A Closer Look in the Mirror: “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” Reviewed

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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)

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Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

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The Increasing Disposability of New Music in the Digital Age

By Luke Modugno

President of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) Terrance Henderson Jr., aka Punch, took to Twitter last month to make a very blunt, yet sobering statement on the music industry today. “Music is very disposable right now,” his tweet read. As ambiguous and vague as the statement may appear, the tweet went semi-viral, sparking debates and vitriolic arguments in the comment section. Punch’s take on the music industry poses the age-old question for label executives like himself to determine how their brand does business: with quality, or quantity?

Since the music world has slowly migrated to and has become fully dependent on the internet, the industry moves at a bullet train pace. Albums release quicker and in larger quantities, artists go viral, make it big and fall off in the matter of months, and the average listeners attention span is dwindling year by year. 

Just like any other business, at the end of the day, the music industry is designed to siphon as much revenue from its customers. And with listeners getting increasingly conservative with their time, the industry has adapted to survive. Albums that have a runtime greater than one hour are virtually extinct, when that was widely considered the norm to be considered a LP years ago. For example, to be considered for album of the year, the Grammy’s only require a project to be 15 minutes long. Record labels are more aggressive in recruiting talent that will satisfy a niche need for the time being rather than a generational talent that might require years of attention and work to produce a singular album. These two noticeable changes in the industry seem to be direct consequences of the dwindling of our collective attention spans, leading to the growing disposability of music. 

But the conversation couldn’t have been started by a more perfect foil to the aforementioned trend. As the president of TDE, Punch directly influences the infamously sparse release schedule of the label. Although TDE is home to multiple once-in-a-generation artists, they rarely release music at the rapidity of their contemporaries. Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Isaiah Rashad all have not released new projects in nearly 4 years. A grand total of zero TDE artists have released an album this year. Additionally, the label is notorious for a lack of communication with its fans, another foil to the transparency required to keep up with the hurried nature of the industry. Despite their refusal to comply with the new norms of music, TDE is widely considered the best rap label in the world. And with founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith having a net worth of approximately $100 million, TDE is having absolutely no trouble financially. 

So, is music becoming increasingly disposable, or are we simply unwilling to lend a genuinely attentive listen to new music anymore? Is the art of music slowly being replaced by a more disposable product that is made to sell, not inspire? When your parents throw on one of their old classic records, and claim “music died long ago, this is real music,” they might actually not be entirely incorrect, and science may also agree with them. In 2012, the Spanish National Research Council conducted a study analyzing 500,000 songs ranging from the years 1955-2010. Using a complex algorithm, the council measured the harmonic complexity, timbral diversity and the loudness of each of the songs. Unsurprisingly, through the advancements in technology and the rise of genres such as house music and dubstep, timbral diversity steadily decreased in the selected timeframe. Additionally, via technological advancements in music recording, loudness has increased. However, the most interesting statistic of the three was harmonic complexity, which constantly decreased, showing the songs have increasingly less diversity. This trend perfectly fits the narrative that music is being more of a product, one made to sell rather than to be original pieces of art. 

So, music as a whole may be losing creativity and in turn quality, but what about the music that still excites and innovates? 

In a subsequent post, Punch asked his fans to give him specific sets of time that fans would sit with an album based on its quality. One of the top replies read “Meh - 3 days, Mediocre - 1 week, Good - 1 month, Excellent - 3 months, Classic - 1 year.” Clearly, the term “timeless classic” doesn’t hold nearly as much weight as it did in the past. Although classics are fewer and far between nowadays, we still may not have the ability to give them the attentive ear they deserve. According to a study conducted by Microsoft in 2018, the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds. This is a sharp decrease from the average attention span of 12 seconds in the year 2000. 

Unsurprisingly, the main culprit of the decline is the emergence of streaming platforms. With an artist's entire catalog of music available at the touch of a button, the phenomenon of a new single or album releasing is undeniably diminished. As much as new music from one of our favorite artists may excite us, the temptation to find the next new thing is just too strong due to the accessibility of streaming. For that same reason,  pop star Adele is notably against the disposability of the music medium, discouraging her fans from streaming her music and encouraging them to buy physical copies. 

