Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post Reply
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Listyguy »

Kendrick Lamar's new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is now out. I haven't listened yet, but at this point a new Kendrick release is certainly worthy of its own thread.
User avatar
StevieFan13
Wuthering Heights
Posts: 6962
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by StevieFan13 »

Happy birthday to me
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand - Sir Duke (1976)
User avatar
Maschine_Man
Unquestionable Presence
Posts: 641
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:42 am

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Maschine_Man »

First listen, as a more casual Kendrick fan, I enjoyed it more than Damn. Its the rare double album where it feels justified.

While the sentiment in 'Auntie Diaries' is positive it's all kinds of problematic and fails to land.
User avatar
BleuPanda
Higher Ground
Posts: 4717
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:20 am
Location: Urbana, IL

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by BleuPanda »

Maschine_Man wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 2:36 pm While the sentiment in 'Auntie Diaries' is positive it's all kinds of problematic and fails to land.
This is the song I'm most interested to see the reception of. For me, the final verse feels like it should be the big moment on the album. But, as you said, it's very problematic, and it all depends on a few cruxes. Namely: Is Kendrick singing from his modern perspective or the perspective of his younger self? If the former, yikes, but I lean toward the latter reading (especially since he references being in second grade, etc.). But, even in the latter - does this shift in perspective excuse the dead naming and wrong pronoun usage?

I do think the final verse is an effective payoff - the cringe-inducing refrain is put into the mouth of a preacher who Kendrick then rejects, I think(?) he finally corrects his pronoun usage by using 'she' in reference to Mary-Ann, and there is a perspective shift that plays a key part when he starts saying 'you,' as if this is a direct address to Mary-Ann.

So, to me, this is a song about his epiphany to truly accept transgender people, but starting from his confused transphobic past. It's very visceral, and I think there's a balance between the problematic language but also Kendrick trying to speak these words in a language certain people need to hear to recognize their own prejudices. So, yes, problematic, but I think there is meaning in him choosing to make this statement in this way.
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Listyguy »

Now that I've had time to digest the album: I love it. I couldn't done without some of the pop rap tracks in the middle of the album, but tracks like "We Cry Together" and "Mother I Sober" easily balance those out.
User avatar
Edre Depeche Head
Movin' On Up
Posts: 866
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:27 pm
Contact:

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

it is clear he has a lot of statements, both lyrically and musically, to make and the results are an album that is a very good display of his emotions but it's length and features make this his most flawed album since Section 80. Don't get me wrong, Kendrick's "low-point" is still a very good score. There is a lot to love about Mr Morale & The Big Steppers because it is, like most Kendrick projects, ambitious to the bone. That ambition makes for some excellent jazz and experimental rap cuts such as the opening track United In Grief, Father Time, and Crown. However that ambition also added to the length of the projects which means there is more filler on this album than there has been on almost any Kendrick album. Rich Spirit is probably Kendrick's most uninteresting tracks, Baby Keem derails his song as usual, and overall autotune singing Kendrick doesn't sound nearly as good as his pop rap contemporaries like Drake and Kanye. Overall, I was hoping for a bit more of a solid album but it is still good.
Edre the Depeche Head
User avatar
prosecutorgodot
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1547
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:53 am
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by prosecutorgodot »

First reaction: I am not digging Kenny's singing on this one.
User avatar
Edre Depeche Head
Movin' On Up
Posts: 866
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:27 pm
Contact:

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

Also, Auntie Diaries might be my personal least favorite song of his. For the first time in a long time, Kendrick's messaging is a bit off and a little out of touch. N95 and Auntie Diaries are "conscious" hip hop tracks but the way he words the songs is a bit off putting. Hearing him rap about cancel culture is strange enough but also, Auntie Diaries is his worst song even if intentions were good. I don't give a fuck if your messaging is right, stop using dead names in your lyrics and on purpose for the point of a song. That song just rubs me the wrong way.
Edre the Depeche Head
User avatar
Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Schüttelbirne »

I liked it, but not as much as the other three albums of his I've heard. It's certainly never boring even if some tracks are more mediocre. The production is very good, especially the piano parts and Lamar's rapping is flawless as usual. A good album, but it's currently rather low on my 2022 list.
My favorites are "United in Grief", "We Cry Together" and "Auntie Diaries".
User avatar
Holden
Never Going Back Again
Posts: 3775
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:06 pm

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Holden »

