STACK #212 June 2022

FEATURE MUSIC

collections: Mr. Morale , and The Big Steppers . Through the first half of the release, Lamar argues that society’s current status quo is stalling critical conversations, insisting that as a collective we cannot grow until we look within – no more tiptoeing, start big-stepping. United in Grief explores suffering through retail therapy and sex; N95 – which gains deeper context as the album goes on – has the rapper taking his own mask off to reveal ugly self-righteousness, while facing the internet’s superficial hierarchy and his thoughts on cancel culture. Lamar laments the circling, self-serving, social justice ‘sharks’ through his deep criticism of social media and disingenuous philanthropy on Worldwide Steppers , which samples John Williams’ classic Jaws theme, adding another layer to the Californian’s storytelling. “If I told you who I am/ Would you use it against me?” Lamar asks on the jazz and snare-laced Die Hard , a palate-cleanser amid the density, before moving into album highlight Father Time . Anchored by British crooner Sampha and narrated by Kendrick’s fiancé Whitney Alford, Lamar tackles hereditary toxicity, accepting that his own words, through therapy and not violence, are his only pathways to solace and dealing with his suffering. “Guess I'm not mature as I think, got some healin' to do/ Egotistic, zero-given f-cks and to be specific (ah) need assistance with the way

Saviour (Interlude) welcomes another spoken word fromTolle: “If you derive your sense of identity from being a victim/ Let's say, bad things were done to you when you were a child/ And you develop a sense of self that is based on the bad things that happened to you..." A single verse from Grammy Award winner (and Lamar’s cousin) Baby Keem echoes Tolle’s quote, serving as a flashback to Lamar’s fast lifestyle at the same age – a warning for the 21-year-old, when he reaches the inevitable fork in the road his cousin did. Auntie Diaries is a poignant point in the album’s storyline; it’s about two transgender family members whose experiences shaped Lamar’s perspective, in hindsight. The rapper uses a homophobic slur wantonly, which is initially puzzling and (like Kodak Black’s inclusion), feels unnecessary. With multiple listens, we realise Lamar isn’t saying the word to speak it, but for us to hear it. Feel uncomfortable? Good. Lamar doesn’t include this story to pay lip service to the LGBTQI+ community. Rather, he is hoping his message reaches its intended

German spiritual leader Eckhart Tolle

I was brought up,” he raps on the track. This kind of vulnerable reflection wasn’t possible in a Kendrick Lamar song 1855 days ago. The 34-year-old is laying it all out, the (sometimes) good, (mostly) bad, and everything in between. Actress Taylour Paige gives the performance of a lifetime on the scathing We Cry Together, an intense argument between a man and woman. The track feels like overhearing your neighbours fighting through

the wall: Passionate, powerful and scarily

cisgender, heterosexual, uniformed targets, and sparks another difficult but fruitful conversation. On the penultimate Mother I Sober featuring Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Lamar reaches the pinnacle of his therapeutic awakening. Anchored by a naked piano and now softly-spoken, the rapper lays back on Tolle’s couch and unpacks the paralysing effects of childhood trauma. At the strings’ crescendo, Kendrick breaks free: “This is transformation!” he

relatable, a toxic exchange that struggles to address the points each party is trying to make. While there is a lot to say about the lyrical content of the album and Lamar’s acknowledgment of his past, this is mirrored musically too. Juicy 808s, jarring snares, hints of jazz, and R’n’B all nod back at previous releases, from good kid, m.A.A.d city and the critically acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly especially.

The track feels like hearing your neighbours fighting through the wall: passionate, powerful, and scarily relatable

Even the final moments of Crown will leave you thinking the track was about to transition into ...Butterfly ’s Wesley’s Theory. The most critical and noteworthy sections of the record come from the second half of the LP, Mr. Morale . It begins with Tolle referring to Kendrick directly. “Mr. Duckworth,” the 74-year old icon says during the introduction of Count Me Out . The address feels like the start of a therapy session, and the following nine songs are exactly that. Like Stormzy’s Heavy Is the Head , on Crown Lamar asserts his shoulders are heavy with the burden of the prophetic platform he has built for himself. “I can’t please everybody,” he echoes on the chorus. Controversially, convicted abuser Kodak Black features with a verse on following track Silent Hill. His inclusion is hard to stomach, even stripping the album of its slowly building, hopeful arc – but maybe that’s the point. The same questions that followed Marilyn Manson and Lil Baby’s presence on Donda (and the former's again on Donda 2 ) will haunt Lamar as they did Kanye West.

proudly exclaims. While the content of this album is indeed heavy, its inflammatory language, #MeToo references and controversial features act as a spark for real conversation in tackling generational trauma. Aware of the implications of the indiscretions and agonies that serve as the album’s lyrical themes, Lamar is insistent that casting himself as a societal villain is his only vehicle to drive wider change. On first listen, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is confronting, and often ugly – Lamar’s piercing honesty demands the listener get comfortable being uncomfortable, with the profound goal of creating a dialogue that shifts consciousnesses. Kendrick Lamar knows he is a work in progress, and he wants the rest of us to realise that we are, too.

Lamar (top) used deep fake AI to appear asWill Smith, OJ Simpson, and other notable black icons in his clip for pre-album single From the Heart Part 5

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar is out now via Top Dawg/Universal.

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