Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album. The Pulitzer Prize award-winning rapper built up a lot of hype for this album and he did not disappoint. After five years since his last album, DAMN., fans were excited to see what Lamar had in store. Before the release of the album, Lamar released a single called “The Heart Part 5.” Fans loved this song and were quick to start analyzing the song and the accompanying video. This leading single had many underlying themes that are prevalent throughout the album. Lamar raps about his struggle with trauma, love, and himself. He raps, “I am all of us.” I believe Lamar says this to show that he can relate to his listeners and that his songs are not only for himself but for other people. They describe the human condition. The cover of the album shows Lamar with his partner, Whitney Alford, and his two kids. The family is in a hole-covered room with bullet holes and chipped paint. The state of the room represents Kendrick’s upbringing. Lamar also has on a crown of thorns, like Jesus, which shows his religious beliefs. Lamar put his all into this album and it shows when you listen to it.

The album starts off with the song “United in Grief.” Sung by Sam Dew, the intro to the song repeats the line, “I hope you find some peace of mind in this lifetime.” Lamar then enters the song saying, “One-thousand eight-hundred and fifty-five days– I've been goin' through something.” This is the exact amount of days since his last album. When Lamar begins his first verse, the beat switches to a simple piano melody and some light drums. Lamar raps quickly about gender norms and self-worth. Contrary to the song’s title, Lamar switches the mood of the song and says, “I grieve different.” He then continues to rap on a more fast-paced beat. He mentions the trauma he went through as a child and how he was able to become a successful black man despite his struggles. This song feels like a trauma dump from Lamar where he expresses raw emotion. This vulnerability is what makes him such a great artist.

The next song is called “N95” referring to the N95 face masks which are used to combat Covid-19. Kendrick Lamar addresses futile and superficial coping mechanisms while pointing out the facades and personas a lot of people have acquired during the pandemic. Because of its promotion and music video, this song is currently the most streamed on the album. It is one of my personal favorites on the album because of its upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics.

Following tracks such as, “Die Hard” and “Father Time”, feature artists like Blxst, Amanda Reifer, and Sampha. Both of these songs are more laid-back than the beginning of the album and offer a more “chill” vibe. In “Die Hard”, Kendrick opens up about his insecurities and struggles involving honesty in a relationship. He doubts whether opening up to a person you love is worth it. He raps, “Can I open up? Is it safe or not?” Kendrick debates opening up to his lover throughout the song and eventually ends up telling the girl his struggles. Blxst ends the song with the lines, “Yeah, 'cause if I won it all without you involved– I guess it's all for nothing.” Lamar has come to the realization that, even if you have all the fame in the world, if you have no one that you can emotionally connect with then it's “all for nothing.” In “Father Time”, Kendrick discusses his daddy issues and the effect it has on him. He also talks about how the lack of a father figure leads to gang culture among young black men. Lamar raps, “​​Daddy issues, hid my emotions, never expressed myself.” Lamar is talking about the common stereotype that boys should hide their emotions and never talk about how they feel. He continues to list examples of male stereotypes and the effects of “daddy issues.” Kendricks ends his verse by saying, “'Til then, let's give the women a break…” Kendrick is leaving a message for all the fathers with kids. He wants them to step up and be a real father so they can break the cycle of bad fathership. “Father Time” is one of my favorites on the album because of the memorable chorus and deep meaning.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers contains two parts. Disc 1: Mr. Morale and Disc 2: The Big Steppers. On the last 3 songs of Disc 1, “Rich Spirit”, “We Cry Together”, and “Purple Hearts”, Kendrick goes on an emotional rollercoaster. In “Rich Spirit”, he raps, “Ayy, b*tch, I'm attractive.” Throughout the song, Kendrick constantly boasts about himself and talks about staying strong during tough times. “We Cry Together” is a 5:21 minute long track containing Kendrick arguing with his partner, Whitney. The couple exchanges nasty remarks and insults each other during the whole song. Although these explicit comments seem like they will never end, the song concludes with Kendrick and Whitney apologizing to each other and recognizing their differences. The final song on Disc 1, “Purple Hearts”, is about Kendrick healing his heart and his relationship after the toxic fight in the previous track. The title of the song could be referring to multiple things. The mention of drugs in the track and the use of “purple” in the title could allude to the drug “lean”. Kendrick talks about how many people resort to the use of drugs after going through tough times. “Purple” could also be referring to the color of a bruise after a physical fight. This track ends with the lines, “Listen what the stars say when I say it's God's way.” Kendrick has resolved any problem he had with his partner and is finally healing.

