After five long years, Kendrick Lamar has given the fans what they need. His new album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers has just hit streaming platforms at midnight on the East Coast. The 18-song record is a direct follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize-winning album Damn. which came out in 2017. Now operating out of his own label, pgLang, this is the final LP from his renowned group, Top Dawg Entertainment. Spotify and Apple Music have literally been breaking since the album dropped from the frenzy of fans listening in.
The features on this album are crazy. Spanning two discs, K-dot’s fifth studio album has appearances from artists that span multiple genres. You’ll hear the likes of Summer Walker, Sampha, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Beth Gibbons, Ghostface Killah, and Thundercat. You’ll also notice writing and production credits from legends like the Alchemist, Pharrell, Boi-1da, Beach Noise, and more.
Famous photographer Renell Medrano took the powerful cover art shot that Lamar dropped earlier this week. The imagery is palpable and heavy, showing Kendrick in a crown of thorns, carrying a child with an ominous stare. You’ll see his fiancé in the background cradling a baby while sitting on a bed. The apparent biblical allusions present on the album’s cover seem to signify life, death, and rebirth. Coupled in that imagery are feelings of sin and repentance as well.
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Photo by Renell Medrano
Kendrick has been building anticipation for Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers since August last year. He first put a note on his Oklama website stating the album he was working on was to be his last on TDE. Following this announcement, he’s gone on to provide other hints at the album’s extended length and book-like progression. His final announcement for Mr. Morale came when he posted an image with pgLang’s letterhead announcing the arrival date of the album.
Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
At the beginning of this month, we saw him surprise release his single “The Heart Part 5” which doesn’t appear on the new album. The abstract video that accompanies the track features Kendrick’s face morphing into various celebrity “deep fakes.” These include Kanye, Will Smith, Nipsey, and more.
Kendrick is getting progressively more and more eccentric with his music, message, and overall image. For die-hard fans, this might result in some of the most creative and original music we’ve heard from him in years. Find out which tracks resonate with you the most by listening below.
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