Kendrick Lamar - MR MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS FINAL Review

Kendrick Lamar released Mr Morale & The Big Steppers a few weeks ago & after sitting with it for awhile, here are my final thoughts.
0:00 Intro
2:24 Reexamining Kendrick's Past 3 Albums
5:27 Father Time Thoughts
6:47 Kendrick's Self View
9:10 Kendrick's View of Cancel Culture
14:53 The Beauty of Mother I Sober
20:05 Challenging Kendrick's Perspective
22:00 Auntie Diaries
24:30 My Own Confusion/Kendrick's Hypocrisies
29:39 What Will This Album Do?
30:34 Kendrick is Far Removed
32:51 My Respect for Kendrick
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Full Tracklist
Kendrick Lamar - MR MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS Full Album Tracklist
DISC 1: BIG STEPPERS
01 “In Grief”
02 “N95”
03 “Worldwide Steppers”
04 “Die Hard” Feat. Blxst & Amanda Reifer
05 “Father Time” Feat. Sampha
06 “Rich” (Interlude)
07 “Rich Spirit”
08 “We Cry Together” Feat. Taylour Paige
09 “Purple Hearts” Feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah
DISC 2: MR. MORALE
01 “Count Me Out”
02 “Crown”
03 “Silent Hill” Feat. Kodak Black
04 “Savior” (Interlude)
05 “Savior” Feat. Baby Keem & Sam Dew
06 “Auntie Diaries”
07 “Mr. Morale” Feat. Tanna Leone
08 “Mother I Sober” Feat. Beth Gibbons Of Portishead
09 “Mirror”

[@hunterthedon172]

I think Kendrick didn’t drop the album everyone was expecting, but he made the project that he needed to. He could’ve easily made something more mainstream with a bunch of TDE features, but instead he went for a more grounded and vulnerable approach. He needed a divisive album for his artistic/personal growth. Not the biggest fan of it sonically, but the narrative was interesting.

[@thedon0516]

But that's the thing, nobody knows what they were expecting. I'm assuming a DAMN. 2 or a GKMC 2

[@dfredankey]

@@thedon0516 yeah and they didn’t get that and call this shit because it’s not what they wanted. Same shit happened with carti (not the best comparison). They wanted die lit part 2 but got WLR. Everyone called it shit @ first now a lot haggle come around to realize they werent open minded n we’re just upset they didn’t get what they wanted, but instead what the artist wanted

[@dadorage1695]

I'll never understand that argument, that tape has many mainstream heavy, baby keem throaway sounding songs, people act like Kendrick is Billy Woods or something, there were clearly some radio appealing songs

[@samgayney88]

@@dfredankey Yeah this happens with every contemporary artist today, it's not what people expect, or want, or think they like, but you manage to get those group of people hating on something immediately after it drops. Mfs don't give music time to breathe, and so you have everyone claiming it's bad when it's attempting to break new boundaries, this happened with WLR, Dawn FM, MMBS, DONDA, literally the past like 4-5 years of music dropping has been overhyped and then brought down to a realistic expectation, then giving immense praise after letting the music have a chance to stand on it's own, it's just how people react to new music. People gotta give music multiple listens before giving an opinion, over the course of multiple days.

[@OlDirtyBaron]

@@thedon0516 what does that even mean, though? more of the same style of production? an album with a narrative theme woven throughout? as far as I'm concerned those subjects were discussed and dealt with. who would want more of the same?

[@TheBestPizzaConnoisseur]

Shoutout to the “No stream, tap to retry” crew 💯

[@GreyGreenGod]

I’ve never seen this before

[@lemmondrops3790]

real

[@jean7288]

😭😭😭

[@amotherof4510]

We the best out here

[@yourkingreturns]

Gang

[@samuraiblack6499]

Shawn seems to have thought on this album a lot. His opinions are more developed than they were a few weeks ago. Not many albums these days are as thought provoking as this one, I think we should acknowledge that. Great video

[@TheRowdTrip]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@Youngesey]

Facts 🤞🏾

[@AWillFilmz]

I love Shawn’s reviews but I can tell that this particular album makes him very uncomfortable. Which could be a good thing. His own review is saying more about himself than Kendrick. That’s the kind of effect this album should have. I personally believe that this is Lamar’s best work. I can’t necessarily rate it song for song because the album in it’s entirety is like a movie.

[@dez-m]

FACTS!

[@juliuslansiquot6717]

It makes a lot of people uncomfortable. That’s why the replay value is low for people who are not Kendrick stans.

[@nicksharma8238]

@@juliuslansiquot6717 Im a Kendrick fan, and it made me uncomfortable. I think him speaking for his unconscious darkness, resonates and matches that same frequency in people's subconscious, which makes it come to the surface. An album like this is rare.

[@treriley3810]

For sure, I feel the exact same way. This may in fact be my favorite album from him personally.

[@treriley3810]

It makes people uncomfortable because they are not ready to face their own inner issues themselves, so it makes sense why they don’t like it. Maybe a little more growth from people in let’s say 5-10 years and maybe they will. Maybe not 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@lukeb8480]

That conclusion makes a lot of sense Shawn. If it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s uncomfortable. I respect you saying that

[@bigboiiy]

shawn

[@lukeb8480]

@@bigboiiy lol thanks

[@Storm-qt2jb]

It just shows this album is not for everyone cuz not everyone can face sides of themselves like kendrick did 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@MadMaxTopShotta]

@@Storm-qt2jb Loll people like you are annoying why does not liking the album or feeling uncomfortable about it mean they can’t face w.e Kdot faced lmao

[@sshadowx1003]

@@Storm-qt2jb it’s mid I don’t care what y’all say

[@Zaay_]

No matter what you think of this album, we can all agree Kendricks diversity in his albums are unmatced.

[@Brian-tl3xs]

Ye?

[@jayy2423]

If we are throwing quality out the window, MGK easily has the most diverse catalogue

[@yeezyy_ye]

ye

[@jacobamoako9674]

Unmatched? Nah, they are surpassed by folks like Kanye and Andre 3k!! Stop DickRidng this BS

[@Zaay_]

@@jayy2423 kendrick has both quality and diversity aka: unmatched

[@--REGULAR--REGULAR]

I can't find anything wrong with this album. Its got everything I needed its a vibe, its catchy but still really creative and unforgettable.

[@derbistheeternal2947]

I can

[@custom9669]

def forgettable idkwtf u on has no replay value

[@naayg7956]

@@custom9669 forgettable to YOU, it’s okay if you don’t like it. but clearly some people like it

[@lolyermad]

@@custom9669 how lol there are several very catchy tracks that come up in my head right now as i'm typing this. United, N95, Rich Spirit, Father time, Silent Hill. How are those not good?

[@beaualIoevv]

mid

[@mateo-vp7dg]

i think what’s most interesting about kendricks discog is the perfect transition from literal to introspection. section.80 is so detached from himself, gkmc is a literal retelling of a day in his life, tpab is an emotional journey of how fame affected him, DAMN is a journey of his self worth and humanity, which perfectly leads into MMatBS. the new album is a reflection of kendrick’s psyche through his therapy and stories, and completes his discography’s gradual transition to solely introspection

[@vizualwarrior129]

YB better 🥱

[@beaualIoevv]

@@vizualwarrior129 mid

[@YAGLMS6083]

@@vizualwarrior129 yo find something to do better in your life and stop commenting this unwanted, unfunny, and repetitive comments.

[@vizualwarrior129]

@@YAGLMS6083 yo find something to do better in your life. Possible getting some bitches (ps Shawn steady makes these types of jokes on stream bro, have a sense of humor or sum, or shit at least don’t take it that serious. It’s not that deep 💀)

[@jfifthb]

I love that there are a few artists, such as Kendrick, that are putting out music that opens up engaging conversations on important ideas

[@SWDSCE]

This I haven’t had so much fun just talking about everything on the album in while.

