Written by: Mikala Lugen
Kendrick Lamar Unveils ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,’ Announces Global Tour
Kendrick Lamar has unleashed his first album in five years, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
The double album follows his 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN. which soared the rapper to new heights after debuting at No. 1 and going triple platinum in just over year. And while the album exposed the world’s taboo topics of racism, gun violence, and religious ideation, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has set off as another musical conversation piece for the world to digest.
The now father of two, husband-to-be, and famed artist takes listeners on a 73-minute listening journey spanning through themes of fatherhood, religion, infidelity, addiction, sobriety, sexual assault, cancel culture, queerness, and consumerism. And through his rapping verses, Lamar leaves nothing left untouched, moving through inventive production of old-school jazz to modern electronic elements, all strung together with overlapping sounds and beats of the piano and percussion. “I hope you find some peace of mind in this lifetime” rings out as the opening album track “United In Grief,” kicking into a staccato piano and transitioning into the first of many verses.
The new album boasts a long list of impressive guests, including Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, actress Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons (Portishead). However, when you try to factor in Lamar’s “woke” themes touching on the sensitivity of sexual assault and abuse, it’s important to point out his controversial inclusion of Kodak Black who recently pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery of a female high school student. Call it what you want, but Lamar may have chosen him for a reason, making the album all the more complex and contradictory.
Needless to say though, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers stands as an emotive and raw music collection full of in-depth lyricism. His ongoing themes of trauma and toxicity throughout the album tie into his recently released “The Heart Part 5,” where the accompanying video features Lamar morphing his face into other famous Black men, noting how the themes often impact their lives and other marginalized groups.
“The Heart Part 5” – Kendrick Lamar
[Video: Kendrick Lamar]
Stream Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers below and listen on all streaming platforms here. In addition to his new album, Lamar has unveiled the dates for a massive global tour. The rapper will set off with Baby Keem and Tanna Leone on July 19th at Oklahoma City, OK’s Paycom Center, making his way to Salt Lake City, UT’s Vivint Arena on August 24th. Scroll down for a full list of upcoming tour dates, and visit Kendrick Lamar’s website for tickets. For all shows in the US, the first tickets to The Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers Tour will be available to Cash App customers via an exclusive ticket pre-sale. Beginning Thursday, May 19th at 10am through 10pm local time, new and existing Cash App Cash Card holders can unlock the special pre-sale and purchase tickets by using the first 9 numbers of their Cash Card on Ticketmaster and completing the purchase immediately.
Tue Jul 19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Thu Jul 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Fri Jul 22 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sat Jul 23 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sun Jul 24 – Miami, FL – Rolling Loud
Wed Jul 27 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Fri Jul 29 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Sat Jul 30 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Sun Jul 31 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Tue Aug 02 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Thu Aug 04 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Fri Aug 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Sat Aug 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Sun Aug 07 – Long Island, NY – UBS Arena
Tue Aug 09 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Wed Aug 10 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri Aug 12 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Sat Aug 13 – Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Sun Aug 14 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Tue Aug 16 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Thu Aug 18 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
Fri Aug 19 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sat Aug 20 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sun Aug 21 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Tue Aug 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Wed Aug 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
Fri Aug 26 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Sat Aug 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sun Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Tue Aug 30 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Wed Aug 31 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
Thu Sep 01 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
Tue Sep 06 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena at San Diego State University
Wed Sep 07 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Fri Sep 09 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sat Sep 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
Tue Sep 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Wed Sep 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Fri Oct 07 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
Mon Oct 10 – Prague, CZ – O2 Arena
Tue Oct 11 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena
Thu Oct 13 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena
Sat Oct 15 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
Mon Oct 17 – Stockholm, SE – Avicii Arena
Wed Oct 19 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena
Fri Oct 21 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
Mon Oct 24 – Stuttgart, DE – Scheleyerhalle
Tue Oct 25 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
Wed Oct 26 – Laussane, CH – Vaudoise Aréna
Fri Oct 28 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
Sun Oct 30 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
Mon Oct 31 – Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle
Wed Nov 02– Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu Nov 03 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Fri Nov 04 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Sat Nov 05 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon Nov 07 – London, UK – The O2
Tue Nov 08 – London, UK – The O2
Sun Nov 13 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Wed Nov 16 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Thu Dec 01 – Perth, AUS – RAC Arena
Sun Dec 04 – Melbourne, AUS – Rod Laver Arena
Thu Dec 08 – Sydney, AUS – Qudos Bank Arena
Mon Dec 12 – Brisbane, AUS – Entertainment Center
Fri Dec 16 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena