Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Discussion Thread)

[Ziggiy]

I wonder what it is with rap artists where they want to sing full tracks instead of selecting a singer. Especially for someone like Kendrick, who has shown an incredible knack for putting the right people on the right track. Crown has its moments but should have had someone like Anna Wise on it to hit the melodies he's trying to reach. I love how Drake will just bring in a dope singer and give him or her an entire interlude to match whatever his vision is.

The rest of the singing on the track is fine from him, but that track feels like a miss that could have been great due to this.

I’d say a few things


For Kendrick specifically, his lyrics are EXTREMELY personal in nature. He probably “feels” it more when he sings hooks and lyrics himself and can give you that level of emotion. I wouldn’t necessarily want to hear Jill Scott or D’angelo on a song like Mirrors because the emotion and feeling that he puts it into singing those words is a major part of what draws me to the song.


Probably cheaper and more cost effective to sing yourself then have to split publishing and pay feature fees when your fanbase isn’t complaining about you doing your own melodies


Also Kendrick is heavily influenced by Andre 3000, who literally made a career out of being one of the greatest rappers/decent singers of ALL time. He’s also influenced by Lil Wayne, who blew up using the same formula. Modern day artists like Drake, Childish Gambino, Big Krit, and Big Sean have done it to successful effect, so why not Kendrick?

 

[Bossino]

Yo daddy was a real nikka cause he loved you - Cole

Instrumental always leaves me softer and makes consider that people are the way they are (barring deranged/evil cacs) because of circumstance in upbringing, it reminds me to be more tolerant

 

[spliz]

I’d say a few things


For Kendrick specifically, his lyrics are EXTREMELY personal in nature. He probably “feels” it more when he sings hooks and lyrics himself and can give you that level of emotion. I wouldn’t necessarily want to hear Jill Scott or D’angelo on a song like Mirrors because the emotion and feeling that he puts it into singing those words is a major part of what draws me to the song.


Probably cheaper and more cost effective to sing yourself then have to split publishing and pay feature fees when your fanbase isn’t complaining about you doing your own melodies


Also Kendrick is heavily influenced by Andre 3000, who literally made a career out of being one of the greatest rappers/decent singers of ALL time. He’s also influenced by Lil Wayne, who blew up using the same formula. Modern day artists like Drake, Childish Gambino, Big Krit, and Big Sean have done it to successful effect, so why not Kendrick?

3K isn’t even the greatest rapper/singer in Dungeon Family. That would be Cee Lo. Lol. But I agree. He takes a lot from 3K.

 

[CarltonJunior]

I’d say a few things


For Kendrick specifically, his lyrics are EXTREMELY personal in nature. He probably “feels” it more when he sings hooks and lyrics himself and can give you that level of emotion. I wouldn’t necessarily want to hear Jill Scott or D’angelo on a song like Mirrors because the emotion and feeling that he puts it into singing those words is a major part of what draws me to the song.


Probably cheaper and more cost effective to sing yourself then have to split publishing and pay feature fees when your fanbase isn’t complaining about you doing your own melodies


Also Kendrick is heavily influenced by Andre 3000, who literally made a career out of being one of the greatest rappers/decent singers of ALL time. He’s also influenced by Lil Wayne, who blew up using the same formula. Modern day artists like Drake, Childish Gambino, Big Krit, and Big Sean have done it to successful effect, so why not Kendrick?

I wonder what it is with rap artists where they want to sing full tracks instead of selecting a singer. Especially for someone like Kendrick, who has shown an incredible knack for putting the right people on the right track. Crown has its moments but should have had someone like Anna Wise on it to hit the melodies he's trying to reach. I love how Drake will just bring in a dope singer and give him or her an entire interlude to match whatever his vision is.

The rest of the singing on the track is fine from him, but that track feels like a miss that could have been great due to this.

Another thing lost in this is live performance and tours. By bringing in a guest, if they aren't accompanying you on tour, you can't really perform the song to the fullest.

He announced a tour for this, most of the solo songs he'll be able to do, but there's gonna be nights where he wont be able to bring in kodak, blxst, etc.

You stand to gain more revenue and can maintain your artistic vision and integrity easier live if you record most of your album without additional help.

 

[Ziggiy]

3K isn’t even the greatest rapper/singer in Dungeon Family. That would be Cee Lo. Lol. But I agree. He takes a lot from 3K.

I didn’t say he was THE greatest I said one of the greatest RAPPERS/ DECENT singers.


Andre can hold a tune but nobody was ever calling him the second coming of Teddy Pendergrass, but what he DID have was a unique way of pitching/blending his vocals and adding the spacey sound effects. Kendrick took that style VERBATIM and ran with it.


Not mad at him because he added on to it/evolved the sound but the point was that the inspiration is clearly 3stacks and it worked for him so Kendrick found a way to in turn incorporate it into his own style

 

[GoldenGlove]

Nas really dropped 3 projects in 2 years better than this mid it took Kendrick 5 years to make

This really is an ironic fact low-key. And Nas is notorious for going on long hiatus between albums.

 

[Cladyclad]

This really is an ironic fact low-key. And Nas is notorious for going on long hiatus between albums.

I never know why people say this about Nas. Only one time he took a long hiatus. Other than that it’s usually 2 years or less

 

[breakfuss]

I never know why people say this about Nas. Only one time he took a long hiatus. Other than that it’s usually 2 years or less

It sure felt like an eternity between HHID and Life is Good, even if you count what came in the middle of them.

 

[Ziggiy]

This really is an ironic fact low-key. And Nas is notorious for going on long hiatus between albums.

Nas usually releases projects once every two years. His longest hiatus was from 2012-2018 and since then he’s released an album per year every year including last year when he dropped TWO.

 

[Ziggiy]

It sure felt like an eternity between HHID and Life is Good, even if you count what came in the middle of them.

2006- HHID
2008- Untitled
2010- Distant Relatives
2012- Life Is Good


Thats literally a project every two years. I don’t see how that equates to an eternity especially when HHID and Untitled were heavily hyped/promoted and both were number 1 albums

 

[InstantKlassik]

Nas really dropped 3 projects in 2 years better than this mid it took Kendrick 5 years to make
The first superstar rapper to have his music in all the college classrooms and get no play in the streets
Mfs forcing this sonically displeasing slam poetry over beats because of "content" and "messaging"
Bruh was talking some real shyt on a few of these tracks but what do that mean when I listen to the song once and never wanna hear it again
It's a balance and he proved he can do it with GKMC, dude is outsmarting himself, Pep Guardiola of rap
6/10

dap+rep

 

[Cladyclad]

It sure felt like an eternity between HHID and Life is Good, even if you count what came in the middle of them.

U must mean untitled
1994
1996
1997-side
1999
1999
2000-side
2001
2002
2002-side
2004
2006
2008
2010-side
2012
2018
2019- side
2020
2021
2021

2012-2018 is the only real drought. Other than that he was active as hell

 

[spliz]

It sure felt like an eternity between HHID and Life is Good, even if you count what came in the middle of them.

He dropped Untitled and Distant Relatives in that time span.

 

[spliz]

U must mean untitled
1994
1996
1997-side
1999
1999
2000-side
2001
2002
2002-side
2004
2006
2008
2010-side
2012
2018
2019- side
2020
2021
2021

2012-2018 is the only real drought. Other than that he was active as hell

Yup. And that’s not even including his unreleased shyt from albums that was supposed to drop but never did.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Nas usually releases projects once every two years. His longest hiatus was from 2012-2018 and since then he’s released an album per year every year including last year when he dropped TWO.

4 year gap between Untitled to Life is Good
6 year gap between Life is Good to Nasir