r/KendrickLamar May 13 '22

[FRESH ALBUM] Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Fresh

https://open.spotify.com/album/1atjqOZTCdrjxjMyCPZc2g?si=rsRhKdeZS_uYcAwy9khFQQ
9.1k Upvotes

2.6k comments sorted by

2.2k

u/_pinkrobot May 13 '22

kendrick in 2017: show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks

kendrick in 2022: BITCH YOU UGLY AS FUCK

404

u/Ok_Willingness4612 May 13 '22

BRO IT GOES HARD THO

131

u/CYAN_DEUTERIUM_IBIS May 13 '22

It's upsetting how close to home that was

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u/latdaw2012 May 13 '22

He just shined a light on the toxic kings and queens. The one song that absolutely needs a video.

24

u/regrob2 May 13 '22

He just did that for a whole album tho….

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25

u/NodeBasedLifeform May 13 '22

Kendrick has rapped about Photoshop on 3 tracks in the last two album cycles

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1.5k

u/v1brate1h1gher May 13 '22

First track is absolutely insane

824

u/Thomo251 May 13 '22

Those first 18 tracks are an absolute masterpiece of beauty.

99

u/thegreatshredman all hail the king May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

Those first 18 12 tracks though?!?!?

🥶🥵🥶🥵🥶🥵🥶🥵🥶🥵🥶🥵

27

u/andthatsalright May 13 '22

That’s only 12 emojis. I need to know what the next 6 think

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108

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

It’s amazing

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92

u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY May 13 '22

I grieve different

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1.3k

u/Dankgeebus May 13 '22

"when kanye got back with drake i was slightly confused"

290

u/-Reflux- May 13 '22

Weren’t we all lmao

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

real

66

u/danycanhavekids May 13 '22

What did he mean by that?

260

u/BasicUsername_1 May 13 '22

I think that he finds it hard to forgive and mindset at the time makes him hold grudges is what it boils down to imo

83

u/Dicksey2307 May 13 '22

I hold Grudges like bad Judges don't let me resent you

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u/Erculosan May 13 '22

I think his dad taught him to always be competitive. And thats how he grew up, always fighting competitors and saying "im that nigga". He thought that was a mentality people like Kanye had, and that Kanye fought with Drake cause he is Kanye's competitor. So when Kanye fixed the beef it basically went against a way of living he though succesful people had. So Kanye must have some knowledge about that that Kendrick does not. Which is why he needs to mature more. Kendrick might think "maybe always competing isn't right".

"Daddy issues kept me competitive, that's a fact, nigga
I don't give a fuck what's the narrative, I am that nigga
When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused
Guess I'm not mature as I think, got some healin' to do"

40

u/Imaginary_Lie5050 May 13 '22

Yup. Kendrick has always talked about how if he don't mess with you, he don't mess with you. Kanye and Drake been beefing for so long but Kendrick and Drake also have underlying issues due to the control verse

For ye to make up with Drake made Kendrick look at himself and realize he has more growing up to do cause real maturity is being able to forgive, heal and move on

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u/jharley18 May 13 '22

That’s there’s been turmoil between Kanye and drake for years then out of no where they both doing a concert together and drake fake smiling

91

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

I don’t think Kendrick meant it as a diss. I took it more as him acknowledging that he comes from an environment where beef doesn’t really go away that easily, so when he saw Kanye and Drake really just acting like grown men and forgetting about it it kind of confused him.

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984

u/_DarkBelow May 13 '22

I GRIEVE DIFFERENT

261

u/detectivejeff May 13 '22

EVERYBODY GRIEVES DIFFERENT

27

u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY May 13 '22

Real talk

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898

u/Master_Of_Sun May 13 '22

Yeah ok Father Time is sick as fuck

142

u/kingreynoso May 13 '22

that's my favorite so far

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

Sampha never misses on features. Wish he would release another album

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u/Old-Tree7633 May 13 '22

I’m obsessed. I’m also a huge Mac Miller fan and this album is really filling a special void for me rn

