Shelf Awareness Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Moore's portrait of Lamar accounts for how one young man's mindful lyrics and sounds can have a profound and far-reaching impact."

Sharon Fason· Booklist Read review ↗ Near the Top

"In this solid introduction, Moore uses a...general approach, a wise strategy since fans already know that Lamar is the most reliable narrator of his own story ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

"But it necessarily suffers from the frustrating opacity of its subject, and the unfortunate timing of its release."

Allison Stewart· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Maybe Someday

"Moore in The Butterfly Effect have nothing to report but his phenomenal dedication to his craft, bringing to mind the joke about the job candidate who says that his worst quality is perfectionism ..."

Dorian Lynskey· The Guardian Read review ↗ Maybe Someday

"On the earthly plane Moore styles Lamar as the voice of oppressed Black people in a politicized interpretation that rehashes police killings and labels Donald Trump a white supremacist."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Bottom of the Pile

Reader Reviews

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reader reviews yet. Be the first!