In regards to “Auntie Diaries” I think it’s often important to meet people where they’re at with stuff like that. As long as the real life inspiration for the song doesn’t mind the lyrics, I think the sentiment behind it could be helpful. It’s not satire, there’s no mistaking the messaging and no mainstream hip hop artist that I’ve heard has made something even close to what Kendrick does on that song. Should Kendrick have used a deadname? No, probably not, but I also think it’s not helpful to write the song off as harmful or declare it problematic for that reason alone, especially when it is a positive message the song is trying to convey.
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
Zorg
Unquestionable Presence
Posts: 622
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:17 am
Location: London, United Kingdom

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Zorg »

I've finally listened to it with the lyrics in front of me which I always like to do. I like it quite a bit. One standout for me is the production which sounds beautiful. I think the second half of the album does a lot of the work for me - the last five songs or so dial up the introspection and it feels like a privilege to be able to be part of it. FWIW I like Auntie Diaries a lot. The standout for me though is the beautiful Mother I Sober with a very haunting Beth Gibbons cameo.

It's quite long though and doesn't feel quite as cohesive as his previous albums (though that could easily change once i've listened to it more than...err...twice). The "spiritual pastor" vibe that he's always had a bit of has been dialled up quite a bit too replete with all the Eckhart Tolle stuff.

I am sure it will be favourite for AOTY among critics.
User avatar
Holden
Never Going Back Again
Posts: 3775
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:06 pm

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Holden »

If metacritic is to be believed seems as tho Kendrick might be getting his third album of the year designation come end of year time.
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
User avatar
FrankLotion
Movin' On Up
Posts: 836
Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 9:15 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by FrankLotion »

I’ve only heard it once and didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics yet but I will say that this thing sounds phenomenal.

What I did notice immediately was that Kodak Black still sucks ass and I can’t imagine why Kendrick would feature him so prominently throughout the album…
User avatar
prosecutorgodot
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1547
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:53 am
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Voltaire wrote:I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Starting off with an obvious quote, but it works well to preface what I will say briefly here.

I am really impressed with Kendrick, because no other artist at his level is saying the things he is. I am extremely grateful that an artist like Kendrick exists. I appreciate his vulnerability. I think perhaps this is his most personal album, because I think perhaps we finally understand him as a person, like if you met him on the street and he said all these things, you would really get who he is and what's going on in his head. But I would be remiss if I did not also mention I am shifting in my chair while listening. To me the worst line of the album is on "Savior." A million people have died in the U.S. alone, but you're going to do an anti-vax line? But again, I appreciate that he's providing a different perspective, and he is well-intentioned.

This is not a full review, because I'm still digesting. I still do not like his singing here. It was covered up and fit more on DAMN and TPAB, and he rarely sang before that. If you're doing an R&B/soul thing, your singing chops have to be there, and I'm not hearing it. Also, some hooks are very repetitive.

Personal theory: I kinda feel like this album is his way of telling the fans he's done with music? Not necessarily that the music is half-assed, but that he doesn't want to continue past this point expressing himself through music.

Last thing: I feel like this album is not meant for me. Given that, it is amazing that I do enjoy this album, especially the first half.
User avatar
VacantJoy
Leader of the Pack
Posts: 10909
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:09 pm
Contact:

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by VacantJoy »

i loved it though i didnt expect the chill vibes from him especially after damn which was heavilly inspired by trap
DONATIONS TOWARDS ME -> https://revolut.me/anastagf0s
Jackson
Into the Groove
Posts: 2075
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:05 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Jackson »

Pitchfork coming in hot with a 7.6 review. It still (for now) has the highest score of all time on Anydecentmusic at 9.4 (TPaB is 9.3).
Jirin
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3347
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:12 am

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Jirin »

I think this is a case where intent overrides technical virtue violations.

From liberal circles it’s easy to forget how legitimately hard it is for some people to be asked to update their core beliefs about gender. And that expecting people to change immediately or be judged a bigot is another form of intolerance, so the most virtuous approach is to fight for trans rights but give individuals the time they need to change their beliefs of their own accord.

If anything, writing from the perspective of a former transphobe who changed his mind is more likely to change people’s minds than just handing down judgment for using the wrong words.
User avatar
Father2TheMan
Different Class
Posts: 427
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 8:40 am
Location: Central Ohio, USA
Contact:

Re: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Post by Father2TheMan »

"The laughs come hard in Old Lang Syne....."
Post Reply

Return to “Music, Music, Music...”