Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

by Kendrick Lamar

Overview

As early as his first official studio release, 2011's Section.80, Kendrick Lamar's albums have been intricate and conceptual, constructed more like ambitious theatrical narratives than mere collections of songs. Fifth album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers follows this trajectory as a double-album's worth of interconnecting statements that are relentlessly complex, emotionally dense, and sometimes uncomfortably raw. Unlike the lush, spacious sonics of DAMN. or the life-affirming funk of To Pimp a Butterfly, Mr. Morale is scattered both in terms of musical approaches and lyrical perspectives. The album's first half is particularly messy, with themes of trauma, grief, society, and Kendrick's own uneasy relationship with fame all overlapping. His technical abilities are stunning and versatile as ever, but the frantic flows and jarring beat switches of "United in Grief" begin an angsty catharsis that runs throughout many of the tracks. "N95" is a seething cultural critique where Lamar spits bile in multiple directions over a bleakly catchy, bass-driven instrumental. Issues with lust addiction and infidelity are put under a microscope on the tense and minimal "Worldwide Steppers," and Lamar depicts his troubled relationship with his father in painful detail on "Father Time," which features a gorgeous vocal performance by Sampha on the hook. There's further exploration of deeply personal family history on "Auntie Diaries," which chronicles Lamar coming to understand the experiences two of his relatives had with transitioning gender identities. Throughout the album he funnels all of these experiences inward, seeking to grow through his own changes and the changes he sees around him. This shows up as a dismissal of celebrity on "Rich Spirit" or as striving for self-acceptance on "Count Me Out." The album's quick musical and thematic shifts can make for an uneven flow. The floating R&B instrumental and tender introspection of "Die Hard" come just a few tracks before cacophonous swirls of piano on "Rich - Interlude" and the jagged cosmic hip-hop of Ghostface Killah and Summer Walker collaboration "Purple Hearts." The album's intensity reaches a full boil on "We Cry Together," a song that sounds like live audio footage of the most vicious couple's argument imaginable, and reaches the same levels of ugliness as Eminem's "Kim," a clear reference point. As always, the production is immaculate and Lamar is joined by a host of industry giants, with contributions coming from Baby Keem, Thundercat, and even a vocal cameo from Portishead's Beth Gibbons on the stunning sadness of "Mother I Sober." While not as immediately accessible as some of the work that came before it, there's value in both the harrowing and enlightening moments here. Lamar puts everything on the table with Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, trying to get closer to his unfiltered personal truth, and creating some of his most challenging, expectation-defying work in the process. While not always an easy listen, the album shows more of its intention as it goes, and ultimately makes sense as the next logical step forward in Lamar's increasingly multi-dimensional artistic evolution. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	08/26/2022
Label:	Pglang / Aftermath / Interscope / Top Dawg Entertainment
UPC:	0602445926015
Rank:	4055

Tracks

Disc 1

1. United in Grief
2. N95
3. Worldwide Steppers
4. Die Hard
5. Father Time
6. Rich (Interlude)
7. Rich Spirit
8. We Cry Together
9. Purple Hearts

Disc 2

10. Count Me Out
11. Crown
12. Silent Hill
13. Savior (Interlude)
14. Savior
15. Auntie Diaries
16. Mr. Morale
17. Mother I Sober
18. Mirror

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kendrick Lamar   Primary Artist,Rap
Beth Gibbons   Primary Artist
Ghostface Killah   Primary Artist,Rap
Sampha   Primary Artist
Sam Dew   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background)
Kodak Black   Primary Artist,Rap
Summer Walker   Primary Artist
Amanda Reifer   Primary Artist
Baby Keem   Primary Artist,Rap
Blxst   Primary Artist
Tanna Leone   Primary Artist
Taylour Paige   Primary Artist
Homer Steinweiss   Drums
Daniel Krieger   Guitar
Stuart Johnson   Percussion
Thundercat   Bass
DJ Dahi   Drums,Percussion
Sounwave   Drums
Jason Pounds   Bass
Daniel Tannenbaum   Strings,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Dacoury Natche   Vocals (Background)
Matt Schaeffer   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Mellotron,Fender Rhodes
Danny McKinnon   Bass,Guitar
Duval Timothy   Piano
Bekon   Bass,Violin,Strings,Keyboards,Percussion,Keyboard Bass,Vocals (Background)
Kyle Miller   Cello,Violin
Hykeem Carter   Drums
Johnny Kosich   Percussion
Tim Maxey   Vocals
Frano Huett   Bass,Keyboards
Grandmaster Vic   Strings
Anneston Pisayavong   Choir/Chorus
Brenton Lockett   Choir/Chorus
Bryce Xavier   Choir/Chorus
Paris Burton   Choir/Chorus
Immryr Spencer   Choir/Chorus
Jaheen Tombs   Choir/Chorus
Sydney Bourne   Choir/Chorus
Troy Bourgeois   Drums

Technical Credits

Beth Gibbons   Composer
Gary Peacock   Composer
Vincent Crane   Composer
Dennis Coles   Composer
Leon Ware   Composer
Pharrell Williams   Composer,Producer
Denise Stoudmire   Choir Arrangement
Marvin "Smitty" Smith   Composer
Boi-1da   Producer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
DJ Khalil   Producer
Homer Steinweiss   Composer
James Hunt   Engineer,Recording
Bob Smith   Composer
Eckhart Tolle   Narrator
Charles Brown   Engineer
R. Smith   Composer
Arthur Ross   Composer
The Alchemist   Producer
Wesley Seidman   Assistant Engineer
Derek Garcia   Engineer
Robert Smith   Composer,Composer
Daniel Krieger   Composer
K. Jones   Composer
M. Smith   Composer
Matt Anthony   Engineer
Kevin Rodriguez   A&R
Florence Welch   Composer
Rascal   Composer,Producer,Composer,Producer
Michelle Mancini   Mastering Engineer
Stuart Johnson   Composer
Marvin Smith   Composer
Thomas Warren   Assistant Engineer
Brock Korsan   A&R
Ray Charles, Jr.   Engineer,Recording
Emile Haynie   Producer
Anthony Dixon   Composer
Mike Larson   Recording,Programming
Daniel Alan Maman   Composer
Andrew Boyd   Engineer,Recording,Assistant Engineer
Thundercat   Composer
Marvin Eugene Smith   Composer
Matthew Samuels   Composer
Jahaan Sweet   Composer,Producer
Kennis Jones   Composer
DJ Dahi   Producer,Programming
Derek "MixedByAli" Ali   Mixing
Kendrick Lamar   Composer
Cardo   Producer
Sounwave   Producer,Programming
Brandon Wood   Assistant Engineer
Jason Pounds   Composer
Daniel Tannenbaum   Composer
Sampha Sisay   Composer
Craig Balmoris   Composer,Producer
J.LBS   Producer
Isaac de Boni   Composer
Sam Dew   Composer
Sergiu Gherman   Composer,Producer
Dacoury Natche   Composer
Mark Spears   Composer
Tristan Bott   Assistant Engineer
Johnny Morgan   Assistant Engineer
Joe Visciano   Engineer
FNZ   Producer
Matt Schaeffer   Composer,Engineer,Recording
Tae Beast   Producer
Donte Perkins   Composer
Michael John Mule   Composer
Matthew Burdette   Composer
Khalil Abdul-Rahman   Composer
Ronald LaTour   Composer
Dante Lamar Perkins   Composer
River Tiber   Composer
Zachary Acosta   Assistant Engineer
Bill K. Kapri   Composer,Narrator
Duval Timothy   Composer,Producer
Bekon   Composer,Producer,Programming
Cyrus Taghipour   Mixing
Tyler Mehlenbacher   Composer,Producer
Ray Charles Brown   Engineer,Recording
Rob Bisel   Recording,Assistant Engineer
Chad Gordon   Engineer
Victor Ekpo   Composer,Producer
Hykeem Carter   Composer
Summer Walker   Composer
Johnny Kosich   Composer,Engineer,Recording
Tim Maxey   Composer,Producer
Sedrick Moore II   Assistant Engineer
Curtis "Sircut" Bye   Mixing Assistant
Kaushlesh Garry Purohit   Assistant Engineer
Mario Luciano   Composer,Producer
Amanda Reifer   Composer
Frano Huett   Composer,Producer,Programming
Baby Keem   Producer
Zach Pereyra   Mixing Assistant
Brandon Blatz   Mixing Assistant
Anthony Vilchis   Mixing,Mixing Assistant
Bekon & The Donuts   Producer
David Bishop   Engineer
Evan Fulcher   Assistant Engineer
Trey Station   Mixing Assistant
Logan Haynes   Assistant Engineer
Avante Santana   Composer
John Wade   Recording
Whitney Alford   Narrator
Hannah Kacmarsky   Assistant Engineer
Beach Noise   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Jake Kosich   Composer
OKLAMA   Composer,Producer
Juanita Morton   A&R,A&R Assistance
Johnathan Turner   Engineer,Recording
Marco Echeverria   Assistant Engineer
Pat Darnell   Composer
Raymond Scavo III   Recording
Erwing Olivares   Recording
Troy Bourgeois   Engineer
Charles Brown, Jr.   Engineer
M. Spears   Composer
V. Crane   Composer
Freddie Tisdale   Dancer
Teddie Tisdale   Dancer