Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

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Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
In a bedroom, Kendrick Lamar wearing woven crown of thorns is seen holding an infant child with a woman seen sitting on a bed holding another baby. A gun can seen at at the waistband at his back. The bedroom has brown paint with white spots and a radiator.
Studio album by
Kendrick Lamar
ReleasedMay 13, 2022 (2022-05-13)
RecordedEarly 2019–May 2021
Studio
GenreConscious hip hop
Length78:37
Label
Producer
Kendrick Lamar chronology
Black Panther: The Album
(2018) 		Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
(2022)
Singles from Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
  1. "N95"
    Released: May 20, 2022
  2. "Silent Hill"
    Released: May 31, 2022
  3. "Die Hard"
    Released: August 9, 2022

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is the fifth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on May 13, 2022, by PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The double album is Lamar's first studio album release since Damn (2017), his first album release under his creative collective PGLang, and his final project with TDE (under which he released four albums and was one of their flagship artists).

The album features narration by Whitney Alford and Eckhart Tolle, and guest appearances from Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead. Lamar, who executive produced the album under the pseudonym Oklama, reunited with frequent collaborators Sounwave, J. Lbs, DJ Dahi, and Bekon for the majority of the album's production.

Upon release, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Lamar's lyricism and the album's scope, although a few found it inconsistent. The album has so far spawned three singles: "N95", "Silent Hill", and "Die Hard". It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Lamar's fourth US number-one album.

Background

In December 2020, the Roskilde Festival announced that Kendrick Lamar would be headlining the festival in 2021, noting that "new material [was] on the way".[1][2] In an August 2021 blog post, Lamar announced that he was in the process of producing his final album under Top Dawg Entertainment, writing:

I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone. Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next. As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling. There's beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I've prayed for you all. See you soon enough.[3]

Recording

Rap has truly helped my expansion of self. Beyond the perception of who I believed to be. [...] Music is air to a young nigga at this point. Mr. Morale, the catalyst of my self-expression.

— Kendrick Lamar on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers[4]

Lamar described Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' songwriting as material he's written in the past that's "just now seeing daylight" due to his own personal insecurities. He and his longtime producer, Sounwave, began recording the album in early 2019 during a week-long brainstorming session in London; the only song from the session that made it onto the album was "Father Time". Both Lamar and Sounwave described making the album as "one of the toughest creative processes imaginable" due to Lamar's privacy, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deaths of Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant.[5][6]

During recording sessions, Lamar shielded the album away from most of his family members because he didn't want their influence or feelings to override his own; had he told them about it, then "them shits would've never came out." Sounwave admitted that there were times during the album's creation where "I was almost ready to give up music. Not going to lie to you. I was that lost and that down 'cause there was nobody dropping music and nothing coming out to inspire you." In an attempt to "stay alive and keep my hope alive in music," he took on an A&R position for both Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and Baby Keem's The Melodic Blue (2021).[5][6]

Lamar credits becoming a father as what made him "question everything the most." When Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was nearing completion in May 2021, he contemplated scrapping the project because of how personal it was. He ultimately released the album because of how beneficial it would be for his children in the future.[5]

Music and lyrical themes

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is a double album consisting of 18 songs split into two sections of nine tracks.[7][8] Primarily a conscious hip hop record with minimalist production,[9][10] the album contains elements of free jazz, funk,[11][12] psychedelic jazz,[13] blues, quiet storm,[14] R&B,[15] soul,[12] trap[16] and West Coast hip hop.[9] Its lyrics provides an independent viewpoint that explores themes such as childhood and generational trauma,[17] lust addiction, infidelity,[18] accountability,[19] therapy,[20] religion, gender identity,[21] fatherhood,[22] fake news, celebrity idolization,[23] and cancel culture.[24][8][7]

Much of the album was produced by Lamar's frequent collaborators Sounwave, J. Lbs, DJ Dahi, and Bekon.[8] Other production contributions came from Boi-1da, Baby Keem, Jahann Sweet, The Donuts, Tae Beast, The Alchemist, and Pharrell Williams, amongst others.[25] Lamar's longtime partner, Whitney Alford, and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle are credited as narrators of several tracks.[26][7] Songwriting contributions came from a variety of artists such as singer-songwriter Sam Dew, production team Beach Noise, and pianist Duval Timothy, in addition to Thundercat, Tommy Paxton-Beesley, and Homer Steinweiss.[25][27]

