Untitled Unmastered
Untitled Unmastered | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | March 4, 2016[1] | |||
Recorded |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 34:06 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Kendrick Lamar chronology | ||||
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Singles from Untitled Unmastered | ||||
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Untitled Unmastered (stylized as untitled unmastered.) is a compilation album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 4, 2016,[1] through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. It consists of previously unreleased demos that originated during the recording of Lamar's album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015),[2] continuing that work's exploration of politically charged and philosophical themes, as well as its experimentation with free jazz, soul, avant-garde music, and funk styles. The album received widespread acclaim from critics, and it debuted atop the US Billboard 200.
Background and release
In December 2014, while preparing for the release of his third album
Following hints of a new release from Lamar's label
Recording and production
The songs performed during Lamar's appearances on The Colbert Report ("untitled 03 | 05.28.2013.", plus a new coda), The Tonight Show ("untitled 08 | 09.06.2014." plus the end of "untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.") and the end of the 2016 Grammys (part of his first verse from "untitled 05 | 09.21.2014.") were all included on Untitled Unmastered. The Tonight Show performance was previously known as "Untitled 2". Previously, part of Lamar's "untitled 08" verse had been used for remixes of
Music and lyrics
The
"Untitled 01" was described by
"Untitled 05" is a thicket of drums and saxophone, a piano glissando from Robert Glasper, a vocal from Anna Wise and guest raps from Jay Rock and Lamar's TDE manager Punch. It discusses treatment of and expectations for minorities in the US.[21] Lamar's performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards found him rhyming over L.A. singer-producer Iman Omari's "Omari's Mood"; that beat, in slightly altered form, is the basis of "Untitled 05".[23] "Untitled 06" has a smooth bossa nova and jazz-funk groove, marked by xylophone and flute, and a lush chorus from Cee-Lo. In the track, Lamar seems to be addressing a girl he's trying to impress, but some lines seem to show him plagued by self-doubt. "Pimp pimp... Hooray!" – also the final line of the whole album – makes its return on "Untitled 07", a three-part 8-minute song, glides easily from a trap-influenced call to "levitate,"[23] and a wordless choral melody, to Lamar's broadsides against his competitors, before closing with tape hiss and studio chatter.[23] Musically, critics compared "untitled 08" (unofficially known as "Blue Faces"), with "King Kunta", for its hydraulic-pumping synthesized bass thump and Lamar's slangy flow. The song counters feelings of futility and hopelessness with optimism, suggesting there may be hope after all.[21]
Release and reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.2/10[24] |
Metacritic | 86/100[25] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [26] |
The A.V. Club | A−[27] |
Chicago Tribune | [18] |
The Guardian | [22] |
NME | 4/5[28] |
Pitchfork | 8.6/10[29] |
Q | [30] |
Rolling Stone | [23] |
Spin | 8/10[31] |
Vice (Expert Witness) | A−[32] |
Untitled Unmastered received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on 31 reviews.[25] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club wrote that "although Untitled begs to be graded on a curve, it doesn’t need to be. Leftovers or not, this is magnificent music from a rare talent working at peak creativity."[27] Writing for Tiny Mix Tapes, Brooklyn Russell stated that "whether rhythmically bustling or meditative, these eight previously unreleased demos from the Butterfly sessions seethe with Lamar’s still-startling visions and artistic ambitions."[17] Writing for The Guardian, Alex Macpherson thought the album "is collection whose understatement allows different facets of Lamar’s talent to shine."[22] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune wrote that his songs "openly struggle with issues of race and racism, identity and self-worth, the desire to possess the world or destroy it. We are all works in progress, he suggests -- unstable, volatile, ever-changing. Why should a collection of songs be any different?"[18]
Kellan Miller, writing for Drowned in Sound, observed that "Kendrick’s experimental hankering is constantly in flux. He spends the entirety of the record fusing seemingly disparate parts and wafting between snippets of ideas," ultimately asserting that "the Compton native’s appeal can be spliced in illimitable categories, but the conclusion is always his art's untamed, almost psychotic brilliance.[19] In The Boston Globe, Julian Benbow noted: "In a way, it’s all as tightly woven as his Grammy-winning work, even if none of these cuts fit that album’s meticulous narrative."[33] In NME, Larry Bartleet opined "there are few unfamiliar messages and it’s all dense and considered, but never overwrought or explicitly angry. What really emerges is Kendrick's nuanced worldview."[28] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone concluded his review writing "there's brilliance in even Lamar's cast-offs, and an intimacy here that makes this more than just a gift for his ravenous fans."[23]
Untitled Unmastered debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 178,000 album-equivalent units for the week ending March 10, 2016. 142,000 came from traditional album sales. The compilation album gave Lamar his second chart-topping set in less than a year.[34] It has sold 205,000 copies domestically as of April 30, 2016.[35][36]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Untitled 01 | 08.19.2014." |
| Ritz Reynolds | 4:07 |
2. | "Untitled 02 | 06.23.2014." |
|
| 4:18 |
3. | "Untitled 03 | 05.28.2013." |
| Astronote | 2:34 |
4. | "Untitled 04 | 08.14.2014." |
|
| 1:50 |
5. | "Untitled 05 | 09.21.2014." |
|
| 5:38 |
6. | "Untitled 06 | 06.30.2014." |
| 3:28 | |
7. | "Untitled 07 | 2014–2016" |
|
| 8:16 |
8. | "Untitled 08 | 09.06.2014." |
|
| 3:55 |
Total length: | 34:06 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
- All tracks stylized in all lowercase letters.
