I was getting pretty sick of the hip-hop scene as of late. There’s just so many mediocre artists like Kanye “Yeezus” West whose relationship with Kim K. stirs up more excitement than his inept rambling that somehow passes as music. Wiz Khalifa’s too stoned to even know what he’s rapping about and Ice Cube, the sickest MC of them all, was in “Are We There Yet?” That’s a family comedy from 2005 … what ever happened to “Straight Outta Compton?”

It was starting to feel like Nas was right when he boldly declared “Hip Hop is Dead.” I was crying out like DMX, “Lord Give Me a Sign!” And just like that, the rap gods answered my prayers and introduced me to Kendrick Lamar’s funky sophomore album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

It’s hard to describe an album that’s so intricate and diverse. It samples and channels the music and styles of so many artists – from Miles Davis to George Clinton to Michael Jackson. It’s jazz, it’s funk, it’s soulful and, most importantly, it’s straight-up, old-school hip-hop.

Like old school hip-hop, the music has a powerful message, and Lamar expertly spits bar after bar and verse after verse with impeccable flow. The man is part poet, part prophet, part social activist but 100 percent artist; that’s for sure.

He’s incredibly smooth, his rhymes are tight and he conveys his message in a thought-provoking, self-reflective monologue that’s anything but boring. I’ve been listening to the album nonstop for the past week, and I’m still hearing new lines every time I replay it.

Aside from Lamar’s legitimate lyricism, the instrumentation of this album is incredible. Have you ever heard someone rap over freeform jazz? I didn’t think so, and every second you’re not hearing verses flowing over the top of an improvising saxophone in some strange minor key, your life is getting substantially worse. Trust me.

Even if the abstract world of freeform jazz is a little too highbrow for your taste (like, you’re not the kind of person who says they like John Coltrane just because that’s what you’re supposed to do), there’s even more to this album. There’s a plethora of songs that’ll have you head-bobbing to groovy beats.

Two songs really stood out to me, and I suspect we’ll be hearing them bumpin’ from more than a few “swagged-out” Honda Civics that seem to constantly roll up and down Main Street (sweet spoiler, bro, did it come with those speakers too?).

The first song is “King Kunta,” and we learn right away that Lamar “[has] a bone to pick,” and also that “yams are the power that be.” I’m not entirely sure what “yams” are yet (I don’t trust everything Urban Dictionary tells me…) or why they’ve amassed such power, but the groovy bassline and funky beat convinced me that it’s the truth. Did I mention that he uses a real drum set too? I know. It’s almost too much to handle.

The second song is “i.” This song makes me want to dance – so much so, that it’s kind of upsetting…I usually don’t dance. The lead guitar is just so funky I can barely control myself.

How can I sum up this album? Ground breaking? Fresh? Dank? Everything that hip-hop can aspire to be? Sure, it’s pretty darn good. He might even win a Grammy this time regardless of what Macklemore thinks.