Kendrick Lamar just followed up his unforgettable Grammys performance in the best way imaginable: by releasing a surprise album, untitled unmastered., out now. More of a companion statement to To Pimp a Butterfly than a change of pace, untitled unmastered. contains eight tracks, each dubbed “untitled†and followed by a date, ranging from May 28, 2013 to September 21, 2014. Most of these appear to be unreleased (or possibly newly updated) tracks that were left off To Pimp a Butterfly, and they mimic that album’s blend of funk rhythms and complex, deeply political rhymes. Lamar has already previewed some tracks, such as “Untitled 03,†which he performed on Colbert, and “Untitled 08,†which he performed on Fallon. King Kendrick never really left, but he is definitely back.
Though tonight’s release is certainly a surprise, rumors of a new project started to spread earlier this week when Top Dawg Entertainment C.E.O. Anthony Tiffith shared his label’s release schedule on Instagram. The title of Lamar’s project first appeared on Spotify earlier tonight, and Tiffith later confirmed the news via Instagram.
Update:Â Stream the album below.