STORY BY BRANDON GUIJARRO
PHOTO CREDIT oklama.com
STAFF WRITER
Kendrick Lamar has announced his highly anticipated new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which will be released on May 13th.
Lamar shared the news on Twitter with a link to his oklama.com website with a letter. “The following statement was released today by oklama, through his company pgLang at 11:00 am PT in Los Angeles, CA: Al- bum: “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Release date: 5/13/2022. All factual in- formation for this release will come directly from this source only.”
Following the announcement of his new album, a new folder surfaced on Lamar’s oklama.com website which showed a book titled “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” with two CD’s in his hand. One CD “Steppers” and the other “Morale” which could be hinting at a possible double album, though it is not confirmed.
Lamar first teased the album in August 2021 in a letter through his oklama website which also stated this would be his last album under his current record label TDE, who he has been with since 2004.
“As I produce my final TDE Album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Broth- erhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. – oklama.”
In March 2020, Lamar announced on social media that he was launching pgLang, “ a new multi-lingual, at service company. It is not a “record label”, a “movie studio”, or a “publishing house.” This is something new,” with long- time collaborator Dave Free.
Mr. Morale & Big Steppers will be Kendrick La- mar’s fifth studio album after five years since releasing DAMN in 2017 which won a grammy for Best Rap Album and received the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018, becoming the first rapper to win the award.
The Pulitzer Board called DAMN, “a virtuosic, song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
“I’m very excited for the album, it’s his first one in five years and when artists take long to drop projects, you know it’s going to be something special,” said student Matthew Ramirez.
Lamar’s most recent musical appearance came with Baby Keem on his “Melodic Blue” in 2021 being featured on songs “Range Brothers” and “Family Ties”, which took home the Grammy for Best Rap Performance. La- mar also performed at Superbowl LVI halftime show, came out as a guest appearance with Baby Keem at this year’s Coachella, and will be a headliner for Rolling Loud Miami 2022.
According to HITS Daily Double, “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” is expected to debut at No.1 in the US while also expecting to sell 350,000 units in its first week.
Fans are not sure what to expect from Kendrick Lamar’s new album, especially after five long years of waiting. But if there is one thing about Lamar, he will not disappoint to bring a whole new experience to this album, which could be another classic added to his discography.
