Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (May 13th, 2022) Album • Page 31

love about 3/4 of each disc (or about a DAMN length record worth of great stuff)

 

ooh, Dublin in November. might have to get along to that. I've wanted to see him for fucking AGES.

 

Whew boy this album is a lot. I'll get some of the obvious ones out of the way, We Cry Together is incredibly uncomfortable but mesmerizing for me, Auntie Diaries doesn't go over quite as well as I think Kendrick thinks it does but even starting that conversation in hip hop is something I'm happy about. Kodak Black being on the album was something I was hoping wasn't true from rumors, not much else to say on that other than disappointment really. Mother I Sober is pretty powerful, I really dig that. Other highlights for me are Father Time, Savior and Mr. Morale.

On first listen the album isn't like, a standout 10/10 every track but definitely enough to want to go into multiple times to digest and grow.

 

I've been to every Kendrick tour since GKMC, don't plan on stopping now

Really excited to see Keem too, I loved his album and have heard nothing but good things about his live show

 

My fellow Kendrick fan friend is going on his honeymoon during the Boston date, this however will not stop me from attending

 

Saw Kendrick open for Kanye on the Yeezus tour. The band drowned out the vocals way too much.

 

This feels like his most directly confrontational album (or maybe it just feels that way after Damn being his most accessible) but I like it after one listen. The run from Auntie Diaries through Mother I Sober is incredible.

 

Just started it again, the first song is so fucking good.

 

Yeah was surprised people were saying the first half was weak. I thought it was all flames til We Cry Together

 

good for you. genuinely. i’m happy you enjoyed it. it bored me to tears.

 

Patrick come into the sun with me it’s far to cold in the shade

 

Seen him every time he’s been in town (plus going out of town for the Kunta sessions) since I saw him open the Yeezus tour. He’s just very very good as a performer and I can’t miss him ever again

 

my people don’t do well in sunlight

 

If you’d have told me Vince Staples would be still be my #1 of the year in a year where Pusha and Kendrick dropped I would’ve said no way in hell.

This album’s good and really interesting but it’s just not clicking all the way through for me yet…like my favorite songs aren’t as good as my favorite songs from his other albums, my least favorite songs I dislike wayyyy more than the worst on his other albums.

I’m starting to appreciate the messiness of the album and its ideas a bit more with each listen. But dating back to GKMC I remember when every Kendrick album dropped I was practically fiending to replay it and unpack it and see how I feel whereas this one I’m a bit like “groan…here comes this track again…” a few times throughout

 

The more I listen the more I love this

 

Yea this album is another remarkable entry from the best rapper of all time.

 

I considered it, given the Kanye reference earlier in the song.

 

It's interesting to me that the Kodak Black song lyrically seems to add nothing to the overall album narrative, except as a catchy song between "Crown" and "Savior" -- although maybe that's the point, given the subject of those two songs and the second disc generally.

 

Caught that too

 

JUST realizing that the first track on each disc ("United In Grief" and "Count Me Out") have intros that are mirror images of each other in terms of melody, syllables, and cadence. haven't seen that anywhere yet.

 

Kodak on each track 3

 

Last song is called “Mirror”

 

Based on track names alone, it seems that Mr Morale is disc 2 and Big Steppers is disc 1. I think we could use this to start a fan theory that you are supposed to listen to the album backwards again. Id honestly be surprised if this hasnt happened already.

 

So after a few listens I really think the central theme, among lots of other topics that are touched on, is Kendrick humanizing himself and taking himself off the "savior" pedestal he's been placed on. Exposing his infidelity, his past homophobia, his depression, his experience with sexual assault/abuse and trauma, plus clearly intentionally putting Kodak on the album (which I think is to make a point about generational trauma and the cycle of abuse since Kodak was a victim of sexual abuse as a child too, which I totally understand people being uncomfortable and angry about, he could have made the same point without actually putting him on the album). There is a lot to unpack here but I really think his main intention with this album was to purposely lower the perception of himself as a leader and role model for his generation ("I choose me, I'm sorry")

And yes, Big Steppers is disc 1 and Mr. Morale is disc 2. My theory is that for most of the first disk he's "dancing" around the issues that plague him and society (hence the tap dancing sounds scattered throughout) and on disc 2 he's tackling them head on and being much more confessional