Kendrick Lamar and band rip through ‘Butterfly’ medley on ‘Late Show’

When Kendrick Lamar appeared on night two of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Wednesday, most viewers likely expected that he’d perform a song or two, tops. Instead, the Compton rapper burned through a medley of four tracks from his critically acclaimed recent album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” further showcasing Lamar’s increasingly explosive takes on the new material.

SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter >>

***

Over six-plus minutes, Lamar and his tight-backing band – yep, that was Thundercat on bass – delivered a sound that mixed beats, jazz, stop-and-start funk and hip-hop until it became its own Kendrick-Lamarian beast. With a confidence that suggested the group had spent decades mastering the medley’s dynamics, Lamar and his bandmates popped through verses, choruses, bridges and breakdowns from “Wesley’s Theory,” “Momma,” “King Kunta” and “u” with precision.

This isn’t the first time Lamar has shared the stage with Colbert. Last year, the rapper debuted his then-new track “Untitled” on “The Colbert Report.” Presented not long after Lamar’s equally memorable take on “i” as musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” the artist and band have repeatedly delivered buzzworthy renditions of recent material.

See the most-read entertainment stories >>

***

As of yet, though, Lamar hasn’t committed to a performance of “To Pimp a Butterfly” in its entirety. Rather, his concerts over the summer mixed old and new tracks, with “i” and “King Kunta” getting the most play. Wednesday’s memorable display on “The Late Show” suggests Lamar and the band may be inching closer a full “Butterfly” set — at least here’s hoping so.

Follow Randall Roberts on Twitter: @liledit