Kendrick Lamar Will Be Breaking Down ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ In A New Podcast

Kendrick Lamar had a huge weekend at the Super Bowl, crushing it an all-timer halftime show performance with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Eminem. And while Kendrick didn’t debut the mythical new single on Sunday that we’ve all been waiting for, he did just announce a new podcast today about To Pimp A Butterfly, debuting tomorrow on Spotify.

In the second season of Spotify’s The Big Hit Show, Kendrick will be the focus of the five-part series that takes a look at the creation of the groundbreaking collision of hip-hop and jazz. “Going back into the album it was me explaining my experiences and what emotions it brought up from that experience,” he said in a trailer for the new show. “And tell them like, ‘Yo, it’s something bigger than Compton and where we from.’”

The show is hosted by music journalist Alex Pappademas and the first season was all about the Twilight saga. If that sounds a bit off the hip-hop spectrum, it’s because the podcast is an all-encompassing look at pop culture that dubs itself “an epic journey that spans genres, mediums, and generations to explore what happens when a wildly successful piece of pop culture gets so big that it changes the world. This show is about how big hits get dreamed up, how they get made, and what happens when we make them our own.”

It’s rare to have Lamar actually be a part of interviews and media about himself. Even arguably the definitive look at Lamar, journalist Marcus J. Moore’s excellent book, The Butterfly Effect, was an unofficial biography that didn’t feature an interview with the star. The Big Hit Show on TPAB will have Lamar front and center, as well as guests like George Clinton, Rapsody, and more.

The show debuts on Wednesday, 02/16 for free on Spotify, and you can stream it here.

Dr. Dre Reveals What Line The NFL Made Him Remove From His Super Bowl Performance

Although it has been decades since Dr. Dre himself was at the center of any hip-hop controversies, there was some speculation and debate ahead of his recent Super Bowl halftime show performance that the NFL worried parts of the show could become culture war flashpoints. While the moments in question went off without a hitch, some folks did find plenty to complain about — even after the NFL offered notes on how to tone down potentially troublesome moments during the performance.

Dr. Dre revealed what “minor changes” the NFL made to the set during an interview with TMZ. While he did acknowledge the rumor that the NFL had barred his co-star Eminem from kneeling during his set, Dre said the real changes came during Kendrick Lamar’s portion of the performance. “Em taking the knee, that was Em doing that on his own, and there was no problem with that,” he said. However, regarding Kendrick’s song, “M.A.A.D. City,” the opening line “if Pirus and Crips could all get along” didn’t fly.

“They had a problem with that, so we had to take that out,” he said. “No big deal, we get it. But, all in all, everybody came in, we were professional, everybody was on time. Everybody felt the magnitude of what this thing was, and what we were going to be able to accomplish. It was a fantastic experience.” You can watch Dre’s interview below.

Fans Loved 50 Cent’s Surprise Upside Down Appearance At The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Though we didn’t get the surprise new Kendrick Lamar single that plenty of people were hopeful would drop, another unexpected gift blessed hip-hop fans at this Super Bowl halftime show. Was it Eminem’s decision to kneel in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick? Well, that was lauded by most people. But no, the real gem that plenty of people were more thankful for was 50 Cent showing up to give us a little preview of his own litany of hits. Rumors that Fif would take the stage were already circulating, but nobody was sure if he was actually going to make it.

So when he entered with an upside down intro to his biggest hit, “In Da Club,” surprising the whole stadium who roared their approval, it was one of the big moments for the show. Obviously, Mary J. Blige killed her performance, Dre was amazing, especially for a man who was very recently hospitalized, and Eminem’s decision to kneel in solidarity with Kaepernick will likely be the biggest headline. Kendrick didn’t drop a new single, but he was electric, and Snoop is always a classic performer. But since fans were expecting all of those artists to show up, and 50 was the surprise guest, well, he was very appreciated for giving fans that moment. Check out some reactions to his performance below.

