Posted August 20, 20213 yr https://oklama.com/nuthoughts I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone. Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next. As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I’ve prayed for you all. See you soon enough. -oklama So after what feels like years of complete radio silence we finally have an announcement of sorts from Kendrick, at least acknowledging that he is working on an album, although the only detail is that it'll be his last release under his current label (he recently founded his own label pgLang so presumably any future releases from him will be under that). So no idea when this will be landing but might as well start the hiipe x
April 18, 20223 yr Kendrick Lamar Announces New Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick Lamar has tweeted a new link to his Oklama website. And, on the site, the rapper revealed his new album’s title and release date: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is out May 13. Lamar teased the record—his “final TDE album,” as he described it—on a website launched in August 2021. “May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling,” he wrote at the time. “There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown.” He signed the note, “Oklama.” Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers follows Lamar’s Pulitzer-winning 2017 album Damn. Since then, he’s curated and helmed the Black Panther soundtrack, headlined Coachella and Top Dawg Entertainment’s Championship Tour, won a bunch of Grammy Awards, and been nominated for an Oscar. In 2019, Kendrick Lamar featured on Sir’s “Hair Down,” Raphael Saadiq’s “Rearview,” the Lion King song “Nile,” Dreamville’s “Under the Sun,” and 2 Chainz’s “Momma I Hit a Lick.” He was set to headline Glastonbury Festival 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic shut down festivals and touring for the year. In October, he appeared on the Busta Rhymes song “Look Over Your Shoulder” before joining Baby Keem on “Range Brothers” and “Family Ties.” In March 2020, Lamar and his longtime collaborator Dave Free launched pgLang, an enterprise they described as “a new multi-lingual, at service company.” He’s the subject of a new cultural biography by Pitchfork contributor Marcus J. Moore called The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. https://pitchfork.com/news/kendrick-lamar-a...e-big-steppers/ @1516114615477825537 :heart: :heart: Edited April 18, 20223 yr by Sour Candy
April 18, 20223 yr I'm incredibly excited for this. It feels like it's been an absolute age since we last got music and if the verse on Family Ties is anything to go by, we should be in for some experience :lol:
April 18, 20223 yr Author Hey I finally have a use for my mod powers here! (that is merging this thread with the one I made for a then-untitled upcoming Kendrick album months ago so I can claim credit for the thread :coffee:) Yasss for something concrete finally being announced :cheeseblock: feels like a lifetime since the last Kendrick album.
April 19, 20223 yr I was just thinking the other day what the hell happened to this guy so good to know something is finally in the works.
April 20, 20223 yr Author He did a couple of features last year on his cousin Baby Keem's album (one of which was a fairly big hit in the US and a minor hit here) so he hadn't completely disappeared. But yes, in terms of his own music, it's been pretty much no news for years apart from the very vague teaser that prompted me originally posting this thread.
May 9, 20223 yr It probably won't be part of the album but The Heart Part 5 is out now with a trippy video that uses deep-fake technology to see him rap from the perspectives of O.J. Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant & Nipsey Hussle. uAPUkgeiFVY
May 13, 20223 yr This is great (of course) on first listen but 'Auntie Diaries' will tear a hole through Twitter and create an avalanche of think pieces.
May 13, 20223 yr Auntie Diaries has stuck with me the most! I haven't stopped thinking about it after finishing my first listen through of the album.
May 13, 20223 yr I've only had my "listen in the background at work" initial experience, so still need a fully immersive one where more and more lyrics jump out, but wow the likes of 'Auntie Diaries' - as mentioned - plus 'We Cry Together' and 'Mother I Sober' are so raw and uncomfortable, like observing a scathing argument in a "should I be listening to this?" way for 'We Cry Together', or the fact 'Auntie Diaries' immediately resulted in slur discourse - not to mention thematically feeling pretty unique for a hip-hop song. The relayed trauma of 'Mother I Sober' was really quite chilling. On the flip side there are some bangers littered in there as well - I knew the production was going to be on point as per usual from the first song alone. Then there are songs that veer into more "lush" territory - a lot of variation throughout but it works. There's a lot to think about here - he's back in a big way.
May 13, 20223 yr Listened to this while I work and have to echo that it’s another brilliant album from him. It’s amazing that he can leave 5 years of hype and still not disappoint in the slightest. We Cry Together was the stand-our for me after one listen. It reminds me of the part in ‘Both Sides of a Smile’ where Dave & ShaSimone are rapping in unison but developed over a whole song. Auntie Diaries is definitely the one that’s going to cause all the think-pieces. It’s quite refreshing to see to see such a mainstream rap song focus on transphobia. I’m exited to sit down properly and listen along with the lyrics to get a full appreciation of the album. I was surprised at multiple appearances from Kodak Black. He would have been well down the list of rappers I’d expect on a Kendrick album.
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