Music

Watch these clueless vloggers try to review Kendrick Lamar's new album

by Mark Teo

Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly had a surprise release this week, and if we’re being completely honest, we’re still processing it. The internet being the internet, though, some rushed to share hot takes on Lamar’s Butterfly, which is already being hailed as his open letter to Black America. And some of those hot takes are very, very stupid.

Count Damnit Sandy, a.k.a. a duo named Matt and Sandy, among them.

Before you jump into the video itself, here’s a disclaimer: Matt and Sandy compare Kendrick’s musical evolution to a Padawan and a Jedi Knight. They commend his use of “straws and cups” on his music. They call the album—shudder shudder shudder—a ghetto opera. (Shudder.) It’s called the “Monster Mash” of rap. Kendrick’s answer to “Thriller.” The album which, somehow, has Kendrick “proving his worth as an MC.” Their favourite part is when he impersonates his grandmother. And they get very, very excited when Lamar samples Christian indie-rock icon Sufjan Stevens.

Scroll into the comments and the hilarity quickly ensues. “I love white people like you,” writes OLaYBoTs Channel. “You keep referencing to white peoples work STOP your opinions are really annoying STOP please stop trying to systematically break down songs you don’t know shit,” writes Printess Berry. “What we as black people going through the message is that you don’t get us and you never will so STOP TRYING.”

But Matt and Sandy just don’t stop. “He’s really a poet on this album,” they agree, at one point. Because… No, we can’t even. “I wanna hang with them so I can screwface in person,” AUX’s Chayne Japal, of Chayne Likes Rap, writes in our office’s Slack channel. “I want to know more about the ‘straws and cups.’ I want to know why they’re calling this a story.”

We don’t have answers, Chayne. “But honestly, they deserve views for being willing to make themselves look so stupid in a public forum.” I don’t necessarily agree with that sentiment, but if you must, watch the video above.