[@ismaelhernandez5045]

Its ironic how you’re missing the whole point of the album my making this comment

[@subzu2733]

@@ismaelhernandez5045 how is he missing the point please fucking elaborate

[@opaz3530]

@@subzu2733 Kendrick stans always contradict themselves

[@subzu2733]

@@opaz3530 how did he contradict himself oh wait you don't actually have a fucking answer stop that shit just because someone appreciates something that you don't like don't make them a stan

[@mish6937]

as Shawn said repeatedly, musically, this is not the project i'd listen to just to vibe as opposed to let's say GKMC or DAMN, but that's why it's my favourite of Kendrick's albums so far. GKMC sounds good, but i can't connect to it on a personal level because I didn't go through all that in my childhood. TPAB is the same. beautiful storytelling and deep insight but, i don't connect with it personally because I don't live in America. DAMN was the same. but with MMBS, songs like Father Time, We Cry Together, Saviour, Mother I Sober, Mirror, etc all hit home on a personal level, because I've been there. this album may not be everyone's favourite Kendrick album, but it is for me, because for the first time, I feel like he made an album for me, I get what he's saying and I feel what he's feeling.

[@dez-m]

Same here man... Easily my favorite. Damn near perfect album imo

[@Sunkhrist]

I genuinely feel like this is the perfect time for this to be releases. Cause this is just..... a lesson. A hard lesson to choose you. Like mirror "I choose me I'm sorry." I been feeling that so much... I feel just as vulnerable as he does..

[@chelronin7843]

I listen to it pretty consistently, it just wasn’t a sound he liked i guess. Although i personally love slower, more vibe heavy and atmospheric music. There are some tracks i camt fuck with tho like the 3rd track, aunty diaries, mother i sober(because of how fucking depressing and triggering it is for me), and idk rich spirit interlude? Thats about it tho, i fuck with everything else on shuffle.

[@jevislife5675]

knitpicking but you spelled his song savior wrong

[@mutiatadebowale4712]

@@jevislife5675 not everyone is American

[@frewtlewps1152]

Mr Morale & The Big Steppers is his most personal album. It’s his examination of his relationships with his parents, relatives, his partner, with women in general, and his coping skills that he developed. The first disc seems like he’s just talking about the issues(to his therapist or something), and the second disc is him reaching acceptance and making an effort to become a better person who prioritizes himself and his family. I don’t think this is his most creative album, it’s not his best storytelling, and all of the best songs on this album are no where even close to the best songs from GKMC and TPAB. However, this album is more risky and complete than DAMN, and I think has better songs than Section 80. This is my third favorite album of his.

[@MrASAPAB]

There is no songs on this album better than Poe Man Dreams, Keisha’s Song, HiiiPower, etc. Section 80 blows this album out the water.

[@jaydee9355]

I’m tired of this “his most personal album” narrative. That has nothing to do with letting his fans down

[@MrASAPAB]

@@jaydee9355 exactly lol. Like I get the album is very personal but that doesn’t mean the music is good.

[@CentinalxGaming]

@@MrASAPAB good thing about music is its all subjective friend.

[@jfraz1992]

Section.80 & damn were way better concepts imo, MMATBS is at the very last for me, section.80 & damn were deeper concepts

[@joshuasummers7554]

Beyond all the discourse about this album, 2 things I appreciate about this album is; 1 - The love for, and heavy reliance on, the piano [which people forget is a percussion instrument] and 2 - How dynamic his voice is, with it at times litteraly becoming 75% of the beat itself

[@nasa5700]

That was the whole point of the album his presence on a the song is what he wanted to get across the most and what he was sayin rathet than the beats itself .. this is his 4:44

[@PalhacoCapitalista]

Great points, a slight correction: Piano is not a percussion instrument, it's an acoustic string instrument.

[@joshuasummers7554]

@@PalhacoCapitalista It uses strings, but theyre struck not plucked, no?

[@PalhacoCapitalista]

@@joshuasummers7554 That is true! Then it's both a stringed and percusion instrument, thanks!

[@bobbydipshit3772]

@@PalhacoCapitalista actually it is categorized as a percussion, since the strings are struck with hammers

[@keithharrell2796]

Kendrick is a different person, in a different place in his life than most of us remember. He’s a man with wealth, two kids and a wife. The rappers we listened to in our youth won’t be the same and that’s fine. I didn’t like this album after first listen, but once I started delving more deep into the concepts and the meanings for myself without other people’s opinions and voices. I started to like it more, I felt like I was a fly on the wall for his therapy session and I learned a lot about myself and him through this album. It’s not my favorite, but it’s definitely something important in his discography and it’s an album he needed to put out for himself.

[@profoundpro]

Spot on take. Pretty much exactly how I feel. He's a grown man in his 30s now, just like me. So I relate to his changing and becoming a different man. Not my favorite MUSIC from him, not by a long shot... but I feel like it might be his most important album.

[@rhinoAZ09]

🎯

[@adot_ovoxo2882]

I think shawn is getting lost on the whole point of the album. It's to stop tap dancing around the conversation and to stop performing and putting on an act. And that includes Kendrick telling himself he has to do the same. It's about finally trying to fix the leak as opposed to putting a bucket down to stop the water from spilling on the floor. He's attempting to get to the roots of his own issues and issues he sees around himself. That's why he references cancel culture or has kodak on there or made the song auntie diaries. You say he doesn't give justice to the victim''s side of the story, that's exactly his point. He's done that countless times, from Section 80 Keisha's song, to Sing About me, I'm dying of thirst, ...etc. He's taking a different approach with this album and discussing what lead to all this, and to say you and I are not as far removed from committing these traumas as we'd like to believe. I'm not pretending I think this is a perfect album or anything, sonically or conceptually, but you seem to have missed the point.

[@JamMastaJeremy]

What Shawn is saying is that Kendrick is not just speaking for himself. "I brought Kodak because I'm not as far removed from him as y'all think" isn't just a point about Kendrick, it's also a point about how we should feel about Kodak. Him railing against cancel culture and putting out Auntie Diaries isn't just saying "here's where I was and here's where I am now," it's also saying "here's where I'm judging that y'all are, and here's where I think you should go. And Shawn is right that he gets a lot of it wrong. Because Kendrick might have been concerned with victims, but Kodak has not been putting out Keisha's Songs. He's happy to take the cosign and the pardon without doing anything to work on himself or make things right, which is supremely fucked up. It's essentially forcing your fans to listen to abusers in order to get to the victim advocacy. And Shawn's also right that if you're gonna have songs about trans advocacy and cancel culture then you need to know what the pulse is, not just on "what does the average person I know think" but "what do I need to say to push things forward." What he put out just ended up being a mess because the average transphobe isn't gonna reconsider and the average trans person isn't gonna feel supported and the average person in general is just hearing him rail against progressives while supposedly "supporting" all the people who would benefit from genuine progressivism.

[@saturnsorbit698]

@@JamMastaJeremy you are the only comment I’ve seen that mad some sense. Thank you for breaking this down properly

[@JamMastaJeremy]

@@saturnsorbit698 word, this comment section is a mess :/

[@lovelydove5043]

@@JamMastaJeremy I think you missed the point too. He isn’t saying this is how you should feel. It’s basically how he feels about it. That’s why the lyric is I’m more Kodak black than pro black. He’s relates to some of these struggles. I think that because Kendrick has played the savior before that everyone is used to him preaching. I think one this album he isn’t preaching, he’s detailing what he feels and finally saying that he’s chooses himself.

