Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers Album Review
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2022
- There are a few rappers right now that can cause the entire hip hop community to pause when they drop a new project. Kendrick Lamar is definitely one of them. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is Kendrick's 5th album and his last to be released on TDE. The label that he's repped since his appearance on the scene in 2011. This new album might be his most controversial piece of work yet as it seems to, simultaneously, be getting for his guts to be vulnerable while also getting criticism for his choices concerning problematic features and language. So what does all this mean? Does the album suffer due to these choices? Or is this the same old Kendrick that we've all grown to love? And what does this mean for TDE moving forward? Listen to the fellas discuss it and then leave your thoughts in the comment section!
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KBinge taught you to troll but he is not your savior. Beezy430 can be quiet for 2 hrs and still be hilarious, but is not your savior. Feefo knows if it bumps in the whip, but he is not your savior. Myke C-Town can listen to black metal and Katy Perry within 10 minutes, but he is not your savior
👑👑
GOAT comment
They need to pin this!!
😂 Love this comment bro 💯
Rod can make wonderful edits, But he is not your savior. Sophie taught you how to be a savage, but she is not your savior.
Kendrick said it best himself. “So the next time I talk about money, hoes, clothes, God and history
All in the same sentence
Just know I meant it, and you felt it
Cause you too are searching for answers
I'm not the next pop star, I'm not the next socially aware rapper
I am a human motherfucking being over dope ass instrumentation”
Did he say this in a song or nah ?
@@christopherjohnson577 He raps this on Ab-Soul's Outro on Section 8.0
“Now fuck em up Terrace”
Like I need an excuse to listen to this track again. “What’s your life about, enlighten me. Is you gon live on your knees or die on your feet?”
an absolute classic
Shoutout to Myke for explaining the difference between cancel culture and accountability. Kodak, R Kelly, Harvey W, they weren’t cancelled, it’s called the law. There’s a difference between making bad taste jokes and sexual assault
Exactly, that is why cancle culture should be irrelevant. You said it yourself. We have laws in place for those actions. Cancle culture at this point feels like word jail...we don't like what you say. so lose your lively hood and ability to socialize with others. It's destructive and helps nothing.
And another point he makes a lot, no one has actually been "cancelled" because Kodak still booking shows, dropping music, and making bread
@@louisgregoire3927 well that what makes it cancel culture…it’s just bitching complaining on the internet.
Exactly that. The only times ppl have been "cancelled" have been when what they're accused and/or found guilty of was something illegal. There's truth to saying the court of public opinion and reactionary social politics has made creatives in the public eye weary of what they say, but imo even if ppl are being overly sensitive or overly judgmental it's necessary. There's been untold years of awful, abusive, manipulative, exploitative, etc. people getting away with foul, heinous, illegal and immoral acts. It's a necessary part of the healing process for creatives to feel uncomfortable and spooked about their actions and words
This album was masterfully put together and masterfully executed for me, even despite some of the confused mixed messaging, because at a minimum it forces topics people are all too willing to ignore into the mainstream of hip-hop and black culture. Part of talking about homophobia, transphobia, and rape culture in black culture will encompass reconciling problematic views from family, loved ones, friends, and ourselves. Attempting to always seem PC does next to nothing to influence those who actually need to hear these messages, those who actually harbor bigoted views (whether passive or active)
These are the same people that are kobe and 2pacs fans who where also accused of rape but for some reason Kodak is where y’all draw the line not condoning rape at all it’s sick but drawling the line a Kodak while praising kobe and pac is crazy
Btw, Feefo broke this down excellently with his comparisons of looking into the mirror while listening to this album and being uncomfortable by your own shortcomings expressed through Kendrick’s writing.
Nobody wants to fucking feel like they’re a shitty boyfriend, a cheater, a liar, a fraud, a broken man-child with daddy issues.
Nobody wants to admit that at some point in their life they were fucking bigots about one thing or another (no matter what the fucking internet says). Nobody wants to face the truths this album is dishing out. I get so close to crying so often throughout this album, even after multiple listens. This thing is powerful, man
Spoken like a real one
The fact that this man made a mainstream career in music of conceptual storytelling albums in hip hop is something so amazing. Shout out to you guys for this review.
No shade but Lupe been doing that
@@mafiosotruely i don't know if Lupe mainstream like Kendrick. It's 4 straight huge albums world wide. There's a Pulitzer in the middle of that... To be honest, here in Brazil, Lupe was never big like that (even tho I LOVE LUPE)
@@mafiosotruely only mainstream thing he got is lasers lol
@@pdt8555 lol sure bro. The Cool was very mainstream. Superstar with Matthew Santos was all over the radio. And on late night I heard Paris, Tokyo as well.
@@kss777able f and l and the cool was super mainstream he won grammies
In reference to Father Time, I think Kendrick is thankful for his father being there but had come to terms that he does have issues as a whole.
Agree. He probably didn’t realize he had those issues until he became a father himself; let alone in a relationship with Whitney.
I’m with Feefo 100%.......... this album is too heavy to casually bump aside from 1-2 songs. This is one of those albums you have to play from front to back, it’s like a film or a play.
You can bump N95, Silent Hill, Savior, Purple Hearts, and Die Hard without listening to the full album. The rest kind of depends on if you're by yourself or got people in the car with you.
@@thefinessekid9335 Exactly, all those songs are accessible, and more radio friendly (especially Die Hard). N95 and Count Me out are BANGERS. The Are you happy for me song (I think it's Savior) slaps too
@@thefinessekid9335 and Mr Morale
Yeah its weird to say that but a lot of these songs feel lacking when you listen to them on their own but when you start piecing every little bit that connects each song together (e.g. the narration of the therapist, the tap dancing sounds, the stories that are being shared about his personal experience from different parts of his life or perspectives or his take on issues as an outside observer) its like you’re listening to a lyrical audiobook.
Also want to add:
Father Time is both an incredibly emotional song about his flawed relationship with his dad and an absolute banger. Its probably my favorite track off this record.