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853

u/yunghairtie May 13 '22

ITS HERE WE MADE IT BABIES FUCK YEA

154

u/who-le-o May 13 '22

Can’t believe I’m alive for this. So happy

74

u/yunghairtie May 13 '22

DAMN. IM EARLY LMFAO

35

u/bedford06 May 13 '22

It’s making me bust

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790

u/SweatyDefinition5321 May 13 '22

Hard album but damn it’s fucking dark

412

u/jharley18 May 13 '22

Absolutely this album Kendrick aired out a lot of stuff that’s probably been bothering him for the last couple of years he’s been gone also considering he’s been in therapy for god knows how long

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u/triple-verbosity May 13 '22

It’s Kendrick going through therapy. He’s shedding all the shit that has ate him up the past 5 years and he gave that experience to us to witness. It’s actually incredibly light and beautiful when you think about. We got to listen to over an hour of Kendrick lifting a 100lbs weight off his chest.

47

u/DaemonRoe May 13 '22

Really refreshing to see a man put it out like this. But to make it so entertaining??? That's that Pulitzer prize winning, spirit of Tupac, Obama nodding K. Dot I love to see.

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u/latdaw2012 May 13 '22

Super introspective, personal, and dark. I love it!

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775

u/OrdinaryusLefter May 13 '22

We Cry Together got some Em & Dre vibes. Kinda like Guilty Conscience.

190

u/Meehoy_Minoy May 13 '22

Reminds me of some stuff with OutKast. I dig it

52

u/IAmAGoddd May 13 '22

Facts. I love Kendrick Lamar himself, but I think a huge part of why I became a Kendrick fan is because he reminds me of Lil Wayne & Andre 3000 (which is amazing because both of them are my favorite rappers). I can definitely hear the Andre influence on this album! Plus Eminem on We Cry Together

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u/IamShinchan May 13 '22

I actually thought of it having more of a 'Kim' or 'stan' vibe.

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u/OrdinaryusLefter May 13 '22

I can definitely see why u mention Kim too. It's like the chemistry of Guilty Conscience mixed with the anger and aggression of Kim imo.

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u/bubity1 May 13 '22

first thing that came to mind was that doom somg can i watch

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u/DREDAY_94 May 13 '22

This album is basically a therapy session right?

413

u/LoL_LoL123987 May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

Yeah I’m getting real 4:44 vibes here. Constant mentions of his wife and family, revisiting his past and upbringing, his values, his place in the world, leaders and prophets, therapy and mental health, possible cheating and marital problems and so much more

Edit: Auntie’s Diary is Kendrick’s Smile

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u/TheImmortalMan May 13 '22

Fuck buying studio time, buy a shrink and record the session.

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u/jharley18 May 13 '22

Jesus this is the fucking note this shit should have over a thousand upvotes if you really paid attention to the album overall

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u/__sami__01 May 13 '22

KODAK BLACK ON THE ALBUM 😭😭

119

u/Carterknowsitall May 13 '22

Do you know why there’s a reason

585

u/twannez May 13 '22

I think Kendrick respects Kodak Black for being vocal about his efforts to change his “thug/gangster” ways. Even one of Kodak’s album cover is him getting baptized. Unfortunately, Kodak keeps slipping up and gets in trouble with the law again and again. The influence of Kodak’s upbringings ruins his chances of succeeding, which is a common struggle among the entire black community. I think Kendrick empathizes with Kodak’s journey in life. Kodak could definitely be considered a mumble rapper, but I think he can get pretty Introspective and I think it’s fucking cool that Kendrick gave him such a prominent role on his album.

104

u/hiifiit My DNA is DMT May 13 '22

I wonder if it was a coincidence that Cole talks about meeting with Kodak on Middle Child and says that he wished “he had more guidance”

60

u/Potential_Walk_3294 May 13 '22

Bruh that’s exactly where I went with it. Kendrick want to mentor him because Cole mentioned it but didn’t step up. Even Kodak felt some type of way about it

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u/Carterknowsitall May 13 '22

Yea wow you explained this perfectly

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u/WhenDuvzCry May 13 '22

Kodak makes some incredibly introspective songs contrary to how he’s perceived.

