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The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America
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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."
Reviews
"[a] gushing hagiography ..."
"If there is a way to rewire this flawless ascent into a compelling narrative, then Moore hasn't found it."
"Moore's portrait of Lamar accounts for how one young man's mindful lyrics and sounds can have a profound and far-reaching impact."
"More conversational than scholarly, it's at its most effective when charting Lamar's cultural awakening, prompted in part by a life-changing pilgrimage to South Africa and the death of Trayvon Martin, and the almost parallel rise of Black Lives Matter."
"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 ..."
"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 ..."
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