But the real music will never fade. Sure, more artists will have meteoric rises and falls, releasing music quicker than you can keep up with. But the Frank Ocean’s of the world, the Kendrick Lamar’s of the world, their music will still be analyzed, appreciated and consumed no matter how short our attention spans may be. 

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Songs of the Week: August 11th

By Spencer Lobdell

Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior. To stay up to date on all new music, follow our playlist “Hot 30” on Apple Music and Spotify. “Hot 30” is updated daily to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly by team members at StereoVision with the hottest new rap and hip-hop music. Always 30 songs with the hottest tracks at the top.

Songs of the Week:

“Hair Down” by SiR (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

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Following in the footsteps of fellow TDE artist SZA, SiR just inked a new deal with RCA records and is celebrating with a new album titled Chasing Summer expected to drop on August 30th. The first single from the Inglewood native was released this week and features Top Dawg’s top dawg, Kendrick Lamar. On “Hair Down” SiR picks up where he left off on 2018’s November with a soulful and moody track that uses beautifully layered vocals to gracefully present us with important messages about self-confidence and expectations. Kendrick is himself on the second verse and enforced the image of the self-conscious superstar numb to their impressive accomplishments. All-in-all, this is an excellent song that should have hip-hop fans everywhere anxiously awaiting Chasing Summer.

“Skeletons in your closet but your past don’t exist
Got a pad on your list, got a pad on your lock
Calabas’ ain’t the move, that’s where everybody live
Plus the mountain is hot, you forgot what you got, ah!”

— Kendrick Lamar "Hair Down"

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“White Lines” by Rick Ross (Feat. DeJ Loaf)

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This week, Rick Ross dropped his highly anticipated album Port Of Miami 2. While the whole album is solid, the vibe that the Miami rapper manages to create on the fifth track “White Lines” is unmatched. The veteran emcee raps about an excellent weed high filled with coked out girls and luxury shopping over a dreamy instrumental. This track is an automatic add to smoke sesh playlists everywhere.

“I flew her here to take her shoppin’
My credit card done got it poppin’
I put that pussy in my pocket
Cartier bracelet and locket
We like to film it, then we watch it
Tell your friend come join the party
You a freak and I’m a prophet
Painted the Chevy doo-doo chocolate”

— Rick Ross "White Lines"

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“SoHo Freestyle” by Pivot Gang (Feat. Kota The Friend)

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Saba’s talented clan “Pivot Gang” dropped two songs this week with “SoHo Freestyle” being the clear winner out of the pair. This track is my favorite posse cut of the year and sounds like everything Revenge Of The Dreamers 3 wanted to be but couldn’t quite achieve. While all four emcee’s snap on their respective verses, Saba and Mfn Melo slightly edge out Kota The Friend and Frsh Waters but it’s very close. All hip-hop fans should find this cut fun and enjoyable encouraging us all to revisit Pivot Gang’s 2019 album, You Can’t Sit With Us.

“I get paid every K, then you hatin’ and shit
Got a care on my head, but this Bape on my fit
Runnin’ laps ‘round the lands, on some Daytona shit
We fight wars with my boys, so I’m takin’ the risk”

— Saba "SoHo Freestyle"

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Schoolboy Q's "Crash Talk" Is His Most Honest Album to Date

By Miles Hagan

This is nothing new. Schoolboy Q is a member of one of rap's most respected collectives in TDE. They have consistently produced some of raps best new artists and music since the earlier part of the decade. As for Schoolboy specifically, he’s never had more momentum coming into an album. The Blank Face LP was one of the best rap albums of 2016 and was his most well-received project ever. “THat Part” was an absolute anthem, and it arguably was done even better when Black Hippie remixed it. Q solidified his status as a force to be reckoned with in rap because he could not only deliver hit singles but also impressive albums. This album also had some complications before it came out. Schoolboy was very close friends with Mac Miller making Q delay his album after his untimely passing because it didn't feel right. It was then delayed another week out of respect for Nipsey Hussle's passing. Schoolboy remains such a respected figure in the rap community because of moves like this. With all this build up CrasH Talk has the potential to one of his best albums to date.

