Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

Released
 Recorded
 Studio
* Circle House (Miami)
* EastWest (Los Angeles)
* IGA (Santa Monica)
* Larrabee Sound(North Hollywood)
* LVRN (Atlanta)
* No Excuses (Santa Monica)
* No Name (Tarzana)
* Other Islands (Miami Beach)
* Stellar House (Los Angeles)
* Shangri-La (Malibu)
* United (Los Angeles)
 Genre
 Length
 Label
* TDE
* Aftermath
 Producer
* Baby Keem
* Beach Noise
* Bekon
* Boi-1da
* Cardo
* Craig Balmoris
* DJ Dahi
* DJ Khalil
* The Donuts
* Duval Timothy
* Frano
* Grandmaster Vic
* Jahaan Sweet
* J. Lbs
* Oklama
* Pharrell Williams
* Sounwave
* Tae Beast
* Al Shux
* Omer Fedi
* Blake Slatkin

2. "N95"Released: May 20, 2022
3. "Silent Hill"Released: May 31, 2022
4. "Die Hard"Released: August 9, 2022

***Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*** is the fifth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on May 13, 2022, by PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The double album is Lamar's first studio album release since *Damn* (2017), his first album release under his creative collective PGLang, and his final project with TDE (under which he released four albums and was one of their flagship artists).

The album features narration by Whitney Alford and Eckhart Tolle, and guest appearances from Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, 24kGoldn, Lil Baby, Beth Gibbons of Portishead, and Blackbear. Lamar, who executive produced the album under the pseudonym Oklama, reunited with frequent collaborators Sounwave, J. Lbs, DJ Dahi, Al Shux, and Bekon for the majority of the album's production.

Upon release, *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Lamar's lyricism and the album's scope, although a few found it inconsistent. The album has so far spawned four singles: "Somebody", "N95", "Silent Hill", and "Die Hard". It debuted at number one on the US *Billboard* 200, becoming Lamar's fourth US number-one album.

## Background

In December 2020, the Roskilde Festival announced that Kendrick Lamar would be headlining the festival in 2021, noting that "new material [was] on the way". In an August 2021 blog post, Lamar announced that he was in the process of producing his final album under Top Dawg Entertainment, writing:

> I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone. Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next. As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling. There's beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I've prayed for you all. See you soon enough.
>
>

## Recording

> Rap has truly helped my expansion of self. Beyond the perception of who I believed to be. [...] Music is air to a young African-American at this point. Mr. Morale, the catalyst of my self-expression.
> —
>
>

Lamar described *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*' songwriting as material he's written in the past that's "just now seeing daylight" due to his own personal insecurities. He and his longtime producer, Sounwave, began recording the album in early 2019 during a week-long brainstorming session in London; the only song from the session that made it onto the album was "Father Time". Both Lamar and Sounwave described making the album as "one of the toughest creative processes imaginable" due to Lamar's privacy, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deaths of Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant.

During recording sessions, Lamar shielded the album away from most of his family members because he didn't want their influence or feelings to override his own; had he told them about it, then "them shits would've never came out." Sounwave admitted that there were times during the album's creation where "I was almost ready to give up music. Not going to lie to you. I was that lost and that down 'cause there was nobody dropping music and nothing coming out to inspire you." In an attempt to "stay alive and keep my hope alive in music," he took on an A&R position for both *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* and Baby Keem's *The Melodic Blue* (2021).

Lamar credits becoming a father as what made him "question everything the most." When *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* was nearing completion in May 2021, he contemplated scrapping the project because of how personal it was. He ultimately released the album because of how beneficial it would be for his children in the future.

## Music and lyrical themes

*Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* is a double album consisting of 18 songs split into two sections of nine tracks. Primarily a conscious hip hop record with minimalist production, the album contains elements of free jazz, funk, psychedelic jazz, blues, quiet storm, R&B, soul, trap and West Coast hip hop. Its lyrics provides an independent viewpoint that explores themes such as childhood and generational trauma, lust addiction, infidelity, accountability, therapy, religion, gender identity, fatherhood, fake news, celebrity idolization, and cancel culture.