[@HateDizqll]

Insteed of getting the point of the album shawn just talks about left wing nonsense. Its like he is uncomfortable with listening to music that isnt like his left leaning ideology. Its like if he doesnt policticly agree with the album he just hates on it. He needs to open his eyes to more perspectives

[@jjbenavidez6]

Shawn, hear me out bout Auntie Diaries... The track is for fringe people on trans acceptance, which i would argue is most of Kendricks audience. Its not like we are transphobes but the trans concept may be a lil foreign to us, so its difficult to get behind for many. The song humanizes trans people through kendricks masterful storytelling, hence showing us trans people are no different than any of us. Not that that wasn't obvious before, but many need to be reminded that just bc someone is different doesn't make them wrong. It can only do positive for the trans community. And can we all admit we use to use the F slur back in grade school like it was nothing? I know I did.. The track will allow kendricks fan base to ally with the trans community much stronger than before. The track will age like fine wine I promise

[@prestigini3150]

There’s a vid this trans person made about the song supporting it and I thought it was pretty good. Not saying they are the holy god of trans but they had a good perspective

[@prestigini3150]

The video is by conure and is called is auntie diaries problematic or something along those lines

[@prod.acidswims7531]

I'm trans and i said it too cause i didnt know better / what it meant

[@thefaceofunemployment1373]

Why would you make a song about that? Bullshit from the self proclaimed GOAT.

[@EdenLippmann]

The only thing I can't forgive about that track is the misgendering. The slurs are obviously there to make a point, and I can excuse the deadnaming even, but I just don't see why the misgendering was necessary, especially since it confuses things and makes it hard to tell who he's talking about at times.

[@AnarchyIsLove]

Kodack is someone's son, and could be someone's father. If your son or father were a shitty person, it's harder for you to call them irredeemable. Kendrick is asking people to have more faith in the people we would normally dismiss, as well as to put less faith in those we're quick to elevate, as a way to humanize people on both ends of the spectrum. Treat everyone like family but we should still hold family accountable, and learn from their mistakes. He's no better than us and we're not better than anyone, and that empathy is key to helping people be better. It was the people in his family that culture told him to demonize that he was able to see the humanity in. Most victims of SA were assaulted by family members, and the first people to make excuses for them are usually the victims themselves. How do you tell an abuse victim that the person they love and the person they know better than you is actually just a monster? The point of therapy, the point he's making, is that people have to come to these realizations themselves and they can learn best from people they love and trust and from their own experience. I don't think he's seeing it from a detached perspective, I think he's hyper aware of the feelings of victims and it speaks to the album's message: that there is no clear answer: that love and hate both cloud your judgement. This album asks more questions than explains things or makes statements because Kendrick knows now that it's not that simple. He can't just write an album that will solve everything; he's a man of faith, and I think he wants us to have faith in humanity. That his faith in humanity and empathy is how he worked through these issues himself. "I know everything... until I realized I didn't know shit, the day I came home" Execution does not equal intent though. It's art, speculation is what it's all about.

[@Purefootball12]

Bruh Kodak rape case was dismissed he plead guilty to assault battery that’s whole other charges

[@jamesa.burciagamedrano3887]

This is bafflingly well written.

[@lucasbrenner2916]

🗣️🗣️🗣️ u got the point, he's a humanist!! thanks for this comment 🙏🏾

[@tylerrowe596]

Absolutely this. I think a lot of it is your perspective and where you're at in life as well. This album has become not just my favorite Kendrick album, but my favorite album ever, and one that has had a profound impact on my life and perspective. As a 32 year old man, a father of a 7 year old son and an infant daughter, a man who grew up without a father because he chose drugs, 2 younger brothers who are currently struggling with addiction, growing up in the 90s and 2000s with 2 gay cousins who I always ever saw as just my cousins that liked boys, and my first 2 adult relationships being toxic as hell... it honestly feels like this entire album was written for me to hear at a point in my life when I really needed to hear it. Sorry for the rambling.

[@saheruthepharaoh]

Beautifully written.

[@natealderson]

The album was nothing like what I expected, but everything I needed from a Kendrick album. I love it so much it's genuinely my favorite record in years

[@zimdollar3229]

Best record in 5 years

[@NutRacer22]

My favorite hip hop album since…maybe Aquemini.

[@beaualIoevv]

typical kendrick -d rider, only listens to mid

[@beaualIoevv]

@@zimdollar3229 😂

[@ethanator9513]

@@beaualIoevv name a better album in the last 5 years then

[@khaliljones3724]

I dont often make comments on the internet but I want to say this. I relate to this album. I think this album was a therapy session made to inspire people to dig into themselves. Introspection. I don't believe the album was made to drive conversation. This album made me, a black man, want to go to therapy and work on me. It's something I've been afraid to do for a long time. I am a big fan of Kendrick's and was expecting him to try to shake the music industry, but this took a lot of bravery. Thanks for your review, Shawn.

[@AdrianLechner]

💯👊🏼

[@OliDox]

Well put.

[@Superdupafool]

😂 this mf a clown

[@sm2593]

Great comment. I agree, but I felt the album was also about highlighting that nowadays people don't seem to be able to have healthy and honest debate. I hope that everyone listening will reflect on that and be able to have healthy conversations including healthy disagreements. I definitely don't have that mastered and people have their opinions about cancel culture, but we live in such a divided world that it's hard for people to actually talk to each other these days.

[@sharkansas_]

you nailed the root of why he made it.. He wanted to create an album that would break the stereotypes men have about therapy. I promise you that if he were to read your comment he would feel very accomplished.

[@thisisnoma]

IMO: Kendrick at his most vulnerable and honest. Not his best, but the concept is commendable.

[@zimdollar3229]

His best conceptually

[@thisisnoma]

@@zimdollar3229 I'd disagree to a certain extent. To me, TPAB's themes are much more well-rounded and brilliantly presented (ex: overlapping snippets of poetry that come together at the end of the album, summarizing the album and the concept of the butterfly). Mr Morale doesn't have as strong of a narrative structure, especially with the album being a bit less stylistically focused than TPAB. However, the strength of Mr Morale's themes lies in the fact that they come from Kendrick's own personal struggles with mental health. It feels like we're witnessing his own internal debates and thoughts, so it definitely feels more intimate and heavy. So yeah, one of his best conceptually IMO, but TPAB feels like the most well-rounded concept. Not saying your opinion is invalid, just wanted to go more in depth with my perspective on it.

[@beaualIoevv]

mid

[@thisisnoma]

@@beaualIoevv It's not mid, but it definitely doesn't have the strongest bangers and the production misses sometimes.

[@beaualIoevv]

@@thisisnoma yeat’s album had more replay value

[@Bilnation]

As a fan of Kendrick, I am also incredibly grateful that he has begun to shed his savior complex. That alone made me love this album. That’s a huge change for him if you’ve been following his lyrics over the years.

[@leonardocarvalho7306]

FR we all could hear it in "u", man's been struggling for a minute, glad for him

[@avashirley2912]

We gave Kendrick that Savior complex. He tried to live up to it but had to realize it’s too damn hard because he has issues himself.

[@testing_something]

@@avashirley2912 too DAMN. Because he has issues himself 😉

[@professionaluncle]

@@testing_somethingwho doesn’t have issues.

[@superbia5150]

The idea of something being “too personal” from Kendrick is a little far fetched to me. In all of his albums all he did was tell the most personal and raw truths of people in his community. Keisha’s song is a perfect example, who’s story was that? That wasn’t too personal? It’s like we pull up every week for story time but, don’t want to hear an autobiography

[@beaualIoevv]

typical kendrick -d rider, only listens to mid

[@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw]

@@beaualIoevv white people don’t get opinions on rap

[@infinitywrld100]

@@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw he really though he was saying something

[@beaualIoevv]

@@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw sorry that we have more rights…

[@beaualIoevv]

@@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw is the waII build yet?

[@ajtaylor8750]

What I've grown to love more about this album is how Kendrick is the biggest musical instrument here, overshadowing the production on numerous records. On songs like "United in Grief" and "Mr. Morale" he shines harder than both of those amazing beats, and it just makes the lyrics hit even harder or repeat listens. Another timeless record from Kenny.