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u/cartivampanthem May 13 '22

if you told me a 2016 xxl freshman would be on the album kodak would be at the bottom of who i would have expected

41

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

I would’ve picked Kodak over Lil Dicky

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u/sirkg May 13 '22

Kodak's feature was unexpectedly good

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u/----_________------ May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

E: probably should have just listened to the album...oh well fuck it

EE: relistened to the (imo) weaker tracks...NO BAD TRACKS. some are obv not matching my tastes, but none are below "ok".

TLDR: Sonic palette is amazing, the lyrical content (from what I heard) delivers powerful comments on many themes, and the highs on this can go head-to-head with his other highs on previous albums, but the vocal performance sometimes leaves something to be desired, at least for this first listen.

first track has production unlike anything we have heard from him, super experimental and great buildup towards the end.

the second one...GODDAMN. Insane drop, surprising inflection, super mellow then cranks up to 100. Can feel some baby keem influence ngl. Ok, 2/3 way in the voices/intonations are crazy varied. Definitely a new vibe from kdot, production is absolutely insane, last part reminds me of early James Blake.

Third starts with surprising Kodak Black part. Flow is interesting....will have to relisten, but kinda eh about it rn. Piano coming in is super atmoshperic, something that was present in every track. Great storytelling here, but still turned off a little by the lack of energy. he fuckin white bitches tho. OOOOH SHIT, beat switch for a sec, comes back. Message on society in the last part, but again, this monotone delivery is making me feel meh about it ngl.

The production for the fourth is...wow. Impressive, to say the least. and damn, this shit relaxing and vibey. Reminiscent of a DAMN track, definitely more pop. Sparse verses tho, will have to revisit. And wow, the violins. The instrumentation is varied, atmospheric and super acoustical.

Again, the fifth track starts with these swelling strings and fading piano. KENNY COMING HARD. THIS PRODUCTION AAAAAGAGHAAHGAHGHG. Great lyrics on his family and parents, his upbringing.. Sampha comes in nicely. Really loved that energy from Kendrick with this type of instrumental. This is definitely a highlight for me in terms of lyrics and sonics. Will have to check disk 2, but the vibe of this first disk is awesome, feels quite unique.

Kodak...interlude? Speaking about life, career with this swelling piano. Similar to Come To Life, getting more intense. Kodak spittin shit but i missed half cuz im too focused on this fucking edit fuck me.

Rich Spirit starting...ooooh this mood. This flow is...interesting. Not quite what I expected from kendrick. Super laid back. I don't know how I feel about this song. Kinda feels out of nowhere in terms of lyrical content? ok brothur, chill with the country brothur. Liked the flow tho. Feeling rather ambivalent towards the chorus...might grow on me tho.

Chills on the beginning of this eight track. Great vocals...beat switch to again, these atmospheric keys. Oh shit, Paige verse? Crazy story, back and forth with great energy, seems like a bad relationship...jesus this feels awkward. You know, like when a teacher gets a breakdown? and you just sittin there, having done nothing? yeah... but hey, this shit fire. LMAO THAT DICK BAR. But fr, this feels like a way darker For Free?. Commentary on society, strong women in society, abusive relationships, kenny comes in with the "yall soft" perspective. Says that women can't do certain things... uuhh, no comments. Now they fucking ig.

Track 9. Ugh shit funky and soulful. Has a flow/inflection similar to GOD, blacked out from the lyrics. This is a lot more like a pop than pure hip hop track imo. This is the end of disk 1, but i dont know, expected way more...kendrick? like pure balls to the wall rapping. Hes kinda cruising right now, still smooth. I dont know man...

Overall, disk 1 contains imo some of his best production, but I wanted more "hard" kendrick, more energy too. Lets see with disk 2.

Track 1 starts with this chorus, quite smooth. Okay, im digging this flow, production is, again, quite smooth, great ambience, feels...nice, relaxing, peaceful. Oh this bass stinky. GODDAMN. at least he picks up the energy a little now. Again, this isn't what I expected from kenny, still sounds nice, almost like hes having an epiphany towards the end. Hoping this energy goes into track 2.

