It’s finally here! Legendary US rapper Kendrick Lamar has released his new album MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS published. The expectations of the album were gigantic after Kendrick Lamar released his album DAMN. (2017) shook up the rap scene, winning five Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize. The latter as the first rapper ever. At the time, the jury justified its decision with the fact that DAMN. “Provides haunting snapshots that capture the complexities of modern African-American life.”
The fact that the 34-year-old didn’t release a single song before the album was released also contributed to the great expectations and excitement. The rapper previously only released the track “The Heart Part 5”, which is part of the independent “The Heart” series.
Now the album is finally out. Divided into two parts, it contains 18 songs and has a running time of over an hour. Feature guests include Portishead’s Blxst, Sampha, Baby Keem and Beth Gibbons. The album cover shows a motif that is unusually private for Kendrick Lamar. The Californian rapper, who normally reveals little about his private life, has his now almost three-year-old daughter in his arms. A handgun is stuck in Kendrick’s waistband. On his head he wears a crown of thorns reminiscent of Jesus Christ. In the background, his longtime girlfriend Whitney Alford holds a newborn baby in his arms, which suggests that the rapper has become a father for the second time.
You can stream the album here:
By the way, the song “Savior” was produced by Rascal the Producer. The Aachen-born producer has also worked for German rappers such as Samy Deluxe and Layla. MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS is the fifth studio album by Kendrick Lamar. Before DAMN. The albums GOOD KID, MAAD CITY (2012) and TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY (2015) were released.