The Greatest Album I Never Listen To | Kendrick Lamar Breakdown

[@TheCompanyMan]

To me, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is like Roots or Schindler's List. Those films are so seared into my brain, I don't need to watch them again and I'll never forget them. That's an amazing quality. Major thank you to all the Analysts who've donated to this channel. Ya'll are priceless. Help forward the mission. Donate: LinkTree: linktr.ee/thecompanyman

[@RoddyRodbb]

That's a pretty solid comparison lol

[@ArcChristelle]

@@RoddyRodbb puts the whole video in a different light tbh

[@nebuna7561]

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is definitely not his best Album!!!!

[@ServantLeila23]

Great Commentary!🔥🔥🔥

[@jameseaton53]

I wholeheartedly agree. Mr. Morale is a great album. I’m a big Kendrick fan. And I haven’t gone back to it at all. This album really highlights how incredible his other albums are. Great lyricism, storytelling, and subject matter while still having major replay ability. The criticism some people have for TPAB being a tough listen should more accurately go towards Mr. Morale in my opinion.

[@buckfastbjork6968]

As an alcoholic and also having struggles with benzo addiction. The day mr morale came out, as soon as I heard "You've never felt grief until you felt grief sober" I burst into tears and continued to cry throughout the whole song. I'm crying right now as I type this just thinking of the song in my head. That song is a lot for me to listen to but I still listen to it because sometimes you have to go through those difficult listens to hear what you dont want to hear, some wounds must be opened again to be healed properly even if its painful. You listen to really get the strongest emotions and reactions out of music. Which to me is what music is all about

[@TheCompanyMan]

Beautifully analyzed, BFB. Thank you. Kendrick helped heal a lot of people with this one.

[@buckfastbjork6968]

@@TheCompanyMan to talk so openly about abuse and therapy as well. This album is so special I think in hindsight people will appreciate it a lot more. I’m glad I’m giving it its flowers now

[@PharaohDom]

@@buckfastbjork6968 same thing happened with TPAB.

[@alexfahnestalk7469]

I have a similar story, and had a similar reaction to that line. Even reading it hits hard. Growing pains is real, it's like a second puberty for your emotional self. We're gonna be alright.

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

Fr, fr! I got sober a few yrs back, and this album hit hard for me... especially lines like that one. The only reason I don't listen to the album more often is because it's so heavy, thematically (and because there have been so many great projects in 2022). The album's definitely a masterpiece that will be much more appreciated in time... its impact on listeners will be more apparent years down the road. Good luck in your battle with those vices... music is what got me thru. Keep ya head up, bruh! 🙏 Take things one breath at a time.

[@seanstroman6087]

"Punch yourself in the face" "It's all happening" "YEEZUS!!" "I dont have the answer to these questions" Justin and his lexicon of quota is such a dope part of his brand. If you got anymore would love to hear it!

[@vdotme]

I was just arguing with someone that Justin is peak journalism. You can pick 100 videos and not one person in the comments will disagree with him. At best individuals may posit a difference in preference but it will always be a classier difference unlike the controversy for clout or clicks approach of others. Justin is painfully underrated. When I hear people talk about the value of a dinner with Hov I don't engage coz I think too many wouldn't be able to appreciate why a dinner and conversation with Justin is worth more than with any 5 top tier artists in my opinion. I don't really care what Hov thinks about anything if I'm honest.

[@tylerhall1288]

@@vdotme agreed with everything

[@MattMatrixJohnson]

Ew you taking the sauce out of it

[@africuz.mp4]

"It's been six months now, I skip it every time." did me in.

[@seanstroman6087]

@@MattMatrixJohnson the "sauce" in him being able to monetize his own quota?? You sure I'm being weird? Lmaooo

[@Matthew-xl5bc]

Mr. Morale and The Big Stepper reminds me of an album that dropped last year named Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz. They are both therapy focused but the subject matter is different. Kendrick focuses more on generational trauma meanwhile Simz focuses more on her introversion.

[@IllusionalSamurai]

Little Simz' album is better in my opinion.

[@Matthew-xl5bc]

@@IllusionalSamurai Yea for sure Simz album is better. I was referring to that they are similarly structured.

[@Cousins08]

@@IllusionalSamurai way better

[@YTwoKay]

I'd add Denzel Curry's Melt My Eyez See Your Future to this grouping. I still find it hard to get through the darker first half of that album.

[@hittemhardmusic]

Little simz definitely had the best album last year

[@jaffawaffa22]

Sometimes I don’t think Art has to be able to be repeatedly ingested. Like you, there’s a third of songs I skip when casually listening but I’ll never forget how those songs made me feel when I did listen to them and there’s definitely value in that.

[@TheCompanyMan]

BIGFAX. Thank you for that, Ryan.

[@TafadzwaMbare]

Is it weird that MM&TBS is actually my personal favorite and I hear most people say it's a rough listen but i purely enjoy it the only song i regularly skip is rich interlude but 2 me this is a masterpiece may not be a classic within the hip hop space but as a body of work you can't deny the cohesiveness, thoughtfulness and vulnerability behind the concept.

[@TheCompanyMan]

I think it's received new life this year. People are listening again with new ears.

[@seaberry11]

I love this album! Songs like “We Cry Together”, “Mother I Sober”, and “Auntie Diaries” I love because they’re heavy, and they speak on subjects not talked about in Hip Hop often. I’m sick of hearing the same stuff, I like weighty think music.

[@dolukiri]

Don’t forget Worldwide Steppers and Mirror.

[@ancientburner]

I love the album. I didn't want to listen to those heavy songs again when I want to vibe out. But then I listened to the album in a sitting and helped me decide it's time to finally go to therapy which I believe is a win for me.

[@TheCompanyMan]

That's a major win, AB. Thank you for analysis.

[@anshchaudhary7456]

Finally this man does it , i remember 4-5 Weeks ago i commented on one of your videos asking you to make a video on Kenny's album and you even replied saying that you plan on doing it , thank you man , love your content, why ?? I don't have the answer to that question

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

How could you _not_ love the content Justin keeps dropping?!? 😁 One of the best commentators on HipHop.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Thanks for keeping me honest, Jyoti.

[@ray45king84]

Mr Morale is a classic masterpiece from KDot, plays out like a cinematic or stage fom start to end. Very dark, subject heavy,not very entertaining but the topics in the album needs to heard or talked about.I.appreciate the album for what it is,well needed and different.

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

"We Cry Together" is a perfect metaphor for the album as a whole... incredibly heavy, intense, unforgettable, captivating, brings up much-needed topics, etc, but tough to listen to casually. "It's almost too good" 😆 - exactly... the reason I don't revisit the album frequently is because it's so heavy, emotionally. But the ironic thing is this: _the songs people skip are the songs that make the album so important and unforgettable._ It's the same conversation we've been having over To Pimp A Butterfly for yrs.

[@pauljones7675]

I loved the album. It’s a heavy listen and probably his most vulnerable and personal to date. Songs like Mother I sober, Father Time, Crown, Count me out, Savior and United in Grief are some of my all time favourite Kendrick songs. Every album he releases gives you a different feel and I have so much admiration for that. Such a unique artist and I’m grateful for him

[@CompletelyInadequate]

Incredible TBD as usual, I think the exact same way about this album 🤘🏼

[@pauljones7675]

@@CompletelyInadequate “sorry I didn’t save the world my friend, I was too busy building mine again” sums this album and the last 5 years up for me. Mirror was a fantastic outro for this album

[@blvkdreamr]

This album works in the same vein of powerful albums like ATLiens by OutKast. Great concept. Great tracks. Very deep reflective messages. Socially captivating lyrics. Wasn't well received by the community. The problem we have in society is that we forget that great art takes on the risk of either being over-celebrated before it's time to the point of being considered overrated later on, or not being fully celebrated in it's era, but widely appreciated later. Many works of Da Vinci or even Basquiat are a testament to this. Simply put, this album is a treasure to be valued today AND later in the future. All of its roses won't come today and that's ok.

[@blvkdreamr]

But I think he says it best with the last track Mirrors....this was more about his personal mental health and he has no regrets. And I love it!

[@TheCompanyMan]

Well presented analysis, Rod. Thank you

[@blvkdreamr]

@@TheCompanyMan thank you! Great video breakdown per usual! Always a fan!

[@ArmLegLegArmHead47]

Love your sentiment Brother, thanks!

[@nathanvaladares1079]

man, I've listened to this album so much this year, I decided to stop it, so I don't get sick of it. The theme of the album resonated a lot with what I've been going through emotionally for the last couple of years. It sounds like Kendrick is speaking directly to me in some lines. It's replay value may not be as good as DAMN's or GKMC's, but I love it. And I think the project is gonna age surprisingly well.

[@k-chill8428]

I only ever listen to this album while out on long cycle rides around the city, so there's no chance of skipping anything. I couldn't imagine it without any one track. It hangs together perfectly as a whole piece.

[@Zuri_SM]

I want to agree but I just can't get behind Crown. The savior complex that Kendrick has gone through has never been the most appealing to me. So hearing a song that fully embraces it, without any sonically pleasing aspects to go along with it... For me at least, it's been one of the few skips out of Kendrick's discog.

[@ArmLegLegArmHead47]

@@Zuri_SM what? How is Kendrick saying he is the "savior" on Crown? Dude literally says "I can't please anybody, I cant even please myself"..

[@Zuri_SM]

@@ArmLegLegArmHead47 That track is 100% a part of his savior complex narrative imo. On this album he sheds the savior complex because he doesn't want to bear the weight of it anymore. Says he can't please everyone on Crown, and concludes the project by choosing himself on Mirror. Subject matter wise, those are both some of my least favorite tracks. Mirror is still good to me because it sounds beautiful. Crown doesn't.

[@bowendrzymalabokitch433]

@@Zuri_SM lemme offer you an alternative opinion: Kendrick says in crown, "heavy is the head that CHOSE to wear the crown. He acknowledges how he put that title on himself, AND his use of it in the past tense says that he no longer believes himself to be a saviour. On the contrary he realized how much pressure and depression comes with being the spokesperson of a generation/race of people. Kendrick tried to speak for the pain of black people, which came from a place of love, not selfishness. Yet, he acknowledges that he can't solve an entire generations problems. So in crown, it is a song about REMOVING the crown he gave himself.

[@petergriffin8752]

I also never skip any song on this album. This album is like an art gallery, every painting is in it’s place for a reason, skipping any song would diminish the project and what it has to say, even the spoken word pieces are crucial to the concept of the album. The duality of kendrick and kodak, the tap dancing, the hard conversation pieces, the topic of therapy, everything in this album is something everyone in this generation needs to hear because no one is saying it.

[@danielcruz3083]

Arts job is to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed, it’s not an album as much as it’s audio healing and therapeutic.

[@sandilejwara7174]

Kendrick Lamar is the pure definition of an exceptional artist

[@MrAllesEd]

Another fine breakdown! I see topics on hip-hop albums, allot like I view conversation topics at a family reunion. You tend to lean towards good moments, braggin 'n boastin, instead of discussing the elephant in the room, conversation about trauma. That's why this album is so important. The best families are the ones that can talk about anything, really, without holding back. And Kendrick can touch on tough subjects, without it sounding bad on the album.

[@ctrlaltdynade2657]

There are some albums you can put on whenever, and some you have to prepare the time for. You have to judge them differently. Maybe try picking a time in advance to listen to the album no skips, so you’re prepared for the “rough” parts. Sounds corny, but the record isn’t trying to be a cool, casual listen. Serious albums deserve serious attention.

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

🎯💯🙏🏼 _That part!_

[@HoodieOuttaTokyo]

My big homie said it perfectly back in 2017 with To Pimp A Butterfly. You gotta be in a certain mood to listen to a Kendrick Lamar ALBUM. You can't just outright listen to it, because it's not gonna resonate with you correctly. Truest words ever spoken about K. Dot.

[@ErickEstebanComedy]

I would liken to the movie like Parasite. I don’t want to rewatch it everyday but when I’m in the right mindset the movie is brilliant. Mr Morale is a musical catharsis on demand. And hindsight being 20/20 when Kendrick says in Meet the Grahams he says he made Mr Morale for the folks who will hear his music as therapeutic.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Well said. I feel the same about Uncut Gems. It's too stressful to watch on a regular basis.

