Kendrick Lamar

2022 - 5 - 13

kendrick lamar new album -- mr morale and the big steppers kendrick lamar new album - mr morale and the big steppers

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Image courtesy of "Evening Standard"

Kendrick Lamar - Mr Morale & The Big Steppers review: Still light ... (Evening Standard)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper avoids the pressure of expectation by looking deep, deep inwards.

Here, he avoids the pressure of worldwide expectation, and all those imminent eyes on him when he finally headlines Glastonbury next month, by turning his focus deep, deep inwards. The cover, revealed on Wednesday, offered more clues to the themes: Lamar with his family (the new baby is called Enoch, he says on Worldwide Steppers), a crown of thorns on his head and a gun tucked into his trousers. The 34-year-old has been a Christian since his teens and often seems serene, monk-like, next to the jostling egos of his peers.

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Kendrick Lamar fans praise 'groundbreaking' new track 'Auntie ... (The Independent)

Rapper also addresses his own use of homophobic slurs in the track, which features on his new album 'Mr Morale & The Big Steppers'

“We are not about to ‘cancel’ Kendrick over ‘Auntie Diaries’,” another person wrote. “Kendrick isn’t being homophobic at all, he’s speaking on his ignorance and struggles with accepting his trans auntie. “So nice to hear kdot speak on these kind of issues like religion and transphobia/homophobia. Hes really using his platform in a great way.

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Image courtesy of "Newsweek"

Kendrick Lamar's Controversial New Song About Trans 'Auntie ... (Newsweek)

Lamar raps candidly on "Auntie Diaries," from his recently released album "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers," as he discusses his journey with homophobia.

And I can't change that so do what you gotta do to be happy." "And people gonna be they own individuals and have they own worlds and I can't knock it. In a genre that has a history of homophobia, this moves the convo in the right direction." Lamar's previous album, DAMN.—featuring collaborations from Rihanna and U2—has won many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018. "The most powerful man in hip-hop wrote a whole song supporting trans rights and acknowledging the homophobia he participated in. kendrick isn't being homophobic at all, he's speaking on his ignorance and struggles with accepting his trans auntie.

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Image courtesy of "The Wall Street Journal"

Kendrick Lamar Releases 'Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers' and ... (The Wall Street Journal)

Five years after dropping his Pulitzer Prize-winning 'DAMN.,' Lamar delivers his final album for Top Dawg Entertainment and builds out his own company, ...

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Image courtesy of "The Source"

Kendrick Lamar's Sneaker Collaborations Searches Surge Over ... (The Source)

Before the album release, Kendrick announced the new pgLang x Converse collaboration, which instantly sold out.

3. Reebok X Kendrick Lamar Ventilator – shop HERE on eBay. 2. Nike Cortez X Kendrick Lamar Basic Slip – shop HERE on eBay. Kendrick Lamar’s new album is now available.

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Image courtesy of "NME.com"

Here's the full credits for Kendrick Lamar's 'Mr. Morale & The Big ... (NME.com)

Kendrick Lamar has released his long-awaited new album 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers' - you can read the record's full credits here.

Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra The track also features Lamar’s partner Whitney Alford.

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Image courtesy of "Genius"

Kendrick Lamar & Taylour Paige – We Cry Together (Genius)

On “We Cry Together,” Kendrick and Taylour Paige take opposing sides in an ugly couple's… Read More. 843 ...

Fuck you (Fuck you), fuck you (Fuck you) Fuck you (Fuck you) Fuck you (Fuck you), fuck you (Fuck you)

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Image courtesy of "FRANCE 24"

In new album, Kendrick Lamar delivers introspection and biting ... (FRANCE 24)

Kendrick Lamar, the rapper whose poignant lyricism has soundtracked the Black Lives Matter movement and compelled many to call him the voice of a generation ...