I don’t think that We Cry Together is simply about a toxic relationship, I think it’s about the relationship between men and women in society nowadays. Firstly, he started off by saying “this is what the world sounds like”, and secondly, it’s clear that some of the lyrics don’t apply to one man or woman.
That's interesting. Yeah, I can agree with that.
I also think it delved into this deeply ingrained prejudice that both sexes have towards eachother. Men have prejudices towards women based on stereotypes, and women have the same towards men. I feel like a big theme on this album is that, as humans, we're all fucked up, we all contradict ourselves, we're all hypocrites and we all have good and bad sides, and it's 100% true
The first thing I thought when I heard this was "this sounds like the fights on Twitter"
I think this is a way too shallow take and kinda glosses over the rest of the album and it also doesn’t make sense with the ending (Twitter fights doesn’t end in sex). I think to fit in with the whole therapy session, owning up to past mistakes and hurt people hurt people it’s that this toxic moment is finding some justification for you being mad, it’s not just that you’re acting childish; your attitude is why people forgive Kelly and let Weinstein continue to rape women (which has nothing to do with why you’re mad at your boo) but you can’t distance all these external influences to what matters (the relationship) where now you’re out to hurt the other and trying to find every justification for doing so.
Good points
I wish y’all talked more about United In Grief cause it was crazy how Kendrick rapped over those drums. Great review as always
Yeah it's my favorite production on the whole album. The swell at the end hits so hard
Fucking love that track 💯
I love that track. Right at the start of the album too
u never listened to dnb or jungle? ppl rap over similar drums
@@FirstnameLastname-nd9wx nah actually, any recommendations?
34:00 Myke called what Drake would do
and its funny how they think its low blow but his fans hyped it
i was just about to say that haha
I can only imagine Kendrick’s heavy state of mind when writing this project. To sit in your truth and deconstruct personal traumas is never ever easy so I can only commend Kendrick for pouring his heart out in the way that he did. As Feefo said, this album transcends Hip Hop, this album is truly an amazing body of work.
This album sounds like it was not fun to make lmao such a well thought out and beautiful project though. But it sounds so tough to write about yourself like that
Myke is ALWAYS on point with his input goddamn. So insightful, especially when they were talking about Auntie Diaries. Fire review
I had to skip his parts Im not looking at that mask the whole time
@@guccidonbuzzflightyear4440 What do you do during Halloween?
Nicolas Rage hopefully people don’t dress as covidiots for Halloween
@@guccidonbuzzflightyear4440 cry
@@guccidonbuzzflightyear4440 you know we can see all your stupid comments about his mask across all the videos, obsessed much
I can’t believe they didn’t say one word about count me out. It’s the part in the album where he has the breakthrough, the epiphany of what he has to change in his life to reconcile his trauma
I love that song
@@Ky-go1wj it’s so good. The beginning is beautiful with the baseline and the choir. Probably favorite song on the album along with Mr. Morale
I totally agree, that is my fav song on the album.
His most ambitious album imo. To deconstruct your whole artistic persona like this and breakdown why you’re a fraud and a phony and just as immoral as those who look up to you to better themselves… over production like this… it’s just fantastic to me. To set it all up in a double album concept pre-therapeutic breakthrough and post-therapeutic breakthrough… there’s 0 doubt in my mind that we’ll look at this album in 10 years the same way we look at TPAB now. What an artistic run. Even though Kendrick downplays his efforts to make a positive societal impact, you’d be hard-pressed to make a case that his work didn’t move us as a collective closer to universal righteousness
I don't think it's going to be appreciated as it should at least for the next 5-10 years. It's an album you have to listen to from beginning to end. The thing I hate is fans wanted Kendrick to bring it and he did. It seems like a lot of people are backtracking now and doing the whole “we didn't mean for him to bring it like that.” Dude exposed his whole soul and all anyone seems to care about are singles.
Universal righteousness is a stretch though
@@tariq3063 millimeters closer
🏆
Interesting how Kendrick asked in Mortal Man on TPAB "When shit hit the fan is you still a fan?" and we now have people 'cancelling' him as an artist for his inclusion of Kodak on this album.
🗣
It's just human nature
Good point. Attention to detail
whats wrong with people not wantin to mess with him anymore because of that. feels like this implies an example of how fickle fans but i dont think thats a good one.
kendrick made a conscious decision to include kodak, and imagine if you had a history of assault in your past, and one of your favorite rappers essentially co signs someone who has a history of abuse. thats not an example of shit hitting the fan, kendrick invited scrunity when he did made that decision on his own. there's a reason a discussion came about how he threatened to take his catalog off of Spotify if they removed X and R Kelly.
this conscious rapper has the opportunity to take a stance that mightve meant something, but he sides with his kin (artists) as if losing a sponsorship cause your image hurts the brand is worth defending. if you worked at a cubicle and did something that was bad for the company's reputation in any normal situation youd get fired. but kendrick used his resources and position to save two artiss who also have a history of abuse. which is an example of how people like that get so many second chances plenty of people who dont have power and friends with leverage would otherwise never get away with.
this doesnt mean you have to cancel kendrick, or not be a fan anymore, but its not weird for someone somewhere in the world to not fuck with these decisions that a rapper that prides themself on being conscious would make. its a worthy criticism.
It’s like you didn’t watch or listen to the back half of the video. He knew what would happen putting Kodak on this album, and he knows the consequences of it. And he does not care about it. So he’ll be fine.
That’s not cancel culture.
It’s like some of y’all get cancel culture and accountability mixed up.
I appreciate Myke's measured perspective on the Kodak issue, cancel culture vs firm accountability, etc.
I can understand Kendrick's propensity and willingness to be on front street in saying "we're all human-flawed, f*cked up, and corrupted, even the most righteous of us all."
But we also have to respect those who see a serious problem with Kendrick (given his typical content and the topics he's always addressed) including somebody with the ugly history of someone like Kodak. Not only including him, but making him an integral part of the album. I'm 1000% sure Kendrick expected this response, though and he accepts both sides of it.
And honestly, his entire plea with this album is for fans to stop looking at him as some anointed savior of rap and society, and start looking at him as just like us. No better and no worse. I think this album humanized him in ways we rarely see with artists of his stature. I gotta respect that.
