untitled unmastered. is a compilation album by Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on March 4, 2016, through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The record is composed of previously unreleased demos that originated during the recording sessions for his landmark album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), carrying forward that work's exploration of politically charged and philosophical themes alongside its adventurous experimentation with free jazz, soul, avant-garde music, and funk. Kendrick himself explained that he had "a chamber of material from the album that I was in love with" but that sample clearances or deadlines kept off Butterfly — making this LP far from a collection of throwaways.
The eight-track project features studio versions of the untitled songs Kendrick performed on The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and his celebrated set at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Retro-futuristic, Funkadelic-inspired grooves simmer under tracks like "untitled 02" and "untitled 06," while songs like "untitled 03" and "untitled 05" layer wild jazz solos and cutting social insight — a hypnotic, nuanced nod to hip-hop's deep roots and its unstoppable political and expressive power.
The vinyl edition is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram black wax and housed in a single-pocket jacket printed on uncoated stock — a deliberately raw, no-frills presentation that mirrors the unpolished, demo-quality intimacy of the music itself. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was met with widespread critical acclaim, cementing its place not as a stopgap release but as an essential chapter in one of hip-hop's most fearless artistic runs.
untitled unmastered. is a compilation album by Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on March 4, 2016, through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The record is composed of previously unreleased demos that originated during the recording sessions for his landmark album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), carrying forward that work's exploration of politically charged and philosophical themes alongside its adventurous experimentation with free jazz, soul, avant-garde music, and funk. Kendrick himself explained that he had "a chamber of material from the album that I was in love with" but that sample clearances or deadlines kept off Butterfly — making this LP far from a collection of throwaways.
The eight-track project features studio versions of the untitled songs Kendrick performed on The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and his celebrated set at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Retro-futuristic, Funkadelic-inspired grooves simmer under tracks like "untitled 02" and "untitled 06," while songs like "untitled 03" and "untitled 05" layer wild jazz solos and cutting social insight — a hypnotic, nuanced nod to hip-hop's deep roots and its unstoppable political and expressive power.
The vinyl edition is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram black wax and housed in a single-pocket jacket printed on uncoated stock — a deliberately raw, no-frills presentation that mirrors the unpolished, demo-quality intimacy of the music itself. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was met with widespread critical acclaim, cementing its place not as a stopgap release but as an essential chapter in one of hip-hop's most fearless artistic runs.