The album's cover is a photo of Lamar wearing a crown of thorns and holding a young child, while a woman who appears to be his partner Whitney Alford is in the background, holding an infant. "(He is) telling stories of his own personal struggles through his music, as well as documenting and telling the story of what is occurring in Black America, or in Compton, or in the whole Black diaspora," she said. it's an entire experience," she told AFP. The album's first track "United In Grief" opens with a choir singing the line "I hope you find some peace of mind in this lifetime," before Lamar comes in: "I've been goin' through somethin'." Following that historic win, he curated and contributed a number of songs to the soundtrack for the film "Black Panther," including his Grammy- and Oscar-nominated collaboration with SZA, "All The Stars." In 2018 Lamar became the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music, with the award's board saying his album "DAMN." was "unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life."

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Image courtesy of "British GQ"

Kendrick Lamar Mr Morale and The Big Steppers highlights ... (British GQ)

Kendrick Lamar is back with an absolute shoe-in for album of the year 2022 with 18 tracks that are like nothing we've ever heard before.

On opener “United In Grief”, Lamar goes deep on his post-fame spending habits. Which might explain why Kendrick seems to be confused that Kanye deigned to make up with Drake, rather than the other way round… Just when you thought King Kendrick wasn’t paying any attention to the wider rap game, he goes and namechecks the most contentious beef of the past few years.

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Image courtesy of "New Statesman"

Kendrick Lamar's Mr Morale and the Big Steppers first listen: a ... (New Statesman)

On his new album release, Kendrick Lamar explores therapy, grief and masculinity.

If he did step away, this would be the perfect time; he has his money, he has his awards, but most of all he has his family. Kendrick has helped countless people to heal during his passage through fame and into legend, but most importantly, he sounds as if he has gone no small way to healing himself. Broadly speaking, good kid, m.A.A.d city was Kendrick’s feature film; To Pimp a Butterfly was his manifesto; Untitled Unmastered was his jazz album; Damn was his pop album; and Mr Morale and the Big Steppers is his one-man stage play. Kendrick has given us a journey — his journey — through therapy, through grief and through some of the most damaging aspects of traditional masculinity. Mr Morale and the Big Steppers sounds like it could easily be the final record in Kendrick Lamar’s discography: not because he has no more to say, but because it has the sense of completion, of being the last type of album he had not yet made. After releasing this, his first record after five years of near-silence, he promptly went off to Ghana, a good way to avoid the avalanche of media attention heaped on the record in the US. On the album, he tells us he was so uninspired that he had writers’ block for two years.

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Image courtesy of "Rolling Stone"

Five Things We Learned From Kendrick Lamar's 'Mr. Morale and the ... (Rolling Stone)

After a long five-year absence, Kendrick Lamar has finally returned. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is the kind of dense, complex, contradictory and ...

“Auntie Diaries” is the highlight of an album that finds him fitfully evolving beyond the fears, misogyny, and wanderlusts of his past in favor of a richer, positive “morale” life. Mr. Morale finds him learning to let go of his youthful biases, an evolution not only prompted by his years-long absence from the rap scene (save for a handful of guest shots like Baby Keem’s “Family Ties”) and a global pandemic, but also his desire to be a better father, romantic partner, and citizen of the Black community, all while learning to accept a level of fame that makes fans swarm him whenever he’s seen in public. Mr. Morale listeners are already parsing several Lamar lyrics that seem to embrace “cancel culture,” a concept many would argue doesn’t exist. He reveals that his aunt “is a man” now and his cousin is “Mary Anne now,” but he can’t help but deadname both by calling out their identity before they transitioned. “Guess I’m not as mature as I think/Got some healing to do,” he adds. He admits that he frequently used the word “faggot” when he was younger. It’s Gibbons’s most high-profile musical contribution since Portishead’s final album to date, 2008’s brilliant Third. Until now, she’s only made modest appearances with Jneiro Jarel and MF Doom’s JJ Doom project and British metallers Gonga (the latter an evocative cover of Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath”). Coupled with Portishead’s reunion gig during a May 2 Ukraine benefit concert, this month has brought a surprising groundswell of activity from the famously publicity shy singer. However, it’s worth listening to Lamar’s lyrics within the context of the entire album. Some will ask why Lamar is platforming a talented but wayward rapper who has been convicted for sexual assault and has generated numerous controversies since former president Donald Trump pardoned him in January 2021. In the meantime, here are five observations from a long night of deep listening. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is the kind of dense, complex, contradictory and thrilling journey into the mind of Pulitzer Kenny we’ve been waiting for. With over 70 minutes of music, there’s plenty here to process, enjoy and debate.