I never understood the pedestal he was put on as human being as opposed to his rapping ability
@@MattMatrixJohnson me neither
I think Kendrick _does_ have a good relationship with his pops, overall. Even great parents do or say the wrong thing sometimes. That type of toxic masculinity is something I think we all grow up having to face as men, even if it's not being reinforced all the time at home. It doesn't mean we don't have to grow past those things to become mature adults.
Two things can be true at the same time. I actually heard someone say Father Time "cancels out" Duckworth... smh 🤦♂️ Man, sometimes people can be so simple in their thinking!
I agree
Yea def didn’t think he had a bad relationship with his dad off Father Time. Sounds like how we were all raised by the men in our lives, rather it’s from their dad, friends, uncles and outside influences
Yeah it's like how FEAR goes hand in hand with the calls in GKMC + Mother I Sober
"I am all of us." May the brilliance and wisdom of kendrick not go over our heads. Our culture has to find a balance between accountability and radical Empathy. No matter how heinous the crime/offense.
"Worldwide steppers(killers)" speaks to this, especially the end of the last verse. Reminds me of the 'crime and punishment' section in the book "the prophet" by Khalil Gibran. He says:
“But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which his in each one of you, So the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.”
If this ends up being Kendrick’s last album in life (and it won’t be) I think it would sum up his discography as perfect 5/5. All of his past traumas and mistakes as a man/human was fully displayed on this album and it’s a pure masterpiece.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he won Album of The Year at the Grammy’s next year.
The last track where he says “I Choose Me” is perfect closure for him. Honestly I don’t think Kendrick has anything else left to give in album form. He could rap and give features for the rest of his life like Jay-Z lol
Idk about all of his past but the newest glimpse we got was heavy
Another thing to think about is the fact that the people that still listen to Kodak are the people that probably need to hear Kendrick's message even more than his own fans.
A lot more growth can happen if it reaches a different audience.
Excellent point. That would make sense with how much he’s on this album.
I understand why it's so divisive but I love this album... This is Kendrick at his most vulnerable point, which is saying a lot. Sonically it's diverse, grand in certain songs and very muted in others. Man this is a great project and I'm sure it'll only grow on me even more! Kendrick track record is crazy and I can't wait to see what he has in store for 2027 lmao
Bruh, 2027... Watch he call his next album Detox 😂
Yeah he’s not putting out another album for another 5 at least
You're probably joking, but I see a lot of people who seem to think he'll take 5 years again to drop more music. I doubt that. I think him being on his own "label" would want him to do more for it more frequently. Also, I don't think will get hit with a pandemic that'll delay things like COVID did in 2020. Maybe, I'm being hopefull, I guess time will tell.
@@kashstory I don’t think it’ll be 5 years before we hear him on a song again, but I don’t think it’s terribly far fetched to think we don’t get another full length album for that amount of time. He said it himself on mirror! Plus I know he has things in the works outside of music. He just seems to be wearing many different hats at this point. And the positive but still criticized drop here makes me think he might distant himself further. Idk we will see
@@jackvoigt6794 Yeah, it's not terribly far-fetched. But when push comes to shove what are you betting on? That he'll take 5 or more years to drop another project or nah?
The contradictions in this album don't necessarily bother me but they do make me an active, rather than a passive listener. I really enjoy the rawness of this album lyrically. My favorites might be Worldwide Steppers, Silent Hill or Mr. Morale but I have a feeling that that'll change with every listen. We Cry Together is insane too.
Myke makes a great point about the critique Kendrick gets. I do think it's healthy that we as listeners care enough to really break it down like this.
Contradictions are part of the human experience, I believe this album is expressing all those feelings you would have during a therapy session
ua-cam.com/video/cXeXvoDRkZ0/v-deo.html
@@ManessahIsrael All humans are living contradictions. There are various aspects of human nature
@@ManessahIsrael Most humans are contradictory, culture or not. Most people have ideas about themselves that do not conform to their actual personalities or actions.
@@justlooking1087 theyre not going to see the contradict in their statement
I feel you on “We Cry Together” Rod. My first listen was on the way to work the morning it dropped and when that song came on I had to lower it at every red light lmao.
Edit: Also I think the point of Kendrick misgendering his Uncle is because every time he switched from she/he, it represents past/present. Great track.
I was gonna say the same thing about past/present, he does that with his auntie, namedropping Bruce Jenner, and replacing the f-word with actually saying "the f-word."
Looool same, i was driving Just thinking some shit, not really listening to the song and when thst part started i was like "yo, what im listening to"
@@louisgregoire3927 Very well put, both of you... in a song, with no visuals, that's the only way he could do it without confusing listeners, far as I can tell - especially when he's talking about two family members, one born male and another female!
As Prof. Skye basically said in his review, do you want someone who's "perfect" in their political correctness, or someone who's gonna affect change?!?
I do that every time at RED LIGHT
That’s crazy! Lol I turn it up louder… I even played it at work and ppl were Shazamming the song
In the last part between Rod and Myke on Auntie Diaries, I think one further question or point is that Kendrick (like many other Mellinials around his age) has transitioned from a culture where they did, in fact, not know any better to now where lgbtqia+ slurs have evolved to become full-fledged slurs (for reference, many 90s/early 2000s popular media and even sitcom TV shows used them freely without censor). Eminem did not come from any era nor environment that it was ever ok for him to say the n word. That's what makes the nuance much more impactful, I think.
This. As a 32 year old white man with 2 gay cousins I'm close with, this song resonated with me in a different way. Growing up in the 90s and 2000s we used slurs and called everyone and everything g*y. But I never used it as a derogatory term and didn't realize the harm it did, because even as a kid my cousins were just my cousins that liked boys. I never had any issues with it but it always messed me up when grown ass people did.
hearing people with a solid hip-hop frame of reference speak about this album intellectually and with nuance is so refreshing, as all we've been getting are emotional knee-jerk reactions. i, too, love this album, flaws and all, and thank it's going to be a very important album within the span of hip-hop as time passes.