[@zesty6006]

United in grief is competing with Wesley's Theory for me Swear to god it's just sooo. THE NEW MERCEDE WITH BLACK G WAGON THE WAY YOU FRONT

[@zimdollar3229]

My favourites are: auntie diaries, savior, worldwide Steppers, die hard, n95,

[@dropxtopzuwop9947]

@@zesty6006 Facts bro, that part is great

[@joebidenjr5902]

Lmao wtf does that even mean???

[@opaz3530]

@@joebidenjr5902 idek Kendrick fans just say whatever in hopes to damage control this albums poor production

[@brianfrost297]

The fact that your were so thorough with this review means that it accomplished exactly what Kendrick wanted it to accomplish. Someone you don’t always like what you need.

[@MichaelMixerMasonGASS]

Kendrick pushed modern hip hop out it’s comfort zone with this album

[@thelowroad216]

I feel kendrick barely dropping for years had a noticeable effect on how people were able to listen & Digest this album.

[@nasa5700]

Naaa it wasnt , after damn and hearing songs like humble , people thought the album would be similar to that sound ,however greatness about kendrick is every album is a chapter in a book its all different albums ... the demographic that kendrick has appeals to younger fans too so they hence why its not being recieved the best because of that ... its nothing to do with the quality of the project

[@thelowroad216]

@@nasa5700 you gotta re type that response my boi 🤣 I'm confused.

[@nasa5700]

@@thelowroad216 lollll, im basically sayin that kendrick has many types of fanbases , and after DAMN people may have had a slight idea what it would sound like but kendrick always makes albums completely different to his last.. So this album may not appeal to everyone but its still a great album

[@thelowroad216]

@@nasa5700 It was definitely good. He just needs to drop a lil more so more casual listeners won't meet this album with suprise or disappointment.

[@nasa5700]

@@thelowroad216 i feel u but the thing is with this album its a classic in my opinion because the younger fanbase maybe like wtf is this shit ,they may know the concepts he talkin about but wont be able to grasp it , i feel emotional maturity is the key to get this album and everyone reaches that at arohnd 30s or so , someone in their teens wont get this We growing along side kendrick , so either we understand where he comin from ,certain things may resonate or tbh theres always something a person can take away from this album but that 1 thing would be a big thing

[@thedon0516]

Can't get enough of N95 & Worldwide Steppers, THIS SHIT HARD

[@Person-eh9nr]

That shit really was hard 😭

[@saturnissolar]

Same bro. Some many people shitting on worldwide steppers that song is so good

[@zimdollar3229]

Shawn Cee is outta pocket

[@s-ebbyy841]

It’s Father Time, N95 and mr morale for me I like the whole album tho

[@dre2578]

We sleeping on savior & we cry together shit hard

[@themightybosch5923]

Tbh after hearing the same type of beat for almost a decade now, the sonic palette of this album felt like a breath of fresh air. Worldwide Steppers’ muffled piano chord loop with the intense kick drum feels cerebral. The synth bass on N95 bumps as hard as any 808, and Rich Spirit puts the west coast bounce under the shade with subtler drums.

[@nbabackcourtmedia]

Although the personal aspects are my favorite part of it, I think musically it’s amazing as well, and it has a diverse range of sounds that Kendrick tackles well

[@whyisthomyorke]

I can’t help but love this album, 9/10 for me. I keep coming back to it daily

[@thobanizitho]

Kendrick simp. Bruh there are songs in the album where my dude doesn't even try to rhyme. Its like u guys aren't even listening to this musically. Its still a music album and needs to b dissected as such.

[@whyisthomyorke]

@@thobanizitho to each their own, musically I liked it better than DAMN on first listen

[@farrelbram227]

@@thobanizitho that's the thing tho, i actually do love this album sonically, like i love mirror, count me out, united in grief, rich spirit, and basically every song except purple hearts. Like i love the simplicity of the instrumental a lot in this record, and the flows and voices he uses as well. I'm not even talking about loving in a narrative perspective, I'm talking about loving how it actually sounds, musically fr (of course i love the narrative too but i can put a lot of these songs whenever i want to chill/vibe/workout/drive or whatever the mood/situation is ya feel).

[@theconsciousobserver6829]

@@farrelbram227 I promise you if you don't skip Purple Hearts it will grow on you and become just as good as the other ones. I had the same problem. This album is a 9/10

[@chrislopez5301]

@@whyisthomyorke better than damn? Lmfao never not even close

[@LostInThought98]

Kendrick’s monologue in the beginning of The Heart part 5 almost felt like he knew he was gonna lose some fans with the whole perspective talk.

[@givenchymamajama3859]

He for sure knew. That monologue is super dope to me now the album been out

[@LostInThought98]

@@givenchymamajama3859 yeah I was speculating with my friend that it felt like a goodbye, especially with the beat being all celebratory yet somber

[@Delicoms]

I really respect your review, and your criticisms. I will say when you say "Kendrick doesn't give the victims enough perspective, enough balance", I have a few thoughts 1. He does this in both "auntie diaries" and "mother I sober", even in "father time" if we count him a victim. In the first he is lectured by someone first hand for his ignorance, in the second he is reflecting on the traumas effect on him. In father time, he clearly has some resentment for his father but in the same song acknowledges his father was in a cycle too, so Kendrick humanizes him. Of course it is hard to forgive people who cause you suffering, and sometimes it's not possible or realistic to expect that from the victim themselves. But that doesn't mean that it isn't something noble to do whenever possible, and for society to share that. 2. I get that you think it's not "on balance" but I don't think art needs to be balanced at all in terms of messaging. That is feeding into this "you NEED to say X" mentality. It's okay to say "I think what you said is wrong", but saying "you didn't say what i wanted you to say" is adding that expectation where it doesn't need to be, IMO Leading me into number 3: 3. Your criticism would make more sense if Kendrick outright SHAMES or DENIES people who are physical victims, first and foremost. But he doesn't. Saying "look at someone else" does not mean "look away from someone". He's asking the audience to widen their perspective, not to the detriment of the other 4. I think this is a truly boundary pushing album in how it is about radical love. It means forgiving sins, and that is uncomfortable. That is radical. You say "it's good to want accountability", but don't mention what that accountability is. His point is if our demand for accountability leaves no room for forgiveness or growth, then we are doomed to repeat our cycles of abuse. Victims will always have advocates, and that's a good thing. I think making the less accepted, uncomfortable point of saying victimhood applies to everyone, even bad people, needs the focus it gets. Comforting the "true" victim is implicit in our culture, in our system, and natural from the empathetic perspective (being his mother's son). But he wants to add an extra step that isn't intuitive, and hurts to admit. In closing, I want to point to a similar piece of art that makes a similar radical point and was similarly controversial. "Native Son" by Richard Wright is a book about a black man who commits a horrible rape and murder and is punished to the ultimate extent by society. At no point is it excused what the perpetrator has done. But the book makes it clear that the perpetrator had the game rigged against him from the start. The society and the culture made him a monster. We can lock them up, give victims closure. But that does not make less monsters. That requires the radical step of rehabilitation, of forgiveness, of acknowledging that monsters are made, not born. tl;dr - I share some criticism when it comes to *how* he said things, but I want to be careful saying he's implying something he didn't say ("giving men scapegoats") and want to note the actual message in here shouldn't be underestimated for how genuine, human, and radical his vision for love and forgiveness is.