Much of the album was produced by Lamar's frequent collaborators Sounwave, J. Lbs, DJ Dahi, Al Shux, and Bekon. Other production contributions came from Boi-1da, Baby Keem, Jahann Sweet, The Donuts, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin, Tae Beast, FRND, The Alchemist, and Pharrell Williams, amongst others. Lamar's longtime partner, Whitney Alford, and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle are credited as narrators of several tracks. Songwriting contributions came from a variety of artists such as singer-songwriter Sam Dew, production team Beach Noise, and pianist Duval Timothy, in addition to Thundercat, Tommy Paxton-Beesley, and Homer Steinweiss.

### Songs

In "Auntie Diaries", Lamar recollects a story concerning his transgender uncle and cousin, while referencing issues regarding societal and religious views of gay and trans individuals and those who associate with the LGBTQ+ community. The eighth track, "We Cry Together", samples Florence and the Machine's song "June". Lyrically, it revolves around a heated argument enacted by Lamar and actress Taylour Paige.

## Release and promotion

Lamar formally announced the album and its release date on April 18, 2022, through a PGLang-headed letter. Following the announcement, his website was updated with a new page entitled "The Heart", containing 399 empty computer folders. On May 3, Lamar confirmed that the project would be a double album by sharing a photo of the album's master copy. He released the promotional single "The Heart Part 5", the fifth installment to his "The Heart" song series, on May 8, with an accompanying music video. On May 11, he revealed the album's cover. The album was released on CD on May 27.

### Singles

On January 26, 2022, Lamar released a music video for "Somebody"; the song was sent to an American contemporary hit radio on December 9, 2021, as the album's lead single. The song is featured on the soundtrack for the 2022 Cartoon Network animated film *Billy & Mandy The Movie: The Quest of the Diamonds*. On May 14, 2022, Lamar released a music video for "N95"; the song was sent to an Italian contemporary hit radio on May 20, as the album's second single. "Silent Hill" was serviced to American rhythmic radio formats on May 31, 2022. "Die Hard" was sent to American rhythmic contemporary radio on August 9, 2022, as the album's fourth single.

### Tour

*Main article: The Big Steppers Tour*
On May 13, 2022, following and in promotion of the album's release, Lamar announced a 74-date concert tour, The Big Steppers Tour which will visit the United States, Canada, Europe, and Oceania. Baby Keem and Tanna Leone will join as the opening acts on all three legs of the tour.

## Critical reception

*Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 26 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Ben Bryant of *The Independent* called the album a "tender opus from the defining poet of his generation", writing, "The rapper's first album in five years is a haunting and surprising meditation on fatherhood and family". In a five-star review for *The Guardian*, Alexis Petridis praised the themes, lyricism and style. Robin Murray from *Clash* enjoyed the album, saying, "*Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* is one of his most profound, complex, revelatory statements yet, a double album fuelled by sonic ambition, the will to communicate, and Kendrick's staunch refusal to walk the easy path". Steve Loftin of *The Line of Best Fit* said, "It being one so vulnerable and exposing (including using his family for the artwork), stripping the skin down to the bone, is bold, beautiful, but most importantly, a reminder that an artist like Kendrick Lamar is once in a generation". Reviewing the album for *NME*, Kyann-Sian Williams stated, "The rapper's first album in five years sees him overcome 'writer's block' to triumph with a collection on which his observational skills go into overdrive". Rob Moura of *PopMatters* said, "On *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*, renowned rapper Kendrick Lamar observes the strife plaguing his kingdom and consciously abdicates the throne". Writing for *Exclaim!*, Riley Wallace stated, "Kendrick Lamar lets it all out, and even if it's the last time we hear from him in this form, he's metaphorically put his whole heart on the table, with yet another body of work worthy of multiple spins and endless dissection". Fred Thomas from AllMusic also stated that "While not always an easy listen, the album shows more of its intention as it goes, and ultimately makes sense as the next logical step forward in Lamar's increasingly multi-dimensional artistic evolution".

