Fans react as Kendrick Lamar finally drops his new album

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is his first LP since 2017’s DAMN

Hero image in post
photo: Renell Medrano
Hero image in post
photo: Renell Medrano

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is his first LP since 2017’s DAMN

By Patrick Heardman13 May 2022
2 mins read time
2 mins read time

Kendrick Lamar, the Pulizter prize-anointed, fourteen-time Grammy winner has released his first album in five years: the hotly-anticipated Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

Running 18 tracks across two volumes, the album is a rich tapestry of rumbling beats, soulful harmonies, and sharp piercing jazz piano, all wrapped around the central pillar of Lamar’s commanding vocal. The extensive list of features includes the likes of Kodak Black, Ghostface Killah, Sampha, and Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, to name a few. Summer Walker, Baby Keem, and Pharell Williams also make contributions, as does Thundercat, and Duval Timothy.

Lamar officially announced the record last month on his Oklahoma website with a title and release date, his previous post on the site being from some 7 months earlier as he shared some “nu thoughts” on the creation of his latest project.

“I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence,” the rapper wrote. “I go months without a phone.”

“As I produce my final Top Dawg Entertainment album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown.”

Now it’s finally out we take a look at how fans are reacting to the long-awaited release: