Kendrick Lamar Is Not Your Savior — Album Review (2022)
Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers is the most self-critical and introspective the king of Hip-hop has ever been.
All throughout Kendrick Lamar’s newest project: Mr. Morale & The Biggest Steppers; he was juggling between the family man with a heart of stone, and the marginalized black man with a mind of gold.
The overarching ethos of his comeback, his first double album, his first release since 2017’s DAMN. encompasses a personal journey.
For once, he didn’t carry the world on his shoulders. Instead, he saw the world’s problems like he was the enabler; he was what’s wrong.
For the most part, he reiterates the biggest of his flaws, showing us that he’s far from the idealistic role model.
Many would agree to say that this is his Life Of Pablo, referring to Kanye West’s 2016 album, where he similarly juggled between family and career.
His two children, and their mother, Whitney Alford, is present on the cover, symbolizing his newfound fulfillment, but also an answer to where he was all this time.
But the record’s chock-full about his struggles to get away from the traits that destroy him; from his lust addiction, infidelity, his daddy issues, and all his bottled trauma.
The rapper who called himself “Compton’s Human Sacrifice” greatly emphasizes it through the crown of thorns, famously worn by Jesus Christ.
He also gives way for a sense of healing, being very open about therapy. He knows that he wants to be a better partner, a better person, a better role model.
But Kendrick’s sense of meditation is not in the same vein as… I don’t know, Lecrae’s Restoration?
Though that might seem to you as the worst comparison I’ve ever done, He’s still got a long way to go from Lecrae’s resolution, as it may seem that he only acknowledges his internal problems.
But a week before the album’s release, he first released The Heart Part 5 I praised the song’s funk and soulful direction, and I even wished the album sounded like it.
Well, it didn’t, but there’s something I’d write home about.
Whereas DAMN saw Kendrick dip his toes into trap, with the help of Kodak Black and his cousin Baby Keem, he made a pool full of melodic flows and dived in it.
I find this quite significant and that many old school rap fans, who dislike Trap beats and “mumble rap”, hail Kung Fu Kenny as one of “the only real rappers left” or whatnot. Kendrick himself has stated that the sound of rap evolves. As a result, his instrumentals did quite a bit.
Not only that, but the presence of strings was quite noticeable, gorgeous at times, even. The hooks on this record vary, which does feel emblematic of this record in a way. It’s a messy process, but almost never an off-putting one.
Let’s talk about a few personal highlights in the record
The opener United in Grief is where K Dot opens up about mental health, having to be encouraged to do so by Whitney, who appears in the album.
He opens with these lines, referencing the number of days since DAMN was released.
(Tell ’em, tell ’em, tell ’em, tell ’em your — )
I’ve been goin’ through somethin’
One-thousand eight-hundred and fifty-five days
I’ve been goin’ through somethin’
Be afraid
He then talks about his career, and his hiatus since then. He then gets into detail about his wealth, opening up how rappers like him hide the pain through riches, saying “I Grieve Different!”
Poverty was the case
But the money wipin’ the tears away
It maintains continuity and is earnest thanks to Sam Dew’s hook, and as it went on being introspective, the drums crescendo into a breakneck madness.
N95 is where Kendrick challenges the listener to focus on what’s important; take off the ice, the riches, take off the namesake mask, what are you?
He uses this not to criticize the pandemic or face masks, but instead the problems that arose in the pandemic; like wealth inequality and racial tensions.
The world in a panic, the women is stranded, the men on a run
The prophets abandoned, the law take advantage, the market is crashin’, the industry wants
Niggas and bitches to sleep in a box while they makin’ a mockery followin’ us
This ain’t Monopoly, watchin’ for love, this ain’t monogamy, y’all gettin’ fucked
In here, he dawns experimental trap-laced melodies, had a variety of sick flows, and a synth line that only adds up to the fire.
Kendrick opens up about being a father in Worldwide Steppers, but you might not hear that in first listen.
He relays his intense sex addiction, recalling his times where had sex with a white woman, finding it as like retaliation against their ancestors. He somehow uses this as a bridge to talk about cancel culture and racism.