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Image courtesy of "Pitchfork"

8 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Kendrick Lamar, the ... (Pitchfork)

Also stream new releases from Leikeli47, Kevin Morby, Say Sue Me, Quelle Chris, and Phelimuncasi.

With the launch of his Oklama website, Lamar noted that Mr. Morale would be his final release with his longtime label associates Top Dawg Entertainment. Lamar revealed the cover art, an image shot by Renell Medrano, two days ahead of the record’s release. Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services.

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Image courtesy of "HipHopDX"

Kendrick Lamar Admits To Sex Addiction & Cheating On His Fiancée (HipHopDX)

Kendrick Lamar opens up about battling sex addition and cheating on his fiancée, Whitney Alford, on 'Mother I Sober,' from his new album 'Mr. Morale & The ...

Later in the song, he recalls sleeping with a white woman for the second time in his life while on tour in Europe: “Next time I fucked a white bitch was out in Copenhagen/good kid, m.A.A.d city tour, I flourished on them stages/Whitney asked did I have a problem, I said, ‘I might be racist’/Ancestors watchin’ me fuck was like retaliation.” Thank you, brother… Thank you, mommy.

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

Kendrick Lamar Returns With 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' (The New York Times)

Since his 2017 album, “DAMN.,” the California rapper has won seven Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize for music. “Mr. Morale,” his fifth LP, is expected to make ...

To some extent, those may also serve as clues for the next stage of Lamar’s career. Even after Lamar’s extended absence, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” is expected to make a sizable opening-week splash on the Billboard albums chart. “DAMN.” was cited in 2018 as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.” Lamar embraced the accolade, appearing in concert with a “Pulitzer Kenny” banner behind him. “Mr. Morale,” his fifth LP, is expected to make a big splash on the charts. The visual artist Lina Iris Viktor sued, saying her work was used without permission in the track’s video; the lawsuit was settled in late 2018. His 2017 album, “DAMN.,” won five Grammy Awards, though it lost album of the year to Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic.” (The rapper has 14 total Grammy wins.) Lamar, who grew up in Compton, Calif., and has made that area’s culture and struggles a central part of his music, also became the first rapper to receive the Pulitzer Prize for music.

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Image courtesy of "Pitchfork"

Kendrick Lamar Releases New Album Mr. Morale & The Big ... (Pitchfork)

Lamar's long-awaited follow-up to Damn., and his final album for TDE, has arrived at last.