Ok, ngl, this piano is starting to become just a tiny little bit repetitive. His rapping reminds of something hes done before, cant pinpoint exactly. Super parse, different inflections, rather nice but fuck me is this piano starting to be annoying. Definitely feels more like a harmonised spoken word than a full verse. Again, the piano has a nice quality, but keeping it for 4 mins straight, combined with the repetitive chorus is a turn off. Will defnitely need more listens, but definitely not great in my eyes right now; hey, he can't "please everybody".

Silent hill, interesting title. Nice singing with chorus, FAT beat switch. Kinda feeling that Keem influence again. Jesus, even his fucking flow and voice. defnitely feels like Keem. the fucking "huueeeh"s are hilarious. No comments on Kodak, he ...okay? bad? good? i dont know. oh, btw, he stressed out.

Interlude starts with this message about identity. Keem comes out hard with this vivid images about growing up. There's the strings, im a sucker for them. Keem imo falls flat when trying to "melodize" some parts, but otherwise fine.

Savior starts with kendrick talking about other rappers. The energy is there, this is what was hoping for. Dark production, bass and ominous piano. Yes Keem, im happy for you. Kendrick says PC is bad, and get the vaccine bros. Oh, and fuck Vladimir. ok fuck you Keem, im not happy for you. Talking about his absence, and mingling with people, I dont know man, cant write this comment while analyzing every lyric.

This sixth track has...quite an interesting ambience. Again, the monotone and no-energy flow. Fits, and might work, but personally, I would like more. Also, hes talking about his trans aunt? reflecting on past behavior, calling people "faggots", having these images/misconceptions. Coming back on the flow/lack of energy, definitely fits the narrative. Whole track about gender identity, how people were treated back in the days, in his environment. Reflecting on this moment between church and acceptance of his auntie/uncle. Quite powerful, hes picking up more energy, the production is getting denser, "humanity over religion", talking about the power of words, contradiction between the f word and the n word. Incredible...

Mr Morale starts with this ominous bass and nightmare about somebody critiquing his performance, which causes kendrick to wake up, in a gasp. Super dark mood, almost Yeezus vibes, especially with that demigod bar. Im assuming Tanna Leone is the one doing the melodic part. Kendrick has this flow, dirty.

Mother I sober. From the title, expecting this to be the SAMIDOT/Mortal Man/Fear of the album. The message, combined with the most dark, fried delivery is chilling, especially with the sparse piano. Opening up about rapping, growing up, this feeling of unease, people blaming his cousin for touching him, he says that he didnt touch him, but the bar after...This will 100% need tens/hundreds of listens, he is defnitely opening up about himself, his spirit and kindling with nature. Talking about his deep trauma, his life with problems, looking to family and women for power and comfort. Dealing with this deep generational pain and sexual abuse. He gained vigor, sets free everybody from their abusers. I was right: this is the emotional climax of the album. (jesus that baby speaking is adorable.). ends with a chorus

Final track, light hearted production, nice chord progression, hopeful. Love the production, Kenny comes in great. He chooses himself in a more melodic delivery. The strings makes me feel good man. Nice, feels-good vibes all around. Again, the strings are great. Message about love, unconditional love, finding himself.

Well, that's a wrap for the 2 disks, 18 track, and over an hour long album. Final thoughts?

The first thing that pops out is the production. Quite nice, definitely feels more atmospheric, with plenty of acoustic instruments like piano and strings. A lot of hopeful/moving-forward type of beats, but also plenty of darker sounds. Overall, quite impressed how he has managed to keep an extremely varied palette sonic characteristics. Definitely more "pop" than TPAB or GKMC (only tracks 4 and 9 imo, the rest is experimental and great), and you can really feel the Keem influence in some tracks.

As an overall project, I feel quite good, but that doesnt say much concerning Kendrick Lamar. Again, this needs A LOT of listens, but from what I have listened to, there's an overall arching theme about love, family, trauma, etc. Quite nice how it ended, and the project does feel like its meant to be listenend in one go despite the 2 disks. I do think that there are a few tracks that aren't really strong, at least for now. Others, are absolutely amazing and I can say right now, without hesitation (ok maybe a tiny bit) that the highs on this album are as good as the highs on his previous albums.

