Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: Unpacking Grief 

Gonna be going live for a Q&A sometime this week more info soon xx

This album is ageing like fine 🍷

album dropped when i used to drive to the hospital to see my dad , father time was on repeat and used to hit like a bus, made me realize a lot of things, rip dad I hope you finally in peace edit: great job with the video

This album is so great to me. I been trying deal with my own trauma and loneliness and really considering getting help but I have those same feelings about how my family that didn’t seek or have the help to deal with their own trauma. My mom really tired her best for keep a roof over my head and worked all the time, never took a day but I didn’t have a parent to raise me. Had to learn everything through the streets or through music/media. My father wasn’t around due to his drinking problem and he did try but it was just toxic. In a weird way, I’m a mix of both and that’s ok. Just wanna be at peace and grow as a person in my old age. This album is helping me understand that

To be honest, this was the album I have been waiting for since Good Kid... Like his other shit is great, but it felt like he was finally confident enough to express more of his inner thoughts and struggles. Even on his less "serious" songs he still has lyrics that are from the overall context of the theme of the album: therapy. People that haven't gone through therapy might not realize, but you're so self-deprecating and self-hating that just saying to yourself "Bitch, I'm attractive" is a huge boost to your confidence. This is him working through all of his past trauma and how it's affected his personality. It's one of my favorite albums by him.

The heart part 5 is the greatest song I’ve ever heard. Family Ties is my biggest obsession. The Big Steppers Tour is the greatest show I’ve ever seen. And let’s not forget the subtle teases to the new era in the Super Bowl commercial. The rollout and sheer quality of this music made this one of the greatest musical events in history.

I love how on the cover he has the crown of thorns, representing the Mr. Morale persona (Jesus reference), but shows how he can’t be Mr. Morale when he has a gun holstered in his pants. The juxtaposition is amazing. Everyone (even himself) tries to make him the savior but he can’t be because he is just as flawed as us and just as passionate about family and other things. This also references DAMN because in that album he states that the reason we murder is out of passion for something we hold important (best shown on ELEMENT and XXX). Thank you for reading my mini TED talk lol

My favorite album of 2022. It is insane to me how much more relatable it becomes as time passes...

the clean version of we cry together hits so hard" that's so funny bro

for me, mr morale and the big steppers is the best long term listen of all kendrick albums. its modern yet timeless, and speaks to both sides of the soul

The entire album is about his awakening and his journey through spirituality. He has to grieve for his past self and everyone around him. He is also showing both his EGO (listen to Mr.Morale).

this album is art, man. auntie diaries is one of my favorite stories kendrick has ever told. n95 silent hill & rich spirit are such good songs. this album as a whole feels very intimate

I struggle to pin point what it is about this album that makes it reach that next level but there is something about it that just hits so hard. The soundscapes are dynamic, interesting and easy to listen to. The surface level meaning is easy to follow and contains so much depth as you dig deeper into it. The album is a real pleasure to listen to rounding out kendricks discography perfectly with a vulnerable and personal album of deep reflection that is passed through to the listener in multiple ways and creates a beautiful conclusion to his career as we know it and almost acting as a palate cleanser preparing us for a new more mature kendrick in terms of both musical sound and lyrical content.

This album is just meant to heal people specially black people saying that Kendrick is black, we tend to be traumatized and fucked up way younger than any other group of people strictly just because the government hates us and so was DAMN people ignore his song titles like YAH and FEAR. Bro is literally saying and portraying what Kyrie Irving and Kanye been saying lately and I appreciate that because its Kendrick everyone shuts up or ignores it.

I think Kendrick is now my favorite artist because how I can somewhat heal with Kendrick and deal with problems through his music and growing with his music just hits different. Thanks for making yourself known Kendrick. I'll be where you are one day.✊🏿

Underrated channel, great production value and information delivery! Thanks for being one of my favorite creators! :)

No one’s talking bout how underrated N95 is

i love this album so damn much. it’s one of the only albums that i listen to every song in it and genuinely like each and every song.

great video my dude! i love ur editing style, abd you can really see how much effort you put in the video.

I always listen to Kendrick passively but every time I learn more the message on each album is the reason why he is my number 1 artist. He always has a message for each song no matter what , and it’s rewarding when you learn or figure it out. Kendrick is wayy to good for what he does and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is the best way to end off his career, with mirror giving out the final verses he is going to put out and the beat behind is saying goodbye to everyone. Imo I personally think GKMC is the best album he has put out with tracks you can listen while also telling a young Kendrick Lamar in Compton going through traumatic events that impacts his future to a wealthy celebrity but his past catching up to him. Which is where U and Mr.Morale & The Big Steppers come in play, with DAMN. going through his traits and the mental struggles he deals with. Each album is a banger but there is always a message that adds more to the song.

Absolutely perfect way to end it with that 2pac quote cause he was the king of rap for his time and Kendrick carried the touch and made rap great again!

Also want to mention, that album went hard all together

This album is sooooo good, I can’t stop listening. I find new things in love about it every time I listen.

Was happy to hear count me out is your favourite track as well! Was my spotify song of the year and know the lyrics for the entire song! Had the privilege seeing Kendrick my first time in August, can’t even describe the experience it was! Great vid😁

I am sorry. It seems you understand this album only on a superficial level. One can not just deem 'rich spirit' a fun radio track. This album in its entirety is about unpacking trauma. It is very Nietzsche-istic in a sence that Kendrick is telling us that the cure for our traumas is in understanding them consciously. 'we cry together' memes a couple fighting on the surface, that's true. But is sex really a cover up of the grief? In the music video it is. In the album version he us denying to have sex out of fear it might hurt him further. So you gotta ask the question why there are two endings. Not simply go with lust addiction. This is only a very superficial answer. The song is a stereotype of a man and a woman fightin. They are not attaking each other, but express their pain and missunderstandings about the societel system. Why is there an inequality between men and women? A man who feels unrightfully entitled is shown. On the other side a woman complaining, but feeling comfortable with the victim role. In the end, arguments of generational guilt and trauma are repeated. As outstanders we simultaniously see the absurdity of the situation but also realize we are no better. We are also victims to the same, faulty thought structure. This generational trauma is the central element if the album and is deeply discussed in mother I sober. I am sorry I went for so long, but you already started your video with false interpretations. And sadly, they didnt get any more in depth. I really do think you have some good idea but you need to get the details straight. When you find a puzzle piece, that doesnt fit. Dont throw it away. Explore it and you might be onto somehting.

Awesome review, thx for explaining the concept of my fav artist's latest album! 🙏

Great videos, I’m loving your channel. You did another amazing job on this one too.

Great assessment, thanks for taking the time 🙏🏾

great video man, beautiful analysis! ❤❤❤

This video is just beautiful

count me out was my favorite song from last year and one of my favorite songs of all time

I really like this album. Definitely grew on me

Damn, this channels a keeper. Subbed and added like 8 of your videos to watch later

count me out is also my favorite. so underrated!

Beautiful analysis ❤️

Thorn crown is important to the storyline of the album. Jesus in the Bible before he was crucified on the cross was wearing a thorn crown. Thorn crown symbolizes suffering for mankind and sacrificing his life for the people. I am kinda surprised that you didn't realised it. And at some point, the album is about the same thing. The expectation that Kendrick has to be a savior.

We cry together is a banger got that stuff on repeat

Amazing stuff man.

Love this video bro

Watch this album lose the Grammy to Jack Harlow or Khaled smh

Epic analysis.

Youu… youuu… nah… you.. you😂😂😂why the clean version of we cry together😂😂

Describing rich spirit as a banger is a chronic misrepresentation

Love the album

One day I'll listen to more then the only 2 songs I've heard! One day!

Such an great album

I remember when the album came out i loved it because it was so real. Then hearing tyler say what he did. It was just a perfect way of saying what i was thinking. I love the album, im glad it challenged “modern thinking” this new wave of black and white, pc, cancelled or perfect thinking.

This album makes me cry.

Maybe a hot take, but this might be my favourite Kendrick album. I think it's because it speaks a lot to me becaus he's really personal. When the album dropped, I came out of a bad time of my life. A few months ago I saw him live in Amsterdam. It was amazing. I felt like I was watching a Michael Jackson, or a Rolling Stones.

i totally fucking forgot how much the family ties verse & range brothers threw me for a total loop when they first came out. it was such a fun time on twitter

House of Balloons next please 🙏🏿

Great video

Awesome take, subscribed.

i disagree, the lyrics have a lot of depth, worldwide steppers for example is an incredible song for kendrick’s progression on the album, he uses killing as a metaphor for trying to suppress people and “kill their confidence”, specifically towards white women as revenge, it makes you question if kendrick is really morally good, the lyrics on this album go deep

Love the album, now..took some time tough. But the best ones do 😊 Again, thanks for the review! Ooh and did I miss the livestream? 😨 If so, then next time buddy

He’s Mr.Morale, his kids are the big steppers

Count me out mt favorite song on the album

I don’t think this album took 4 years to make, maybe some of the cuts were worked on throughout those 4 years but I think the actual album was being really worked on in 2021

Ooh also, was wondering what your thoughts are on King’s Disease III? 😁 And maybe the trilogy as a whole

How does one understand and accept other people’s problems? I would like to help, but am unable to recognize signs from other people.

Hot take but after months of it sitting with me I have Mr morale above damn in Kendrick’s discography, I still love damn a lot it was the album that got me to truly appreciate albums and I would give it a high 8/10 but I think it’s pretty sonically inconsistent and I don’t think damn will age that well, however this album fixed those issues for me, showed more growth as an artist and a human and I think this album will affect generations for years to come. It’s the most personal album from my fav artist of all time and I love it flaws and all, low 9/10.

If anyone wants a more in-depth review of the album you should watch FD Signifiers video on this album. I think these types of reviews by non black creators only scratch the surface because they’re missing a lot of cultural context.

Noti

so hot take - if kendrick quickly drops another album like he did with damn - that would give this album more weight imo.. - and not another 'damn' as in the sound but different perspective like 'tpabf'

© 1996-2022

I’m just hoping it’s not his last album, don’t get me wrong I love mmtbs but I’m not ready for it to be his last

Rich Spirit is kind of the antithesis of a fun banger? I get silent Hill buuuut

5:49

Mr. Morale is not morale, its everything , all over the place , the uglyness of human but yet people think of him as a savior but he's not

Who is mxn?

Duck

10:00 what about that time when the white said the n -word with and then he got backlash

My dumbass thought it was kawhi in the thumbnail 😂

are you fr?

Too short

Jesus is the only way to God and true peace

You really want to know why you don’t understand? Like this shit isn’t obvious?? 😂😂😂

That diamond crown of thorns is disrespectful. He makes great points on black trauma but, I'm not cool wit the Masonic imagery in these videos for his recent work.

Where you try to explain we cry together tells me exactly why certain music ain’t for everybody smh 😅 you didn’t understand what happened truly. It’s showing the toxic state of relationships simple and plain it wasn’t trying to tell you why they were arguing because you’re supposed to relate to the issue of “ what are we arguing for to begin with”

Kendrick has honestly been failing to hit the mark for me since good kid. Its always the album being mostly good but not hitting the mark good kid set for his music.

just giving my like.... personally do not listen to Kendrick...

Is that Kendrick Lame ass? Who helped put the nail in the coffin of hip hop?

Dog water album

i clicked cause i felt triggered by the thumbnail but at the same time, im hi so, it could be both dope doc tho smokin dope watchin dope thats dope ive enjoyed myself feel like i got my shoes on ur couch ignoring "hey its getting late" signs

Stop focusing on the past. It will lead to regret. Stop worrying about the future. It will lead to anxiety. Focus on the present. There. Problem solved.

He needs to fall off because he wore that crown so now I hope his career is over will not hope because I don't hope bad on nobody but just let his career be over he should have never put that crown on his head who's wrong with him

Lyrically it’s great… musically not so much.