untitled 04 | 08.14.2014

Album: Untitled Unmastered (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The shortest song on Untitled Unmastered, this features SZA and Jay Rock (under his Lance Skiiiwalker alter-ego) trading moody lines advocating free-thinking and education while Kendrick Lamar urges them on with feverish whispers. Jazz musician and frequent collaborator Terrace Martin told Complex: "That was done around the same week we did 'For Free?.' I don't know why that didn't make it onto the original album. My only memory of that song is that we were eating heavy ramen, drinking organic vodka and 60-year-old cognac. We were on our low-key, dim candles-type s--t."
  • The opening line: "They say the government mislead the youth, youth, youth, youth" is repeated in a different way on Part III of "untitled 07 | 2014-2016" when Lamar raps: "They say the government ain't he truth, truth, truth, truth. And the politicians always mislead the youth, youth, youth, youth."
  • The first part of the album's title was inspired by another music legend. Top Dawg Entertainment Co-President Terrence "Punch" Henderson told Billboard magazine: "As far as Untitled, me and Kendrick always talked about doing a sort of Black Album, like how Prince did back in the day. There was no album cover, no song titles, no anything - just tracks he threw out."

    The second part of the project's name relates to the fact that the eight tracks are unfinished demos.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."