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Kendrick Lamar reveals there's hidden braille in To Pimp A Butterfly that reveals its true title

He also said he sees the album as a poem

Christopher Hooton
Wednesday 29 April 2015 11:29 BST
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Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly is Spotify's most streamed album in 24 hours and perhaps the finest album of this decade, but everyone missed a secret hidden in it.

Here's the quote in full, from Mass Appeal:

MA: A kid on the Internet pointed out that Section.80 is outlined like a book; good kid, m.A.A.d city like a film; and To Pimp A Butterfly like a poem. Is that how you see it and was that planned?

KL: Yeah, definitely. [There]’s actually a sketch of braille that’s added to the title hidden inside the [CD] booklet that I don’t think nobody has caught yet. You can actually feel the bump lines. But if you can see it, which is the irony of it, you can break down the actual full title of the album.

Braille is found in the booklet in two places, saying 'SINCERELY' on one page, and 'A BLANK LETTER BY KENDRICK LAMAR' on another.

K-Dot makes the meaning of the 'To Pimp A Butterfly' phrase plain throughout the album, but this amendment to the title adds a new dimension.

As well as alluding to the album's literary nature (Kendrick previously said he sees himself more as a writer than a rapper), it speaks to the album's schizophrenia and self-doubt. It says everything and nothing at all.

At the same time, Redditors have had some fun with the interpretations, others of which include: 'To Pimp a Blank Letter. Sincerely, a butterfly, Kendrick Lamar' and 'To Pimp a Kendrick Lamar by a Blank Butterfly'.

I remember you was conflicted…

@christophhooton

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