Disc 2 is the start of the second half of the album and the start of a new chapter in Kendrick’s life. In “Count Me Out”, Kendrick realizes that he forced himself into a toxic relationship, and leaving the relationship will bring about much happier emotions within him. Lamar raps, “Miss Regret, I think I'm better off alone.” He refers to the girl as “Miss Regret” because he regrets everything he did with her. He does not try to push his past experiences away but rather asks for forgiveness from God. He asks, “Can't you see I'm a wreck?” This moment of vulnerability shows that Kendrick wants to move on with his life.

“Silent Hill” features Florida rapper, Kodak Black, who adds a different style of rapping to the album. Different from the rest of the album, this song is a trap song, and Kendrick and Kodak rap about money and girls. Kendrick most likely included this track to show the type of lifestyle he grew up in.  In “Savior,” Kendrick teams up with Sam Dew and Baby Keem to inform his listeners about how society is unfair. In the intro, Kendrick sets the tone by reminding those who look up to public figures that they are only human and not gods. He mentions celebrities such as himself, J.Cole, Future, and LeBron James. In each verse he tackles a different subject; in the first verse, Kendrick addresses racial issues in today's society,  in the second, he talks about Covid -19 and political correctness, and finally, in the third verse, he discusses his own flaws and struggles. In this song, Kendrick tries to convince his listeners not to treat real people like gods and that they should each try to forge their own path.

In “Auntie Diaries,” Kendrick discusses the LGBTQ community and tells people they need to learn to accept them. He tells the story of two transgender people and the prejudice they faced. In the first verse, he raps, “My auntie is a man now– I think I'm old enough to understand now.” Lamar continues to talk about the hatred his auntie faced and how he didn’t understand it. He also questions his faith in church saying, “…the pastor didn't see him the same,” in reference to “Demetrius” who is “Mary-Ann now.” In Kendrick’s eyes, all people should be treated equally in church no matter if they are transgender or not. At the end of the song, Kendrick reveals that this is a story from his childhood and says that people should look at things with the same innocence they had as a child.

“Mother I Sober” features English singer, Beth Gibbons, who offers her vocals on the song. Lamar instantly opens up with the lyrics, “I'm sensitive, I feel everything, I feel everybody.” Lamar is offering his heartfelt emotions. He continues to outline his rough upbringing and the trauma he went through. He details his experience with abuse and drug addiction and the effect it had on his family. Lamar expands his opinion on the toxic sex culture that many black families face. He raps, “I know the secrets, every other rapper sexually abused– I see 'em daily buryin' they pain in chains and tattoos.” Towards the end of the song, Kendrick exclaims that he broke the “generational curse” which means his children won’t live in a toxic environment such as he did. The trauma that Kendrick discusses in this song shows that he had a tough upbringing and he wasn’t rich and famous his whole life.

The final song on the album, “Mirror” is a moment of growth for Kendrick. In this song, Kendrick has finally come to a point of self-realization and decides to focus on himself. Throughout the song he repeats the line, “I choose me, I'm sorry.” Kendrick is portrayed as a father, husband, savior, and god. Kendrick focuses all his energy on other people and tries to help them succeed. He realizes that if he wants to improve his life then he needs to focus on himself. At the end of the song, Lamar says, “Sorry I didn't save the world, my friend– I was too busy building mine again.” Kendrick wants to let people know that he is not a superhero and that sometimes he needs to focus on himself. “Mirror” is the perfect final track for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers because it shows that Kendrick has matured and found his way in life.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is an album with many layers. Without examining the lyrics, it’s very entertaining to listen to and most of the songs are very catchy. When looking deeper into the songs, you can see themes of trauma, love, family, and growth. The album follows the storyline of Kendrick and his relationship with women and his family. Kendrick grows and learns many things on his journey and tries to teach these lessons to his listeners. Overall, if you enjoy any type of rap music, I recommend listening to Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.