Songs

In "Auntie Diaries", Lamar recollects a story concerning his transgender uncle and cousin, while referencing issues regarding societal and religious views of gay and trans individuals and those who associate with the LGBTQ+ community.[28][29][30] The eighth track, "We Cry Together", samples Florence and the Machine's song "June". Lyrically, it revolves around a heated argument enacted by Lamar and actress Taylour Paige.[7][8][31]

Release and promotion

Lamar formally announced the album and its release date on April 18, 2022, through a PGLang-headed letter.[32] Following the announcement, his website was updated with a new page entitled "The Heart", containing 399 empty computer folders.[33] On May 3, Lamar confirmed that the project would be a double album by sharing a photo of the album's master copy.[34] He released the promotional single "The Heart Part 5", the fifth installment to his "The Heart" song series, on May 8, with an accompanying music video.[35] On May 11, he revealed the album's cover.[36][37] The album was released on CD on May 27.[38]

Singles

On May 14, 2022, Lamar released a music video for "N95";[39] the song was sent to an Italian contemporary hit radio on May 20, as the album's lead single.[40] "Silent Hill" was serviced to American rhythmic radio formats on May 31, 2022.[41][42][43] "Die Hard" was sent to American rhythmic contemporary radio on August 9, 2022, as the album's third single.[44]

Tour

Main article: The Big Steppers Tour

On May 13, 2022, following and in promotion of the album's release, Lamar announced a 74-date concert tour, The Big Steppers Tour which will visit the United States, Canada, Europe, and Oceania. Baby Keem and Tanna Leone will join as the opening acts on all three legs of the tour.[45]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.7/10[46]
Metacritic85/100[47]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[48]
Beats Per Minute88%[49]
The Daily Telegraph[50]
Evening Standard[51]
The Guardian[23]
The Independent[22]
NME[52]
Pitchfork7.6/10[12]
Rolling Stone[14]
The Times[13]

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was met with widespread critical acclaim.[53] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 26 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[47] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[46]

Ben Bryant of The Independent called the album a "tender opus from the defining poet of his generation", writing, "The rapper's first album in five years is a haunting and surprising meditation on fatherhood and family".[22] In a five-star review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis praised the themes, lyricism and style.[23] Robin Murray from Clash enjoyed the album, saying, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is one of his most profound, complex, revelatory statements yet, a double album fuelled by sonic ambition, the will to communicate, and Kendrick's staunch refusal to walk the easy path".[54] Steve Loftin of The Line of Best Fit said, "It being one so vulnerable and exposing (including using his family for the artwork), stripping the skin down to the bone, is bold, beautiful, but most importantly, a reminder that an artist like Kendrick Lamar is once in a generation".[55] Reviewing the album for NME, Kyann-Sian Williams stated, "The rapper's first album in five years sees him overcome 'writer's block' to triumph with a collection on which his observational skills go into overdrive".[52] Rob Moura of PopMatters said, "On Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, renowned rapper Kendrick Lamar observes the strife plaguing his kingdom and consciously abdicates the throne".[16] Writing for Exclaim!, Riley Wallace stated, "Kendrick Lamar lets it all out, and even if it's the last time we hear from him in this form, he's metaphorically put his whole heart on the table, with yet another body of work worthy of multiple spins and endless dissection".[56] Fred Thomas from AllMusic also stated that "While not always an easy listen, the album shows more of its intention as it goes, and ultimately makes sense as the next logical step forward in Lamar's increasingly multi-dimensional artistic evolution".[48]

In a four-star review for The Daily Telegraph, Will Pritchard praised the album's concept and the Kendrick's ability to take "big swings" on songs such as "Father Time" and "Worldwide Steppers". Pritchard lightly criticized the "occasional blip" on the album, citing the command to "stop tap dancing around the conversation" in "We Cry Together" as the album's most obvious misstep.[50] In a positive review, Pitchfork's Stephen Kearse said, "On his fifth album, Kendrick retreats from the limelight and turns to himself, highlighting his insecurities and beliefs. It's ambitious, impressive, and a bit unwieldy".[12] Rolling Stone critic Jeff Ihaza said, "The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper spends much of his fifth studio album deconstructing his own mythology. The result is at moments brilliant but on the whole, frustratingly uneven".[14] In a more mixed review, MiloRuggles of Sputnikmusic praised the album's writing and performance, but criticized the production and perceived lack of cohesion, stating that "the instrumentals rarely serve the performances they exist to enhance", and that "the listening experience is defined by languorous stretches between big moments, and becomes more of an exercise in patience than an engaging and enlivening journey".[57] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times opined that "Mr. Morale is probably Lamar's least tonally consistent work", "rangy and structurally erratic, full of mid-song beat switches, sorrowful piano and a few moments of dead air".[58]

