Kendrick Lamar Breaks Down Title, Meaning Of 'To Pimp A Butterfly,' Talks Conscious Rapper Tag

(Photo : Getty Images/Jason Merritt) Kendrick Lamar broke down the meaning of his "To Pimp A Butterfly" album.

With Kendrick Lamar leading all other Grammy nominees with 11 nominations, it's only right that his "To Pimp A Butterfly" album be listened to again and re-examined. Plus, you might want to get some background information on the project and find out how it was made.

In an interview with the Grammy's, K. Dot said that a trip to South Africa influenced his writing for the album, and he was eager to communicate everything he'd learned through new songs.

"I felt like I belonged in Africa," he stated. "I saw all the things that I wasn't taught. Probably one of the hardest things to do is put [together] a concept on how beautiful a place can be and tell a person this while they're still in the ghettos of Compton. I wanted to put that experience in the music."

Later in the interview, the Top Dawg artist broke down the title of the album, and he also talked about the beginning stages of making it while he was on the road with Kanye West.

"The title grasped the entire concept of the record," said Lamar. "[To] break down the idea of being pimped in the industry, in the community and out of all the knowledge that you thought you had known, then discovering new life and wanting to share it."

"I was on tour with Kanye," continued the rapper, while he recalled working on the album.

"I had Flying Lotus with me, because I wanted to work on the bus studio. He would make beats, and it was one particular beat that he forgot to play. He skipped it, but I heard about three seconds of it, and I asked him 'What is that?'" added K. Dot.

You can read the rest of his interview here, where he also spoke about the "conscious rapper" tag.