Y’all cannot have missed this one. Kendrick didn’t get the idea for “We Cry Together” from Poetic Justice. it’s obvious he took the idea from Rza. Rza did that on the Bobby Digital album. The song is called “Domestic Violence”. Kendrick then features Ghostface on the next song. So obviously, he’s showing love to Wu on the next song.
I thought this too. Also reminds me of Kim from mmlp
The game - circles
Kendrick loves 2pac tho so im pretty sure he was thinking of that Poetic Justice scene while making the song as well lol
I say it’s both. RZA also did a part 2 to Domestic Violence featuring Gipp from Goodie Mob, all of Goodie Mob were very close to Pac. So it all comes full circle.
I agree w the consensus. One of Kendrick’s best. When Feefo was talking about the playback ability and accessibility, I related to that but more on TPAB. This album feels like a nice cross between TPAB and Damn. Also loved to see Modest Media on this review. Great album and great work guys.
@@ManessahIsrael ...what?
@@ManessahIsrael bro 💀 wdym sold out to the lgbt he literally states that his family is trans. It’s his own family. That ain’t no sellin out goofy
@@ManessahIsrael he sold out?
@@ManessahIsrael Na, just move on bro lol
@@samuelcroissant87712 Mf out here trolling to hard 🤣
I absolutely love the album! My biggest issue with the review is that I felt like y'all didn't talk much about the music but the focus was more on the concept and the backlash it got. It definitely makes sense but I wanted to know more about your thoughts about the Intro, the features, the interludes, the production... etc.
This doesn't mean that y'all did a bad job. Thank you very much for the review and I'm glad that y'all took your time to review it.
Personally I love the production. People said musically it's not that good but I disagree wholeheartedly
@@Gr33nPhoenix Definitely. One of my favourite Kendrick albums sonically
@@JaxDobba I'm so surprised this is an unpopular opinion tbh
This album is preachy. Theres too much weight and not enough bounce. Fuck a thought piece i want a good song i can sing. This album has none
@@therealestMSG You just started listening to Kendrick? he's literally the biggest conscious rapper in the world of course he's gonna address social issues. mans was expecting Kendrick to give him Toosie Slide & Way too sexy or some shit. also Savior, Die Hard, Purple Hearts, Silent Hill, Rich Spirit, N95, Mirror are all shit you can vibe to
Aunties diaries is one of Kendrick’s most beautiful songs imo
I definitely won't call that a beautiful song 😒 pause. It left me feeling extremely uncomfortable that he has gay/trans relatives. Feel sorry that his gay/trans relatives let him and his family down badly.
@@gunnyo50 Nigga what???
@@gunnyo50 are you trolling?
@@demetrelontos1359 I'm not trolling at all. It shocked to the core that his gay/trans relatives put him in those ugly situations as a child to defend them. I don't condone behaviour like that as it's something he shouldn't put out there for the millions to listen to on this new album. That revelation should be kept privately amongst himself and his close friends and family.
@@gunnyo50 lmao 😂 that’s such a L take. You have to be kidding
thanks for another dope review yall. I'm glad you kept the initial thoughts stream brief because it was dope to see your opinions since then.
I feel the same way with the album. This album is too human. It’s an album that needs a minimal listens. I don’t agree with the free spirit/new age philosophies but this album felt like a true Kendrick album.
I feel like the Kodak inclusion was to showcase how trauma can affect different people. If you listen to Kodak's verses on the album he's venting about trauma in his own way. I don't think he wanted to help Kodak redeem himself, I think he just used him as an example. I feel like Kendrick wanted to be 1000% raw on this album, for better or worse. At least that's how I interpreted it. Kodak is a walking example so he was used, I don't think the purpose was to help Kodak save face or anything.
Yep I think they were looking at it from a very surface level. Rod almost got it but wasn't able to articulate it fully.
Trauma is cyclical and hurt people may hurt people without considering the true extent of the damage they're causing. The question is how do we end that cycle. I think Kendrick's solution is through vulnerability, and allowing Kodak to write the Rich interlude is that. It's not absolving Kodak from his bad choices, but moreso inviting him to contribute to this larger conversation, as opposed to silencing/ignoring him (cancel culture).
@@sojiroT on point^
It's how they were both morphed by circumstance. If Ducky died during the situation with Top Dawg and Kendrick still made it as a rapper he probably sees his path as Kodak's (jail, and other random fuckshit situations). I'm sure his perspective and content mightve been focused towards other things and still would've had a resolve a lot of stuff with himself. Even talks about how Keem is doing the same stuff he did. The whole album is a Mirror. Silent Hill itself is a game about a world of mirrors. Kodak and Keem are his mirrors. Kodak|Kendrick|Keem. Why yall think on Mirror he begins with Kodak saying "I choose me."? Why in the 1st disc he could barely admit the issues but on disc 2 he revealing and diving into detail. Only after the "We Cry Together Fight" does he "stop tap dancing around the question". Definitely think the "body" he caught in "Count Me Out" was either his ego or this "culture" reflected back at himself. "Ain't no body but the mirror waiting for the fall off."
People always say Kendrick is preachy but on this album he letting people live the most. Just showing how people (and he) think about each other and themselves this time.
Kodak should of addressed it, That would conceptually fit in the album, He did not on any level so Its confusing that he chose Kodak, he added nothing to the album for me.
also Kodak was one that lost to the trauma cycle, while Kendrick is the one that broke away from it. i think the whole point is how do we prevent future generations from becoming like Kodak and break the black trauma cycle, at least thats how i took it
I agree that there are contradictions but my interpretation was that Kendrick was aware of that and that’s why some songs have the tap dancing sound at the end showing that as humans we are complicated. as long as we are having these conversations of how we are all walking contractions of ourselves then the album has served it’s purpose!
Where the hypocrites at
@@nicksiciliano2 What community feels they the only ones relevant... (THIS SHIT HARD)
As a long time DEHH fan, I think this was one of Ken’s best reviews yet. Well done Ken.