[@jamesg4444]

Just saw him live in Dublin and maaaannn! The visuals are incredible! True artist through and through. Sick individual! ❤

[@mucktown]

but did u also hear him???^^

[@jamesg4444]

@@mucktown ya the music was great too. 😂 Which I already knew before going in. 😂

[@Bandstand]

Your essays are so good you always convince me you have the answers to the questions you bring every single time 😅

[@brandoncollier4562]

An album that puts a mirror up to the listener and says does this look familiar we struggle as mr morale because of what we learned from the big steppers it’s an coming of age tale about recognizing trauma not only yours but of those close to you that shaped you and overcoming those generational curses to elevate yourself into a higher level of self awareness so you can prevent as much of that trauma from hurting others like your kids and ppl that look up to you

[@TheCompanyMan]

Awesome analysis Brandon. Thank you

[@vnstrv5004]

Love Kendricks creativity as an artist 😍

[@SilvLocs]

This concept applies to TPAB as well, it’s why I find DAMN to be my favorite Kendrick record, bc it balances messages w digestibility.

[@TheCompanyMan]

DAMN's his best album to me. At least TPAB gave us "Alright"

[@duanedonovan1090]

I love all of Kendricks albums. He's that balance we need. Music to make you think and reflect on life. The good and the bad. The Big Steppers concert was phenomenal as well. One of the best concerts you'll ever witness.

[@SATOhara3173]

Kinda surprised Worldwide Steppers was on your nah list, to me the beat alone on that one is mesmerising enough to throw it on often. This album hit me extremely hard, I've listened to it back to front probably a thousand times already. I thought every other album he's made was perfect and he's been my favourite artist in hip hop for years now but I related to this one rather than empathised with it. Great analysis, I'm always digging other people's perspectives on stuff I love. About to spin this one again, thanks.

[@bdr113080]

You hit the nail on the head with this. That’s pretty much how I feel about this album, I’m so proud of Kendrick for not putting out an album that would basically be DAMN part two because that would’ve been very easy for him to do and he could’ve very easily had four singles that just blew up on hip-hop radio but the reason I’m proud of him is because he just did what he wanted to do and he’s earned that now. Another message on this album is and I think it’s really dug in on the last track is him basically not wanting to be the hip-hop, savior and not trying to save the world and not making this album his make or break am I gonna be the goat or not album. he acknowledges that the most important thing in life is taking care of himself and his family and for a guy that’s still in his 30s I think that’s incredible. No, it’s not an album that you can really throw on in the car with your friends and everyone’s going to go crazy for eight tracks on it but it is a deep an important album. It’s not a bad album by any means at all I think it’s a great piece of art, but it’s really meant to listen to when you’re going into deep thought rather than trying to enjoy music. Now I’ve seen some people straight up Hate this album and say that it sucks. I don’t think it sucks and I do think there are some people out there in hip-hop that once an artist gets so big they’re just going to hate that artist. We love to build up our legends, but once they get to the top, we can’t wait to tear them down . This is no different from Jay Z or Eminem or Snoop Dogg. It kind of does remind me of some of Eminem’s later work, not the style, but making a piece of art that is very unique and takes a very skilled amount of talent and imagination to do, but maybe just isn’t an album that you just want to listen to all the time. For example, Eminem I think is technically rapping better now than he ever did in the 2000s but his 2000s albums even though there aren’t triple and double entendres everywhere and things like that they just play better as far as the music goes just far is something you want to just ride to in the car and that’s how I view this Kendrick album. It’s a great piece of work but it’s not something you’re going to play in the background while you have friends over or throw in the car and you’re definitely not going to hear it in the club a lot. Doesn’t mean it’s bad it just means he’s an artist that has got to a point to where he doesn’t have to make an album that’s going to sell 3 million copies, he’s not worried about the rent anymore now he’s just being an artist and he knows he can do whatever he wants and whether it’s a flop or not, it doesn’t matter to him because he’s worried about him and his family and that’s a good thing .