Controversy

The inclusion of rapper Kodak Black on the album garnered controversy due to him having been accused of rape in 2016 and pleading guilty to first-degree assault and battery.[59][60][61][62] While "Auntie Diaries" was met with praise from critics and some transgender listeners,[63][64] the song was also met with heavy criticism due to Lamar's repeated usage of "faggot", in addition to deadnaming and misgendering his trans relatives and the American media personality Caitlyn Jenner.[65][66][67]

Industry awards

Awards and nominations for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2022 BET Hip Hop Awards Album of the Year Won
[68]

Commercial performance

Upon release, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers received the largest first day streams of 2022 on Apple Music, garnering over 60 million streams.[69] In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, opening with 295,000 album-equivalent units that consisted of 35,000 album sales and 258,000 streaming units (calculated from the 343.02 million on-demand streams the album's tracks received). Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers became Lamar's fourth number-one album in the country, and was the largest opening week for an album in 2022 at the time.[70] The album became the first hip hop album of 2022 to reach one billion streams on Spotify.[71]

Track listing

Big Steppers
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."United in Grief"
4:15
2."N95"
3:15
3."Worldwide Steppers"
3:23
4."Die Hard" (with Blxst and Amanda Reifer)
3:59
5."Father Time" (featuring Sampha)
  • Sounwave
  • DJ Dahi
  • Beach Noise
  • Bekon
  • Timothy
  • Grandmaster Vic
3:42
6."Rich (Interlude)"
Timothy1:43
7."Rich Spirit"
  • Duckworth
  • Dew
  • Spears
  • Natche
  • Frano Huett
  • A. Thomas
  • D. Dennis
  • G. Jackson
  • M. Hall
  • Sounwave
  • DJ Dahi
  • Frano
3:22
8."We Cry Together" (with Taylour Paige)
5:41
9."Purple Hearts" (with Summer Walker and Ghostface Killah)
5:29
Total length:34:49
Mr. Morale
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
10."Count Me Out"
  • Duckworth
  • Dew
  • Spears
  • Natche
  • Pounds
  • Oklama
  • Sounwave
  • DJ Dahi
  • J. Lbs
  • Maxey[b]
4:43
11."Crown"
  • Duckworth
  • Dew
  • Timothy
Timothy4:24
12."Silent Hill" (with Kodak Black)
  • Duckworth
  • Kapri
  • Samuels
  • Spears
  • Sweet
  • Schaeffer
  • Jo. Kosich
  • Ja. Kosich
  • Boi-1da
  • Sounwave
  • Sweet
  • Beach Noise[b]
3:40
13."Savior (Interlude)"
  • Duckworth
  • Carter
  • Spears
  • Pounds
  • Oklama
  • Sounwave
  • J. Lbs
2:32
14."Savior" (with Baby Keem and Sam Dew)
3:44
15."Auntie Diaries"
  • Bekon
  • The Donuts
  • Balmoris
  • Beach Noise[b]
4:41
16."Mr. Morale" (with Tanna Leone)
Williams3:30
17."Mother I Sober" (featuring Beth Gibbons)
  • Sounwave
  • Bekon
  • J. Lbs
6:46
18."Mirror"
  • Duckworth
  • Krieger
  • Stuart Johnson
  • Spears
  • Natche
  • Tannenbaum
  • Mehlenbacher
  • Gherman
  • Balmoris
  • Maxey
  • Sounwave
  • DJ Dahi
  • Bekon
  • The Donuts
  • Balmoris
  • Maxey[b]
4:16
Total length:38:16
Digital bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
19."The Heart Part 5"
Beach Noise5:32
Total length:5:32

