In the music industry album covers are used to grab the buyer’s attention they are another way for the artist to express themselves outside of the actual songs on the album. “To Pimp a Butterfly” is a rap album by Kendrick Lamar that was released in 2015. When looking at the cover of this album what stands out is the group of 20 plus African American men carrying money and alcohol. Other elements that stand out at first glance are the single white man lying on the floor and the fact that this is all happening right in front of the white house. A Further examination of title, color, composition and symbols, shows that the message behind this image is about power against the government.

First off, the title of the album "To Pimp a Butterfly" contains a symbol itself.  A butterfly symbolizes spiritual growth, forgetting about the past and starting fresh, almost like a rebirth. This makes a lot of sense with the picture they choose is of a gang standing on the lawn of the White House. African American culture and history has come a long way, an example that added to this milestone would be our first black president in history, Barack Obama. Along with that, staging this picture on the White House lawn could hold double meaning, this can symbolize that African Americans have the power.  A lot of them are also holding money in the picture and have on chains which is a symbol of wealth and wealth is thought of as a symbol of power. This is a new start from where they began with slavery. Overall, the image directly correlates to the title, the butterfly being the powerful new beginning for African American culture.

The cover contains a monochromatic color scheme. There's a huge contrast in color between the foreground and the background. The foreground is very dark and is where all the people are located and the background is super light, almost to the point where you cannot tell where the White House starts and the sky ends. The reason for this could be because the stark contrast draws attention to the White House making it possible to see the little details included, which plays a huge role in the photo. The bottom and sides of the picture are very dark, this darkness surrounds the group of people and allows for some of the smaller details such as what they are holding to stand out. The darkness at the bottom of the picture makes the lighter face and hands of the man lying on the floor stand out. This is a detail that could have been lost if it blended in with the crowd. The contrast in color also makes the X’s over the man’s face visually more apparent. The color scheme as a whole make some of the smaller details and there meaning standout. When all of the smaller details come together including the color scheme they help to further symbolize power against the government.

Furthermore, the composition of this photo brings the concentration directly to the gang. They are in a pyramid-like formation with the people in the front being the largest and clearest, then from there it starts to lose focus on the background people. The foreground of the picture is also extremely cluttered, there is a lot going on and very little empty space, while the background is almost completely empty white space just containing the White House. In the front left corner there is a man who appears to be a judge based on the gavel in his hand and the robe he is wearing. The man has X's over his eyes but it is not made obvious if he is dead or knocked out. It's also unclear what he is doing in a picture that's taking place on the White House lawn. Judges don't reside at the White House so his place in this picture must represent something more significant. The arrangement of this photo puts the gang in a position of power.

One of the main symbols is the image of a judge lying on the floor. The judge may represent the gang going against the court system as a whole because they are seen as being treated unfairly in their eyes. A judge is seen as the most powerful person in a courtroom, and a recognizable symbol of the government. This album came out in 2015, at this time there was a lot of controversy revolving around African Americans, the courts, law enforcement and unfair treatment. Along with that, the black lives matter movement was also very prevalent during this time.

Another significant symbol is the White House, which is a huge symbol of power in the United States. It is where our president, the face of the United States government and the most powerful person in the country lives, so for them to just be standing on such an important lawn that has so much security shows overthrown power. The luxury items in which they are holding is another symbol of their power. Lastly, the knocked out judge at their feet shows rebelling against the government.  Many examples from the title to the color, composition and symbolism lead me to conclude that the artist underlying message is power against the government.