In a four-star review for *The Daily Telegraph*, Will Pritchard praised the album's concept and the Kendrick's ability to take "big swings" on songs such as "Father Time" and "Worldwide Steppers". Pritchard lightly criticized the "occasional blip" on the album, citing the command to "stop tap dancing around the conversation" in "We Cry Together" as the album's most obvious misstep. In a positive review, *Pitchfork*'s Stephen Kearse said, "On his fifth album, Kendrick retreats from the limelight and turns to himself, highlighting his insecurities and beliefs. It's ambitious, impressive, and a bit unwieldy". *Rolling Stone* critic Jeff Ihaza said, "The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper spends much of his fifth studio album deconstructing his own mythology. The result is at moments brilliant but on the whole, frustratingly uneven". In a more mixed review, MiloRuggles of Sputnikmusic praised the album's writing and performance, but criticized the production and perceived lack of cohesion, stating that "the instrumentals rarely serve the performances they exist to enhance", and that "the listening experience is defined by languorous stretches between big moments, and becomes more of an exercise in patience than an engaging and enlivening journey". Jon Caramanica of *The New York Times* opined that "*Mr. Morale* is probably Lamar's least tonally consistent work", "rangy and structurally erratic, full of mid-song beat switches, sorrowful piano and a few moments of dead air".

### Controversy

The inclusion of rapper Kodak Black on the album garnered controversy due to him having been accused of rape in 2016 and pleading guilty to first-degree assault and battery. While "Auntie Diaries" was met with praise from critics and some transgender listeners, the song was also met with heavy criticism due to Lamar's repeated usage of "faggot", in addition to deadnaming and misgendering his trans relatives and the American media personality Caitlyn Jenner.

### Industry awards

Awards and nominations for *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*
 BET Hip Hop Awards
 2023
 Best Rap Abum

## Commercial performance

Upon release, *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* received the largest first day streams of 2022 on Apple Music, garnering over 60 million streams. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the *Billboard* 200 chart, opening with 295,000 album-equivalent units that consisted of 35,000 album sales and 258,000 streaming units (calculated from the 343.02 million on-demand streams the album's tracks received). *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers* became Lamar's fourth number-one album in the country, and was the largest opening week for an album in 2022 at the time. The album became the first hip hop album of 2022 to reach one billion streams on Spotify.

## Track listing

***Big Steppers***

Side one
* Sam Dew
* Mark Spears
* Jason Pounds
* Duval Timothy
* Matt Schaeffer
* Johnny Kosich
* Jake Kosich
* Timothy Maxey
* Sounwave
* J. Lbs
* Duval Timothy
* Beach Noise
* Tim Maxey
* Dew
* Matthew Samuels
* Spears
* Jahaan Sweet
* Hykeem Carter
* Sounwave
* Sweet
* Baby Keem
* Dew
* Spears
* Donte Perkins
* Pounds
* Vincent Crane
* Pat Darnell
* Phillip Hunt
* Tae Beast
* J. Lbs
* Matthew Burdette
* Amanda Reifer
* Dew
* Stephen Bruner
* Victor Ekpo
* Spears
* Dacoury Natche
* Carter
* Pounds
* Michael Mulé
* Isaac De Boni
* Marvin Eugene Smith
* Robert T. "Bob" Smith
* DJ Dahi
* Baby Keem
* J. Lbs
* FnZ
* Sampha Sisay
* Spears
* Natche
* Schaeffer
* Jo. Kosich
* Ja. Kosich
* Daniel Tannenbaum
* Timothy
* Ekpo
* Kennis Jones
* DJ Dahi
* Beach Noise
* Bekon
* Timothy
* Grandmaster Vic