[@panashejonga4258]

great video - I think the one-third highlights what everyone or most people are running from - the conversations can be avoided but not so easily when it's all in your face

[@Austyn59913]

this guy really compared Zoolander to Mr Morale and the Big steppers and actually made it work he’s seriously the goat of music journalism 😭🙏

[@JaxDobba]

That final frame about the tweet is exactly how I feel man. I understand people saying that the album has no replay value, but to disrespect it and calling it mid just baffles me. Great video as always!

[@TheCompanyMan]

Me too. That tweet is 💯 thanks for the analysis UnJustCi

[@khulekanimagubane9153]

Contextually dense, weighty albums are a common theme in Kendrick's career, but Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was definitely the most challenging of the lot. I've always wondered how much longer Kendrick could keep that up before he paints himself into a corner, but the premise and subtext has always been compelling. I think he's covered the full expanse of the human experience with the past decade of albums he's dropped and we might be due for a switch-up in his approach, which I'm really excited for.

[@Lon3Starr]

This video is ironic, because Kendrick mentioned several times throughout the album that we keep the music in rotation. I think In our modern day, (and I’m not speaking to the masses who live aimlessly, doing little to no contemplation on our state as human beings in this space/time)… the music we consume has to be, through a conscious balance, utilized for more than just wanting to hear something that.. feels good. Keeping this album in rotation would be like switching to veggie/fruit based diets away from sugar and processed foods. (which the industry is like) people want cheat days, some people want a cheat day everyday. But to keep ourselves in the right direction, focused, music like this really helps. Helps us not to forget our God given purpose in this land of the American Dream where you have to be asleep, to have it. We are entering a new age. The old paradigm with its dynamics are all falling away and coming to an end… and we can already see.. it’s a lot of captains sinking with that ship. 👌🏾✌🏾

[@TheCompanyMan]

Beautifully said. Great analysis 🙏🏿🙏🏿

[@illtimmi]

mr morale is actually my most listened album of all time, i started therapy this year and i really related to this album a lot

[@TheCompanyMan]

That's awesome, Ill. Therapy's worked wonders for me personally.

[@kiarah.371]

imo, replayability isn't a prerequisite of any song, or any form of art, especially if it was made to be an at least somewhat inextricable piece of a larger whole. me only wanting to hear it once doesn't lessen its quality or impact, it just means i can only bear it once -- just like i might only wanna see a deeply tragic movie once or go through a haunted house once. and tbh the only kendrick album i can think of that seemed to be made specifically with replayability in mind was damn. but if music is self-expression it doesn't seem fair to subtract all the possibilities that comes with from an artist because they're commercial

[@Evan_Schaefering]

I agree. This comment section is filled with people trashing the album because they can't replay it over and over in casual settings. That just seems like a reductive surface level way to view music and I'm glad at least some people here think the same way as I do.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Well said, Kiara. Thank you for the analysis.

[@jaksahn3370]

You will come back to this album and you'll reclaim it critically and it'll grow on you. If you have gone through anything major in a negative way to your life lately, this album will literally speak to you and help you. If not, you will see it as a piece of music, as I did when it came out. The last few months have been heavy on my family and I. After that the album has a whole entirely different impact and message. This is one of my favorite albums ever. I don't even listen to DAMN the same....... album of the year goes to Kendrick Lamar for MMTBS

[@jaksahn3370]

And yes not every song is a "YO THROW THAT JOINT ON". Some of the music isn't supposed to be listened to socially. Like some of the topics and themes in this album.

[@Kairosbb]

I didn't know your breakdowns were back :') I was so sad when you stopped

[@MF-pk2gf]

I listened to the entire album once, and I felt it was his best and most vulnerable, most mature album. I only have a few songs on repeat because I don’t feel they are as “heavy.” You can’t deny the album’s brilliance. So I totally get what Justin is saying.

[@gerardoblum2045]

There is always something new to learn from listening to your opinion on anything HipHop related Justin. Thank you very much for all of your content and your unique perspective.

[@TheCompanyMan]

thank you for being a part of the Analyst community, Gerardo. I appreciate you sincerely.