Producer: Beach Noise, DJ Khalil, J.LBS, Sounwave Composer/Lyricist: Anthony Dixon, Dennis COles, J. Pounds, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, Khalil Abdul-Rahman, M. Spears, Matthew Schaeffer, Sam Dew, Summer Walker Additional Producer: Beach Noise, J.LBS A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguex for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Ghostface Killah, Kendrick Lamar, Summer Walker Asst. Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Evan Fulcher Engineer: David “Dos Dias” Bishop, Johnny Kosich Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Rap Vocalist: Ghostface Killah, Kendrick Lamar Recording Engineer: Jonathan Turner, Matt Schaeffer, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Raymond J Scavo III Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, David “Dos Dias” Bishop, Evan Fulcher, Jonathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Raymond J Scavo III, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Producer: Beach Noise, Bekon, Dahi, Duval Timothy, Sounwave, Victor Ekpo Composer: D. Natche, Daniel Tannenbaum, Duval Timothy, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, K. Jones, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Schaeffer, Sampha Sisay, Victor Ekpo Lyricist: D. Natche, Daniel Tannenbaum, Duval Timothy, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, K. Jones, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Schaeffer, Sampha Sisay, Victor Ekpo Additional Producer: Duval Timothy, Victor Ekpo A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Bekon, Dahi, Kendrick Lamar, Sampha, Sounwave Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Brandon Wood, Kaushlesh “Gary” Purohit, Rob Bisel, Sedrick Moore II, Tristan Bott Bass: Bekon Drums: Sounwave Engineer: Charles Brown Jr., James Hunt, Johnathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Matt Schaeffer Featured Artist: Sampha Keyboards: Bekon Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Narrator: Whitney Alford Programming: Dahi Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Brandon Wood, Charles Ray Brown Jr., James Hunt, Johnathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Kauslesh “Gary” Purohit, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Rob Bisel, Sedrick Moore II, Trey Station, Tristan Bott, Zach Pereyra Vocalist: Sampha Producer: Dahi, Sounwave, franO Composer: A. Thomas, D Dennis, D. Natche, Frano Huette, G. Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, M. Hall, M. Spears, Sam Dew A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguex for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Dahi, Kendrick Lamar, Sam Dew, Sounwave, franO Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd Background Vocalist: Sam Dew Bass: Dahi Drums: Sounwave Engineer: Johnathan Turner, Ray Charles Brown Jr. Keyboards: franO Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Percussion: Dahi Programming: Dahi, franO Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Johnathan Turner, Manny Marroquin, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Producer: J.LBS, Sounwave, Tae Beast Composer: Donte Lamar Perkins, J. Pounds, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, P. Darnell, Sam Dw, V. Crane Lyricist: Donte Lamar Perkins, J. Pounds, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, P. Darnell, Sam Dw, V. Crane Additional Producer: J.LBS A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Kendrick Lamar Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Narrator: Bill K. Kapri Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Recording Engineer: Johnathan Turner, Matt Schaeffer, Ray Charles Brown Jr. Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Andrew Vilchis, Johnathan Turner, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Producer: Beach Noise, Duval Timothy, J.LBS, OKLAMA, Sounwave, Tim Maxey Composer: Duval Timothy, J. Pounds, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matt Schaeffer, Sam Drew, Tim Maxey Lyricist: Duval Timothy, J. Pounds, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matt Schaeffer, Sam Drew, Tim Maxey Additional Producer: Beach Noise, Tim Maxey A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Kendrick Lamar Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Sedrick Moore II Engineer: Jonathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Matt Schaeffer, Ray Charles Brown Jr. Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Narrator: Whitney Alford Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Johnathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., SEdrick Moore II, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra In the background, a woman sits on an unmade bed holding a baby. Historically, Lamar has shared these tracks as a prelude to a bigger project. Producer: Boi-1da, Hykeem Carter, Jahaan Sweet, Sounwave Composer: Hykeem Carter, Jahaan Akil Sweet, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Samuels, Sam Drew Lyricist: Hykeem Carter, Jahaan Akil Sweet, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Samuels, Sam Drew Additional Producer: Hykeem Carter A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Kendrick Lamar Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Sedrick Moore II Engineer: Matt Schaeffer Mixer: Manny Marroquin Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Sedrick Moore II, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Two CDs were held on top of the book—one with “Morale” and the other with “Steppers,” each marked as a master copy. “I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years,” he wrote of Top Dawg Entertainment. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers follows his Pulitzer Prize–winning 2017 full-length Damn. At long last, Kendrick Lamar has released his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, his final album for Top Dawg Entertainment. Lamar officially announced the record last month with a link to his Oklama website, which revealed the LP title and release date. Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers below.

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Kendrick Lamar drops 'Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers' (CNN)

Kendrick Lamar has released his fifth solo album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers."

