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Later in the first track, Kendrick says, “I hope the psychologist listenin'.” In “Father Time,” Kendrick’s partner Whitney says, “You really need some therapy” and suggests he reach out to Eckhart Tolle, who then appears several times throughout the album and seems to serve the role of Kendrick’s therapist. The album opens with a musical motif that will repeat later: The entire album is structured around a narrative of Kendrick’s therapy. He didn’t unveil the album’s tracklist until its release, leaving fans hyped up until the final moments before the drop. Three days later, Kendrick took to social media to reveal the album’s cover art, shot by Renell Medrano. On May 8, 2022, Kendrick surprise-dropped “The Heart Part 5” with an accompanying music video that saw his face morphing into stars like Kanye West and Will Smith. Morale & The Big Steppers would be a double album, which turned out to be accurate. A week before the release date, an image of Kendrick holding two CDs was shared via, driving speculation that Mr. On April 18, 2022, Kendrick shared a statement revealing the project’s release date and title through his website and social media. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling.Ībout a week later, on August 27, 2021, his cousin Baby Keem released “family ties,” featuring a guest verse by Kendrick with multiple allusions to the highly-anticipated record. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators.
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On August 20, 2021, Kendrick teased his return with a new website-explaining that the upcoming project would be his last release with TDE:Īs I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. TDE founder and CEO Anthony Tiffith teased fans during a May 2020 Instagram Live, saying “Stay patient” and “King Kendrick will return soon.” Morale & The Big Steppers is Kendrick Lamar’s fifth and final studio album with Top Dawg Entertainment.
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