After a hiatus just shy of four years, talented rapper Kendrick Lamar has dropped his new album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Saying Lamar’s fans were excited about this release is simply an understatement. Since its drop on May 13th, 2020, reactions have ranged from condemnation to consternation. Deeply personal and intriguing, the 18 tracks on the album touch on some familiar themes, such as racial slurs and their meanings, and some unexpected ones, such as the experiences of trans people and misgendering. Although a longtime fan of Lamar’s work myself, this album caught me by surprise. 

In a musical sense, the album is stunning. Lamar delivers complicated, beautiful lyrics, with his authentic cadence. With each track, it becomes progressively clear Lamar took his time, putting his all into inaugurating a “new era” in his career. In songs like “Auntie Diaries” and “Mr. Morale,” Lamar took risks. Most notably, he says, “auntie is a man now,” whilst referring to the transgender woman with he/him pronouns. He also mentions registered sex offender and pedophile, Robert Kelly [known as R. Kelly in the music industry] in the line, “I think about Robert Kelly. If he wasn’t molested, I wonder if life would fail him.” 

With the release of the music video “The Heart Part 5” on May 8th, Lamar foreshadowed the controversy his new album courts. This video features the faces of different black icons morphing together. Many questioned Lamar’s choice to transform the images of idols like Kobe Bryant and Will Smith into the visages of people like Kanye West and OJ Simpson. By featuring these problematic celebrities (one who repeatedly spews hate and the other who was tried for murder), Lamar has left fans wondering why he willingly chose to associate with such individuals. 

As I listened to Lamar’s new album, it took a lot for me to try and listen to the words without thinking, “this is such a terrible thing to say.” Nevertheless, as someone who is capable of disconnecting an artist’s works from the artist’s personal life, I enjoyed the album. Although I don’t agree with some of the things said and aspects of the album, I appreciated the complexity in Lamar’s words and the meaning and time you can hear he put behind him. The songs collectively tell a story, something Lamar has been so masterful in portraying through his past albums, which is why he continues to top charts and impress his devoted fans. 

Overall, I’d rank this album an 8/10, and will definitely listen to it again. Even if you aren’t a fan of rap or Kendrick Lamar himself, this body of music is worth taking the time to listen to and sit with. It will leave you intrigued, keep you attentive, and elicit overwhelming curiosity after the first listen. Lamar’s new album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is yet another reason why Kendrick Lamar remains one of the best rappers of this generation.