For auntie diaries, Kendrick is very aware and intentional with his use of misgendering in the song. The older he gets in the narrative of the song, the more correct he is with his use of pronouns.
I counted one 'she' towards the end
“See a lot of y'all don't understand Kendrick Lamar
Because you wonder how I could talk about money, hoes, clothes, God and history
All in the same sentence
You know what all them things have in common?
Only half of the truth if you tell it
See I spent twenty-three years on this earth searching for answers
Till one day I realised I had to come up with my own
I'm not on the outside looking in, I'm not on inside looking out
I'm in the dead fucking centre looking around
You ever seen a newborn baby kill a grown man?
That's an analogy for the way the world make me react
My innocence been dead
So the next time I talk about money, hoes, clothes, God and history
All in the same sentence
Just know I meant it, and you felt it
Cause you too are searching for answers
I'm not the next pop star, I'm not the next socially aware rapper
I am a human motherfucking being over dope ass instrumentation”
Idk I took Kodak as a kind of "mirror" to what Kendrick could have been. Kodak sits as a great example of how someone can be corrupted by their environment and trauma and never recover from it.
I personally get annoyed seeing a ton of Kendrick fans praise him for humanizing gangbangers and breaking down the reason for how these communities get fucked, but then tell him he's not doing activism correctly when he actually presents a REAL toxic gangbanger and ask you to empathize with them.
I personally still think Kodak is a horrible person, but he has come out before as a victim of sexual abuse and really highlights Kendricks concept of hurt people hurting more people.
THIS. Kodak is the product of the same culture that Kendrick criticizes on the heart part 5.
Yeah, still a really bad pr move tho ngl lmao
@@2weni8ight I mean ducking and dodging around the uncomfortable truth that a super majority of abusive people were abused simply because it's 'bad optics/pr' is a disservice to fixing the issue of cyclic abuse and generational trauma. Tap dancing around ugly conversations does not go away, and pretending that you can address the pervasiveness of abuse & rape culture without reconciling that many abusers are victims of abuse and/or misogyny poisoning kneecaps the potency and outreach of positive messages.
All of that being said I do think Auntie Diaries would be effective if he bleeped the f-word.
Yep, exactly. These are some of the hardest conversations you can have, because of course most people are vehemently opposed to empathizing/sympathizing with anyone capable of something so awful. But at the same time, the truth of what happened to make those people that way also exists. And it seems tougher than ever now to be able to greatly condemn that behavior alongside acknowledging what may have started it all.
I had this idea but i feared saying it aloud. I agree 110%
Would have loved to see beezy’s views on the album. Hopefully he talks about it in the future maybe on his own channel
Really thoughtful review guys. Can tell that you all had a lot of reflections on this album and were able to debate and articulate your ideas really well. Love you guys for always having a mature take on hip hop music and culture. And love how you've covered Kendrick's career since day 1. Awesome.
I always saw the contradictions as an inside look through his therapy sessions. how he would express he wild thoughts and opinions at the beginning than slowly having breakthroughs and getting to the causes of why he's like this
long time fan guys
this was great, Myke killed it
keep crushing guys, been a great first half of 2022 and I'm excited to see the mid year lists
Only Kendrick can make a DEHH video long, yes!
@@ManessahIsrael youre brainwashed lmao
@@ManessahIsrael stop liking your own comments
You guys have the best conversations about art out of any UA-cam channel imo. There’s always so much content to pull away and so many thought-provoking discussions
FD Signifier presented an interesting take on this album where he basically proposes the idea that Kodak is on this album as a way to show “this is a result of what happens when trauma goes unchecked in the black community.” That’s not to say Kodak is necessarily excused from his actions, but clearly, no one cares about the monster being created from trauma until that monster attacks. This album is filled with stories of trauma being ignored and perpetrated because oftentimes, that’s just how we in the black community handle it. It just sits there and festers. That’s what makes the “breaking of generational trauma” portion of the album so powerful. Because we’re all stuck in our own cycles of trauma and it’s up to either us, or the future generations, to end those cycles.
i liked how FD signifier said that! im trying to look at it from that perspective, esp since in the hispanic culture... this stuff is part of the "culture" as well unfortunately
@@swervenights and that’s real. Like the “culture” of many POC communities is a result of trying to survive the curse of poverty. Kodak is a monster, no question. But if he had been given the same opportunities and circumstances to survive in this world, would he still be a monster? In some ways, that doesn’t matter because in this particular universe, he is a really bad person. But ignoring that trauma, placing it onto your children and then sending them out into a world that does not understand that trauma, what does it create? Kodak’s not excused, but what are people doing to ensure another Kodak is not created?
I’m sorry Myke but “Mother I Sober” made me have goosebumps and made me think about life my first listen. Its an amazing song but it made me think a lot so I sometimes skip it
About the community too
I took the Kodak feature as a example of what Kendrick could have been if any factor of his life was slightly different. Kendrick is saying he's held on this high pedestal in rap but he isn't any different than Kodak and his flaws. It's quite literally "the mirror". I get why it's so controversial for sure and I think that was on purpose. Makes you think.
"When shit hits the fans, is you still a fan?" Hits different after the Kodak situation
How? Mf talked big game about fucking Nipseys widow when the body wasn’t even cold yet. Then he talks about being traumatized by having a toxic dad, like the woman Kodak raped was all Gucci afterwards?
Always remember that Jesus Christ loves you & he forgives you for using such foul language.
🙏🏼✨
@@bigjohnboatright3811 I'm Joel Osteen God blessed me with a yacht of bitches 🙏🏻
Nobody canceling Kendrick, his shows are packed, album platinum, award winning
its always interesting to hear Myke's opinion and how he explains to others in the review. Surprisingly my top 5 are the same too (but in diferent order)
Great discussion and review! Myke made so many good points in this review, esp. talking about “Auntie Diaries.” 👏🏾Literally had this same conversation how some liberals or people in general think folks are just supposed to know what’s acceptable. When, in reality, societal norms are ever-evolving. To me, that’s the beauty of “Auntie Diaries.” Him emulating his younger self and being a vessel for people that don’t fully understand gender identity and sexual orientation. This wasn’t an anthem or agenda for the LGBTQ community. This was his family’s story and how he worked through it as a kid and now with the understanding as an adult. It’s too layered of a song for people to get stuck on the surface-level lyrics and that last line, which was more of a thought-starter in reference to the Chappelle bit IMO.
I can understand why fans may have mixed feelings on this album. It's not as accessible as his older albums (production wise). I personally really enjoyed this album and I appreciate how honest and vocal Kendrick is being on the album. It's definitely not an album that I can casually listen to, like Damn or GKMC, but it holds a special place in Kendrick's discography.
Bro you're everywhere shut up
It’s my least favorite but prob one of his most important. He’s addressing certain topics that really need to be addressed today in 2022 and just in general.
The more I listen, the more I realize how deep Kendrick goes into the topics/issues he is facing compared to Section 80, DAMN, and even GKMC (though that's more of a cinematic story than a deconstruction of various topics)
The arrogance of Kendrick fans to imply that the only reason this album is getting negative reactions is because of the "lack of accessibility" is astounding. It's nothing to do with that. The music sucks. It's a bad album.
@@JohnnyGraves_ lol horrible opinion
34:00
“Where is your uncle at? Cuz i want to talk to the man of the house”
-Drake on Family Matters
Myke called it
The point of adding Kodak Black for me was about proximity with vices which often get swept under the rug. Simply dismissing Kodak Black would be an easier means to circumvent the issue of abuse. Kodak comes from a society with recurring abuse. R. Kelly was doing questionable things before the movement began. The space in which celebrities are allowed to exist has always been one where the fanfare has managed to exonerate questionable behavior. So the actual invocation here is the question within ourselves: How much abuse do we dole out and simply cast the dye of normalcy over it because this is the nature of our environment? Kendrick manages to spook people out of their comfort zone by aligning himself with the dark side of his environment and thus distancing himself from being irreproachable on the basis of status.
Thank you guys for the amazing review and I’m sad B wasn’t here to take part in it, hope he’s well. I too believe this is one of his best albums but unlike the other ones, this one is extremely personal. On first listen, I thought to myself, yeah this is amazing but oh boy it’s gonna ruffle some feathers, and so it did. Thank you for always being yourself Kendrick, you’ll always be my favorite MC and artist
We really gotta stop the "what if a white person said..." comparisons. Most times the issues are much more complex and w/o context to make that lazy comparison. Double standards exist because of larger context
exactly
it's not the same
Yeah bruh that man Shawn Cee tried to use that comparison and say that Kendrick is coming from a place of “privilege” by saying the f-slur which is completely wrong and is definitely indicative of Shawn thinking that he’s smarter than he actually is
So you think it's a reasonable double standard?
Waited all week for this and you did not disappoint. I get so much out of your rich and nuanced conversations and dissections. 💗
I have to listen to the album in its entirety but it sounds like this is somewhat of a wake up call for people who idolize celebrities, Kendrick in particular. I also think it's interesting that Kendrick has always put some subtle hints in his music that he may have done some dirt growing up in Compton that he seemingly regrets in his adult life, but a lot of die hard fans glossed over them
Of course he did dirt did you listen to gkmc
Like seriously though. 🤷🏻♂️ 😂
If I told you I killed a nigga at sixteen, would you believe me?
Or see me to be innocent Kendrick you seen in the street
With a basketball and some Now & Laters to eat
If I mentioned all of my skeletons, would you jump in the seat?…
Great break down on this project. I got the feeling he was in therapy, talking about his issues with how he griefs “I grieve different” trying to replace the grief with possessions and nothing works, daddy issues, relationship issues, shit you’d talk to a therapist about.
That was my first take on it but honestly, DEHH opened it up a lot more than I could have done.
Great session! I love the conversations y’all have. I’m so glad you did this one. I was thinking, That moment Myke was talking about at the end of “Auntie Diaries” (around 39:44ish) it sounds weird when Kendrick says “N****” because I think they may have cut the rest of that take out. So you hear a tiny bit of the next word/noise that was coming out. An editing thing. I have tracks that have it and I’ve heard others. just for the most part, I think folks don’t really care to listen close enough to where that would bother em…or even show up for that matter lol.
LONG TIME FAN! Thank you for keeping us immersed in the world of DEHH with all the other platforms 🙏🏾🙏🏾
I think Kendrick’s take on cancel culture is that everyone needs to be forgiven and judged on who they are today, not their past. This ties in with the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. “Free all of your abusers this is transformation” is his last line on Mother I Savior. He believes that forgiving your abuser is the only way to stop the cycle of generational trauma. I don’t necessarily agree but I think that’s his point
This is my reading of the album as well, but I can understand why not a lot of people would arrive at that same conclusion, let alone agree with it. Our natural inclination is to punish abusers and thus prevent them from perpetuating trauma (even if our criminal and legal systems are poorly equipped for the task). It makes all the sense in the world not to let people come back after they've crossed certain lines. But it seems to me that Kendrick is looking beyond sense and towards spirituality, where forgiveness is more important than justice. He even had lines on "Mother I Sober" about seeing God in nature - praying to the trees and being watched by the water. He's searching for something beyond humanity's attempts to police its own behavior.
I appreciate Kendrick for creating these concept albums. Rare do you get that in mainstream hip-hop these days. I know many people have mixed feelings about this album but I love it. It will age just as well as TPAB did.
I'm with Myke on "We Cry Together". I can't listen to it because it makes me uncomfortable lmao.
In love with this album too. It's a wonderful work of art.
Also "quiet storm" r&b is a major influence for this album where lush and happy instrumentals juxtapose dark and vulnerable lyrics e.g. The Tracks of My Tears by Smokey
Also the Kodak thing is to demonstrate how easily someone like Kendrick (Mr. Morale) can do something that will disappoint you...so stop putting him on a pedestal.
It’s an extremely personal, vulnerable and polarizing album, and Kendrick understood that before he put It out. It’s an amazing piece of art, that sounds better and better every time I listen to It. I appreciate Kendrick for this. Another home run as far as I’m concerned.
Long time Patron supporter here :)
I like the review but am quite disappointed you almost didn’t talk about the music itself, the tracks (many ones not even mentioned), the rapping, the features, the production (understood that B is not here but still). Not to mention that you marketed heavily the early access of this review for Patreon members in your last live video, which didn’t happen…
Just wanted to mention these points but it won’t change the fact I’ll continue to support!
This is the type of album that gets better with time. With each new listen, I grow to like it and appreciate it way more. The Crown was one of the most pivotal songs I think Kendrick has done. I think everyone just wants Damn 2.0 or Good Kid part 2. And this album is far from that. Which I’m pretty thankful for
*THIS* !!!!!!
The content on this album is what makes it so special, interested to see how this ages, could see it being a classic and held up like TPAB over time
I think TPAB, DAMN, and MM work best viewed together as a whole. Listening to Mr Morale made me think about various songs in relation to how he feels now. After listening to him talk about his sex addiction, I immediately went back to listen to Lust and These Walls. When speaking on his father, I thought of his generally aggressive nature when it came to his songs and features in the GCMC days. It's just a really interesting jumping off point for what he may do with pgLang going forward.
I don't, there way too many throaways compared to TPAB, it's all over the place sonically, classic usually have "a sound" to them
TPAB bodies MM
@@dadorage1695 This has a sound for sure. It’s got piano loops (played by an actual piano player that takes a lot of influence from hip hop sampling) that flourish into full orchestral swells as the songs develop. There’s a lot of that on here. What’s the particular sound of GKMC? This is a very short sighted view on art that eventually goes to be considered “classic”
@@normandy2501 that’s a great point. It’s a nice trilogy, and I think these past 3 have been his most thought-provoking albums. They represent Kdot adopting the savior mantle (TPAB), questioning his own morality and merit, religiously and personally, to be the voice of a generation (Damn), and his decision to give it up to save himself (MM+BS)
I know Kendrick definitely gonna watch this one
I understand where Feefo is coming from, the new album might not have bangers and it could use tracks that are more replayable for sure. However, it still has a few songs that I found my self replaying over and over even casually. Like Rich Spirit is very much a accessible song that you can keep rotating, NF95 and Mirror are really good songs too. Even Die Hard, United in Grief can fall under that, some others too. I know a lot of these songs are heavy and raw, but there's a lot of musical qualities to them to appreciate even still.
Very happy to hear a review that represents my thoughts about the growth of this album as I continue to listen to it. There’s so much here to dig into, I’m well into double digit listens and keep connecting new dots every listen.
They gave the man a Pulitzer for DAMN. Then what do you give him for this?!
I think he was talking to Noname when it comes to the whole "I am not your saviour, Cole is not your saviour" stuff
FYI I have a Rockford fosgate system in my GTS lancer and this is by far one of the most beautiful projects I've heard in my lifetime, it's just been an emotional listen and their review is for the most part spot on, but after hearing this album on subs there are several tracks that are definitely worthy to bump while driving.
"The county building has us paralyzed" is such a great bar, so deep. For example, welfare holds us back not mentally but financially. The rules that go with qualifying for assistance encourages living below potential for a guaranteed check rather than the realizing a living wage.
I really like what Ken said about United in Grief at the end.
This one was one of those, it’s new obviously, definitely a gem, dope, vulnerable, introspective, reflective, transparent, therapeutic and quality art of a masterpiece. You can learn from it, enjoy it, understand, heal, respect, and fall in love with it the more you listen to it I feel. Great work to say the least.
Just commenting to help the algorithm guys, but excellent... excellent fuckin review. I've been loving the conversations surrounding this record. Regardless of the typical "right and wrong" of things, it's conversation like these that show that we can learn a lot of us by merely talking about things and listening to other perspectives (cause "life is perspective").
One tiny thing... I wished you could've dedicated a little more to talk about "Mother I Sober" in depth, especially considering it was in everyone's Top 5.... but maybe we can get that on a DEHH live or something. Excellent work guys, I've been a fan for many years now and you continue to improve (much like Kendrick). Thank you!
Personally I agree mostly with Rod about Kodak (also agree in not defending him) but I think Kendrick is also making a larger point. I think he's using Kodak as a show of how the cycle of black trauma continues when no one tries to get someone to understand just how wrong they are. Like, someone like a Kodak is more deserving of a chance to learn and grow than someone like a Jared Leto or even David Bowie who have similar crimes at a higher volume yet in general it seems they get more chances to "try again" or just have some crimes completely forgotten. Obviously he didn't NEED Kodak specifically for this but I think he wanted to make sure the artist he picked to play this part needed to have done something worthy of cancellation while being big enough to not be cancelled or widely defended. At least that's part of what I was getting
Rich spirit and count me out are so slept on
They the Swimming pools and Humble of this album to me
Big facts
Rich Spirit is trash.
The album is growing the more I'm listening. I expected the unexpected going into this. The only information I went off was just watching his interview during the DAMN. release. Just going off of that he sounded forward thinking in those conversations. So my surprise was just him being transparent/vulnerable throughout the album. Usually Kendrick is speaking from various perspectives. This, he's front and center. He shined on this very well.
Disc 1 (favorites): N95**, Die Hard, Father Time, Rich Spirit (got Yay Area vibes) and We Cry Together.
Disc 2 (favorites): Mr. Morale, Count Me Out**, Crown, Savior 1&2** and Mirror.
So this is exactly why this record is great, the kind of conversation it sparks is just so beautiful to watch.
Thank y’all for the dope content, appreciate everything y’all do
Silent hill slapps and you can’t take that away from me
This is honestly one of my favourite reviews ever. Such a well rounded and positive discussion of an amazing album.
Who would have thought that he had more stories to tell. I thought after GKMC & DAMN. I knew all there was about Kendrick but then I got this album. I don't know if he can go any deeper than he went on this album.
Another masterpiece by Kung Fu Kenny 🐐
Well thought out points guys. The more I listen, the better it gets. This is personally in my top 3 Kendrick albums and possibly at the 2nd spot up there with TPAB
If you’re mad about auntie diaries when Kendrick clearly comes from an honest and non confrontational place then that is the problem Kendrick is talking about on the album.
I get what Feefo is saying about how it triggers that trauma and is heavy. It’s meant to be uncomfortable and to me that’s one of its redeeming qualities but first listen or two it reminded me of a lot of stuff, really heavy
“This album is about trauma”, I grew up with trauma (daddy issues) and I love the album, but a friend of mine who had a good upbringing said it’s his least favourite Kendrick album. I guess people who don’t have trauma just don’t want to hear it?
While that may be somewhat true, sometimes people just want to enjoy music and not have to analyze it.
As someone who has enjoyed every Kendrick album, this album musically doesn’t pull me in as much as his past work. That’s the main thing that has always made Kendrick special is his ability to make commercial sounding music that had a message. This has the message but doesn’t have the production/hooks to make you go back to just enjoy it.
Not a bad album at all but musically it’s his worst.
Nah I don't think so. I don't have any kinds of trauma myself but I think this album is better than DAMN. and Section.80. I know I know hot take but I genuinely do love this album because of how it sounds sonically and how vulnerable Kendrick is in this album.
@@sanantoballa4834 thankyou
I feel the same about it
I just think that people like this album more due to the nostalgia of his 3 absolutely great albums. I don't think people will kee the same energy about message and theme if any other guy except Kendrick or Cole would have released a project like this. Then it probably would have been sonically not good.
I grew up with Trauma but I don't wanna hear it because it opens up wounds and gets me depressed for the rest of the day. The songs that are uplifting sound generic and tik tok as compared to his previous albums. If anyone else besides Kendrick made rich spirit people would be shitting on it
The fact that ppl do responses after rhe first listen and not after the music settles in is crazy. It's like it's going solely based off of first impressions. Creatively, your not gonna get it the first time, no matter how many times you listen to it simultaneously. When I first heard the album, I was disappointed cause I wanted Kendrick to lyrically slaughter rhis while new generation BS, gave 1 listen and stepped away for about a month. I then listened to it again and was blown away... I'm telling you, this album is a classic.
Oh it's more than a classic it's his best album ever
I haven't heard one person mention "count me out"
That song is the highlight of the album for me.
make hit the nail on the head with the auntie diaries sum up and perspectives. that's my exact take on that track also.
also props for highlighting the difference between accountability and cancel culture, that's such an important distinction to make.
You guys continue to kill it thanks for all the great content as usual!
At around 8:28 Feefo used the term "melanated" people instead of "black" people. Appreciate you big dawg for this one.
24:15 Yep, Mr. Morale felt like a Yeszus inspired and produced track. Pharrell making that beat was unexpected for me.
Black skin head
Love the review guys! Love how the production value has grown but the music that plays throughout is really distracting and takes attention away from the discussion
One thing I found about this album “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” is this is the most vulnerable & real I’ve ever seen a rapper been since Eminem PERIOD! I mean this album is a masterpiece off top instant classic just with the song “Mother I Sober” alone makes this an instant classic🙇🏽♂️✍🏽🐐🔥✨💯(Most might find this album too somber but to me I would’ve loved it to be even more somber I want it to be a trend in Hip Hop to show your true vulnerability and not feel like your being called/labeled “Soft” it’s called being comfortable in your truth/story and having certainty within your past,present & future now I will say this isn’t a album you go and pick around songs you have to listen to this album straight through from top to bottom like a novel especially it being a 2 Disc Album it’s only right and it’s real Art not just songs,these are Acts and each Act tells a tale of Kendrick’s complex battle with his moral views and the steps he has to make to fully get there hence the clever title of the album “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” My favorite side of the album is definitely Mr. Morale even tho I vibe with Big Steppers as well my favorite tracks on this album are Savior,Mother I Sober,Count Me Out,Worldwide Steppers,Mr. Morale,Rich Spirit,United In Grief,Mirror,N95,Crown,Die Hard,Father Time,and We Cry Together those are my favs no order simply cause this album is too great to list my favs in order cause they change but those are my favs by enjoyability but I will say on my first listen of this masterpiece Die Hard and Count Me Out was a instant fav & Mother I Sober as well,this album made me absolutely speechless I felt the song “Savior” really gave me an insight to where K Dot’s head was at during the whole BLM Movement time period etc. it’s awesome and I love how he says on the track he doesn’t care for no public speaking,shows his individuality & he said he see niggas arguing who’s blacker on that track as well it’s so much truth in that song,he also shows us a mirror of our contradictory,vulnerability,hypocrisy,duality and prejudicism in the world we live in Art is hard to digest sometimes so I don’t expect everyone to get this album right off the bat but Kendrick is giving hope by saying the reality their is only such hope left within this world and we need to open our eyes to the fact of that being the pure truth and our real hopeful leaders are either hidden or dead Kendrick is on another planet as a poet right now this why he’s in my Top 5 specifically number 5 on my list with all that being said Kendrick’s best albums are 1)good kid, m.A.A.d city 2)Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 3)Damn 4)Section 80 5)To Pimp A Butterfly so yes this album is better than every K Dot album ever released except Good Kid Mad City)
Yall just fyi, Kodak did NOT plead guilty to RAPE. He fought that case since like 2015 and ended up taking a plea deal to the lesser charge of ASSAULT. Not even sexual assault (I think) just assault. Ofc the story from Kodak team is they took the plea deal just to get it settled since he had been fighting it so long. But none of us know. We gotta stop calling him a rapist, that's not fair.
exactly
Why was his semen on a high-schooler? Even I'd he didn't force himself on her that dumbass put himself in this position. Kicking woman and showing the beginning of trains on Instagram live. If he wasn't rich and famous he wouldn't have so many chances.
Myke called that trans diss A YEAR BEFORE, it was so predictable smh
This is the best discussion of the album on the internet. A couple come close but this is up there, see Professor Skye and FD Signifier
This was a great talk, but i'd love if they made a part 2 because more than half of this review they're tlaking about kodak and auntie diaries.
Still a great discussion tho.