Watch Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg And Mary J. Blige Star In An Epic Super Bowl Halftime Show

Anticipation for this year’s halftime show has reached a fever pitch as rumors about a new single from Kendrick Lamar have followed Dr. Dre’s star-studded lineup for the show. Well, the Kendrick single never materialized, but his performance was so electrified that fans were just as satiated. Between Kung Fu Kenny, Dre himself, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and a surprise appearance from 50 Cent, how could anyone not feel like this was one of the most epic halftime shows in history?

Though the league has a long history of avoiding booking rappers for the show, this year’s star-studded lineup was clearly designed to buck their past booking decisions and give hip-hop the spotlight. Particularly in a sport that includes so many Black athletes, staffers, and incorporates hip-hop culture in a lot of ways, it seems like a no-brainer that the league would want to embrace the relationship. In another move that feels like a no-brainer, Eminem elected to kneel after his performance of “Lose Yourself,” a clear sign of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick that the NFL had reportedly asked him not to do. Their first mistake? Telling Em what he can and can’t do. Check out the entire performance above, this one is one for the history books.

Eminem Praises Kendrick Lamar’s Lyricism Ahead Of Their ‘Nerve-Racking’ Super Bowl Performance

It’s odd to think that Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, two of rap’s top entertainers, have rarely ever shared a stage but despite both being in the upper echelons of talent and proteges of master producer Dr. Dre, they’ve barely even collaborated musically, let alone performed together. However, that’s set to change this weekend as they take the stage along with Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg for Super Bowl LVI’s heavily-anticipated halftime show at LA’s SoFi Stadium.

In an interview with SiriusXM’s Sway Calloway on his own Shade 45 station, Eminem admitted that the prospect of performing not just for the 70,000 or so football fans in attendance at the big game but also upwards of 20 million people watching at home is “f*cking nerve-racking.” As he explained to Sway, “There’s nothing more final than live TV… if you f*ck up, your f*ck up is there forever.” However, getting to share the stage with Kendrick might somewhat mitigate that apprehension, as Eminem agreed with Sway’s assessment of the Compton rapper as “the most electrifying vocalist of this generation.”

“Kendrick is at the very top-top tier of lyricists — not just of this generation, but of all time,” Em said. You can catch them live during Super Bowl LVI this Sunday.

Predicting The Ideal Super Bowl Halftime Show Setlist

With some Super Bowl halftime performances, the issue is a lack of appeal. Here’s looking at you, Maroon 5. With others, it’s a generational gap. What’s up, The Who? Other times, though, the team behind the scenes nail the selection. I hope Katy Perry and that shark are doing well. With the coming show set for Super Bowl LVI, the main problem that seems to be percolating is how, exactly, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar will all have enough time to go through a hit or two. The performances generally run about 12-15 minutes, so that gives each artist two and a half to three minutes to run through hits, collaborations, and unexpected surprises. It’s going to take creativity to build a balanced, nuanced set, but here’s how they might do it.

In 2021, The Weeknd managed to squeeze in nine songs during his allotted time, and relied on cinematic tricks and off-stage pre-recorded shoots to turn his performance into a cinematic statement on the After Hours era. He was the first artist since Lady Gaga in 2017 to perform without any guests or surprise acts, which was mildly surprising considering his star power when compared to some of his predecessors. For 2022, it’s not likely any guests will be used for songs by the featured artists, as there’s simply not enough time to give anyone else the mic, unless that person is a hologram of 2Pac (though a 50 Cent rumor is bubbling). Speaking of, the best way for the set to end would be for Snoop, Dre, Kendrick, and 3-D Shakur to drop “California Love,” perhaps the greatest ode to the state ever recorded to tape, and one that would honor football returning to football, both with the Super Bowl and the home team Rams making the big game.

