The Blacker the Berry (song)

"The Blacker the Berry"
Single by Kendrick Lamar
from the album To Pimp a Butterfly
Released	February 9, 2015 (2015-02-09)
Recorded	2014
Genre	Political hip hop hardcore hip hop boom bap
Length	5:32
Label	TDE Aftermath Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Kendrick Duckworth Matthew Samuels Stephen Kozmeniuk Ken Lewis Brent Kolatalo Jeffrey Campbell Alexander Izquierdo Zale Epstein
Producer(s)	Boi-1da KOZ Terrace Martin
Kendrick Lamar singles chronology
"Never Catch Me" (2014) "The Blacker the Berry" (2015) "King Kunta" (2015)

"The Blacker the Berry" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar. It was included as the thirteenth song on the track-listing of his third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). "The Blacker the Berry" was released as the second single from the album on February 9, 2015.^[1] The song shares its title with the novel The Blacker the Berry by American author Wallace Thurman. The track was produced by Boi-1da, Terrace Martin, and KOZ. It has a chorus that features uncredited vocals from Jamaican artist Assassin. The album version also contains additional vocals provided by neo soul singer Lalah Hathaway. Upon its release, "The Blacker the Berry'" received rave reviews from contemporary music critics. However, it also elicited controversy due to Kendrick Lamar's commentary on the death of Trayvon Martin. In the United States, it peaked at number sixty-six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single has since been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).