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

  • "Worldwide Steppers" contains samples of "Break Through", written by Vincent Crane and Pat Darnell, as performed by The Funkees; contains samples of "Look Up Look Down", written by Phillip Hunt, as performed by Soft Touch; and contains an uncredited excerpt from the clip "When There is No Cheese at the Cookout", as performed by Radel Ortiz.[72]
  • "Die Hard" contains a sample of "Remember the Rain", written by Marvin Eugene Smith, as performed by Kadhja Bonet; and contains a sample of "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop", written by Robert T. Smith, as performed by Little Anthony and the Imperials.
  • "Father Time" contains samples of "You're Not There", written by Kennis Jones, as performed by Hoskins 'NCrowd.
  • "We Cry Together" contains a sample of "June", written by Florence Welch, as performed by Florence and the Machine; and contains samples of "Valentine", written by Gary Peacock, as performed Gary Peacock, Art Lande, and Eliot Zigmund.
  • "Crown" contains samples of "Through the Night", as performed by Duval Timothy.
  • "Savior" contains samples of "Hypnotized", written by Tommy Paxton-Beesley, as performed by River Tiber.
  • "Mr. Morale" contains an uncredited excerpt from the clip "Dallas Cowboys look pathetic vs the Seahawks", as performed by Josh Shango, courtesy of The Dallas Cowboy Show.[73]
  • "The Heart Part 5" interpolates "I Want You", written by Leon Ware and Arthur Ross, as performed by Marvin Gaye.

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[74]

Musicians

  • Amanda Reifer – vocals (4)
  • Anneston Pisayavong – choir (10)
  • Baby Keem – drums (4), vocals (13, 14)
  • Bekon – bass (5, 18), keyboards (5, 15, 18), strings (15, 18), background vocals (15, 18), percussion (18)
  • Beth Gibbons – featured vocals (17)
  • Blxst – vocals (4)
  • Brenton Calvin Lockett – choir (10)
  • Bryce Xavier – choir (10)
  • Daniel Krieger – guitar (15, 18)
  • Danny McKinnon – guitar (10), bass (10)
  • Denise Stoudmire – choir arranger (10)
  • DJ Dahi – programming (5, 7, 18), bass (7), percussion (7), drums (10, 18), background vocals (10)
  • Duval Timothy – piano (1, 5, 6, 11)
  • Eckhart Tolle – narration (10, 13, 16)
  • Florence Welch – sampled vocals (8)
  • Frano – keyboards (7), programming (7)
  • Ghostface Killah – vocals (9)
  • Grandmaster Vic – strings (4, 17)
  • Homer Steinweiss – drums (15)
  • Kendrick Lamar – vocals (1–5, 7–12, 14–18)
  • Kodak Black – narration (3, 18), vocals (6, 12)
  • Immryr LoBasso Spencer – choir (10)
  • Jaheen King Tombs – choir (10)
  • J. Lbs – bass (10)
  • Mike Larsen – programming (16)
  • Paris Burton – choir (10)
  • Sam Dew – background vocals (7), vocals (14)
  • Sampha – featured vocals (5), background vocals (6)
  • Sounwave – drums (5, 7, 18), programming (18)
  • Stuart Johnson – percussion (18)
  • Summer Walker – vocals (9)
  • Sydney Bourne – choir (10)
  • Tanna Leone – vocals (16)
  • Taylour Paige – vocals (8)
  • Thundercat – bass (4, 17)
  • Whitney Alford – narration (1, 5, 8)

Technical

  • Ray Charles Brown Jr. – engineer (1, 3–9, 11–15, 17)
  • Jonathan Turner – engineer (1, 3–7, 9, 11–13, 15, 17–18)
  • Matt Schaeffer (Beach Noise) – engineer (1–5, 8–9, 12, 15, 17–18)
  • Johnny Kosich (Beach Noise) – engineer (1, 4–5, 15)
  • James Hunt – engineer (5, 14, 15)
  • Derek Garcia – engineer (6, 8, 12)
  • Raymond J. Scavo III – engineer (9)
  • Andrew Boyd – engineer (14), assistant engineer (1–12, 15–17)
  • Chad Gordon – engineer (15)
  • Matt Anthony – engineer (15, 18)
  • Sedrick Moore II – assistant engineer (1, 2, 5)
  • Wesley Seidman – assistant engineer (4, 12, 18)
  • Brandon Wood – assistant engineer (5, 8)
  • Kaushlesh "Gary" Purohit – assistant engineer (5)
  • Rob Bisel – assistant engineer (5)
  • Tristan Bott – assistant engineer (5, 8)
  • Erwing Olivares – assistant engineer (6)
  • Logan Haynes – assistant engineer (8)
  • Evan Fulcher – assistant engineer (9)
  • Johnny Morgan – assistant engineer (11, 18)
  • Hannah Kacmarsky – assistant engineer (15)
  • Thomas Warren – assistant engineer (15)
  • Zach Acosta – assistant engineer (15)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixer (1–7, 9–18)
  • Cyrus "Nois" Taghipour – mixer (8)
  • Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixer (8)
  • Anthony Vilchis – assistant mixer (1–7, 9–18)
  • Trey Station – assistant mixer (1–7, 9–18)
  • Zach Pereyra – assistant mixer (1–7, 9–18)
  • Brandon Blatz – assistant mixer (8)
  • Curtis "Sircuit" Bye – assistant mixer (8)
  • Michelle Mancini – mastering

