Kendrick Lamar

After a long five-year absence, Kendrick Lamar has finally returned. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is the kind of dense, complex, contradictory and ...

“Auntie Diaries” is the highlight of an album that finds him fitfully evolving beyond the fears, misogyny, and wanderlusts of his past in favor of a richer, positive “morale” life. Mr. Morale finds him learning to let go of his youthful biases, an evolution not only prompted by his years-long absence from the rap scene (save for a handful of guest shots like Baby Keem’s “Family Ties”) and a global pandemic, but also his desire to be a better father, romantic partner, and citizen of the Black community, all while learning to accept a level of fame that makes fans swarm him whenever he’s seen in public. Mr. Morale listeners are already parsing several Lamar lyrics that seem to embrace “cancel culture,” a concept many would argue doesn’t exist. He reveals that his aunt “is a man” now and his cousin is “Mary Anne now,” but he can’t help but deadname both by calling out their identity before they transitioned. “Guess I’m not as mature as I think/Got some healing to do,” he adds. He admits that he frequently used the word “faggot” when he was younger. It’s Gibbons’s most high-profile musical contribution since Portishead’s final album to date, 2008’s brilliant Third. Until now, she’s only made modest appearances with Jneiro Jarel and MF Doom’s JJ Doom project and British metallers Gonga (the latter an evocative cover of Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath”). Coupled with Portishead’s reunion gig during a May 2 Ukraine benefit concert, this month has brought a surprising groundswell of activity from the famously publicity shy singer. However, it’s worth listening to Lamar’s lyrics within the context of the entire album. Some will ask why Lamar is platforming a talented but wayward rapper who has been convicted for sexual assault and has generated numerous controversies since former president Donald Trump pardoned him in January 2021. In the meantime, here are five observations from a long night of deep listening. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is the kind of dense, complex, contradictory and thrilling journey into the mind of Pulitzer Kenny we’ve been waiting for. With over 70 minutes of music, there’s plenty here to process, enjoy and debate.

Kendrick Lamar has released his fifth solo album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers."

5. Savior ft. 7. Mr. Morale ft. 3. Silent Hill ft. 5. Father Time ft. 9. Purple Hearts ft. 4. Die Hard ft.

After a five-year hiatus, the Pulitzer winner returns with an exhilarating hip-hop feast that ties personal pain to collective trauma – and lets no one off ...

Tellingly, the next track begins with Tolle: “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…” Mother I Sober offers a devastating series of verses that draw together slavery and sexual abuse, and deal unflinchingly with a sexual assault experienced by his mother and an episode in which a young Lamar, being questioned by his family, denied that a cousin had abused him. Elsewhere, the track turns its ire not merely on white people glomming on to the Black Lives Matter movement (“one protest for you, 365 for me”), but the black community and indeed himself. One interlude features a string quartet and 74-year-old German self-help author Eckhart Tolle discussing the perils of a victim mentality alongside Lamar’s cousin, rapper Baby Keem, whose concerns are more earthy: “White panties and minimal condoms”. On Worldwide Steppers, Lamar’s words rattle out at such a pace that they threaten to race ahead of the backing track, a muffled, dense, relentless loop of Nigerian afro-rock band the Funkees that suddenly switches to a burst of laidback 70s soul and back again. Its opening tracks don’t so much play as teem, cutting frantically from one style to another – staccato piano chords and backwards drums; a frantic, jazzy loop with a bass drum that recalls a racing heartbeat; a mass of sampled voices; thick 80s-film-soundtrack synth and trap beats.

To the delight of fans everywhere, the Top Dawg Entertainment stalwart has released his fifth musical anthology, which is spread over two discs, and includes 18 ...

On May 8, he dropped the video and song for " The Heart, Part 5." I see you get frustrated sometimes because you want some new shit." As he raps, his face morphs into polarizing celebrities like OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett and Will Smith. Near the end of the video, Kendrick transformed into deepfakes of Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle as the brilliant MC pays homage to the fallen icons. "I need something to get me excited. K-Dot made the announcement on a website with a throwback Windows vibe. The collection as a whole boasts guest appearances from Blxst, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Baby Keem and more.

On a bravura album, the Pulitzer-winner sheds egotism, incorporates many voices and opens his private world.

The rapper on Friday dropped his latest album, "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers." It's his first studio album in five years since 2017's "Damn.".