[@teamdaigurren6007]

Goated 💯💯

[@nineteenct]

Great great points right here

[@homegrown7913]

based ass comment

[@cloudnine5459]

This is one of if not the best KZbin comments I've ever read, thank you for commenting this :) -😎💖

[@AMAZIAH]

People dont realize he sets the precedent for what will be said in the album and the stories. The Heart Part 5 is a declaration that what may be said. May not rub you the right way, because its am assault on "The Culture". United in Grief is like an invitation to the table. Its like his turn in the intervention or recovery group. Its literally in the title. United-In-Grief. N95 is where the album actually begins. We start back where Damn. left us off at with God as Duckworth was about his father. God was about laughing to the bank, N95 starts with removing all that materialistic stuff. To see the ugliness behind what the album will dub "mask"(refer to Purple Hearts and Count Me Out). To find the ugliness of the pain within. It gets even deeper. But imma leave it at this. The last song on the album is called Mirror. Which actually brings us full circle with TPAB's "I". "Infront of a double dirty *Mirror* they found me/and I love myself" In Mother I Sober he reveals who found him was his wife Whitney. If you remember the music video to U. "God is Gangster", he is drinking liquor straight out the bottle and a version of him is trapped in the mirror. And in Mother I Sober, Whitney asks does he have a drinking addiction. He reframes from telling her, he has a sex addiction. This album ended the GKMC saga. People dont like this album, cause it isn't a horny club album like Damn. which was bigger than GKMC. This album is on par with TPAB.

[@izayahdangerfield7539]

Kendrick could have put out an album with all hits of he wanted to, but he didn’t do what we wanted from him he did what he wanted. This album is greatly executed just like every other. He wants us to stop idolizing him and treating him as a savior. He wants us to know he go thru shit just like me and you and we all human with many flaws. Beautiful album

[@K_Boogey]

I’m a Kendrick Stan so my comment will probably come off biased, but fuck it. I love this album. I honestly Listen to it everyday & my best experience with this album is wearing headphones & playing it on shuffle. I honestly think it’s his 3 best body of work behind TPAB & GKMC of course & if I had to rate it on a number scale I would give it a 9/10. Weaknesses in this album to me are the multiple Kodak Black inclusions which to me weren’t necessary, however I do enjoy the record “Silent Hill”. Also, the song “We Cry Together”. While at the first listen, I was amazed at the track, it’s a track I don’t find myself listening to at all anymore & even when I Listen to the album all the way through now, I skip it. And lastly, The “Pop records” on MMATBS show that “Poppier” records aren’t Kendrick’s strong suit. Strengths on this album : Kendrick’s storytelling on tracks such as WorldWide Steppers, Auntie Diaries & Mother I Sober is absolutely amazing. This album has some of Kendrick’s best tracks EVER (Father Time, Mother I Sober, Count Me Out) His lyricism throughout this record is strong, the production I find very experimental & very well thought out for me personally. To not have every track sound the same which to me is an amazing feat in it’s own right & the features. I throughly enjoyed the features on this album specifically (Sampha, Taylour Paige (even though I’m not a big fan of that record she did her thing!, Baby Keem, Kodak Black on Silent Hill, Ghostface Killah, Summer Walker, Sam Dew & Beth Gibbons) I keep seeing people saying “how can he perform this album?!” “There’s no replay value” & to me those aren’t well thought out, very premature thoughts. There are plenty tracks on this album that Kendrick can perform on stage : N95, Worldwide Steppers, Die Hard, Rich Spirit, Purple Hearts, Count Me Out, Silent Hill, Savior, Mr.Morale & Mirror. And these same songs have replay value on the album or even on your very own playlist. You can play Silent Hill, Purple Hearts, Die Hard and even Rich Spirit at a kick back or even as background music. So again, I’m not saying the whole album has replay value, but to say it doesn’t have any at all is wild to me. Lastly, I think this album will age very well & it will be later known as a masterpiece, a classic, an album ahead of it’s time, people will pretty much say things like that.

[@FumbDuck99]

The album is a fucking masterpiece, don’t listen to Shawn, he wrong

[@supercoo1996]

I also agree with this take. Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about the album.

[@zimdollar3229]

I'd give it 8/10. The bass is muddy on some songs like silent hill. That's my only complaint

[@beaualIoevv]

@@FumbDuck99 it’s mid cry about it

[@FumbDuck99]

@@beaualIoevv you prolly bump Jack Harlow and Nav on the regular

[@gmg5435]

i think every single review citing kodak’s inclusion on the album actually proves his point. for example, shawn has done how many reviews in the last year alone for albums featuring a kodak verse? yet, along with all the other critics of his inclusion, it wasn’t a problem on any of these other albums because it wasn’t a kendrick album. kendrick relates to kodaks past and struggles, and sees an overarching theme in that, but most likely just sees him as a good artist to feature on his project. yet, in nearly every review of MMATBS, Kodak’s inclusion on a few songs is a main talking point. like kendrick said, he is not your savior. he’s done with being looked at as such, and a simple feature being blown to such proportions because it’s kendrick himself featuring him, directly proved his point.

[@brennancain7832]

Thanks for pointing this out. No one cared about all these Kodak features and liked Super Gremlin, but Kendrick puts him on the album, and everyone complains? Come on now. I don't even like Kodak that much, but this feels like something people are trying to pick apart.

[@JamMastaJeremy]

😐. Y'all understand that Kendrick put him on to make a point, but not that Shawn is saying the point was bad. That's why Shawn didn't go into it that much before -- these other artists just had him as a regular feature, they weren't making a point. Try actually listening to the video. Shawn is right.

[@theconsciousobserver6829]

Just because a woman says something happened doesn't mean it did. I'm not going to judge Kodak Black

[@kauswekazilimani3736]

@@JamMastaJeremy So what if they weren't trying to prove at point? I still find people hypocritical for this. Alot of these people have been singing along to his songs and his features for years now. Alleged sexual assault is now an issue for them due to a 3rd party making a point. That's ridiculous and selective virtual signaling bs.

[@jahmaniart]

29:55 for me personally the discourse around Auntie Diaries taught me alot. Growing up in a country where trans identities are very rare i learnt alot of terminology based on the critiques of the song, and the relatability of how kendrick has grown as a black man is also comforting. Also I think music cannot cause any real change, all it can do is start conversations like these ones.

[@abhirs5161]

i feel like this project does a great job at being THE anticipated album in a way that you can enjoy the music for how enjoyable and catchy it is, and also focus on the subject matter when you feel like it. For a project everyone waited on for about 4 years, its really well done.

[@dfredankey]

It was worth the wait, people expected a continuation of the Sonics/ subjects, energy of the last 2 projects. Instead he’s given us a more personal, introspective album. Stringing ideas together w lyrics. Nice buildups, concepts and song structures. Each song has a clear message n focus love this one

[@abhirs5161]

@@dfredankey 100% agree. I feel like people are mainly disappointed due to the the long waiting period it had, given that his last 3 albums before MMATBS had about a 2 year gap between each of em. 2 years gave the audience not a lot to expect to, removing a lot of the pressure to express artistic visions for each LP as compared to this album.

[@opaz3530]

All anyone ever says is this album is personal, vulnerable or introspective which makes really no sense at all since all of Kendrick’s music has these aspects as well as being lyrically and sonically superb. Those critiques just sound like damage control for a lackluster product. This album falls short on both lyricism and production and most the topics talked about have been addressed in countless other rappers/musicians music.

[@darren_mcgarvey]

Crown is my favourite track. You hear his struggle to find a state of grace with his position, others expectations and his own needs and desires. Surprisingly relatable too.

[@Whodnl]

I feel like Shawn keeps getting disappointed within artist these days cause he can see there potential but like Shawn once said don’t listen to people to form your opinion on music

[@lilbatty]

No its because he has expectations. You cant have expectations for art, you will always be disappointed and dissatisfied. Artists like kendrick and frank are known for breaking the box.

[@perplexed1783]

Except if it's future

[@Whodnl]

@@lilbatty that’s a value rebuttal, I guess When people have years to wait for a project and the hype behind it can kill the artistic value because the artist have a hard time satisfying the fans cause you can never do it.

[@lilbatty]

@@perplexed1783 haha of course

[@dextrose4422]

True, I seen NFR loved Vince and Kendricks projects and Shawn was not feeling em as much...I appreciate the perspectives though.i loved this project it was a great listened and I do feel it will grow on many over time

[@donovanpastor4856]

This album grew on me exponentially. I’m still in disbelief of how I came around to liking damn near every song. I do think it is musically his least impressive album, however I find myself listening to it everyday since it’s release.