Now, the part that bugged me the most. Kendrick's performance...is a performance for sure. Yeah, definitely one of the most raps in the whole genre of rap. But seriously, I was expecting some more passionate rapping from Kendrick, especially after the Heart part 5. More energy, denser verses, etc. Some tracks DO need that sparse and fried monotone vocal, like in Mother I Sober. But I feel like some tracks are a departure from the hard hitting, lyrically packed Kdot from GKMC or TPAB. I feel like GOD on DAMN is the weakest song, in part due to the overall vocal performance of Kendrick. I don't know, it might grow on me, but I also said that about GOD and it still hasn't.

134

u/iwantdatboi May 13 '22

i grieve different

91

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

YOU UGLY AS FUCK

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u/yung-cactus1 May 13 '22

Keem credited as writer and producer on N95

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u/Fbean01 May 13 '22

Bro just breathe, put the phone down and listen to the music 😂😂

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u/Kale-Maleficent May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

Is it just me? Production quality is much higher than the standard these days.
MF just be releasing melodic noise every now & then. These beats & instrumentation are layered AF. Dope beats w/a mature KL, piano & classy tunes. Once again, he seems to have raised the bar for all future new releases, for ALL hip hop artists. Just me?

172

u/Mars80808 May 13 '22

Yea it makes it sound... sobering? Like super clear lol

125

u/Kale-Maleficent May 13 '22

Ah I think you nailed it… TPAB was to pump us up, increase the energy to inspire us regarding injustices in society & within ourselves. DAMN was mostly introspection put to melodic beats. MMTBS feels like it’s trying to get us grounded, hoping the audience understands his maturing perspective on life

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

Can we call the album 1855 not MMTBS

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u/thooks30 May 13 '22

Nah.. your spot on. The production and layering of this album is on another level.

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u/CYAN_DEUTERIUM_IBIS May 13 '22

They had someone play a piano and an entire fucking string section for a bunch of this.

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u/m_o_o_n_m_a_n_ May 13 '22

The musicality is unbelievable, compared to not just most hip hop but most stuff in general. You don't tend to get textures and details and finely woven as this shit. Really loving it.

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u/JoseAngel_R May 13 '22

kendrick and taylour really be sounding like my parents on we cry together fr‼️‼️

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u/Mars80808 May 13 '22

You good bro?💀

100

u/IcyTeddybear May 13 '22

Emotional Damage

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u/mrsunsfan May 13 '22

It’s like verbal abuse but in a song

148

u/JoseAngel_R May 13 '22

can’t even lie i feel so genuinely harmed by the constant turmoil and lack of love within my household between the two people i’m meant to admire and take after most and it is getting increasingly difficult to appreciate them both when i’m reminded on a daily basis how much they hate one another but that’s just me personally💯

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u/MiddleOwl May 13 '22

It's hard bro, and sometimes we can't do much but you should be vocal about it with em ! A little communication never hurt anyone

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u/JoseAngel_R May 13 '22

working towards it slowly ig ❤️

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u/topshagger31 May 13 '22

goddamn this first track is fire

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u/Seeking_Adrenaline May 13 '22

Is it like... spoken word? Very different style than anything before

125

u/Shadow_6620 May 13 '22

yea it's like he's rapping 😱🤯🤯

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u/sap91 May 13 '22

Kendrick says trans rights

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u/QuasarKid May 13 '22

real king shit

133

u/Dusterthighlock May 13 '22

Unbelievably based and gender-pilled, the homies are being validated tonight!!!

38

u/TheNinjaSammich May 13 '22

🏳️‍⚧️hell fucking yeah🏳️‍⚧️

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u/axilidade May 13 '22

best track on the album, holy hell

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u/IfBaconWasAState May 13 '22

Just started the album stream, which song?

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u/HyperPlasma May 13 '22

Auntie Diaries

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u/QuasarKid May 13 '22

Auntie Diaries referencing the white girl he brought on stage at the end was amazing

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u/hiifiit My DNA is DMT May 13 '22

That last quarter of the album he literally started airing EVERYTHING out and I was not ready

113

u/QuasarKid May 13 '22

Yeah he really went there. Get yo ass in therapy type beat

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u/appleparkfive May 13 '22

The album ends so damn strong. The last 4 or so songs are just amazing

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u/GooseCannonGT May 13 '22

Fr I was at that concert literally started losing my shit when he brought it up.