Lamar dropped a new music video on Sunday for a song titled “The Heart Part 5." In a later verse, Lamar elaborates: "Demetrius is Mary-Ann now. Lamar is known as a virtuoso who constantly pushes musical and artistic boundaries with his projects. Lamar's new song “The Heart Part 5” is not on the album Variety called the song a "powerful, genre-shifting statement on transphobia." The rapper on Friday dropped his latest album, "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers." It's his first studio album in five years since 2017's "Damn."

To wit, the second verse features a parable about a Christian who, after catching COVID, "started to question" Kyrie Irving and the NBA player's protest against ...

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Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly a generation talent whose career has soared to incredible heights while making an indelible mark on both his fans and Hip Hop ...

But it was Kendrick’s follow-up album, DAMN., that elevated him to unparalleled territory for a rapper — or any contemporary artist, for that matter. Then, of course, came his appearance on Big Sean’s “Control” in the summer of 2013, an incendiary verse that reignited the competitive fire in the rap game. Aside from being a beast in the booth, the 34-year-old MC consistently translates his music into powerful live performances — look no further than his breathtaking medley at the 2016 Grammy Awards that connected the dots between Africa and the U.S. prison system. K. Dot’s words ring out not just on the stage, but in the streets. Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly a generation talent whose career has soared to incredible heights while making an indelible mark on both his fans and Hip Hop as a whole. K. Dot’s OGs were impressed, too, with JAY-Z, Eminem and Nas among those saluting his verse.

Independent Spirt Award winner Taylour Paige partners with Kendrick Lamar on latest track "We Cry Together," released May 13.

“I really, really, really love the words ‘independent,’ ‘film’ and ‘spirit,'” Paige said at the 2022 Spirit Awards when accepting her trophy. Paige added, “It’s hard to be a human. Paige is featured in the song “ We Cry Together ft.

The new album by hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar is called Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and is out Friday. It's been more than 5 years since his last ...

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Kendrick Lamar covers a lot of ground on 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.' We broke down 10 of the major lyrical themes he explores on the album.

Kendrick illustrates how family trauma is cyclical and generational, and the only way to break those toxic cycles is by addressing them directly, as he does on “Father Time,” “Auntie Diaries,” “United in Grief,” and more. By looking inwards, Kendrick was able to finally dissect why he is the way that he is, and now as a father of two, he realizes that he has to digest those painful memories and experiences so that his son and daughter aren’t victims to the same emotionally repressed childhood that he had. Naming other celebrities who are expected to be saviors, Kendrick raps, “Cole made you feel empowered, but he is not your savior/ Future said, ‘Get a money counter,’ but he is not your savior/ ‘Bron made you give his flowers, but he is not your savior.” It’s clear that he’s not using the word as an immediate derogation, and merely reflecting on past times that he regrets, but listeners in the LGBTQ community have expressed that hearing the word from a straight man is triggering in any context. Comparing himself to controversial collaborator Kodak Black, he raps, “Like it when they pro-Black, but I’m more Kodak Black.” It’s a theme that extends throughout the album, as he openly addresses his own flaws, resisting the idea that he (or most other celebrities) are the anointed saviors that many perceive them to be. On the song, he reveals that therapy was the reason he was able to unpack his own traumas, and process the effects of abuse. He takes on the role of a spiritual teacher and a therapist for Kendrick. At the beginning of “Savior (Interlude),” for example, Tolle says, “If you derive your sense of identity from being a victim… Told you I was Christian, but just not today.” In the next bar he raps, “I transformed, prayin’ to the trees, God is taking shape,” offering one of the album’s recurring depictions of him seeking spiritual solace in nature. On “Father Time,” one of the most personal songs on the album, he explores his own “daddy issues” and how toxic masculinity has affected the way he views the world. While reflecting on his fight-or-flight response to witnessing violence on “Mother I Sober,” he depicts being “in the shadows clingin’ to my soul as my only critic.” He’s not just apathetic about music critics; he’s not prioritizing anyone’s outside opinion. It’s worth considering that Kendrick’s disdain for judgment is a reflection of his longstanding assertion that he’s an admittedly flawed person on a self-first mission, as he thinks others are and should be. Comedians like Dave Chapelle, and most recently Howie Mandel, have said that the backlash from marginalized groups who won’t accept being ridiculed in comedy could be the “death of comedy.” And like Dave, he’s resolved to say what he feels, consequences be damned.

The penultimate track from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers quietly unpacks the rippling effects of family trauma, with an assist from Portishead's Beth ...