[@floga10]

4:48 yea nah this take is bullshit

[@ptyten9718]

I think this album was incredible personally. You got disc 1 which was The Big Steppers where Kendrick's Stepper Persona is fully present and he's tap dancing around all of the tough convos (hence the trappier sound) with a few moments of clarity, though nothing gets resolved. Then, disc 2 starts (Mr. Morale) and Kendrick kills Kendrick Lamar the famous rapper & savior and finally chooses to deal with his unresolved traumas and suffering. He finally chooses to be Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. This was by far one of the most introspective albums I've ever heard and a fitting climax to Kendrick's discog so far. I really don't understand some of the slander tbh.

[@Usakyi]

For me I don't see why featuring Kodak or mentioning R Kelly is a cosign to everything theyve done, specifically the assaults and what they've done to their victims. I agree that it would be nice for Kendrick to feature someone who is taking more accountability for their actions or to talk more about the vicitms because they are more Important, but I don't see the issue in focusing on them as individuals. A racist, a murder, a rapist, an abuser are more than just their crimes. You can have discussion or rap lyrics about that without adding caveats regarding things that society already generally expects. To me Kendrick prioritized language and arguments that challenged the average ideology in our community over protecting it.

[@rafaelarmon3548]

Kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior

[@liamoreilly6706]

This albums so good man

[@opaz3530]

Eh

[@liamoreilly6706]

@@opaz3530 you didn’t like it?

[@nostalgiaharvey7213]

@@liamoreilly6706 I don’t like at all bro

[@paranoidmemories]

yes its really great!!!

[@opaz3530]

@@liamoreilly6706 It’s boring and corny, why do we have to sacrifice music quality for lyrics? Every other ken album knocks out both but with this one we can only get one? Most of what Kendrick is talking about isn’t even that deep and the same topics have been addressed in countless other rappers/musicians music many of which paint the better picture. Not to mention the lame beats, corny ad-libs and vocal cues, off putting features, and unnecessary length of some tracks make it hard to really care or sympathize with what ken is talking about. Most the beats suck or are just boring, N95, Father Time, Purple Hearts, savior, auntie diaries, we cry together and crown are decent tracks at best but don’t have much replay value. None of them are “club music” but none of them are bang in your car music either. After you understand the topic of the song and take a few good bars and concepts away theirs no reason to return because the tracks don’t sonically sound good. After countless replays with this album I’ve come to the same conclusion every time. It’s mid.

[@watchviza3657]

This is what its all about man.. love your honest opinion. It made me think different just like album did. And i noticed that your way of judging this album changed after fully dissecting it. Keep the reviews coming!

[@cantbefilmingmebrutha8538]

There isn’t a lot of songs I’d put into my playlist, there’s a few but not a lot, but listening to the album itself is amazing from front to back. As a piece of work by itself as a whole the album is amazing.

[@abrarchowdhury9641]

EXACTLY - i honestly dont listen to anything apart from N95 but whenever I do listen to the album I listen to it front to back

[@zip5644]

thats crazy to me cause i got like 12 songs off it in my playlist

[@zanemoore1808]

Shawn is missing the point of world wide steppers. There nobody on this earth who doesn’t hurt others. Kendrick’s also not asking for forgiveness but asking us to see every human as a victim of the cycle of hurt. More or less every assailant was a victim first. Some don’t even know what they are doing some don’t know how to stop ect. So consequences exist for actions sure but there’s a trauma that’s causing the person to cause more and we should seek to heal that.

[@memuno6281]

It’s not favorite album from him but I love the songwriting. This is his best writing yet. He completely showed who he is as he had to confront thing during the pandemic. Many of us were affected mentally in 2020 and 2021 socially, spiritually, and emotionally. His new age philosophy is not for me but he wasn’t completely preachy.

[@buunyyhopp]

New age philosophy?

[@memuno6281]

@@buunyyhopp Eckhart Tolle’s influence is all over this album. On the last track he states he’s adopted some of his teaching.

[@Yunche17]

W video, really enjoyed it. I think the best part is when it said, “No stream, tap to retry.” That had me in tears

[@beaualIoevv]

typical kendrick -d rider, only listens to mid

[@Yunche17]

@@beaualIoevv wut lol

[@alexosorio7860]

I love how even though Shawn doesn’t love the album, he still accurately articulates all of the things that I love about it.

[@dujon06]

What i love about this review is what I hate about fans, not showing accountability

[@abdelrhmandameen2215]

Shawn, I have been following you for quite a while I would say 5 years or so, I have seen the great progression and maturity you have been going through, the depth and attention to detail are what makes your channel so great for hip hop fans like myself.

[@shashavengesayi6055]

I really appreciate that you broke down this album in context of Kendrick’s prior discography up to GKMC, because this album has elements of those other albums embedded within it. Overall, I love the record and I know that United in grief, n95, die hard, silent hill, and surprisingly Auntie Diaries will still be on repeat for both pleasure and ‘pain’.

[@ArtesanalHall]

We Cry Together isn't about a "BLACK RELATIONSHIP" . It's about toxic relationships. The two people in the relationships happen to be black. !!STOP SPREADING ANTI BLACK RHETORIC!! Be better bruh

[@theconsciousobserver6829]

Shawn Cee is from a generation with no Black Guidance in how to differentiate between what is Black characteristic and human characteristic. He's a college boy, schooled by white folk. But he's a Black man without a doubt.

[@jayzell99]

This album came at the perfect time for me. I related to every song, my favorite album this year, and might now be my favorite/2nd favorite album next to TPAB.

[@dudess76]

Amazing review. The nuances of your points are really impressive.

[@liamoreilly6706]

Gotta love “No Stream Tap to Retry”

[@jairmarta7806]

Fax

[@oneoffnate]

Album grew allot on me. The first listen I was like man this album kinda weak but on my second and third listen I started to realize where he was going with it. The only thing I wish it had was more energy and up beat songs. The concepts in each song I understand and even the songs I didn’t relate to it almost felt like I did because I how he delivered it. Mother I sober is a great example of how you can feel it even if it didn’t happen to you.

[@TheKondinho]

yup the album is ageing very well for me

[@opaz3530]

I’m the opposite it gets worse every listen for me

[@franciscogoncalves5913]

You could put The Heart Pt5 in the description on Disc 3. I think that would make your perception of the album better.

[@CriptoniteG]

cool, what did you think about the music tho? In my opinion, this album has some of his most lush, and fine-tuned production he's ever had (yes I understand TPAB exists, and for how complex and jazzy that album is I still think the ideas (sonically) on MM&TBS are perfectly done.) In terms of progression and song structure within the songs, they move perfectly introducing new instruments and sounds that build into a cathartic release in every track. Now for album structure, I think it even tops some of his best albums. For structure, this first disk jumps around in sound so much but does not feel jarring or unpredictable, because of how most of the songs tie up and finalize. You go from a theatrical orchestral opener with beautiful string arrangements to a rap anthem then to like a weird unorthodox song about retaliation, and then to a beautiful lush new wave dance tune about love. The second disk is no different in terms of structure, and in my opinion some of his best material sonically. Count Me Out could be played as the opener to his set at a festival and you feel it because of the progression leads you into a place of vulnerability, soft at first, but then goes into a fucking BOP when that 808 comes in. His repetitious flow and somber cadence matched with the backing vocals in the first half of the song feels so fucking euphoric. I've said this since Damn, but his harmonizing skills and just his ear for harmony, in general, are unmatched by any top artists releasing new music. I remember seeing someone on Twitter say that if you did not like GOD on DAMN, then you were not about to like the music on this album, and I can kinda see that because GOD is top 2 songs on DAMN for me. I can go on and on about the second disc, especially about the music on Auntie Diaries, but ill cut it short. I know you went at lengths about the content on this album, and you only said in a few words on this video that you really did not feel the music on this record, but in my honest opinion, it is some of the most beautiful, warm and open feeling songs in his entire discography, especially tying it with the subject matter on it.