5. Savior ft. 7. Mr. Morale ft. 3. Silent Hill ft. 5. Father Time ft. 9. Purple Hearts ft. 4. Die Hard ft.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Kendrick Lamar: Mr Morale & the Big Steppers review – rap genius ... (The Guardian)

After a five-year hiatus, the Pulitzer winner returns with an exhilarating hip-hop feast that ties personal pain to collective trauma – and lets no one off ...

Tellingly, the next track begins with Tolle: “Let’s say bad things were done to you when you were a child, and you develop a sense of self that is based on the bad things that happened to you…” Mother I Sober offers a devastating series of verses that draw together slavery and sexual abuse, and deal unflinchingly with a sexual assault experienced by his mother and an episode in which a young Lamar, being questioned by his family, denied that a cousin had abused him. Elsewhere, the track turns its ire not merely on white people glomming on to the Black Lives Matter movement (“one protest for you, 365 for me”), but the black community and indeed himself. One interlude features a string quartet and 74-year-old German self-help author Eckhart Tolle discussing the perils of a victim mentality alongside Lamar’s cousin, rapper Baby Keem, whose concerns are more earthy: “White panties and minimal condoms”. On Worldwide Steppers, Lamar’s words rattle out at such a pace that they threaten to race ahead of the backing track, a muffled, dense, relentless loop of Nigerian afro-rock band the Funkees that suddenly switches to a burst of laidback 70s soul and back again. Its opening tracks don’t so much play as teem, cutting frantically from one style to another – staccato piano chords and backwards drums; a frantic, jazzy loop with a bass drum that recalls a racing heartbeat; a mass of sampled voices; thick 80s-film-soundtrack synth and trap beats.

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Image courtesy of "Variety"

Kendrick Lamar's 'Auntie Diaries' Is a Powerful, Genre-Shifting ... (Variety)

Kendrick Lamar's new album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” includes the song “Auntie Issues,” which addresses trans acceptance.

She was booed and Lamar gently but sternly lectured her onstage — and apparently has come to think twice about what he said at the time. She was booed and Lamar gently but sternly lectured her onstage — and apparently has come to think twice about what he said at the time. One of Kendrick Lamar’s great strengths as a rapper is his ability to acknowledge and criticize his own biases and prejudices and not place himself above the people he’s singling out.

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Image courtesy of "Brooklyn Vegan"

Kendrick Lamar's 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' – a first-listen review (Brooklyn Vegan)

Like Kendrick's last three albums, there's a lot to unpack on this new album and repeated listens are necessary to do so. This is a first-listen review.

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers stops you in your tracks and leaves you jaw-dropped and speechless on multiple occasions. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is complicated, contradictory, and hypocritical on purpose, sometimes to its detriment, but it's also hard to deny that those imperfections are all part of a grand, masterful work of art. "Kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior," he says on "Savior," and on "Crown," he repeatedly insists, "I can't please everybody." Over a lively Marvin Gaye sample, he ruminates about how his perspective on life has changed over time and the various forms of tragedy and trauma that accompany the life of so many Black men, and it all leads up to a final verse where he raps from the perspective of the late Nipsey Hussle. It's a stunning, remarkable track that suggested the start of a new era for Kendrick, and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers makes very, very good on that suggestion. After five long years without a new album and lengthy periods of silence, he announced in late April that his new album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers would be out in less than a month. On "Father Time," he talks about his own daddy issues and the culture of toxic masculinity that so many men are taught from childhood on. Being released without a single makes sense, as I can't really think of any song on this that could be a single the way "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" or "King Kunta" or "Humble" were, but it never feels inaccessible. On "Auntie Diaries," he comes to terms with a culture that has normalized and perpetuated homophobia for his entire life. And then, just days before the album was released, he dropped "The Heart Part 5," the latest in his series of non-album tracks that usually come out before the release of a new album. On "We Cry Together" (which samples Florence + the Machine's "June"), he and Taylour Paige engage in a mock argument that offers a glimpse into the reality of toxic boys becoming toxic men and starting their own ill-fated relationships. Comparisons that came to mind during my first listen included albums like Aquemini, Kid A, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- all albums that Kendrick's music has recalled in the past in one way or another, but presented here in a way that feels entirely new for him. "The Heart Part 5" isn't on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, but it did set the stage for it.