It’s a window into the source of Lamar’s insecurities and faults, both in his relationships and his self-worth. “My mother’s mother followed me for years in her afterlife/Starin’ at me on back of some buses, I wake up at night,” Lamar murmurs over a piano playing a simple yet somber progression. Through each of his releases, he’s gone to great lengths to paint scenes of his childhood and teenage years, conveying how the chaos of growing up in Compton informed every decision he’s ever made.

It's far too soon to have a fully-formed, rock solid opinion about an album as complex as 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,' but here are first-listen ...

I’m a strong advocate for therapy, so to hear one of the biggest rappers in the world talk about the toxic masculinity and generational trauma that hindered him from going for so long was so important to me. He’s clinging to family and spirituality, but he’s doing the latter because he feels people are phony, wearing masks, and being hypocritically judgmental—plus he has a lot of residual trauma he’s mending. But instead, he dives inwards and puts his counseling diary pages to wax on an album that is so personal, it almost feels evasive to listen to. Jessica: Would I be wrong to say that I’m shocked Kendrick put himself in the Drake and Kanye situation? The “Rich” interlude contextualizes him in a way that most people have never seen before, and his verse on “Silent Hill” is strong. Andre: There’s no major surprise for me, besides maybe the way that Kendrick routinely references people judging him and critiquing him, which indicates that cancel culture is a real thorn in his side. I’m not sure if it was the samples or Kendrick’s delivery, but there were times where I felt like I was listening to a sermon or a testimonial. This is music that will provoke people to think (and have debates) for years, which is important. He’s very aware that there will be backlash to some of the issues he explores on the album (and how he explores them) but he’s committed to the idea of honesty. Jessica: “N95” is one of the more hype tracks on the album and easily the most digestible. The whole project reads as a diary entry, and so many of the themes intersect as he tells his story. Kendrick addresses this head-on, pointing out that other artists “bite their tongues in rap lyrics/ Scared to be crucified about a song, but they won’t admit it.” On this album, though, it’s very clear that Kendrick has no interest in biting his tongue.

Kendrick Lamar, the rapper whose poignant lyricism has soundtracked the Black Lives Matter movement and compelled many to call him the voice of a generation ...

Throughout the album, Lamar meditates on inner demons, repressed emotions, the struggles of family life and the trappings of fame. The album's cover is a photo of Lamar wearing a crown of thorns and holding a young child, while a woman who appears to be his partner Whitney Alford is in the background, holding an infant. it's an entire experience," she told AFP. "(He is) telling stories of his own personal struggles through his music, as well as documenting and telling the story of what is occurring in Black America, or in Compton, or in the whole Black diaspora," she said. - Throughout the album, Lamar meditates on inner demons, repressed emotions, the struggles of family life and the trappings of fame. The record is expected to dominate the charts and place the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lamar once again at the centre of the American cultural conversation.

The rapper Kendrick Lamar released what some fans are calling a "barrier-breaking song" about accepting his transgender relatives.

He stopped her after a few verses, because the woman, who was white, sang the N-word along with him. But the fan added that there are "better ways" to convey that message. "In what universe is deadnaming and misgendering remotely acceptable?" He later raps that standing up for his cousin brought his family together. / The laws of the land or the heart, what’s greater?'" But he goes on to describe how when his relative picked him up from school, his friends "stare."

Hip-hop buffs and critics are itching to decipher Kendrick Lamar's next era when new album 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' is released at midnight.

In his single "The Heart Part 5," he eulogizes himself, sending a last message to his loved ones in the final verse. "And to the killer that sped up my demise, I forgive you, just know your soul's in question." Lamar writes from an otherworldly place, hinting toward completion and separation from the rest of the world as a heavenly body. The first song, "Blood," ends with Lamar being shot. I’ve prayed for you all," Lamar wrote on his Oklama website. " 'Section .80' was more about the people, my debut album will be more about me. Many verses explore how being born in the '80s affected the life journey of his peers. The Compton-born rapper's fifth studio album (out Friday) has been mostly under wraps, with cover art released a little more than 24 hours ahead of the release ( which hints that he might be a father of two now) and no advance streams offered to journalists. "We will live forever, believe that. All right?" As I continue to pursue my life’s calling." "I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint," Lamar posted on his website in August, referencing Top Dawg and using the Oklama pseudonym.

Since his 2017 album, “DAMN.,” the California rapper has won seven Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize for music. “Mr. Morale,” his fifth LP, is expected to make ...