[@lukeb8480]

Love the album honestly. Been listening too it all fortnight

[@isaacdebeila8085]

😂😂😂 facts it doesn't have what I look for in Hip Hop music but gosh darn it I find myself bobbing my head to it

[@isaacdebeila8085]

😂😂😂 facts it doesn't have what I look for in Hip Hop music but gosh darn it I find myself bobbing my head to it

[@liugaobang]

I don't think we should be expecting Kendrick to speak on the behalf of the victims. Yes, he has a large and impressionable audience, and that sort of stuff needs to be said, but Kendrick himself isn't a victim, and with this album being a very personally focused album, I personally can't blame him for not putting out that sort of message. Yes, there is a frightening imbalance of power and agency in the message of the album, just on the basis of the fact that, like you said, he doesn't have the breadth of experience to cover that "victimhood" aspect in good conscience. But I think that's something we need to come to accept, because I think at the end of the day, his experiences are valuable and worth sharing to his audience, and saying "perpetrator" without "victim," to me, is still a respectable move. And I don't want to depersonalize the negative impacts that this record can and will have on culture- namely, using this line of thinking as moral justification for the crimes of a perpetrator; in fact, given the audience he's built up with DAMN, we can expect a wave of edgelords to misconstrue this album's message to reinforce their own worldview. And along with this, you could see how the whole critique of cancel culture is sort of just an addition to the arsenal of arguments of those redditors. The thing is, I see an opposite and equally powerful argument that this will have a great impact on our cultural spaces. His hyper-fixation on the perpetrator, I think, WILL reach people who don't appreciate Kendrick's messages. This whole thing about reaching across the isle, I think WILL actually open up conversation. If you're looking at Twitter for data collection, you're looking at the wrong place, because nobody is open or honest there. In any case, without any evidence, I'm going to posit that: for every redditor that defends Kendrick Lamar for their own selfish reasons, there will be a person who relates deeply to the message and confronts their past in order to better their own selves. Yeah, the latter requires a lot more effort, but the people who are willing to dig into the lyrics even a little bit, I think are somewhat likely to already have the critical thinking skills to recognize that he's not necessarily belittling the experience of victims, just shedding light on the experience of the perpetrator. "Oh, that's a 50/50 split, that's not very optimistic-" Shut up, Trevor. I'm trying to shift the goalpost here. So although he chalks the album up to be a purely personal endeavor with the song Mirror, obviously the album will inevitably have a large impact on culture, BUT I don't think the societal implications of this record will be as detrimental as you think. And yeah, I do think most people "don't base their opinions off music," but for the 1% that do, I honestly don't see it going that badly. But to blatantly lampshade, maybe this is the product of my overextended mental gymnastics to defend an artist that I really like. (Ok yeah I know shawn doesn't look at comments so ignore the "you's")

[@JamMastaJeremy]

I'm not saying you're all the way wrong about this, but..... Twitter is real life. It's just shorter and uglier. All the defense for Kodak and Auntie Diaries is happening at the barbershop and the lunchroom and wherever else. And worse than that, it's happening in people's minds too. Folks who barely talk about music online get their opinions and perspectives shaped by these songs. Most trans people I've seen talking about it feel like it's a burden, not an asset to any conversation. Not all, but most.

[@liugaobang]

@@JamMastaJeremy all of this is true

[@BryghtTheLyght]

I respect AND enjoy this album because although I don't appear as a black individual, I am mixed and I do have a black father and grandfather. I've delt with father issues with how I was brought up but at the sametime I appreciate some of the good he taught me. As well as the therapeutic theme with diving deep and trying to understand trauma for himself and others that cause havoc in their later years due to their up-bringing. And the emotions I felt in this album made me cry, smile, and have hope for not only my own growth. But others. Kodak, I do agree is a bad example in terms of putting things into perspective of how young black men being brought up wrong do these negative things because of trauma. And referencing R Kelly aswell. BUT, for the smart listeners they can sit back and understand why they were referenced. Because of their trauma, and not knowing how to deal with certain things because of how they were brought up and where they spent most of their time. Kendrick uses these people to force you to try and see the good in them because of how they are perceived by the public eye. Obviously they aren't the best people, but at one point they had innocence.. at one point they probably were good people. But something made them go off the rails and were left unchecked, and untreated. Blaming mental illness on why they did what they did. I understand the average listener that wants bangers will be offended by this project for the sonics, and message that they won't understand first listen. But it doesn't take away from how GREAT this album is. It's another classic for me, Kendrick is a legend for eternity! And no, I am not pedestalizing him for no reason. He just deserves it

[@wilnedzotohara9786]

If we are discussing the message more then the music, means that Kendrick has achieved what I believe he wanted to do with this album

[@-Anonymous-.]

ALL of Kendrick’s previous albums are conceptual & balance a great sound with a great cadence & flows. This album is boring.

[@slimkirby3478]

I like this album alot cause im going through the same emotions that are put into this album and songs like "Count me out" and "Father time" because i grew up without a father for the bigger part of my life, my father figure was my gramps who i admire the most.

[@ericgarner6001]

I think Kendrick’s intent for the album had little to do with the potential impact or the affect it has for the average listener. This album was about HIM and HIS personal revelations. To me, that was the overarching narrative of the album: not worrying about the public’s expectations or the reactions and instead worrying about himself and his growth

[@nabieuyl]

A great analysis on the messaging behind this album, highlighting the positives of recontextualizing one's trauma to understand their actions as well as the moral quandaries of recontextualing other people's shortcomings on a macro scale. I think a body of work like this was needed regardless to know the extent to which an artist has a genuine and palpable effect on listeners - and when they do not.

[@geminiaxelrod4592]

Glad you had a chance to sit with this album, cause I was at odds with your initial review.

[@Zeldrisxo8]

I found it ironic that you mentioned the nation expects rap or a tv show to do more change than the senate and it brought me back to Damn where the sample said “Rap music has done more damage than racism in recent years”

[@thorfunder]

It’s definitely his best sounding album

[@CriptoniteG]

THATS WHAT IM SAYIN!!!!

[@dez-m]

WTF SAME HERE!!!!!

[@opaz3530]

Hell no most the songs in here are just boring or corny with only 5 or 6 of the songs being actually decent

[@williamjosephwebster7860]

Thank you, Shawn Cree. You’re up there with the Kendrick Lamars and the TJ Kirks in my opinion. Godspeed Pilgrim.

[@BLKBKLN]

I'm glad you sat with it and arrived at this conclusion. This is a very balanced critique. To your statement about his content being more than can fit into a rap song. I agree but I also think Kendrick does as well based on where this album went sonically. There are very few songs that have the typical rap structure which is another type of freedom he's found. I honestly thought DAMN would be his last album because he just seemed to have a purpose different from that of hip-hop. He's cut in a similar cloth of Q-tip, Yasiin Bey, and 3000. We should appreciate him while he still has interest in creating while also holding him accountable. Good job!

[@nmpete3365]

Man, it takes you 5 minutes to say something that in the end, always aligns with the popular opinion.

[@Karma-pt9sp]

Shawn rating this album a 10 just cuz kodack black is on it isn’t fair

[@ikmf]

The vid just came out bro

[@joebidenjr5902]

Please keep these unfunny jokes in Fantano's comment section

[@geesefeeders1]

excellent analysis mate, you offered a bunch of new perspectives I hadnt even noticed

[@kmart014]

I knew u was gonna double back. The album definitely grows on you. It takes some time to grasp it. Glad u made this cause during the first review I was like “he trippin this album fire”

[@user-rz6du1pc7y]

One thing Shawn misses on is that we don't know the conversations Kendrick has with Kodak. Sure, it would have been great to hear Kodak include some empathetic bars about the harm he caused, but that goes to far against his current persona and his way of relating to the world and media. We don't know if k.dot had long conversations about Kodak's trauma or if kendrick is really trying to cause some personal transformation within Kodak in the process of making this album. Like Shawn acknowledged, kendrick understands the masses are closer to Kodak than social justice advocates on twitter, and is putting out music to impact culture to impact the people. Regardless of how successful kendrick is, Shawn is right this album deserves deep respect. Can't fault him for not feeling the trauma tho.

