Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

[up_the_hampipe]

Kendrick's mega highly anticipated new album comes out on Friday. He's just released his first solo single in 4 years (the continuation of "The Heart" series) and the video in collaboration with Trey Parker & Matt Stone's deepfake studio:

Kendrick recently featured on his cousin Baby Keem's album, including a killer verse on 'Family Ties'. His last three albums were some of the best albums of the decade, not just in hip-hop. Needless to say, I'm excited.

[Joe Qunt]

Bit of a bizarre video but a typically brilliant performance from K Dot. This single and the album title seem to suggest a Latin sound? If so, a very bold choice but the constant reinvention of his sound is what sets him – and artists of a similar calibre – apart from the rest.

[Inspector Norse]

Really keen to hear this. He was probably the standout artist of the last decade for the way he not only hit the artistic heights but made significant impact in an era - century, you might say - when popular music has grown increasingly irrelevant and ephemeral in cultural and social terms. He alone seemed to have both something important to say and the audience to hear it.

TPAB was an instant classic and though DAMN was very good, it was also a bit of an introspective hangover record. Will be interesting to hear the production on the new one and whether it weaves in, as this cut suggests, more "world music" influences - TPAB's freewheeling style showed he has an interest in taking different elements rather than just using typical hip-hop sounds. And, of course, whether there'll be a continuation of his habit of each album having an overarching lyrical theme while tying into the records either side of it too.

[thugler]

Like it, hope the whole album not too overly epic though. I actually really liked damn because it was a bit less elaborate. The vox are very good as usual

[Ja'moke]

That video freaked me out on first watch. It seems like the lyrics apply to each person... that last verse is definitely from the perspective of Nipsey Hussle.

Can't wait for the new album.

[Proactive]

I'm pretty obsessed with this song/video today, absolutely incredible. Have a feeling the new album is going to be up there with TPAB and it seems like it might be a double album as well.

[The Mollusk]

Like it, hope the whole album not too overly epic though. I actually really liked damn because it was a bit less elaborate.

This is my stumbling block too. I have a problem staying focused on big elaborate narratives in music and often find them quite tiring. The same thing stops me from really fully enjoying Iron Maiden and other "epic" heavy metal. TPAB is obviously an incredible album but it just exhausts me. I got the same thing from this song unfortunately, if I was able to keep up with it I'm sure I'd find it brilliant but I just came out of it feeling quite "meh".

[Malcy]

Interested to see what the sound will be like on this one. The input of Thundercat, Terrace Martin & Bilal etc was a great combination for TPAB. Would like something along those lines again. Enjoyed Damn but I only really listen to a couple of tracks from it.

I put the video on this morning while doing other things and looked at the TV and was caught off guard seeing OJ Simpson with Lamar's hair!

I spotted Simpson, Kanye, Kobe, Will Smith & Nipsey Hussle. I watched it again earlier and got distracted so don't know if there are more.

Would have ideally liked to have gone and picked up a physical copy on Friday but haven't heard anything in that front yet.

[up_the_hampipe]

I spotted Simpson, Kanye, Kobe, Will Smith & Nipsey Hussle. I watched it again earlier and got distracted so don't know if there are more.

The only other one was Jussie Smollett.

[Malcy]

The only other one was Jussie Smollett.

Ah ok cheers. Still have no idea who he is but I remember hearing about him.

I'm that way with Nipsey as well really. Think I've only heard 2 of his tracks.

[Proactive]

Just can't see myself listening to this again really, very disappointing. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the world feels about it.

[Memorex MP3]

Haven't listened yet but the inital reception seems like a worst case scenario to me.

I guess the fact he hardly done any guest verses in years should've been viewed as a warning sign. In his hot streak up through TPAB he was going all out on guest verses everywhere (e.g. investing far more energy into an Imagine Dragons remix track than anyone of his level could every justify). The verse on Family Ties was great but it seems like so much of what made TPAB click so well was the sheer run of momentum he was running on.


Relieved to see it's only 73 minutes though, he's def the kind of person who probably will put out some 120 minute long slog at some point.

[phantom_power]

Sounds pretty fucking good to me. As with most rap albums for me there is too much skit-like stuff (though more serious) between tracks but I think that's just me

[Inspector Norse]

Haven't listened yet but the inital reception seems like a worst case scenario to me.

Not sure what you mean? There's only two proper reviews up when I google and both are 10/10 affairs.

I listened to the first four-five tracks in the car just now and it sounded fascinating. Not many hooks, productions that chop and change and sound somehow complexly minimal, a lot of dense and dark subject matter. He seems to have turned his anger even more inwards - and that could be a shame, because he's sometimes at his best when spitting righteous fury, but it also makes sense because his own struggles with his position, his career, his background and the hypocrisy of the various worlds he moves in have always been key themes.

[kitsofan34]

Whilst first impressions are obviously merited (though I tend to always dispel mine), evaluating an album five hours after its release seems a tad over eager.

[Ja'moke]

The production on this is incredible. Going to need to sit with it more, but it sounded excellent as usual to me. Also didn't expect a Portishead feature.