Miscellaneous

  • Kendrick Lamar – executive production (as Oklama), creative direction
  • Dr. Dre – executive production
  • Dave Free – creative direction
  • Renell Medrano – album photography
  • Chris Burnett – album design and layout

Charts

Chart performance for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[75] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[76] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[77] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[78] 2
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[79] 1
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[80] 4
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[81] 1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[82] 1
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[83] 1
French Albums (SNEP)[84] 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[85] 3
Irish Albums (OCC)[86] 1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[87] 6
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[88] 65
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[89] 21
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[90] 1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[91] 1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[92] 1
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[93] 11
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[94] 3
Scottish Albums (OCC)[95] 4
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[96] 7
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[97] 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[98] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[99] 2
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[100] 1
US Billboard 200[101] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[102] 1

Certifications

Certifications for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[103] Gold 10,000double-dagger
New Zealand (RMNZ)[104] Gold 7,500double-dagger
United Kingdom (BPI)[105] Silver 60,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Region Date Label(s) Format(s) Ref.
Various May 13, 2022
[106]
May 27, 2022 CD [38]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Is a New Headliner at Roskilde Festival". Roskilde Festival. December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Richards, Will (December 31, 2020). "Kendrick Lamar has 'new material' dropping soon, say Roskilde Festival". NME. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Darville, Jordan (August 20, 2021). "Kendrick Lamar announces 'final album' for Top Dawg Entertainment". The Fader. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  4. ^ Martinez, Jose (August 3, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Shares Reflective Message Alongside Huge Batch of Tour Photos". Complex. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Younger, Briana (October 11, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Life Lessons". W. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Hyman, Dan (August 2, 2022). ""We Knew This Was Going to Be a Tough Listen": Sounwave On the Making of Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers". GQ. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Sisario, Ben (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Returns With 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d Cills, Hazel; Pointer, Ashley (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar returns, 5 years later and a world away". NPR Music. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Daramola, Israel (May 13, 2022). "On 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,' Kendrick Lamar Has Never Sounded So Uneasy". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Amorosi, A. D. (August 11, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar: Myth, Mirth and Mr. Morale". Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Powell, Kevin (May 14, 2022). "The Emancipation of Kendrick Lamar". Complex. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d Kearse, Stephen (May 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Hodgkinson, Will (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar: Mr Morale & the Big Steppers review – a complicated, troubled masterpiece". The Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Ihaza, Jeff (May 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Has Been Going Through Something". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  15. ^ Jenkins, Craig (May 17, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers Album Review". Vulture. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Moura, Rob (May 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Steps Off the Pedestal on 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'". PopMatters. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  17. ^ Gee, Andre; Skelton, Eric; Rose, Jordan; McKinney, Jessica (May 13, 2022). "10 Big Themes on Kendrick Lamar's 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'". Complex. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Inman, DeMicia (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Opens Up About Infidelity And "Lust" Addiction On 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'". Vibe. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  19. ^ Holmes, Charles (May 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' Is As Messy and Complicated As the Man Who Made It". The Ringer. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  20. ^ Shorter, Marcus (May 13, 2022). "With Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Chooses Himself and Makes a Masterpiece: Album Review". Consequence. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  21. ^ Curto, Justin (May 13, 2022). "A Big Guide to Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers". Vulture. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c Bryant, Ben (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale and the Bigsteppers is a tender, delicate opus – review". The Independent. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  23. ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar: Mr Morale & the Big Steppers review – rap genius bares heart, soul and mind". The Guardian. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  24. ^ Williams, Aaron (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Takes Cancel Culture To Task On 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'". Uproxx. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (May 12, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Finally Drops His Fifth Album: 'Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers'". Variety. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  26. ^ Bloom, Madison; Monroe, Jazz (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Releases New Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  27. ^ Richie, Matthew (May 13, 2022). ""Mother I Sober" [ft. Beth Gibbons]". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  28. ^ Andrew, Scottie (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar raps about trans relatives in a new song sparking both praise and criticism". CNN. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  29. ^ Brookins, KB (May 13, 2022). "How Kendrick Lamar Stumbles Toward Queer And Trans Allyship On 'Auntie Diaries'". Okayplayer. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
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