untitled 03 – 05.28.2013.
{{Correct title|Untitled 03 {{!}} 05.28.2013.|reason=vbar}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Untitled 03
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = Kendrick Lamar
| album = untitled unmastered.
| released =
| format =
| recorded = May 28, 2013
| studio =
| genre = * Hip-hop
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=34}}
| label = {{hlist|Top Dawg|Aftermath|Interscope}}
| writer = {{hlist|Kendrick Duckworth|Bilal Oliver}}
| producer = {{hlist|Astronote}}
}}
"Untitled 03 | 05.28.2013.", titled "Untitled 1" before its official release, is a song by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar, featured on his compilation album, Untitled Unmastered. The song was produced by Mathieu "Astronote" Rakotozafy, and features additional vocals by Bilal and Mani Strings.
Content
The song tells a story of four people that give Lamar advice: an Asian, Indian, black and white man, the latter of whom attempts to financially exploit him.{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Brooklyn |title=Music Review: Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered. |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/kendrick-lamar-untitled-unmastered |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}} Bilal prompts the section for each person.{{Cite web |last=Bartleet |first=Larry |date=2016-03-04 |title=Kendrick Lamar's 'untitled unmastered.' – Track By Track First Listen |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/kendrick-lamars-untitled-unmastered-track-by-track-first-listen-10548 |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=NME |language=en-GB}} The song also explores the concepts of Afrofuturism and freedom.{{Cite magazine |last=Tardio |first=Andres |date=2016-03-04 |title=TDE's Punch Details Kendrick Lamar's 'Spiritual Side' & Prince Inspiration on 'Untitled Unmastered' Project |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/tde-punch-kendrick-lamar-untitled-unmastered-interview-6898260/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} The original repeated ending line "Tell 'em we don't die, we multiply" has been viewed as a reference to the movie Bebe's Kids (1992){{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Brian |title=Kendrick Lamar premieres untitled song on 'Colbert' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/12/17/kendrick-lamar-colbert-report-untitled-song/20534355/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hooton |first=Christopher |date=December 19, 2014 |title=Kendrick Lamar debuted a powerful, experimental new track on The Colbert Report |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/kendrick-lamar-debuted-a-powerful-experimental-new-track-on-the-colbert-report-9936302.html |website=The Independent}} and the N.W.A song "Real Niggaz Don't Die" (1991).{{Cite web |last=Lockett |first=Dee |date=2014-12-17 |title=Watch Kendrick Lamar Perform a New Song as The Colbert Report's Final Musical Guest |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/12/17/kendrick_lamar_colbert_watch_the_rapper_perform_a_new_untitled_song_as_the.html |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Slate Magazine}} This line was removed on the official release, with Consequence reasoning that this was to make the "solution remain vague".{{Cite web |last=Kivel |first=Adam |date=2016-03-07 |title=Kendrick Lamar's untitled unmastered. Lives in the Same Cathartic World as To Pimp a Butterfly |url=https://consequence.net/2016/03/album-review-kendrick-lamar-untitled-unmastered/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |language=en-US}}
Critical reception
Justin Davis of Complex wrote that Lamar's fast rapping near the end of "Untitled 03 | 05.28.2013." showcased "his outrageous technical skill". He described the song as impactful and reckoned that fans who did not like the single "I" would be "very relieved" by Lamar's return to more jazz-style music.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Justin |date=December 17, 2014 |title=Kendrick Lamar Premieres "Untitled" on "The Colbert Report" |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/justin-davis/watch-kendrick-lamar-perform-untitled-on-the-colbert-report |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Complex |language=en-us}} In 2022, Consequence listed "Untitled 03" as Lamar's ninth-best song, complimenting its exploration of the topic of maintaining personal integrity when confronted with tempting rewards from manipulative record executives.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-10 |title=Kendrick Lamar's 10 Best Songs: See The List |url=https://consequence.net/2022/05/kendrick-lamar-best-songs-list/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |language=en-US}} Graham Corrigan of Complex listed it as one of his ten favorite songs of 2016.{{Cite web |date=December 21, 2016 |title=The Complex Staff Lists Their Favorite Songs and Albums of 2016 |website=Complex Networks |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/complex/complex-staff-best-albums-songs-2016}}
Live performances
The song was performed publicly for the first time on December 16, 2014, on The Colbert Report, during promotion for Lamar's third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/57867-kendrick-lamar-debuts-new-song-on-the-colbert-report/|title=Kendrick Lamar Debuts New Song on 'The Colbert Report'|work=Pitchfork Media|date=17 December 2014 }} This made it the first Untitled Unmastered song ever publicly revealed. According to Terrace Martin, the lyrics were composed the day before the show because of Lamar's reluctance to perform "I".{{Cite web |last=Khoury |first=Olivia Jade |date=2015-02-12 |title=Kendrick Lamar Wrote His Untitled 'Colbert Report' Song The Day Before? |url=https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/kendrick-lamar-wrote-his-untitled-colbert-report-song-day-before-252408/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US}}
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2016)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan){{Cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2016&dspp=10|title=Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 10, 2016|publisher=Sverigetopplistan|language=sv|access-date=May 9, 2021}}
| 19 |
| {{singlechart|Billboardrandbhiphop|49|artist=Kendrick Lamar|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|UK|67|date=2016-03-11|access-date=August 27, 2016|rowheader=true}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Kendrick Lamar songs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Untitled 03 - 05.28.2013.}}
Category:Songs written by Kendrick Lamar
Category:Songs written by Bilal (American singer)