To some extent, those may also serve as clues for the next stage of Lamar’s career. Even after Lamar’s extended absence, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” is expected to make a sizable opening-week splash on the Billboard albums chart. “DAMN.” was cited in 2018 as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.” Lamar embraced the accolade, appearing in concert with a “Pulitzer Kenny” banner behind him. “Mr. Morale,” his fifth LP, is expected to make a big splash on the charts. The visual artist Lina Iris Viktor sued, saying her work was used without permission in the track’s video; the lawsuit was settled in late 2018. His 2017 album, “DAMN.,” won five Grammy Awards, though it lost album of the year to Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic.” (The rapper has 14 total Grammy wins.) Lamar, who grew up in Compton, Calif., and has made that area’s culture and struggles a central part of his music, also became the first rapper to receive the Pulitzer Prize for music.

Kendrick Lamar has released his new album 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,' which arrives five years after 'Damn' and counts as his final album with TDE.

TMZ has since reported the woman is Kendrick’s longtime partner Whitney Alford, and the two kids are their children. And always faith in the unknown. “The following statement was released today by Oklama through his company pgLang at 11 a.m. PT in Los Angeles CA,” the memo began. The drop date was shared on letterhead for pgLang, the “at service company” he co-founded with longtime friend and business partner Dave Free. “The life in which my words will land next. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators.

Lamar's long-awaited follow-up to Damn., and his final album for TDE, has arrived at last.

Producer: Beach Noise, DJ Khalil, J.LBS, Sounwave Composer/Lyricist: Anthony Dixon, Dennis COles, J. Pounds, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, Khalil Abdul-Rahman, M. Spears, Matthew Schaeffer, Sam Dew, Summer Walker Additional Producer: Beach Noise, J.LBS A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguex for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Ghostface Killah, Kendrick Lamar, Summer Walker Asst. Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Evan Fulcher Engineer: David “Dos Dias” Bishop, Johnny Kosich Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Rap Vocalist: Ghostface Killah, Kendrick Lamar Recording Engineer: Jonathan Turner, Matt Schaeffer, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Raymond J Scavo III Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, David “Dos Dias” Bishop, Evan Fulcher, Jonathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Raymond J Scavo III, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Producer: Beach Noise, Bekon, Dahi, Duval Timothy, Sounwave, Victor Ekpo Composer: D. Natche, Daniel Tannenbaum, Duval Timothy, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, K. Jones, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Schaeffer, Sampha Sisay, Victor Ekpo Lyricist: D. Natche, Daniel Tannenbaum, Duval Timothy, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, K. Jones, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Schaeffer, Sampha Sisay, Victor Ekpo Additional Producer: Duval Timothy, Victor Ekpo A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Bekon, Dahi, Kendrick Lamar, Sampha, Sounwave Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Brandon Wood, Kaushlesh “Gary” Purohit, Rob Bisel, Sedrick Moore II, Tristan Bott Bass: Bekon Drums: Sounwave Engineer: Charles Brown Jr., James Hunt, Johnathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Matt Schaeffer Featured Artist: Sampha Keyboards: Bekon Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Narrator: Whitney Alford Programming: Dahi Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Brandon Wood, Charles Ray Brown Jr., James Hunt, Johnathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Kauslesh “Gary” Purohit, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Rob Bisel, Sedrick Moore II, Trey Station, Tristan Bott, Zach Pereyra Vocalist: Sampha Producer: Dahi, Sounwave, franO Composer: A. Thomas, D Dennis, D. Natche, Frano Huette, G. Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, M. Hall, M. Spears, Sam Dew A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguex for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Dahi, Kendrick Lamar, Sam Dew, Sounwave, franO Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd Background Vocalist: Sam Dew Bass: Dahi Drums: Sounwave Engineer: Johnathan Turner, Ray Charles Brown Jr. Keyboards: franO Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Percussion: Dahi Programming: Dahi, franO Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Johnathan Turner, Manny Marroquin, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Producer: J.LBS, Sounwave, Tae Beast Composer: Donte Lamar Perkins, J. Pounds, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, P. Darnell, Sam Dw, V. Crane Lyricist: Donte Lamar Perkins, J. Pounds, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, P. Darnell, Sam Dw, V. Crane Additional Producer: J.LBS A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Kendrick Lamar Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Narrator: Bill K. Kapri Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Recording Engineer: Johnathan Turner, Matt Schaeffer, Ray Charles Brown Jr. Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Andrew Vilchis, Johnathan Turner, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Producer: Beach Noise, Duval Timothy, J.LBS, OKLAMA, Sounwave, Tim Maxey Composer: Duval Timothy, J. Pounds, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matt Schaeffer, Sam Drew, Tim Maxey Lyricist: Duval Timothy, J. Pounds, Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matt Schaeffer, Sam Drew, Tim Maxey Additional Producer: Beach Noise, Tim Maxey A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Kendrick Lamar Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Sedrick Moore II Engineer: Jonathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Matt Schaeffer, Ray Charles Brown Jr. Mastering Engineer: Michelle Mancini Mixer: Manny Marroquin Narrator: Whitney Alford Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Johnathan Turner, Johnny Kosich, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Michelle Mancini, Ray Charles Brown Jr., SEdrick Moore II, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra In the background, a woman sits on an unmade bed holding a baby. Historically, Lamar has shared these tracks as a prelude to a bigger project. Producer: Boi-1da, Hykeem Carter, Jahaan Sweet, Sounwave Composer: Hykeem Carter, Jahaan Akil Sweet, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Samuels, Sam Drew Lyricist: Hykeem Carter, Jahaan Akil Sweet, Kendrick Lamar, M. Spears, Matthew Samuels, Sam Drew Additional Producer: Hykeem Carter A&R: Brock Korsan, Kevin Rodriguez for pgLang A&R Coordinator: Juanita “Niya” Morton for pgLang Assistant Mixer: Anthony Vilchis, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Associated Performer: Kendrick Lamar Assistant Recording Engineer: Andrew Boyd, Sedrick Moore II Engineer: Matt Schaeffer Mixer: Manny Marroquin Rap Vocalist: Kendrick Lamar Studio Personnel: Andrew Boyd, Anthony Vilchis, Manny Marroquin, Matt Schaeffer, Sedrick Moore II, Trey Station, Zach Pereyra Two CDs were held on top of the book—one with “Morale” and the other with “Steppers,” each marked as a master copy. “I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years,” he wrote of Top Dawg Entertainment. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers follows his Pulitzer Prize–winning 2017 full-length Damn. At long last, Kendrick Lamar has released his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, his final album for Top Dawg Entertainment. Lamar officially announced the record last month with a link to his Oklama website, which revealed the LP title and release date. Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers below.

