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

[Shadow King]

I agree the album is great but saying anyone who doesn’t like it has bad taste is false. People want different things out of music. Artists like Robert Glasper, Kamasi, Flying Lotus, Christian Scott Atunde aren’t putting out music that people wanna put on in most situations despite being arguably the most talented of our time. Even Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock have a lot of stuff that’s extremely tough to listen to…
People can just wanna put something on that sounds great on the car system, at the gym, hanging with friends and it doesn’t mean they have bad taste.

They have plenty of that already. You may not have this on repeat or find it too heavy to consistenly revisit but not being able to appreciate the artistic accomplishment says something about one's taste.

 

[NoStressB]

He made an album that wasn't made for the masses, purely for himself and people who can relate and I am grateful for it

 

[NoStressB]

When Marvin dropped “Here My Dear” after the universally loved “I Want You”, he confused everyone. Some even said he purposely put out a bad album because it was being used to pay off his ex wife. It’s probably one of the most conflicted and personal R&B albums ever made. There’s no easy or general way into or through it, you just have to be Marvin for the duration or the record

It wouldn’t be until many years later that people actually got what he was doing. Now its considered a classic. I’m not sure this is a classic, but I know 10 years from now people are going to revisit this and give it a few extra stripes. It’s just way too much to digest in it’s initial run.

Amazing comparison. I agree that in 5-10 years people are going to look back at this as a modern classic

 

[winb83]

9/10 times if I'm listening to rap I'm working out. This is NOT gym music.

If I'm playing music at the crib it's something laid back. This isn't that kind of music.

If I'm going to play an album I like to play it all the way through and I can not do that with this album. There's just too much going on with the production and vibes. I never finished listening to it fully and most likely never will. Not calling it trash It's just not for me. Anyone acting like something is wrong with people for not liking music that they like is being ridiculous.

I listen to this at the gym, at home, and at work. Pretty much been most of what I'm listening to outside of audiobooks.

 

[Supa]

I listen to this at the gym, at home, and at work. Pretty much been most of what I'm listening to outside of audiobooks.

I can't lift weights to a spoken word interlude.

 

[Fiji Water]

I listen to this at the gym, at home, and at work. Pretty much been most of what I'm listening to outside of audiobooks.

Interesting. I put this on for a early morning workout and I was surprise at how much I liked it. It's really groovy. I still haven't really found it the best for the car but for a walk, workout, or gaming, it's been in rotation.

 

[Hood Critic]

I am not your savior....


3 Stacks been telling us this for years but we don't want to listen.

 

[Sad Bunny]

I love when you count me outtttttt

 

[ShaDynasty]

Theres like 5 or 6 tracks that I keep coming back to that are really fire. The other tracks, some of em anyway are a bit too deep or specific to want to listen to often. I respect the work on this project and I think it will be interesting to see how it ages a few years from now.

 

[ShaDynasty]

N95
Worldwide Steppers
Die Hard
Purple Hearts
Silent Hill
Savior
Mr Morale

= Bangers

 

[winb83]

N95
Worldwide Steppers
Die Hard
Purple Hearts
Silent Hill
Savior
Mr Morale

= Bangers

No Count Me Out or Mirror?

 

[ShaDynasty]

No Count Me Out or Mirror?

I don't hate them, just didn't listen to them a lot. Count Me Out got more spins than Mirror.

 

[DapMeUp!]

No Count Me Out or Mirror?

Count me out is going to be huge at performances

 

[kaldurahm]

My bad double post, idk whats going on with my shytty phone

 

[kaldurahm]

I think N95 is his worst song. That's the only "bad" song on the album but I think the quality of multiple other ones is low or lower than usual. Purple Hearts is whatever to me. Not bad, would have been better from someone else.. I like Die Hard but it feels like Kendrick doesn't do much on it. It's like a Black Panther track and again feels like someone else would have elevated it higher. Crown is whatever to me...I feel like Ann Wise or someone would have sounded better doing those melodies. I like the lyrics. Silent Hill again sounds like dumbing down especially in contrast to Kodak who immediately starts killing that beat. I like Mirror but again, it's not particularly noteworthy.

Not hating on the album, I feel like it's a 3/5 or 3.5. So I'm just coming from the perspective where everything else he's done has been a 4.5 or 5 to me.

That's the shyt that tripped me out, a couple of times I felt the features out did Kendrick, which is strange. To me, his part on Family Ties is better than a lot of the verses he got on the album. That shyt was hard.

It's a good album, but I agree with you on your rating. I said before that I wasn't looking forward to the Pusha T album at all, but for some reason I enjoyed that album despite not caring to much for the topics he was rapping on. Pusha T was spitting on that album and I kind of expected the same from Kendrick.

I also feel like Kendrick could use better producers and sound engineers. The production on this album isn't bad at all, but I think there's too many producers on this joint and as such the songs ain't working together, it's not as cohesive as TPAB, which despite having various producers from Thundercat and Flying Lotus, to Pharell and Knxledge had a more cohesive sound. But I'm guessing that's just a result of the pandemic. But it could also be done on purpose, the lack of focus could really be metaphoric to his life/state of mind and perhaps state of mind for many of the people he grew up with. I usually like different sounds on albums but it's too many, varied and not pushing no envelopes.

I wished this album was more focused. I'd also give it like a 3/3.5 but maybe it will grow on me who knows.

I keep comparing this album to Jay Z's 4:44; another introspective album that isn't as deep as Kendrick's-which helps for sure-but features better, more consistent production from No I.d. and Jay Z is rapping excellently throughout the album.