Personnel
Credits adapted from official liner notes[37]
- Dominic Angelella – additional keys (track 1)
- Taz Arnold – ending skit (track 7)
- Astronote – production (track 3)
- Joe Baldacci – drums (track 1), drum engineering (track 1)
- Bilal – additional vocals (tracks 1, 3, 5)
- Cardo – production (tracks 2, 7)
- Egypt – production (track 7), additional vocals (track 7)
- Cee Lo– additional vocals (track 6)
- Frank Dukes – production (track 7)
- Jay Rock – verse (track 5)
- Kendrick Lamar – lead artist, production (track 4)
- Josef Leimberg – added trumpet (track 5)
- Mani Strings – additional vocals (track 3)
- Terrace Martin – production (track 5), saxophone (track 2), keys (track 4), additional keys (track 2)
- Mono/Poly – production (track 8)
- Ali Shaheed Muhammad – production (track 6)
- Punch – additional vocals (track 5)
- Ritz Reynolds – production (track 1)
- Rocket – additional vocals (track 4)
- Sounwave – production (tracks 4, 5), added drums (track 1)
- SZA– additional vocals (tracks 4, 5, 7)
- Thundercat – production (tracks 4, 8), additional production (track 2), bass (tracks 2, 5, 7), additional vocals (track 8)
- Anna Wise – additional vocals (tracks 1, 5)
- Adrian Younge – production (track 6)
- Yung Exclusive – production (tracks 2, 7)
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[66] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Worldwide | March 4, 2016 | Digital download | [67] | |
Canada | March 11, 2016 | CD
|
[68] | |
Europe | [69] | |||
United States | [70] | |||
South Korea | April 1, 2016 | Universal Music Korea | [71] | |
United States | May 27, 2016 | Vinyl |
|
[72] |
See also
- List of number-one albums of 2016 (Canada)
- List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2016
- List of Billboard number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2016
References
- ^ a b "untitled unmastered". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ Stutz, Colin (March 3, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar Drops Surprise 'Untitled Unmastered' Album". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Natalie Weiner (March 4, 2016). "Thundercat on How Kendrick Lamar's New Project 'Completes the Sentence' of 'To Pimp a Butterfly'". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Debuts New Song on 'The Colbert Report'". Pitchfork Media.
- ^ a b "Kendrick Lamar: New Grammy Song From 'Chamber' of Unreleased Material". Rolling Stone. February 16, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Tan, Monica. "Kendrick Lamar surprises fans by releasing new eight-track album". The Guardian. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ "New Kendrick Lamar Project untitled unmastered. Surfaces Online". Pitchfork. March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar's surprise new album Untitled Unmastered is out now". The Verge. March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Geslani, Michelle (March 3, 2016). "Stream: Kendrick Lamar's surprise new album untitled unmastered". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Gordon, Jeremy (March 4, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar Releases New Album untitled unmastered". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ Harley Brown (March 5, 2016). "Q&A: Anna Wise Imagined She Was a Robot on Kendrick Lamar's 'untitled unmastered.'". Spin. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 8, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar Heading for Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Untitled'". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ "untitled 07 L levitate - Single". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Fuse TV. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- Complex. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ Hooton, Christopher. "Kendrick Lamar surprise new album 'untitled unmastered.': First listen and impressions". The Independent. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Russell, Brooklyn. "Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered review". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ a b c Kot, Greg (March 4, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar's surprise 'Untitled, Unmastered' rarely sounds unfinished". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Miller, Kellan (March 7, 2016). "Album Review: Kendrick Lamar – untitled, unmastered". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ Keith Nelson Jr. (March 4, 2016). "CeeLo Green Forgot He Recorded Song On Kendrick Lamar's "Untitled" Album". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Bartleet, Larry (March 4, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar's 'untitled unmastered.' – Track By Track First Listen". NME. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Macpherson, Alex (March 6, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar: Untitled Unmastered CD review – offcuts shining with detail". The Guardian. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Hermes, Will (March 4, 2016). "untitled unmastered". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "untitled unmastered by Kendrick Lamar reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Untitled Unmastered by Kendrick Lamar". Metacritic. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "untitled unmastered. – Kendrick Lamar". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ a b Rytlewski, Evan (March 7, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar is in peak form on To Pimp A Butterfly addendum Untitled Unmastered". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ a b Bartleet, Larry (March 7, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar – 'untitled unmastered.'". NME. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ Ex, Kris (March 8, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar: untitled unmastered". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ Howe, Rupert (June 2016). "Demo Happy". Q (359): 111.
- ^ Ramirez, Matthew (March 4, 2016). "Review: Kendrick Lamar's 'untitled unmastered.' Is a Bullet With 'Butterfly' Wings". Spin. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Chrisgau, Robert (March 18, 2016). "West Coast Warriors: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ Benbow, Julian (March 5, 2016). "Rap star Kendrick Lamar sates Internet appetite with new EP". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 13, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar's Surprise 'Untitled' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ "Hip Hop Album Sales: Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar & Flatbush Zombies". HipHopDX. March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ "Charts Don't Lie: April 30". HotNewHipHop. April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "Sounwave on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
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- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 7. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered.". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
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- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Chart History: Vinyl Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2016". Ultratop. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
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- ^ "British album certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^
- Australia: "untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar". iTunes (AU). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- Brazil: "untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar". iTunes (BR). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- Canada: "untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar". iTunes (CA). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- Great Britain: "untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar". iTunes (GB). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- Japan: "untitled unmastered. ケンドリック・ラマー". iTunes (JP). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- New Zealand: "untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar". iTunes (NZ). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- United States: "untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar". iTunes (US). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered. (CD, Album)". Discogs (CA). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered. (CD, Album)". Discogs (Europe). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered. (CD, Album)". Discogs (US). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered. (CD, Album)". Discogs (South Korea). Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered. (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
External links
- Untitled Unmastered at Discogs (list of releases)