[@nicholaschavez5598]

I have this man’s words tattooed into my skin.. so you could imagine the guilt I felt 2-3 weeks after the release of me not/not caring/wanting to go back to this. I’ve came to the realization that this album is so personal to Kendrick that truly NO criticism can be levied against this Album in any MEANINGFUL way. I LOVE that for him. This album is the closest he’s given us to a look into his MIND & SPIRIT. I’ve concluded that as a SuperFan of this Man and his artistic expressions that this is my LEAST favorite album of his AND his 2nd GREATEST writing performance! I will follow Mr. Duckworth’s Journey till the day I die, I’m sure!!!!🙏🤴🏿

[@beatbyknobodye1581]

You ain’t going back because the shit is trash. Quit making excuses for subpar shit. This album was a disappointment

[@oddishhonor]

That’s a lie. All art is subjective to the person experiencing it. You can’t say there’s no valid criticism to anything unless your blinded by fandom.

[@bccivil]

@@beatbyknobodye1581 because it didn’t have your radio bangers? Or because you clearly have 0 emotional connection to music. To say it’s trash is pathetic, art is art.

[@TheCaWaLa]

@@oddishhonoryou’re right that it’s all subjective, but I think the idea of there being ‘valid’ criticisms is silly. Criticism is also subjective

[@oddishhonor]

@@TheCaWaLa that’s what you think.

[@Ghuttora7]

This album saved me. When it came out I was on the edge and in the place where I heard the lyrics. Tracks like Savior, Crown and Mirror helped me so much.

[@SaferWaters03]

I always create a new playlist with an album I'm sitting with for a while. Whenever you've decided you've heard a song enough or just aren't going to be into it, remove it from the playlist. You're left with a playlist you can always go back to and really enjoy the highlights of that album you spent so much time on. Highly recommend it. You can always go back and listen to the entirety of the album when you want to revisit the entire thing (Kendrick's TPAB comes to mind).

[@TheCompanyMan]

That’s actually what I did with this album. I call it “The Unskippable Mr. Morale” it’s 12 tracks and it’s undefeated.

[@lyleugleman9799]

I love your analysis even if I disagree with some of the finer details. And I love what this album represents for Kendrick, not as an artist but as a person. The last song stating “I choose me, I’m sorry” tells you everything you need to know. I’ll never forget coming home from work one night a couple weeks after the album came out, and finding my roommate casually sitting on the couch, beer in hand with the game on, blasting We Cry Together like it was light listening 😂 I almost fell over laughing so hard. Some people seem to be able to separate these songs from their content easier than others, and I’ve never seen an album get that kind of treatment before.

[@RadioRaheemLivs]

Bro, you've summed up my feelings completely. Was having a conversation around the Thanksgiving table about this album. TPAP made me cry the first time I listened to it, but this feels like Kendrick's attempt to capture the Hamilton crowd. Gonna give it a few more listens though.

[@Ditshwancho]

This is a perfect emotional roller-coaster album, it's not an everyday album, but I listen to it now and then still, I take the deeps songs as a window into understanding Kendrick Lamar, this is an amazing body of work.

[@SteveOh_]

Justin's feelings on the album reminds me of one person I know that has a pretty similar stance to the new Black Panther movie. She really enjoyed it but since the movie is dealing with Chad's death and it's sort of an exercise in mourning, she's not sure if she would watch it anytime soon because the material is so heavy. The difficult subjects presented in both Mr Morale and Wakanda Forever makes repeat sessions difficult to engage in, but it's also important to note that it doesn't take away from how great each product is. It just makes it harder to explain how you feel about said products. And boy, is it hard to explain lol

[@TheCompanyMan]

Great comparison and analysis. 🏆🏆🏆

[@SteveOh_]

@@TheCompanyMan I didn't know how to end the comment, but much thanks Justin 😅

[@manuelmedrano6819]

Best way to put any Kendrick album. Great music that I don't reach for and listen to.

[@coleintheville117]

It's not about how often you listen to something, it's about if that something had an impact on you

[@TheCompanyMan]

BIGFAX. Thanks Cole.

[@jbwuzhere6819]

It had an impact. A negative one. My enthusiasm for the next Kendrick album has waned considerably.