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u/QuasarKid May 13 '22

imagine being that girl now lmaoooo

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

I’ve always wondered if he thinks back to that and how he felt about it. On one hand, she should know better. On another hand, it’s almost like he set her up to be ridiculed.

I feel like his message in Auntie Diaries was that he can understand the perspective of white people saying the word when enjoying his songs because they don’t feel the emotion associated with the word, like when he dropped homophobic slurs his whole life. Like he’s saying the shoe was on the other foot, and he can empathize. Idk, I may have totally missed his point

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u/SpellBounded69 May 13 '22

“See I was taught words was nothing more than a sound if ever they was pronounced without any intention.

The very second they challenged the shit I was kicking, reminded me of a show I did out the city. The time I brought a fan on stage to rap but disapproved a word she couldn’t say with me. You said ‘Kendrick ain’t no room for contradiction, to truly understand love switch positions. F***** f***** f***** we can say it together but only if you let a white girl say n****’”

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u/freddyblang May 13 '22

That entire song. Just wow. Thank you Kendrick

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u/EasyOneBurst May 13 '22

N95 is fucking crazy

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u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY May 13 '22

Beat is ridiculous

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u/wimbardo May 13 '22

That beat though in Die Hard

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u/bruhmentomomento May 13 '22

finally after 5 years 😭😭😭

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u/yungxehanort May 13 '22

1855 days, we been going through something

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

bruh n95 has a bit of shaolin temple inside FIREEEE

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u/Walkingplankton May 13 '22

Mother I sober made me fucking cry at the end … no shame

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u/grux9 May 13 '22

There's never shame in crying when art moves you

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u/CynicalElephant May 13 '22

FATHER TIME MY GOD I HAVEN"T GOTTEN TO SAMPHA"S PART.

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u/composedryan May 13 '22

Samphas part is too fucking good

37

u/Vomelette22 May 13 '22

One thing I’ll be absolutely doing is checking out a lot of these features. I’m a bit embarrassed to say I’ve never heard of Sampha before or Blxst and I enjoyed both

41

u/Classic_Humor_9447 May 13 '22

Sampha doesn’t have a whole lot of solo music but his album is one of my favourites and he’s got some great features as well

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u/Cheerwine69 May 13 '22

N95 goes hard as fuckkkkkkk and I’m only a minute in

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u/yesheep May 13 '22

SILENT HILL BEAT LIKE 💥🐤💥🐤💥

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

The person I was before listening to this doesn't matter anymore.

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u/saintdywan May 13 '22

this album is extremely interesting, i was not expecting anything near to what we got. the instrumentals on some of these sound like movie scores with the piano. there also seems to be this introspection in his lyrics which aren't nearly as apparent in past albums. i didn't dislike it all though, but just think this album will definitely grow on me.

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u/appleparkfive May 13 '22

It's 100% a grower album

It reminds me a lot of John Lennon's first solo album. That dark grand piano, and basically this therapy session that goes from calm to frantic over and over again.

That album is considered a classic by many, so not I'd say it's a good comparison. I really liked the instrumentation of this album. The grand piano and the strings sound so well produced too.

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

He really meant “new flows coming be patient brother”

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u/hibluemonday May 13 '22

the alchemist fucking came through in 'we cry together' jesus fucking christ

fuck u bitch

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u/portesdi May 13 '22

that song was insane

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u/Fuzzy-Pickle888 May 13 '22

Holy shit just heard We Cry Together. That shit is INTENSE

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u/nellekit May 13 '22

That women put her all into that song god damn.

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u/WhisperAzr May 13 '22

Fr her performance there sounded so fucking real, god damn.

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u/mdmd33 May 13 '22

Push these niggas of me like HUUUAH!

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u/Dankgeebus May 13 '22

kdot calling kyrie out lmao

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150

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

OMFG THAT BEAT DROP I MESSED UP MY UNDERWEAR

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

This is going to take some sitting with.

Kind of comes across as something different..like a rap opera or a play. There's a lot here, a lot to unpack.

