Untitled unmastered

2016

Untitled unmastered looms like a haunting hangover to its predecessor, To Pimp a Butterfly. With its free-jazz ambiance and brainy, concept-heavy themes, Lamar’s short, bracing 2016 outtakes collection represents a top-tier encapsulation of abstract Black cool. The opening track, “Untitled 01,” is all beautiful bedlam, with K.Dot laying down a “sky is falling” revelation (”Ocean water dried out, fire burning more tides out/Tabernacle and city capital turned inside out”) over a thundering bass. It sets the tone for a record that proves King Kendrick’s leftovers are better than most artists’ career pinnacles.