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Image courtesy of "Detroit Free Press"

Kendrick Lamar to play Little Caesars Arena as part of global Big ... (Detroit Free Press)

The award-winning rapper announced his global tour on the heels of his fifth album release, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," which arrived overnight.

Oct. 30 – Cologne – Lanxess Arena Oct. 21 – Paris – Accor Arena Oct. 19 – Oslo – Telenor Arena Oct. 17 – Stockholm – Avicii Arena Oct. 15 – Copenhagen – Royal Arena Oct. 13 – Hamburg – Barclays Arena Oct. 11 – Berlin – Mercedes-Benz Arena Oct. 10 – Prague – O2 Arena Aug. 23 – Denver – Ball Arena Aug. 31 – Oakland, Calif. – Oakland Arena Aug. 12 – Toronto – Scotiabank Arena The 18-track double set is Lamar's fifth studio album and first in five years.

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Image courtesy of "Complex"

Kendrick Lamar Announces The Big Steppers Tour f/ Baby Keem ... (Complex)

Kendrick is taking his new double album out on the road this summer. Support will be provided by Baby Keem on all dates and Tanna Leone at select stops.

Signaling the album's impending arrival this month was the release of a new chapter in the ongoing “The Heart” series. For U.S. dates, the first tickets to the tour will be made available via an exclusive Cash App presale starting one day earlier at 10 a.m. local time. Both artists are featured on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Kendrick Lamar is back. Here's what to know about the new album ... (NBC News)

The rapper on Friday dropped his latest album, "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers." It's his first studio album in five years since 2017's "Damn.".

Lamar dropped a new music video on Sunday for a song titled “The Heart Part 5." In a later verse, Lamar elaborates: "Demetrius is Mary-Ann now. Lamar is known as a virtuoso who constantly pushes musical and artistic boundaries with his projects. Lamar's new song “The Heart Part 5” is not on the album Variety called the song a "powerful, genre-shifting statement on transphobia." The rapper on Friday dropped his latest album, "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers." It's his first studio album in five years since 2017's "Damn."

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Image courtesy of "The Philadelphia Inquirer"

Kendrick Lamar is coming to Philly. Here are three standout songs ... (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

The rapper will play in August in support of his highly anticipated new album 'Mr. Morale & the High Steppers, which was released Friday.

And when it’s followed by the warmer, soulful closer “Mirror,” we can all feel the sense of relief. Like much of Mr. Morale, it’s a song about growing up and reassessing your perspective on the world. This penultimate track on the Mr. Morale’s second disc is a masterstroke that makes for a traumatic, moving listen. Mr. Morale contains many examples of the rapid-fire rhyming Lamar is famous for, but also switches up his sound with different textures. But when Lamar speeds toward his conclusion, reaching for the freedom that comes with forgiveness, it’s truly cathartic. The photo by Renell Medrano doubles as a birth announcement: Lamar holds his 2-year-old daughter, while his fiancee, Whitney Alford, is on a bed, nursing a second child. “Asked God to speak through me / That’s what you hear now / The voice of yours truly.” Was it worth the wait? But that’s not the only good news. On “Worldwide Steppers,” Lamar raps about “life as a protective father” and says of his daughter, “I’d kill for her.” And he reveals that the second child in the photo is “my son Enoch.” The album cover shows Lamar with a crown of thorns on his head in a room with his family, a gun tucked in his trousers. Lamar wears a crown of thorns on the cover of Mr. Morale, which came out exactly “one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five days,” since the release of DAMN., as the rapper calculates at the start of the opening song, “United In Grief.”

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Kendrick Lamar raps about trans relatives in new song sparking ... (CNN)

The response to Kendrick Lamar's new song "Auntie Diaries" is divisive: Though Lamar is being praised for acknowledging trans people, he's also being ...

