In a move reminiscent of another famous G.O.A.T., Kendrick Lamar announced to the world that he's back — and arguably better for it. Taking to his personal website, "Pulitzer Kenny" delivered a Michael Jordan-esque press release that marked the arrival of his album next month.
Despite his recluse nature, Lamar remains an undisputed people's champion whose ascent to the upper echelon of hip-hop has been heralded by legends, superfans and the world's elite. In 2015, President Barack Obama said "How Much a Dollar Cost" was his favorite song; a Reddit user compiled an "unofficial Kendrick Lamar content library."
Along with the accolades and multiple imaginative albums, Lamar's mystery has kept fans eagerly awaiting his return — since 2017's DAMN., he has been very, very quiet. Very few artists can maintain such an illusion, and Lamar has made moving in silence into an artform.
And despite his monk-inspired lifestyle, the start of 2022 found Compton Kenny offering us a few bread crumbs that have clued us in on what is next to come. With less than a month away from Lamar's exciting return, GRAMMY.com explores everything we know about his fifth solo studio album — so far.
The Album Is Titled Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Arriving On May 13
Shortly after the five year anniversary of his last solo studio album, DAMN., the Omega-level MC revealed the title and release date of his fifth project. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is due to hit all streaming platforms on May 13.
For longtime stans, there has always been a unique meaning behind the titling of Lamar's projects. Good kid, m.A.A.d city was an acronym for "My Angry Adolescence Divided" and "My Angels on Angel Dust," referring to Lamar's childhood innocence. Meanwhile, To Pimp a Butterfly was originally going to be a backronym for TuPac.
Lamar's intentional phrasing behind this latest project looks to be another one taught in college courses. No matter what it may be once released, Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers will be a must-hear event the world cannot wait for.
The Album Marks Lamar's Final Record With Top Dawg Entertainment
In August 2020, the hip-hop world was turned on its axis when Kendrick broke his silence and shared a letter called "nu thoughts" on his personal website. The letter offered a unique insight into the mind of a genre- and game-changing artist, while also learning what was next from the award-winning talent.
"As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years," Kendrick wrote. "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."
Lamar's entire catalog of music has been released under the label, since his addition in 2005. And while Top Dawg expressed how much of an "honor and privilege" it had been working with Kendrick for nearly two decades, the latter had shared the "nu thoughts" document via pgLang, a multi-disciplinary media company founded by him and his longtime compatriot Dave Free.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which also has a pgLang stamp on it, feels like a declaration that all future projects from Lamar will come from this new imprint and marks a TDE farewell tour of sorts.
Rock Influences May Be An Element of Mr. Morale
Where good kid, m.A.A.d city represented the best in West Coast hip-hop, and To Pimp a Butterfly merged jazz, funk, and blues, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has the luxury of being an all-white canvas for listeners. But the forthcoming album isn't without speculation.
In early 2020, Billboard editorial director Bill Werde tweeted that Kendrick was "pulling in more rock sounds" on his fifth album, which boosted rumors that Lamar was going to turn left where other artists had shifted right into trap and drill sounds. And while those rumors have yet to be completely debunked, "family ties," from Baby Keem's The Melodic Blue hints at how lyrically ferocious Lamar is positioning himself ahead of its release.
Knowing how the Compton MC consistently edits himself and his work, there is a good chance that the idea has shifted from a solely rock-tinged effort. Black Panther: The Album — which marked a connection between the artist and the Afrobeats sounds coming from the Motherland — could be an influence that informs the final cut.
Collaborators And Guest Features Remain A Big Secret
Kendrick is no stranger to collaboration. His work with hip-hop legends (Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre), jazz greats (Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper) and funk gods (George Clinton, Thundercat) have given listeners a taste of his experimental vibes. Lamar hasn't shied away from tapping into other sounds; his work with U2 and Imagine Dragons scratched that much-needed rock itch that Bill Werde hinted at a few years ago.
Lamar is playing all potential guests on Mr. Morale close to the chest. One can muse that the likes of Terrace Martin, Snoop Dogg, and Thundercat could appear, but pgLang cohorts like Baby Keem and Tanna Leone may just as easily join as members of the Big Steppers. Or, to prove to the rest of the game that he's still "smokin' on your top 5" without a ghostwriter, he could headline the new album all by himself.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers May Involve Themes Of "Love, Loss And Grief"
The hero from Hub City has gone on record to say that he goes "months without a phone," so the news of how much Black life has been lost due to police brutality and systemic racism didn't come filtered through social media. Notoriously, Kendrick has detached himself after a project has dropped to delve into his own thoughts.
In his August letter, Kendrick shared that "love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family." He continues, writing, "While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next." Sounds like the GRAMMY-winning songwriter will dig deeper into similar themes he explored in his early work like Section.80 and The Kendrick Lamar EP.
There May Be A Vault Of Visuals Ready To Go
The video for "family ties" with Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem did a lot to invoke tweet-worthy lines like "smokin' on your top 5," and "I am the Omega," but it also highlighted how much the MC was missed.
In summer 2020, internet sleuths began to discover images appearing to show K.Dot in album mode. From sitting at a payphone to videos of him hovering above the ocean on a beach in Los Angeles, Kendrick Lamar (as part of the Little Homies) may already have footage that is just waiting for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers to call home.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Will Be Performed This Summer
The final weekend of Coachella found Baby Keem back in front of a wild and ecstatic crowd in Indio, Calif. The cousins performed during the Friday night performance, hitting "family ties" and "vent" from 2021's The Melodic Blue, and opened the door for fans to see Kenny in a city near them.
Lamar is already slated to perform internationally in Italy at Milano Summer Festival and the UK at Glastonbury Festival, before returning to the U.S. at Rolling Loud in Miami. All parties are advertising that Kendrick will be performing new music.