What do you do when you have 11 Grammy nominations, five wins, and a platinum record? If you’re Kendrick Lamar, you drop a surprise new record, which is exactly what he did Friday.
Okay, so “Untitled Unmastered” is only sort of new. The tracks are leftovers from the rapper’s brilliant “To Pimp a Butterfly” album, many of which have been performed live and on television appearances. So why release it a-la-Beyoncé, with nary a promotional push? Maybe it was just time, and maybe it was because basketball legend LeBron James took to Twitter to implore Lamar’s label head for new music from the artist.
Yo @dangerookipawaa after that @kendricklamar Grammy performance , you have to release those untitled tracks asap!!! What's up? Talk to me
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 23, 2016
There’s no way to know for sure, and let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that “Untitled Unmastered” is out, available from all your usual Internet streaming and purchase sites. Make sure to pay special attention to track seven, which was produced by Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys’ 5-year-old wunderkind, Egypt.
Learn more from the video above.