Lamar just announced a world tour to support the album, beginning Still others said that, flawed as the song is, it was meaningful to hear a rapper of Lamar's caliber -- he's the only rapper "My auntie became a man and I took pride in it," Lamar says on the new track, saying he "grew accustomed" to his uncle's transition as a young person.

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Image courtesy of "Pitchfork"

Kendrick Lamar: “Mother I Sober” [ft. Beth Gibbons] (Pitchfork)

The penultimate track from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers quietly unpacks the rippling effects of family trauma, with an assist from Portishead's Beth ...

It’s a window into the source of Lamar’s insecurities and faults, both in his relationships and his self-worth. “My mother’s mother followed me for years in her afterlife/Starin’ at me on back of some buses, I wake up at night,” Lamar murmurs over a piano playing a simple yet somber progression. Through each of his releases, he’s gone to great lengths to paint scenes of his childhood and teenage years, conveying how the chaos of growing up in Compton informed every decision he’s ever made.

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Kendrick Lamar releases track about accepting his trans relatives (NBC News)

The rapper Kendrick Lamar released what some fans are calling a "barrier-breaking song" about accepting his transgender relatives.

He stopped her after a few verses, because the woman, who was white, sang the N-word along with him. But the fan added that there are "better ways" to convey that message. "In what universe is deadnaming and misgendering remotely acceptable?" He later raps that standing up for his cousin brought his family together. / The laws of the land or the heart, what’s greater?'" But he goes on to describe how when his relative picked him up from school, his friends "stare."

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Kendrick Lamar (feat. Baby Keem & Sam Dew), 'Savior' (NPR)

To wit, the second verse features a parable about a Christian who, after catching COVID, "started to question" Kyrie Irving and the NBA player's protest against ...

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Kendrick Lamar Sets a Stop in Chicago for Summer Tour (NBC Chicago)

Fresh off dropping “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” Kendrick Lamar unveiled the dates to his first tour since 2018, and Chicago is due for a visit.

He stopped at the United Center in July and August, and brought out Chicago-native Chance the Rapper as a special guest for one of the shows. Lamar will head to the United Center on Aug. 19. Fresh off dropping "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers," Kendrick Lamar unveiled the dates to his first tour since 2018, and Chicago is due for a visit.

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How to get tickets for Kendrick Lamar's tour with Baby Keem (Los Angeles Times)

On the heels of his fifth studio album, rapper Kendrick Lamar announced the Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers Tour, a 65-date world tour with Baby Keem.

Lamar has said he’s starting a new company, pgLang, with former TDE executive Dave Free. Tickets for his new tour go on sale to the general public May 20 on Lamar’s website, Oklama. The first tickets for the U.S. shows will be made available to Cash App customers through an exclusive ticket presale that begins May 19 for new and existing Cash App Cash Card holders. The Compton-bred artist will be joined by his cousin and “Family Ties” rapper Baby Keem at all the shows, while Tanna Leone, who is also featured on “Mr. Morale,” will be joining Lamar on select dates, according to promoter Live Nation. Lamar has scheduled seven shows in California in late August and early September. The “Humble” and “All the Stars” emcee will play the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Aug. 30, the Oakland Arena in Oakland on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, Viejas Arena in San Diego on Sept. 6, the Honda Center in Anaheim on Sept. 7 and the Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. on Sept. 14 and 15. The 14-time Grammy winner announced the sprawling, global arena tour on Friday, which will extend from North America to Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The 65-date Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers Tour kicks off at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on July 19 and wraps at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, on Dec. 16. Kendrick Lamar will be taking his just-released and long-awaited fifth studio album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” on tour, including several stops in his native California.

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Kendrick Lamar is coming to Bridgestone Arena in July (The Tennessean)

Hot on the heels of releasing his anticipated new album "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," Kendrick Lamar announced his Nashville return.

