COVER STORY/ KENDRICK LAMAR
SHOW DISCIPLINE
When I started this newsletter, we wrote an article asking where Kendrick Lamar had been. Well, 1855 days since his highly critically acclaimed album DAMN Kendrick Lamar returned with the double-disc album Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers. The project is one of his best yet. It also stood up to the hype that surround the project being released.
Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers is such a great album because when you listen to it, it’s hard to say whether it sounds like a therapy session or theatre or dramatic play. Kendrick reveals so much about himself on this project. The project overall seems to be about his relationship with his family and loved ones. He’s raps numerous times about a cousin that’s had the audacity to sue him. Is it his cousin Karl, from DAMN? Kendrick also talks about his relationship with his father. He raps about how the tough love has affected him as an adult and a parent. He raps about his Mother, Aunt, and his girl on the project. In that way alone the album is very relatable.
When I listen to this album I also get that he is still a competitive rapper and very sick of other rappers. He makes a few references to cancel culture and the artists becoming more politically correct in their music. It’s safe to say he hasn’t lost a step lyrically on tracks. He has records that are very deep on the project as far as the content goes including Auntie Diaries and Mother I Sober. But I think a record like N95 produced by Baby Keem shows Kendrick's lyrically ability is still sharp and he is not so out of touch with Hiphop
I think he definitely has some great records that will sound amazing at his live shows including Count Me Out, Rich Spirit, and Savior. The album features Kodak Black on multiple records of the project he’s pretty much like a narrator on the album. He makes an appearance on one of the best songs on the album Silent Hill which was an instant stand out.
A lot of people are thinking that this will being Kendrick’s last album forever and I don’t think it’s going to end up like that way. I’m expecting him release more music and more albums. He has his own media plateform with PG Lang so why not. Either way he’s shown us what he’s been up to the past couple years.