[@VinnieDangerous]

It’s definitely an album I appreciate exists. But besides the more digestible songs like Silent Hill & Rich Spirit, I do not listen to this album. I played albums like TPAB & Damn the whole year after it came out & still go back to them. This album just doesn’t hit me the same as an enjoyable listen & it’s been really weird for me as a massive Kendrick fan

[@TheCompanyMan]

Well said, VDOM. Die Hard is my go-to. N95 as well. There's some joints here. It's just a different listen.

[@solfleur]

Still amazing how much your passion for what you love still exudes through these videos after all these years. Guess its what keeps me coming back. Father Time is my favorite off the album, and I think it perfectly encapsulates what you are getting at in this video, for me of course. Simply because how the song makes me feel. I love the instrumentals, production, flow, bars. But for me, the enjoyment listening to the song is equal in magnitude to some of the more negative, saddening, pervasive emotions it makes me. And yet it feels good to feel these bad things. The beauty of pain and healing dancing together. I think thats what make the song infatuating and yet makes me so averse to listening to it regularly. Utility of the Art vs the Art of the Utility Side note. I appreciate how much your videos inspire me to write and think. Thank you

[@MizumiGCMods]

Just wanted to stop in and say how awesome you’re work is Justin. Been listening to you since HipHopDX and really enjoy what you have to say and you’re thoughtful takes. Thanks

[@TheMarq16]

This is an interesting conversation to spark and in many ways highlights a divide that I think some view between 'meaningful/impactful' art vs. 'mainstream/easily-consumable' art. It's true, a song like Mother I Sober will NEVER get radio play but when you try to compare it to a top 10 billboard pop song, I think it's fair to say (in general) one has more emotional resonance than the other. The real question / display of talent is for an artist to create something that is equally dense and digestible. But would Mother I Sober hold the same weight at a higher BPM with more pop-like production (assuming the content / lyrics remain unaltered)? N95 (and most of the album Damn) threads this line really well. Other topics of discussion just may not be feasible to craft and portray under an easily accessible veneer though (or worse may lose their signance by attempting to 'water them down'). This might be one of those never ending struggles for artists...

[@markbatson3958]

That was great Justin. And also hilarious!! Thank you. Perhaps after 5 years if Kendrick condensed this album to 12 songs it would be an easier listen, but a therapeutic album made after 5 years of recording is gonna be full of the topics of a lot of therapy sessions. Lol. Keep going!!! These pieces are a treasure for every Saturday.

[@Jedan4664]

This album had me in tears. Father Time especially because my Father was murdered when I was 6. I longed to have that male role model. Being the oldest son I had to make something from nothing and be a parent to my little brothers. It's crazy how much this album resonates with my life.... It's crazy I only listen to a few songs from the album on my playlists. It's like taking medicine or looking at yourself in the mirror

[@TheCompanyMan]

Thank you for the analysis, AW 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

[@mr_rgp]

My father died at 6 as well (cancer) so that song resonates with me deeply because 30+ years and being a dad, that lack of a father still in ways haunts me. It's a poetic and tragic album.

[@Jedan4664]

@@mr_rgp People believe that just having a mother is sufficient and it really hinders your outlook as a man. My mom had tough love for us because she believes that's what a father would do. My son was born yesterday 😍

[@Jedan4664]

@@TheCompanyMan No problem. Big fan I've been watching your channel for years. Thank you so much!

[@Grandmaster_Vic]

Loved the album when it came out, got to see him live in Brooklyn and it was amazing (my first concert ever as well), and still love going back to listen to the song “Rich Spirit” from time to time. But… there was something about this album that isn’t grabbing me to come listen to it over and over 6 months later. It’s like once you get everything from the album. There’s hardly any reason to keep coming back to it. It’s like if you 100% a video game, once you fully complete the game. It’s time you gonna start to move on to something else but you do really appreciate what’s been made

[@rorynoone5025]

Comparing challenging art to accessible art is tough to do. Kendrick has been exceptional at blending the two, but it does seem like he is inclined to challenge himself more as he gets older, and his fans are along for that ride. Hip hop is so competitive that such artist growth is often stymied by fans who criticize the dulling of an artists competitive edge. Think how in the NBA, defenses and offenses are generally homogeneous across the league. There is a competitive incentive not to experiment. I think this album is awesome for Kendrick and hip hop as a whole even if I also keep it out of rotation. I've watched Big Trouble in Little China a lot more than I've watched Chinatown, but it is important to me that both movies exist. Everybody has their tastes, but at the end of the day I want to eat what the chef wants to make.