The North American leg of a tour supporting the album kicks off July 13 in Oklahoma City, running through Sept. 15, when it wraps in Los Angeles. Lamar returns to Bridgestone Arena nearly five years after headlining the venue in support of his Pulitzer Prize-winning 2017 album "DAMN." Hot on the heels of releasing his anticipated new album "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," world-class rapper Kendrick Lamar announced Friday that he'll perform July 31 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

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'Zola' Breakout Taylour Paige Makes Rap Debut on Kendrick ... (IndieWire)

Independent Spirt Award winner Taylour Paige partners with Kendrick Lamar on latest track "We Cry Together," released May 13.

“I really, really, really love the words ‘independent,’ ‘film’ and ‘spirit,'” Paige said at the 2022 Spirit Awards when accepting her trophy. Paige added, “It’s hard to be a human. Paige is featured in the song “ We Cry Together ft.

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Kendrick Lamar uses his grief-fueled new album to reveal just how ... (NPR)

The new album by hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar is called Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and is out Friday. It's been more than 5 years since his last ...

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The Emancipation of Kendrick Lamar (Complex)

Kevin Powell asserts that Kendrick Lamar's latest album, 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,' is his emancipation proclamation and love letter to us.

That gun is on Kendrick’s hip because he is not willing for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers to be his eulogy. That is the hand-me-down life I came from, that Kendrick Lamar came from, that many of us know, from Brooklyn to Compton to Kingston to Brixton to Soweto. It is a universe you never really escape no matter how much money or fame you might achieve, no matter how much career success you might obtain. The above said, if you can survive what many of us have been forced to survive, only because we are Black and male, then you just want a peaceful life, a peaceful home, and it does not matter the bed is unmade, that there is a lonesome radiator in the corner, that paint is peeling from several parts of the wall. Because with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick Lamar has decided to be free—by any means necessary. Kendrick has a right to live a long life, and so do I, so do we all. That is the beautiful struggle, the spiritual tug of war of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. I ain’t saying Kendrick Lamar has the answers because he does not. The difference is Gaye wants a sensual love here while Kendrick wants to be mentally and spiritually hugged by Black communities, and for us to put arms around ourselves, around each other, to stop destroying ourselves, and each other. It is a forehead-gripping therapy session that seemingly admits that there is an epidemic crisis of manhood in America, and like everywhere, through the lens and multiple lives of this 34-year-old Black male born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. A chosen one because Kendrick Lamar, like Marvin Gaye and Tupac Shakur, is unafraid to machete his mind in half and let the blood flow where it may. Or, moreover, while Kendrick has been away these five years, we’ve seen the meteoric rise of Lizzo, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion. But I dream a world, this very minute, where a Black woman rap or pop star can be as celebrated as a Kendrick Lamar no matter what she has on, or not, where we talk about her genius, and the content of her lyrics, whatever they might be, as much as we cite the genius and content of a Kendrick Lamar. And when a woman rap artist—Megan—is shot and it is not savagely skipped over like it did not happen, yet we make waves, or mourn, or memorialize, or muralize, Black male artist after Black male artist when something violent happens to them. Many of us feel this way, whether we say it loud, as Kendrick Lamar has done brilliantly and unapologetically on albums like the Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN., or largely keep it to ourselves for years, as Kendrick has similarly done since he was a shy and socially awkward ghetto boy just like me. But I would be lying if I did not say that legions of Black men and Black boys, specifically, desperately seek, consciously, subconsciously, something, someone, who can speak for us, who is unafraid to be us when we are wholly afraid to be ourselves.

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Kendrick Lamar Unleashes Stunning New Video for 'N95' (Rolling Stone)

The “N95” visual caps a surge of new Lamar happenings this week after years of near-inactivity. In addition to Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the rapper ...

The “N95” visual caps a surge of new Lamar happenings this week after years of near-inactivity. In addition to Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the rapper announced Friday he’ll embark on a Big Steppers World Tour that kicks off this summer. A day after Kendrick Lamar dropped his much-anticipated new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the rapper has unleashed the music video for the standout “N95.”

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