[@theconsciousobserver6829]

What harm did you cause?

[@saheruthepharaoh]

I really think you’re just missing the point with these perceived “hypocrisies” that you have pointed out tbh. For example the Kodak Black inclusion. His attitude isn’t to look at victims of abuse and be like “oh well he got abused too.” It’s not that simple. Everyone knows victims of abuse are just that… victims. We all know in all of these situations, the abuser is in the wrong. That’s why they’re an abuser. But that’s only one half of the whole conversation. We can treat the symptoms as long as we want but if we don’t ever treat the disease, we are going to get nowhere. This whole album is just therapy. Therapy for the abused. Not, therapy for the abused who have never abused, but just straight up therapy for the abused. I think the Kodak Black inclusion is the absolute most essential aspect of this album to drive its meta narrative home. Therapy isn’t pretty. Therapy involves a lot of ugly emotions. A lot of confrontation about situations and narratives and people that are hard to face and come to grips with. Kodak IS a victim. Yes, he then went and passed on the abuse to others. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he too was a victim. And it doesn’t take away the victimhood of his victims either. These two things are not mutually exclusive. He is deserving of healing as much as anyone else. We need to heal the abusers the same way we heal the victims of abuse. Because these people are still people and are still fucked up inside usually through no fault of their own. “The collective conscious, calamities on repeat.” We need to heal them as well or else the cycle is doomed to continue forever. That idea makes people uncomfortable. There’s a knee jerk reaction to simply want to punish abusers and say they had their chance. And you’re not necessarily wrong to feel those emotions. But denying anyone a chance at healing denies us all a chance at healing. Imagine if therapists, when learning of a patients past of abusing others just said to them “oh sorry I didn’t know you abused someone. Yeah fuck off sorry you don’t deserve help.” The last point I want to make is that the inclusion of Kodak also seemed to be Kendrick’s way of telling us, “I’m more like him than most of you. Why sanctify me, but hate him? I abused others as well. I fucked white women with racist hatred in my heart. I used slurs against others casually. I’ve gangbanged and possibly killed others. Why do you see me and Kodak as different? “I am not your savior. I choose me I’m sorry”

[@wassupimrightback]

i like the way you give us the information and what information you give. and i really like your voice! thank you for this video

[@javonlomax606]

This was gold. Thanks for this.

[@robinvolpi]

I wouldn't go as far as referring to 'We Cry Together' as something from a "typical" Black relationship.

[@kauswekazilimani3736]

That statement confused me 😂

[@robinvolpi]

@@kauswekazilimani3736 Right? Seems as if Shawn's the one who's confused. Lol To place that sweeping, ignorant generalization out there, like that. 😬💆🏽‍♀️ Whoa.

[@ammar4172]

Very interesting insight and breakdown of the album, once again really well spoken. Some really valid points and criticisms, I agree that it does feel pretty onesided with regards to victim vs abuser perspective even though it probably wasn't meant to be like that. It doesn't help the overall message/concepts of the album. I think you're also kind of falling into the Kendrick messiah lens for a couple of points. Like for example when you're talking about Auntie Diaries and question what it will "do" for society or for the average black person, again like you talk about within the video Kendrick is shedding that whole society/culture saving character so unlike songs off of TPAB for example these songs likely aren't meant to do anything for anyone except himself. This obviously doesn't negate any of your points, and I understand it is VERY difficult to try to shift away from this narrative when dissecting Kendrick's art, it's just something to consider when looking at the tracks. But this is probably me just defending the intent like you talked about with the discourse, it's kind of paradoxical to look at something controversial in a vacuum. But again, Kendrick is just a man at the end of the day and it's a discredit to him to worship him or agree with every single thing he says. No easy outs or discussions with this album, which is part of what makes it so interesting. Keep up the great content.

[@reynam5231]

I'm not very far into this video, but I always appreciate your thoughtful analysis. Thank you!

[@PWBMusic]

Love the analysis. Really interesting! Thanks for sharing and putting so much time into your "review" if thats what we want to call it lol

[@nicolascoello8469]

Ultimately, is the way Kendrick feels and the way he wanted to portrait it. You worried about a critic? That aint protocol.

[@djdubc09271]

I love this album. It's simply amazing. And it's doing its job. Everyone having doubts about it don't even realize that that's the whole point of it. He clearly states multiple times in more complex terms that he does not care if you like this or not and that the conversations are all that matter.

[@paranoidmemories]

ngl this might be your best video ever. very thoughtful

[@REDONEMEDIA3956]

Thanks for your hard work and detail in analyzing this album.. it's a lot to absorb. It has layers, complex ones.. it feels like art.

[@pelop100]

You’re wrong about the music, but I respect your opinion lol I think 5 years from now it’ll hold

[@falconthewrstlr7020]

Not even 5 years

[@LL-go3iu]

I understand why Shawn feels uncomfortable in some senses by this album. And I think we need to understand that Shawn also understands why us, those far removed from the topics Kendrick discusses, can enjoy and appreciate the listening experience. I was initially somewhat confused by your first reaction to the album. Felt you had an almost hipster level of dislike to the album coz you felt everyone would like it. But this video very potently explains those reasons for dislike and allow me to respect you much more. Thanks Shawn.

[@Fleezy81]

The fact that this album created so much discussion like this make it a great album to me

[@Deqkay]

I went back and listened to all the albums this might be my favorite and then TPAB. Might be cause the music is fresh but we will revisit all the music down the line so it'll be fun

[@victorstone1801]

Personally, I loved the album. Yeah there’s some songs that’ll probably take me some getting used to like “Rich Spirit” and ones I won’t listen to at all like “Silent Hill” with Kodak Black but I still enjoyed the hell out of this album. I went into the album with no expectations because I feel like that can slightly ruin the experience of experiencing something new. I’ve been bumping the songs I love the most from the album heavily for the past few weeks especially “N95”, “Purple Hearts”, and “Savior”. Though it wouldn’t be the first Kendrick album that would come to my mind to listen to, I still think it’s a great album and an interesting first look into seeing where Kendrick goes from here.

[@martinelli7662]

Why won't you listen to Silent Hill... Was one of only 5 songs that actually had replay value

[@1914jblue]

That hit it right on the head. I respected it more than I enjoyed it. Think that says more about me then Kendrick.

[@billioskilemmesmash5773]

I appreciate u giving so much thought to this record that’s all I can say thank you

[@Masz0211]

Great analysis. Spot on and incredibly well thought out.

[@renzo4684]

Kendrick really transformed with this release tho 👌🏼

[@vibrationtherapy7296]

Our limit of understanding directly correlates to how much we understand about ourselves. The progression of understanding from record to record is an accurate representation of what we all go through in understanding our purpose. Section 80 - recognizing the situation. GKMC - learning in said situation about certain aspects of what makes you who you are. TPAB - using what your struggles and successes has taught you and expanding your worldview into a wider scale while holding on to certain ideals that your situation has shown you. Damn. - Realizing that the condition in which you have grown into is actually magnified and minuscule in the grand scheme of existence itself. All walks of life go through the same thing you did just on different scales. Mr Morale and the Big Steppers - understanding ones self is directly subjected by what condition you find yourself in. But also understanding of one’s condition by examining one’s inner motives and views about himself also affects his worldview.

[@AkaNinjaAssassin]

This was an amazing review!

[@mrwasdeadishere]

i think people who don't like this haven't been to therapy for more than a few months. only people who put themselves through the arduous task of bettering yourself through therapy will understand what's going on. nobody will understand the weight of the chorus in mirrors without going to therapy