[phantom_power]

Yeah the "complex minimalism" described above is pretty much on the nose.

There is also a new Quelle Chris album out today which is similar in tone on first impression

[Ja'moke]

Is Aunties Diaries the first pro-trans song in rap?

[RHX]

Is Aunties Diaries the first pro-trans song in rap?

Almost definitely the first explicitly pro-trans rap song on a major scale, Eminem took shots at Donald Trump for excluding trans people from the army in Like Home off Revival but that was a single line (though given his past lyrics, surprisingly progressive!), nothing quite as direct as this.

[Memorex MP3]

Not sure what you mean? There's only two proper reviews up when I google and both are 10/10 affairs.

Listener reactions; I'd place absolutely zero faith in a professional review done after one listen, absolutely no way their focus was on anything other than getting the review done ASAP. You can sometimes get something from reading through negative initial receptions though.

Will give it a listen later today.


RE: "worst case scenario", I mean a longer thing on the same level as Damn, I'd rather a massive stinker of an album than that.

[phantom_power]

I'd rather a massive stinker of an album than that.

Why? Isn't it better to have good music to listen to than bad?

[poodlefaker]

As with most rap albums for me there is too much skit-like stuff (though more serious) between tracks but I think that's just me

I don't think it's just you - I can't think of a single album that wouldn't be improved with the skit stuff removed. does anyone actually like that shit?

[The Mollusk]

The skits on the first Deltron 3030 album are great, they add tiny little world building details to an already vivid and brilliantly realised project. Plus they're actually funny.

[thelittlemango]

Almost definitely the first explicitly pro-trans rap song on a major scale, Eminem took shots at Donald Trump for excluding trans people from the army in Like Home off Revival but that was a single line (though given his past lyrics, surprisingly progressive!), nothing quite as direct as this.

Kendrick is getting a bit of stick for this track, people angry at him for using the F word as well as deadnaming and misgendering the subject of the song. On balance there seems to be a split between trans people who think it's great and others who think it's well intentioned but executed in a clumsy and offensive way.

[Ja'moke]

Were there any skits on this? I only remember a couple of interludes, but they were still mini songs. There was no Biggie having sex type stuff.

[phantom_power]

Kendrick is getting a bit of stick for this track, people angry at him for using the F word as well as deadnaming and misgendering the subject of the song. On balance there seems to be a split between trans people who think it's great and others who think it's well intentioned but executed in a clumsy and offensive way.

While no-one is beyond criticism, it does seem a bit harsh to get angry at someone who is doing something so obviously well-meaning, and ultimately counter-productive if the goal is to gain more acceptance for trans people in the wider world. Besides this isn't some generic talk about trans people. It is about a specific person and we don't know how they feel about using their old name and gender.

[up_the_hampipe]

I liked it on first listen. Obviously Kendrick's albums can be almost maddeningly complex, so I'm looking forward to digging in more. It's quite traditional by his standards, so I'd imagine there'll be some folks saying he fell off or it wasn't good because he didn't change the game like with previous albums.

Particularly enjoyed the afforementioned Aunties Diaries, but also loved We Cry Together. There's comparisons being made to "Kim" by Eminem, though it's a lot less horrific than that. I'd compare it more to "It's a Man's World" by Ice Cube and Yoyo. They even say that phrase in the track which could be a nod.

[how do you like apples]

On first listen it sounds most similar to DAMN of all his records, but would already say I like this better than I did that one the first play. The Heart pt. 5 wasn't really a good indicator of the sound we got here, I guess it was more that Kendrick just wanted to use that Marvin Gaye track and it probably wouldn't have fit in this album.

Standouts for me were the opening track, We Cry Together, Aunties Diaries and the last two tracks. Also loved the production on Worldwide Steppers (although all of it sounds great)

[Memorex MP3]

Anyways 2 listens in, the first track is good but nothing else is working for me at all; lots of individual great bits of production but nothing's standing out. Definitely would rate Damn above it so far (and I didn't like Damn very much), might grow on me a bit but think this could've been like 25-30 minutes shorter atm though.
The Heart Part 5 is a banger, can see how it wouldnt fit on this album but I'd take it over the whole album.

To some extent post-GKMC he really just isn't for me, I think; TPAB is amazing obvs but it's absolutely doing lots of stuff I generally wouldn't like very much but his energy over the top of it pulls it through.

Why? Isn't it better to have good music to listen to than bad?

Meh, when I've already got loads of great I don't really care about having some good. At least with a proper flop you get to see the how the person deals with that.

[Memorex MP3]

Warming to it now, it's mostly quite smooth and introspective and does a good job with the first few tracks of setting the vibe away from earlier Kendrick.

Could lose the third quarter entirely and I wouldn't notice but that's not necessarily an issue for an album I'd mainly play in the background and drift in and out of.
And I might just delete We Cry Together, am never ever gonna warm to that kind of theatrical thing. The rap equivalent of one of those meaningful argument scenes in Louie.