Schoolboy has been gone for about three years now leading people to have no idea what to expect from this project before it’s release. The lead single CrasH Talk was “Numb Numb Juice”. The only way to describe this song accurately is an absolute banger. Q sounds cut throat and says every word with such focus and passion that he could inspire any listener to get out of their seat and go hit a lick just cause. This was also a sneak peek into just how hard-hitting and diverse the production on this project would be.The guitar loops and bells in the background are a great added touch. “CHopstix” was the other single released before the album, and it ended up being one of the lower points on the album. The idea of a Travis Scott Schoolboy Q song was very exciting for any fan of hip hop, but the song itself fell short of expectations. Both artists verses lack much depth, and the production doesn't live up to the standard of a typical song involving Trav. This left fans with a few questions before this album released.

CrasH Talk opens fast with “Gang Gang”. Schoolboy is coming back with a vengeance. The bass is booming and the energy stays high throughout the track. This leads into “Tales” where Q is more focused on, as the song title says, telling his tale. He starts to queue the listener in on the direction he's going with this project. The lyrics are brutally honest and describe the gangster lifestyle that he comes from, and what he has seen and lost from it. Schoolboy has a lot on his mind, even going as far as to say he thinks his own daughter might be a hoe because of this life. Realness. These raw thoughts and emotions are what makes this album so different from his other bodies of work. Q has been more open about his struggles with depression. His music has always reflected the harsh reality of gang life, but he has never really reflected on how it has affected him personally. Beyond that, he is also delving deeper into just how he sees himself as a man.

These thoughts come through strong on the second half of the album. While “5200” rivals “Numb Numb Juice” as the projects best banger, “Black Folk” is a turning point. The lyrics “Who knew failure would make you better?” echo in the track. Schoolboy is acknowledging some of his shortcomings in life and how they have forced him to grow. The words wasted are beautifully sung in the background throughout the song.

The rest of CrasH Talk  alternates between more introspective and aggressive.”Floating” has one of Qs hardest flows on the whole project, and 21 Savage delivers a very solid verse. “Dangerous” and “CrasH” are two of the most unique beats on CrasH Talk. Schoolboy is able to really get adventurous with his flows on these tracks and it works greatly in his favor. Kid Cudi sounds absolutely incredible on “Dangerous”, which also features Schoolboy looking at just how dangerous his lifestyle is; except not because of gang violence or guns, but because of how many drugs he's taking, and he's wondering of the people around him really have his best interest in mind.

This sound is in complete contrast with “CrasH” which is another one of the more honest songs on the second half of the album. The music behind the track sounds very triumphant. It seems as if this is a song that would be used to lean back and celebrate your accomplishments. Instead, Q decides to discuss how the pressure to always be doing more with your life could eventually lead someone to crash. He is spitting some real actual knowledge on this song that anyone could relate to. We all know that there is something to be worrying about at all times, but if we did that then we would drive ourselves crazy, and eventually crash.

What makes this project so good? Why is CrasH Talk one of the best albums of the year so far? Simply put, because it sounds like Schoolboy Q really tried. He could have come off the Blank Face LP unmotivated and content with his standing in the rap game. He would have stayed the same and delivered another really good gangster rap album that would have reached the same audience. Instead, he made a gangster rap album about the actual gangster. Q gets out of his comfort zone and really talk about himself, and ironically he sounds more comfortable than he has on some of his previous work on Crash Talk. He delivers the same quality rapping and production expected from a TDE artist, and knowing that was a guarantee going in, really allows for the listener to focus in on what is actually being said. There are moments where he could get a little more below the surface level in his lyrics, but that can be attributed to the fact that this is his first time really making a point to do this type of opening up. He should be praised by the rap community because we are living in a day and age where creativity is lacking. Everyone is trying to make the sound that is most popular, and once artists find something that works for them they are often time too scared to move past that. Schoolboy Q isn’t afraid. He embraces who he is, faults and all, and that is what makes CrasH Talk one of the best albums of this year.

Best Songs:

Tales

Black Folk

CrasH

Rating: 8

Listen to CrasH Talk here:

CrasH Talk, an album by ScHoolboy Q on Spotify

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