Now that Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers has been out for over a month, that otherworldly level of hype surrounding its gestation and subsequent birth seems to have subsided enough to look at the record in a more objective fashion. In doing so, I find that there are two genius-level inclusions in its lengthy runtime that deserve more of a light shone upon them.

I am referring to the sporadic samplings of author Eckhart Tolle on certain songs and Beth Gibbons’ voice on what may be the best track of the record, “Mother | Sober.” Though Kodak Black’s contributions – not to mention the chaotic couple’s back-and-forth on “We Cry Together,” achieved with the help of Taylour Paige – received more attention, the aforementioned pair on Lamar’s latest was what stuck with me the most.

My love of trip-hop has led me to the belief that Dummy, Portishead’s 1994 debut album, is one of the greatest ever conceived. This is the group that Beth Gibbons, its vocalist, rose to fame in. The album is a dated listen, sure, but the ethereality of Gibbons’ voice gliding over the muffled, yet punchy instrumentals made for a big impression on me. Gibbons has kept a low public profile in recent years, and Portishead is a project that’s more or less on life support, a time capsule of the ‘90s.

Her inclusion on this record was not some half-assed afterthought. While nothing is with Lamar, her feature surprised me. I tend to enjoy Lamar’s more demanding artistic choices, not least the ten-plus minute journeys of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” and, to a greater extent, “Mortal Man.” While a track of this magnitude was nowhere to be found on Steppers, it should be noted that “Mother | Sober” is the longest piece here at just under seven minutes. Trip-hop, Portishead, and Gibbons all have a bit of a ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ quality to them, so while this track does not reach the heights of “Mortal Man,” it has a similar, challenging feel to it that I crave.

The fact that Gibbons can be heard on this veritable magnum opus of Steppers, then, is telling. It seems to suggest that this track will be an iron-clad moment in time for years to come, much as Dummy is almost thirty years on. Is it the biggest banger of the album? No. In fact, I doubt it will be the one track that most people will remember off of it. So what? For those generous enough to turn a willing ear when it comes on, little else on these two discs will satisfy.

Eckhart Tolle - German Author and Spiritual Teacher.

I found DAMN. to be lacking a bit in pushing the envelope with eccentric ideas and feature selections, which made Tolle’s voice all the more enjoyable upon first listen. Not long ago, I read a book of his, A New Earth – which I finished in a day. Its effects on me were at once profound and fundamental. It’s a “self-help” book, but that’s too cheesy a descriptor – it lifted me up and challenged me to look at the deepest parts of myself. That Lamar laced Tolle’s voice into this body of work is no accident. I remember first hearing this album front to back and suddenly recognizing the sound of Tolle talking about the “pain body,” a topic that A New Earth covers frequently. I perked up in surprise, pleased that this album had a brain of such magnitude complementing its creator’s.

While Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is a fantastic album, part of me doubts that time will be as kind to it as it has been to, say, To Pimp a Butterfly. Sometimes, however, perfection and 100% ass-kicking misses the mark. To have two voices on this album that convey such a vulnerability means more to me, in many ways, than a track that breaks its back to knock me flat out on the pavement, like “King Kunta” for instance. Admitting one’s flaws (and one’s love for that most angelic of comedown siren calls) allows for a special kind of love for Lamar’s newest to blossom as the weeks following its release roll by.

Tyler Roland is a staff writer.

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Thanks for making the last six years a little easier 💎

by Luke Modugno

Kendrick Lamar is a natural born leader. When he speaks, people listen, and for good reason. Since the release of his 2015 magnum-opus To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar has positioned himself to be the quintessential voice of insightful social commentary in contemporary rap. Focusing on attacking systems of institutional racism in America and across the globe, Kdot seldom used his Pulitzer Prize-winning pen to explore the complexities of himself. That is, until the recent release of the Compton rappers fifth studio album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers.

After a grueling 1,855 day hiatus, Lamar has finally made his return with a 18 track collection of reflective ballads focusing on his childhood, identity formation, insecurities and the vastly broad spectrum of the human experience.

From the first seconds of the record's cinematic opener “United in Grief,” it’s clear that Lamar is ready to take yet another step off of the preacher's soap box and shift his musical focus to himself, a journey of inward meditation that began with DAMN. Lamar's dizzying flow accompanied by frantic drums allow Kdot to divulge about his struggles with mental health, the pitfalls of fame and his reliance on religion to get him through a turbulent five years of solidarity. “I went and got me a therapist I can debate all my theories and sharing it, consolidate all my comparisons, Humblin’ up because time is imperative, I’m starting to feel like there’s only one answer to everything,” Lamar raps on the track.

Over the course of his career, Lamar’s discography has been used as an educational reference point in the rap community. Whether he was analyzing African American life and culture on To Pimp a Butterfly, or allowing listeners a glimpse into life in Compton on records like good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar’s music sparked meaningful dialogue on topics other than himself. The mirror has been decidedly turned toward Lamar on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, allowing the record to be by far his most vulnerable, brave and well-written.

Instead of anointing himself as the leader of a generation as seen on To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar makes it clear that his flaws, blemishes and vices simply make him a representation of “all of us,” a message plastered across his recent standout single “The Heart Part V” and even his alias for this record: oklama. In the Native American dialect of the Choctaw, “Okla” means people, while the definition of “ma” in the language is utilized when addressing someone, such as “my lord,” leaving the combination of the two to mean “my people.” Tying this motif together is the cover art of the record, showing Lamar sporting an iced-out crown of thorns, a biblical reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In Christian dogma, Jesus was sent by God as a holy mediator between the heavens and humanity. Christ was both human and God, allowing him to relate to human experiences and identify with all of us. Kendrick is using his God-given ability as an artist to represent humans, their perspectives, insecurities, flaws, and relating to the human condition in a similar vein to Christ. It’s a level of writing, attention to detail and nuanced insight we’ve never seen from the emcee.

Across the rest of the record, Lamar dives deeper into what it means to be of flesh and blood. From his brilliant reframing of childhood trauma and “daddy issues” on tracks like “Father Time” and “Mother | Sober,” poignant and brutally honest representation of the duality love on “We Cry Together” and “Purple Hearts,” to his attack on virtue signaling and idolization of celebrities on “Savior,” Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is Lamar’s most universally relatable album to date.

Sonically, this record is a deeper exploration of the visceral trap aesthetic that dominated much of DAMN. It’s clear Lamar’s cousin, Baby Keem’s ascension and carved-out experimental trap niche has influenced Lamar’s artistic direction here, producing brilliant moments as well as derivative ones. The guest list on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers assists Kdot in his trap ventures effectively, as appearances from Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Sampha, Summer Walker, Blxst and Amanda Reifer enhance their respective songs. With production credits belonging to The Alchemist, Pharrell Williams, Keem and Sounwave, experimentalism is dabbled in but never fully produced behind the boards, leaving something to be desired.

Kendrick Lamar’s artistry has progressed past the point of a one week, 800 word review. Over the coming weeks, months and years is when we will truly be able to unpack the complex piece of art that is Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers for its deeper themes. For now, it’s safe to say that Lamar has delivered yet another distinguished body of rap music that will be cherished, studied and held in high regard.

favorite tracks:

United in Grief

Father Time (feat. Sampha)

Purple Hearts (feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah)

Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

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Considering Beth Gibbons & Eckhart Tolle’s Inclusion on "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers"

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favorite tracks: