The Lyrical Anatomy, Artistic Visions and Genius of Kendrick Lamar Part 3: Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers

Verse of the Day:

Isaiah 40:29

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” 

I'm just going to take a nose dive into the masterpiece that is: Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers, THIS is the album that stayed on repeat on my playlist and I have a lot to say :).

Thesis

My husband is a day 1 fan and has followed Kendrick Lamar since the beginning of his journey. For him, its personal. He told me that every single one of Kendrick's albums were released in real time to the situations he was going through, through music, he grew up alongside Kendrick and it's always been more than lyrics for him, it was his life. He told me that Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers would be THAT album that people go back to and research for generations to come, and WHO would have guessed that I'd be one of them.

This is the last of the trinity, and serves as the "peace" or as someone would call it, the "Therapy Album". Kendrick is having the hard conversations with himself and others. He's isolating himself, fasting, praying, and confronting the parts of him that are keeping him from fulfilling his creative, spiritual and mental purpose. He's having full blown crash outs and conversations with God about his life choices. Rich Spirit, N95 and Count Me Out really had us in a corner of a dark room, reflecting. It could not have come at a better time. Listening to Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers took me back to 2020 and the beginning of my real healing journey from depression and anxiety. The ability to be vulnerable about our personal demons (in the open) isn't easy for anyone and this is the album that made my admiration for him personal. I began going back and listening to his other music, observing the symbolism in his videos, and listening to what his fans had to say. It made me realize that he's WAY more than just a rapper. He's black culture and he's always been what the culture was feeling, I'm just glad I was one of the millions who got to receive him and give him his flowers now. We all know that there are people in the music industry that we didn't appreciate enough. I would like to believe we have learned our lesson.

Isaiah's Perspective and Thesis

One of Kendricks GREATEST albums!, First, this is a Kendrick 5 years after not hearing ANYTHING from him. Much like his last two albums, this was regarded as his WORST album. However, Kendrick speaks with the same elements from a HEALED perspective. We hear the side of Kendrick that has recieved therapy and has accepted, through his duality, he's just going to focus on peace and healing. He expresses this in the song "Mirror" when he says "I choose me, I'm sorry." and in the song "Savior", when he says "I can't please everybody." I feel that this isn't an album that Kendrick wanted to release to appeal to the masses yet it did big numbers. By and large, this album feels like we walked into Kendricks therapy sessions, we hear him talk about MANY of the things he endured growing up and in his life of fame, but you can't have a Kendrick album without his views on the world. This includes the popular song, "N95" and the uncomfortable diaologue, "We Cry Together". I was very surprised yet delighted to hear the likes of a Kodak Black throughout the album as well. Little did we know, this was the calm before the Kendrick storm. (wink, wink). Again, this album came at a time where the world wasn't in a place to recieve what Kendrick had to offer, but in the past three years since its release, I made mention that this album would be studied at a college and university level for years to come. I absolutelty adore this album because it came at a time where I too was trying to achieve healing and peace as a mid-20's black man. My absolute favorite songs on this album are "United in Grief", "Aunty Diaries", and "Mother, I Sober". (my GOD, that song made me cry!) I do believe that Kendrick was still frustated about the state of black culture and what people percieved hip hop to be as even though he acknowleged his duality, we now don't get the Kendrick that struggles with it, we get the one who decides to lean into it. We can now have the Kendrick who is both caring/uplifting to the culture and the Kendrick who we know as the boogey man to anyone that is a misrepresentation of the culture.

Elements found in "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers"

• Realization

• Confrontation

• Healing

• Internal conflict

• connecting the dots

• Gaining Understanding

• Love

• Family

• Grief

• Addiction

• Relief

• Growth

Spiritual Renewal

Final Conclusion: To be a creator is to know that it all comes with the cost of people not understanding and accepting who and what you were called to do. Being a creator is the most spiritually connected experience you can have, because at our core, that's what we ARE. God is THE creator and his children are of him and reflect that creative gene. (it really is in our DNA). Kendrick Lamar has really made an impact on me and how I will continue to move forward in my purpose to create. If he ever see's this, I want to tell him "Thank you" for being such a blessing to those who know and love him. To his day one fans and fans of hip hop and rap who may be reading this: Thank you too!, there's a lot that I don't know but I'm more than willing to learn. What areas of Rap and Hip Hop should I look into following all this? Comment below and remember:

"For the love of life and the pursuit of the arts, stay prayerful and write on!"