Kendrick Lamar's new album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” It's his first in five years. It follows “The Heart Pt. 5,” which he released earlier this week ...

While Rihanna is unfortunately not featured on the album, Lamar collaborated with several artists for the first time like Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons. Baby Keem is the only person on the double album that has worked with him as a feature previously on “family ties” and “range brothers.” Lamar also samples Florence Welch in “We Cry Together,” giving her writing credit on the track and mixing her vocals with Paige. One song not on the album is “The Heart Pt. 5,” which K.Dot released earlier this week as the first taste of his Mr. Morale era, with one big step for man: a deepfake-filled video. For now, the new Kendrick album you’ve waited over five years for is here. Kendrick Lamar released his first album in over five years, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. As Lamar previously teased on his website, oklama.com, Mr. Morale is a double album with eighteen tracks.

The 18-track album features an eclectic mix of guests, including Ghostface Killah, Portishead's Beth Gibbons, Kodak Black, Summer Walker and Sampha.

Days before the release, Lamar posted its cover art, featuring fiancée Whitney Alford and him holding their two children, with Lamar in a bejeweled crown of thorns. Last month, Lamar also made a Coachella cameo with his cousin, Baby Keem, to perform their track “Family Ties,” which won a Grammy earlier this year. Lamar previously announced on his cryptic website, Oklama, that he will be starting a new company, pgLang, with former TDE executive Dave Free. Lamar works with several favorite producers such as Sounwave and Boi-1da on “Mr. Morale,” but the three-man team of Beach Noise — Matt Schaeffer, Johnny Kosich and Jake Kosich — are the breakout producers on this LP. They’re all over Baby Keem’s “The Melodic Blue” and produced “The Heart Part 5,” and their work is the centerpiece of new Lamar tracks such as “ United in Grief,” the brooding “ Silent Hill” and “ Auntie Diaries.” Expect them to enter the production A-List with this LP. Kendrick Lamar’s new album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” is both a return to form and the end of an era. The LP, Lamar’s fifth studio album, is his first new record after winning a Pulitzer Prize for 2017’s “Damn.” (though he gave nearly an album’s worth of work to the “Black Panther” soundtrack). It comes four months after Lamar performed at the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood alongside his mentor Dr. Dre in a Compton-themed set.