He eventually points at his own huge flaws, really pointing it out through the song’s hook:
I’m a killer, he’s a killer, she’s a killer, bitch
We some killers, walkin’ zombies, tryna scratch that itch
Germophobic, hetero and homophobic
Photoshoppin’ lies and motives
Hide your eyes, then pose for the pic
Father Time is a very gorgeous and introspective piece, starting the song outright denying therapy, because in his own words: “real n***** need no therapy.”
He details his restrained relationship with his father, and how he planted in Kendrick this idea of showing emotions as showing weakness.
But as he goes on, he generally calls out toxic and fragile masculinity in the process, though this is where we see his first sign of healing.
Sampha’s voice as the chorus of the song is just the cherry on top.
Now, let’s talk about We Cry Together.
This is very uncomfortable to listen to, even if you just sat through the whole record without looking through the lyrics. But really, it’s made that way.
It’s a heated dysfunctional dispute between Kendrick and his partner, with some even interpreting Taylour Paige’s point of view to be Hip-hop itself.
A few songs into the second album, titled Mr. Morale, we get to Silent Hill. This one caught me off guard, from the singing of Count Me Out and Crown, we got to a bit more melodic rap flow that did get appealing in a way.
Savior is where Kendrick really emphasizes Mr. Morale’s core: the people we look up to, like him, are human too.
He wants you to be real to him, to not look at him as divine guidance in society’s injustices, really relaying as that he’s no perfect activist, he’s messier than what we may think, but are we still happy for him?
“When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan?” Like he said on TPAB’s Mortal Man.
Auntie Diaries is seriously the most chaotic way possible to tackle homophobia.
Kendrick telling the story of a transgender family member, with his cousin later following suit, recalling the harshness they faced, still treating them as family while feeling guilt for being oblivious in using the f-slur too.
Kendrick also recalls a time where he slammed a white girl for singing the n-word live on stage with him.
He condemns homophobia in this track, while also uttering the f-slur, which was crazy, and wasn’t approved by many as a result.
Though in theory, it could feel like Brad Paisley and LL Cool J’s song “Accidental Racist,” is Auntie Diaries like that in practice? I can’t truly say.
You said, “Kendrick, ain’t no room for contradiction
To truly understand love, switch position
‘Faggot, faggot, faggot,’ we can say it together
But only if you let a white girl say ‘Nigga’”
Mother I Sober can be considered the album’s turning point. Having been opening up to his guilt and stories, he tackles a range of topics, shows his pure honesty and really tries to pinpoint the root of it all.
He tells the story of sexual abuse as a kid. Well, he kept trying to tell to his family that he wasn’t molested by his uncle, though later sees it as the root cause of many black families’ troubles.
He wonders how many rappers, who admit being sexually abused as a kid, would turn out if this generational curse did not exist. On the song’s climax, he then decides to break said generational curse.
While the closing track Mirror shows that he still has unfinished business. George Floyd was murdered in June 2020 by the police, which sparked riots and Black Lives Matter protests. Kendrick Lamar is no stranger to this activism, with his songs used on protests as anthems.
Many were asking, “Where was Kendrick all this time?”
The closer is where he directly responds to those people, emphasizing that this is his every day struggle, but he is not your savior. His sharp lyricism her explains for itself.
Workin’ on myself, the counselin’ is not easy
Don’t you point a finger, just to point a finger
’Cause critical thinkin’ is a deal-breaker
Faith in one man is a ship sinkingSorry I didn’t save the world, my friend
I was too busy buildin’ mine again
We see Kendrick at his most introspective, even, dare I say, vulnerable.
Sure, it’s not the master storytelling of good Kid. maad city, or the cinematic high of To Pimp a Butterfly, or even the viral hitmaker like DAMN. He has come a long way, and this was his messy message.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is the album most defining of Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. or atleast his most transparent, eager to show you this unfiltered, unhinged, and flawed side of him.
He’s honest at how flawed his stance is on his faith, seeing his trauma be justification. I wouldn’t say I’m praising him for that, I’m quite concerned actually, but more or less one can see his pure honesty in it.
One would argue it’s potent and strong in its lyrical cohesion. Sure, it’s about his personal struggles, but the album’s significance to a single person, to the world at large, is unquestionable.
There’s still lots to unpack.
This is an extended version of my album review on my Instagram: The Left Ear with Lee. Be sure to follow me on Medium and on Instagram. Thanks!
