The Butterfly Effect

‘Kendrick Lamar is the most creatively captivating rapper of the past decade. This means inspecting and placing into context his profound legacy is nothing short of a gargantuan task. Fortunately for us, Marcus J. Moore exists. His writing has never been sharper, never been more concise, never been more insightful than it is here. This book is smart, confident, and necessary.’ - Shea Serrano, New York Times bestselling author of The Rap Year Book and Movies (And Other Things)‘I have a great amount of gratitude for The Butterfly Effect and the triumph of chronicling one of our great artists while they’re still here with us. Marcus J. Moore is thoughtful, incisive, and generous in this work, and The Butterfly Effect will hopefully set a blueprint for how we honor the brilliant and living.’ - Hanif Abdurraqib, New York Times bestselling author of Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest‘The Butterfly Effect is much more than a biographical look at the voice of hip hop’s new generation. It’s an analytical deep dive into the life of that good kid whose m.A.A.d city raised him, and how it sparked a fire within Kendrick Lamar to change history. Through thoughtful prose, strong investigative research, and a deep passion for the subject matter, Marcus J. Moore paints a picture of Kendrick that anyone can admire.’ - Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop‘Marcus J. Moore’s look at Kendrick Lamar beautifully illustrates the power of the word and the great value it holds in the community that birthed hip hop. Therein, we all better understand and appreciate why Black lives – and rhymes – matter.’ - Sacha Jenkins, Emmy-nominated director of Showtime documentary Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And MenMore conversational than scholarly, it’s at its most effective when charting Lamar’s cultural awakening, prompted in part by a life-changing pilgrimage to South Africa and the death of Trayvon Martin, and the almost parallel rise of Black Lives Matter. It tries to be a lot of things - an artistic biography, a fan letter, an abbreviated history of West Coast hip-hop, an examination of Black art as a vehicle for resistance - and does most of them well. - Washington Post Music journalist Marcus J. Moore’s detailed study places Kendrick Lamar’s life and music within its proper sociopolitical context, making this essential reading if you want to understand modern rap’s most innovative artist. - Rolling Stone

Marcus J. Moore is a music journalist, editor, curator, pundit, professor, and author of The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. He co-leads the jazz-focused “5 Minutes That Will Make You Love…” series at the New York Times. His work has appeared in The Nation, The Atlantic, Bandcamp Daily (an editorial platform he helped launch), NPR, Pitchfork, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, TIDAL, GQ, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone.