Around 9:30 pm yesterday evening, Twitter lit up with rumors that rapper Kendrick Lamar intended to drop an unexpected album sometime on Friday. Further surprising his excited listeners, Lamar released the album on various streaming platforms at 11:30 of the same evening. Lacking song titles and incorporating elements beyond the artist’s Hip-Hop genre, Lamar’s album, untitled unmastered., surprises as much as its release.

Between Lamar’s overwhelming success with To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015, his release of two singles this year, and his show stopping Grammy performance last month, few fans doubted the artist’s work ethic. A February tweet from NBA legend LeBron James, however, urged Lamar to follow his Grammy performance success by releasing “those untitled tracks asap!”

Apparently heeding James’ advice, Lamar released the album containing eight untitled tracks, accompanied by a simplistic olive green album cover. The unconventional album incorporates diverse musical and lyrical elements, providing an experience akin to time traveling throughout the histories of both the artist and his genre.

Tracks such as “untitled 3,” “untitled 5,” and “untitled 6” incorporate rhythms and refrains unmistakably derived from jazz and funk music. Seamlessly infusing these sounds with his own characteristically aggressive rap, Lamar acknowledges the genres from which Hip-Hop evolved.

Transitioning into futuristic tones such as those of “untitled 4,” portions of the album convey ominous tones. In contrast to such eerie sections, stand the upbeat rhythms and drum solos of “untitled 7,” which will most likely emerge as the album’s most popular track.

Mirroring the album’s musical diversity, Lamar’s lyrics address wide-ranging issues and challenges that he has faced. Reoccurring themes throughout the tracks address religious differences, systematic oppression of minorities, and faults within Lamar and other artists on the album.

The album’s repeated chant of “Pimp Pimp! Hooray!” will undoubtedly become one of its most popular lyrics. Ending the album with this amusing reference to his Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar creates a tagline that will promote his current album’s success.

Numerous artists join Lamar throughout untitled unmastered., among them: Egypt, the 5-year-old son of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz. Following the album’s sparse design, the lack of information about each track keeps the accompanying artists’ identities unclear.

Identities aside, the artists on each track prove Lamar surrounds himself with diverse and talented musicians. Lamar further adds complex lyrics and impressively adept rhythm to his varied and powerful performances.

Although certain tracks devolve into spoken word sections that seem more for artistic differentiation than musical integrity, untitled unmastered. provides a moving experience. As Lamar continues to push every social and cultural limit, the world cannot wait to see what he does next.

The Chant’s Grade: A