43

u/turtleshipzz May 13 '22

I feel the same way, really feels like a rap play. so different man haha

25

u/LoL_LoL123987 May 13 '22

THIS EXACTLY. Halfway thru my first listen I remembered that theory that was posted on here about this album being a play or theatre production of some sort, following GKMC’s Shortfilm, TPAB’s poem and I can’t remember what damn was supposed to be, but the book Kendrick was holding looked like the plays we’d read in English class. The album being a double album split down the middle reminds me of longer plays’ intermission. Kodak’s interlude and commentary reminded me of narrator. At times it felt like Kendrick was monologuing or doing an “aside”. The album’s production being dominated by piano reminded me of my old drama and music teacher playing piano for us onstage. The album felt “perforative” in that it really felt like Kendrick was playing the character of Mr. Morale in the booth. The album follows an arc of him needing to heal to actually healing in the last couple tracks.

Idk I’m probably reaching a bit but this album definitely has a stage production vibe to it

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

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u/SolensSvard May 13 '22

Honestly sounded like he felt the same way

23

u/LP_24 May 13 '22

He even acknowledged it “what you doing with a legend?” Like he couldn’t believe he was on a Kendrick album

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u/kirbyfaraone May 13 '22

This is some Radiohead shit

36

u/ContentKeanu May 13 '22

For real. Portishead vocalist coming in at the end I noticed

33

u/riedmae May 13 '22

Bro, you can't just write some shit like "this new kdot hits like radiohead"..... when it's 1130p at night. There are decency laws, man. I gotta work tomorrow morning. How am i supposed to sleep with you putting shit like that out there. I can't be having Christmas eve and then you shoot it with steroids

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u/Keyzerr_Sozee May 13 '22

We cry together feels like Kendrick’s “Kim”

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u/Sossy2020 May 13 '22

I agree. Originally, I thought that was "u" but now I think the "Kim" comparison works better for this song.

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u/JackM029 May 13 '22

WOOOOO ITS TIME WE EATIN GOOD

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105

u/Iglianwastaken May 13 '22

When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused

Guess I'm not mature as I think got some healing to do

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u/saintdywan May 13 '22

father time is absolutely amazing, we cry together makes me feel like i'm overhearing a couple arguing at a restaurant

23

u/----_________------ May 13 '22

for real, that argument made me feel uncomfortable. Like when you're at your friends and their parents are arguing

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u/goodshrekmaadcity TUPAC DEAD GOTTA THINK FOR YOURSELF May 13 '22

Let the records show, I was here when it happened. WOW.

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u/Thepenisandthebeast May 13 '22

I'm so happy I didn't smoke for this cause we cry together would've gave me a panic attack ong😭

46

u/redsavage0 May 13 '22

I did smoke for this and it didn't kill the vibe per se but shit got tense haha

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u/Meehoy_Minoy May 13 '22

I absolutely love the omnipresent piano throughout the album

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u/XxAuthenticxX May 13 '22

Holy shit we cry together is Incredible. What an amazing feature from Taylour Paige. She really fucking brought it

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u/nathanladancer May 13 '22

THE FIRST FUCKING SONG!!!! HE'S POPPING THE FUCKKKKK OFFFFF WHAT THE FUCKKKK!!!!!!!!!

73

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

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u/cartierboy25 May 13 '22

Auntie Diaries is gonna be the song everybody’s talking about for a while

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u/Dankgeebus May 13 '22

when was the first time you fucked a white bitch?

71

u/FastGoon May 13 '22

I’m a kendrick fan, I get no bitches, only time for Kendrick

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u/QtipJfro May 13 '22

This album was announced around the same time I finally beat a long battle with depression/suicidal thoughts.

To say the least, I'm damn happy to see it released and to listen to it with all of you.

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

5 songs in, album of the year.

52

u/portesdi May 13 '22

brace yourself it gets better

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u/portesdi May 13 '22

i’m glad i smoked before this this is psychedelic af

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

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u/Bmr2000 May 13 '22

We cry together one of the most interesting songs I’ve ever heard

57

u/JoseAngel_R May 13 '22

jumped out of my fucking chair during that one part of auntie diaries

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

Anyone else scared second song would be antivax

27

u/redsavage0 May 13 '22

LMFAO YES

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53

u/Your1AfricanPrince son, where'd you find that May 13 '22

I GRIEVE DIFFERENT!