The most intriguing question outside of how they’re going to pull this thing off is what song the quintet will begin with. The show is Dr. Dre’s. All artists are affiliated with him, he’s the godfather of the group and the artist who made the initial announcement. But, is there a better Super Bowl pump-up song than Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”? It seems like the perfect way to fire up a crowd, though it does leave Em alone to begin the performance. That’s why the safest bet is an early cut from Dre and Snoop, and we’re putting our money on either “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” or “Still D.R.E.” The former features Snoop more prominently, but the latter may be the more recognizable of the two among mainstream audiences, and Snoop can always serve as the world’s most overqualified hype man.

The best comparison to this show may be Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s performance from 2020. Shakira took the first set, running through seven hits, before J-Lo got six of her own. For the last two, they dueted on “Let’s Get Loud” and “Waka Waka (This Time From Africa).” We will probably see a similar structure this year, with each artist getting to perform snippets of two songs before coming together for a grand finale.

In our scenario, Dre leads off with “Still D.R.E.” before surprising with a late-era hit, perhaps “Animals” from Compton, with a drum performance from Anderson .Paak thrown into the mix. He’ll end his featured set with a nod to diehard fans by offering “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thing.” From there, Snoop will segue his verse into his own section of the show, repping his LA credentials as the face of the city. We’re looking at “Gin N Juice” as the intro to get the party started (if Snoop doesn’t cut it), before trying to shoehorn in a new song, regrettably choosing something from his latest album, The Algorithm. After all, this is a promotional tool first and a concert second. Snoop will wrap things up with a clear hit, but one more recognizable for casual watchers at home, performing “Drop It Like It’s Hot” before Mary J. Blige comes to bring some R&B goodness. “Family Affair” seems like the logical place to start for Mary, as the event is, you know, a family affair. Mary, too, has an album coming out February 11th, so look for her to sandwich something from Good Morning Gorgeous in between two hits. “Be Without You” is a good place to end, with the low-key anthem giving way to the crisp guitars of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”

Em has the most connections to each of these artists outside of Dre, so look for him to drop “The Real Slim Shady” before giving his mentor Dre the nod by going into “Forgot About Dre.” It’d be an epic moment, protege and student on stage together, reminding fans why they’ll never be forgotten. This leads the way to Kendrick Lamar, who though there are rumors of a new album coming, will stick to classics and help the group segue into the grand finale. Perhaps he’ll start with “HUMBLE.” or “Backseat Freestyle,” anything to keep the energy moving after a long, knotty performance. Though To Pimp A Butterfly is his most acclaimed project, its neo-jazz flavor doesn’t quite fit the theme of the performance, so perhaps he’ll look towards a radio hit from good kid m.A.A.d city like “Swimming Pools (Drank).” Kendrick’s logical closer is the good kid bonus cut, “Compton,” which features none other than Dr. Dre.

The finale is the hardest section of the show to map out, just because there are so many remaining options to pool from. Maybe they go with a deep cut like Snoop and Dre’s “Deep Cover,” an ode to Los Angeles that real heads will be giddy about hearing. Or maybe the finale is where the group brings out guests. YG, ScHoolboy Q, and Baby Keem come to mind. Maybe they go with an unaffiliated yet nevertheless celebrated star-like Ice Cube to perform “Today Was a Good Day.” Regardless, the first track of the finale is likely to be a California anthem, which is why Dre may save “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” for the closer. Regardless of what the group pulls out for the penultimate track, though, it’s hard to imagine them closing the show with anything outside of a massive shoutout to the home state of Dre, Kendrick, and Snoop. Regardless of what happens throughout this exciting, unpredictable event, all roads lead to “California Love,” one of Dr. Dre’s best productions of all time, and a fitting finale to a show paying homage to Compton, Long Beach, and everywhere else in the City of Angels.

Setlist:
“Still D.R.E.”
“Animals”
“Gin N Juice”
New Snoop Song Snippet
“Drop It Like It’s Hot”
“Family Affair”
New Mary J Song Snippet
“Be Without You”
“Lose Yourself”
“The Real Slim Shady”
“Forgot About Dre”
“HUMBLE.
“Swimming Pools (Drank)”
“Compton”
Potential 50 Cent Guest Appearance
“California Love”