Side two
* Dew
* Timothy
* Dew
* Spears
* Natche
* Frano Huett
* A. Thomas
* D. Dennis
* G. Jackson
* M. Hall
* DJ Dahi
* Frano
* Daniel Maman
* Pounds
* Tannenbaum
* Florence Welch
* Gary Peacock
* J. Lbs
* Bekon
* Summer Walker
* Dennis Coles
* Dew
* Anthony Dixson
* Spears
* Khalil Abdul-Rahman
* Pounds
* Schaffer
* Jo. Kosich
* Ja. Kosich
* DJ Khalil
* J. Lbs
* Beach Noise
 Total length:

***Mr. Morale***

Side three
* Dew
* Spears
* Natche
* Pounds
* Sounwave
* DJ Dahi
* J. Lbs
* Maxey
* Dew
* Timothy
* Kapri
* Samuels
* Spears
* Sweet
* Schaeffer
* Jo. Kosich
* Ja. Kosich
* Sounwave
* Sweet
* Beach Noise
* Carter
* Spears
* Pounds
* Sounwave
* J. Lbs
* Dew
* Tannenbaum
* Spears
* Ronald LaTour
* Pounds
* Mario Luciano
* Tobias Breuer
* Tommy Paxton-Beesley
* J. Lbs
* Sounwave
* Oklama
* Luciano
* Rascal

Digital bonus track
* Jo. Kosich
* Schaeffer
* Ja. Kosich
* Leon Ware
* Arthur Ross

**Notes**

* **^[a]** signifies a co-producer
* **^[b]** signifies an additional producer

**Sample credits**

* "Worldwide Steppers" contains samples of "Break Through", written by Vincent Crane and Pat Darnell, as performed by The Funkees; contains samples of "Look Up Look Down", written by Phillip Hunt, as performed by Soft Touch; and contains an uncredited excerpt from the clip "When There is No Cheese at the Cookout", as performed by Radel Ortiz.
* "Die Hard" contains a sample of "Remember the Rain", written by Marvin Eugene Smith, as performed by Kadhja Bonet; and contains a sample of "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop", written by Robert T. Smith, as performed by Little Anthony and the Imperials.
* "Father Time" contains samples of "You're Not There", written by Kennis Jones, as performed by Hoskins 'NCrowd.
* "We Cry Together" contains a sample of "June", written by Florence Welch, as performed by Florence and the Machine; and contains samples of "Valentine", written by Gary Peacock, as performed Gary Peacock, Art Lande, and Eliot Zigmund.
* "Crown" contains samples of "Through the Night", as performed by Duval Timothy.
* "Savior" contains samples of "Hypnotized", written by Tommy Paxton-Beesley, as performed by River Tiber.
* "Mr. Morale" contains an uncredited excerpt from the clip "Dallas Cowboys look pathetic vs the Seahawks", as performed by Josh Shango, courtesy of *The Dallas Cowboy Show*.
* "Somebody" contains a sample of "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Theme" written by Gregory Hinde and Drew Neumann.
* "The Heart Part 5" interpolates "I Want You", written by Leon Ware and Arthur Ross, as performed by Marvin Gaye.

## Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

**Musicians**

* Amanda Reifer – vocals (4)
* Anneston Pisayavong – choir (10)
* Baby Keem – drums (4), vocals (13, 14)
* Bekon – bass (5, 18), keyboards (5, 15, 18), strings (15, 18), background vocals (15, 18), percussion (18)
* Beth Gibbons – featured vocals (17)
* Blxst – vocals (4)
* Brenton Calvin Lockett – choir (10)
* Bryce Xavier – choir (10)
* Daniel Krieger – guitar (15, 18)
* Danny McKinnon – guitar (10), bass (10)
* Denise Stoudmire – choir arranger (10)
* DJ Dahi – programming (5, 7, 18), bass (7), percussion (7), drums (10, 18), background vocals (10)
* Duval Timothy – piano (1, 5, 6, 11)
* Eckhart Tolle – narration (10, 13, 16)
* Florence Welch – sampled vocals (8)
* Frano – keyboards (7), programming (7)
* Ghostface Killah – vocals (9)
* Grandmaster Vic – strings (4, 17)
* Homer Steinweiss – drums (15)
* Kendrick Lamar – vocals (1–5, 7–12, 14–19)
* Kodak Black – narration (3, 18), vocals (6, 12)
* Immryr LoBasso Spencer – choir (10)
* Jaheen King Tombs – choir (10)
* J. Lbs – bass (10)
* 24kGoldn – vocals (19)
* Lil Baby – vocals (19)
* Blackbear – vocals (19)
* Mike Larsen – programming (16)
* Paris Burton – choir (10)
* Sam Dew – background vocals (7), vocals (14)
* Sampha – featured vocals (5), background vocals (6)
* Sounwave – drums (5, 7, 18, 19), programming (18, 19)
* Stuart Johnson – percussion (18)
* Summer Walker – vocals (9)
* Sydney Bourne – choir (10)
* Tanna Leone – vocals (16)
* Taylour Paige – vocals (8)
* Thundercat – bass (4, 17)
* Whitney Alford – narration (1, 5, 8)

**Technical**

* Ray Charles Brown Jr. – engineer (1, 3–9, 11–15, 17)
* Jonathan Turner – engineer (1, 3–7, 9, 11–13, 15, 17–19)
* Matt Schaeffer (Beach Noise) – engineer (1–5, 8–9, 12, 15, 17–19)
* Johnny Kosich (Beach Noise) – engineer (1, 4–5, 15, 19)
* James Hunt – engineer (5, 14, 15, 19)
* Derek Garcia – engineer (6, 8, 12)
* Raymond J. Scavo III – engineer (9)
* Andrew Boyd – engineer (14), assistant engineer (1–12, 15–17)
* Chad Gordon – engineer (15)
* Matt Anthony – engineer (15, 18, 19)
* Sedrick Moore II – assistant engineer (1, 2, 5)
* Wesley Seidman – assistant engineer (4, 12, 18, 19)
* Brandon Wood – assistant engineer (5, 8)
* Kaushlesh "Gary" Purohit – assistant engineer (5)
* Rob Bisel – assistant engineer (5)
* Tristan Bott – assistant engineer (5, 8)
* Erwing Olivares – assistant engineer (6)
* Logan Haynes – assistant engineer (8)
* Evan Fulcher – assistant engineer (9)
* Johnny Morgan – assistant engineer (11, 18, 19)
* Hannah Kacmarsky – assistant engineer (15)
* Thomas Warren – assistant engineer (15)
* Zach Acosta – assistant engineer (15)
* Manny Marroquin – mixer (1–7, 9–19)
* Cyrus "Nois" Taghipour – mixer (8)
* Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixer (8)
* Anthony Vilchis – assistant mixer (1–7, 9–19)
* Trey Station – assistant mixer (1–7, 9–19)
* Zach Pereyra – assistant mixer (1–7, 9–19)
* Brandon Blatz – assistant mixer (8)
* Curtis "Sircuit" Bye – assistant mixer (8)
* Michelle Mancini – mastering

**Miscellaneous**

* Kendrick Lamar – executive production (as Oklama), creative direction
* Dr. Dre – executive production
* Dave Free – creative direction
* Renell Medrano – album photography
* Chris Burnett – album design and layout

## Certifications

Certifications for *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*
 New Zealand (RMNZ)
 United Kingdom (BPI)

## Release history

Release dates and formats for *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*
* TDE
* Aftermath
* Interscope
 May 27, 2022

## See also

* 2022 in hip hop music
* List of number-one albums of 2022 (Australia)
* List of number-one albums of 2022 (Canada)
* List of number-one albums from the 2020s (New Zealand)
* List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2022
* List of *Billboard* 200 number-one albums of 2022