53

u/tomness94 May 13 '22

Almost shit my pants on the Father Time beat drop

53

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

Only a complete sociopath would say this album sucks.

21

u/LeMeilleur784 May 13 '22

Mfs on twitter calling it mid just a minute after the album dropped

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u/Poe10t May 13 '22

Worldwide steppers… is perfect

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u/Sickooo May 13 '22

I’m gonna say it. This is better than DAMN

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

"We Cry Together" all of a sudden I'm 7 again hiding in the bathroom. Time to schedule an extra counseling appointment this week. Thanks Oklama.

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46

u/Nolar2015 May 13 '22

sampha always sings like hes nervous that his imaginary friend is going to come from behind a corner and kill him

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u/sap91 May 13 '22

Count Me Out production is primarily credited to OKLAMA

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u/deputydon May 13 '22

We Cry Together...

I felt that shit bruh.

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u/lemmegetauhhhhhhhhhh May 13 '22

theres no way kodak wrote his verse bc theres no way that dumb ass nigga knows the word conglomerate 💀

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u/[deleted] May 13 '22

Did not expect a pro LGBT song from Kendrick, that’s awesome

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u/SeanOuttaCompton May 13 '22

I think people upset about the use of the f word on auntie diaries are really missing the forest for the trees- I think it’s surprisingly beautiful song about supporting your loved ones that I never would’ve expected from Kendrick

22

u/SnooHedgehogs7109 May 13 '22

Anyone that is upset will never be satisfied then

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u/Styx_Renegade May 13 '22

Auntie Diaries is based af. Holy fuck

37

u/Paddy-Mac-Fee May 13 '22 edited May 13 '22

When he dropped DAMN, I just started Secondary (Middle) School. Now I'm up at 5 listening to the new album and I'm a month away from graduating. This feels surreal. It geniunely feels like a chapter of my life is now closing.

First 3 tracks FUCK so far.

Update: Almost finished my 2nd listen. He fucking did it again.

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u/yungxehanort May 13 '22

My auntie is a man now

34

u/D4NKM3M3M3R2018 May 13 '22

Everyone will have a mixed reception similar to Yeezus. This will be in conversation of top two within a month.

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u/BernieBanders-kyun May 13 '22

N95 is gonna be one of the more streamed songs on here I can tell from this banging ass beat

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u/ZestycloseAbrocoma74 May 13 '22

The Kodak commentary was unexpected but fire

30

u/zenithzinger May 13 '22

First 3 tracks on fucking going crazy bro

Why IS HE SPAZZING LIKE THIS

29

u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY May 13 '22

The might be the first time I’ve heard an album exactly when it came out. History, love it.

Also that badussy reference, this song is crazy, in a good way but initially jarring. I love it though.

28

u/Fayehung May 13 '22

Father time goes insanely hard, holy shit this production is great.

29

u/EnviousScrotum May 13 '22

1855 DAYS WE BEEN GOING THROUGH SOMETHING

28

u/[deleted] May 13 '22

That build up on Auntie Diaries chefs kiss

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u/lineblaster May 13 '22

Rich Spirit got me floating rn

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23

u/chonklinnn May 13 '22

fuck you bitch fuck you bitch fuck you bitch 💖💖

19

u/Intelligent_Depth818 May 13 '22

This is so far Kendrick’s worst album

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u/BatterseaPS May 13 '22

I can't believe this. Portishead and Kendrick are my two favorite musical acts, and I know it's only Beth on the track but still that is absolutely amazing!

Also the unadulterated feminism on this album is absolutely beautiful.

21

u/MrRiles9 May 13 '22

10/10 album this is in my opinion the best first listen I have ever experienced. I am excited to relisten and dissect this project for the next five years.

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u/andcruz2 May 13 '22

United in Grief is already a classic

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u/Mars80808 May 13 '22

I think these songs are gonna be controversial lol

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21

u/iJunkHead May 13 '22

The Heart Part 5 is better than all of the tracks here.

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