[@lucariojet]

Yeezus - You helped me make a separate hip hop connection with that Zoolander quote. Charles Hamilton uses it, without the Sting reference, in the intro to his Pink Lavalamp record. Based on the vocal tone, I always thought it was Dash Snow, who Kendrick uses in The Heart pt 2.

[@kplovely9787]

I play this album all the way through every other day. Whether I'm cleaning my house, throwing a truck at work... the only time I skip one is if my kids are in the room(we cry together& kodak poem), I rap/sing along, I dance, I laugh, might drop a tear or two, might not next time around, I enjoy it like a play or movie. My husband and I find ourselves randomly using quotes from different parts of the album in random conversations as inside jokes because we listened to it together. 😂 I love everything about this album. The awkward moments, the truth bombs, the beats, the love and thought put into this album. Coming after The Heart part 5 introduction to where his mind was at and then what he gave us in response, it was a beautiful, therapeutic, mind opening experience that I don't mind revisiting. It all echoes prevalent still. Conversations we need to have more honestly, while still having tracks you can dance to, catch a vibe, chill, it has something for all of that, and if the mood changes, changing the song doesn't have to be a bad thing. Most needed Album of the culture.

[@dolores111]

Kendrick has always been the kind of artist were I'd rather listen to the album as a whole than any songs by themselves, but I can't really call that a fair criticism for myself. Its a bit like criticizing a book because I don't go back to individual chapters and would rather just reread the whole thing. That's just how it was meant to be engaged with.

[@rorvis_paradox]

To me, regardless of how heavy the topics I love hearing every song. Mr Morale gave me something I wasn't expecting and what I didn't know I wanted to hear. Kendrick got real on us and some of us loved it and some of us afraid of the truth. Also I'm a Crown defender. That's my favorite song off the project. Its single but so damn impactful to me because those simple words of, "you can't please everybody" speaks to me. I be feeling pressure to be a people pleaser and make sure people or happy but i can't. That's just a fact of life and that definitely made it easier to accept.

[@ShadOMyGod]

This album was like a show at an art gallery where the pieces are for sale. You walk in and all the pieces are amazing and inspiring but there are only a few captivating enough to bid on to take home. That's We Cry Together for me.

[@gallandtj]

It’s a piece of art. I compare it to a deep movie like schindlers list. Love the movie but I’m not putting it on with my friends around but it is a great movie

[@TheCompanyMan]

Exactly how i feel about it too. Thanks for the analysis.

[@FailProCo]

I was a few months into transitioning when MMBS came out, and Auntie Diaries became my favorite Kendrick song after my dad wasn't exactly receptive to my transitioning. The song does have a pretty relaxed flow and beat, and even though Kendrick didn't use the exact correct terminology, it's still a good relisten as a hope that one day my black father will have the same realization as Kendrick and actually be supportive.

[@TheCompanyMan]

That’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing and congratulations 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

[@PharaohDom]

I think of the album the way I do films like Schindler's list. Is it fun? Is it something for my casual moods and scenarios? Fuck no. Doesn't make it any less an incredible piece of art. Some art is commercial and accessible, some is contemplative and challenging.

[@yasuh4550]

I'm from the young generation and I definitely go out to listen to this album. Really love the topics man, they mean a lot to me.

[@FreePlayStudio_]

I think people avoiding certain songs is kind of the point… The tap dancing theme throughout the album about dodging the real problematic topics is the same feeling you have with some of those more raw/emotional songs and avoiding them.

[@MyPimpinAfro14]

I think we ought to reevaluate of the way we critique music in this era. We are currently in an era where if a rap album is not workout music, it is very easy for it to be dismissed as "mid" by a listener that only tunes in to what Billboard or Rap caviar tells them to listen to. I do think this album is somewhat revolutionary in the discussion of topics such as transgenderism, sexual abuse, masculinity, therapy etc. for a mainstream artist. i can't really compare another mainstream album in history to mmatbs (maybe 4:44 but this is a deeper and wider level of introspection in my opinion) which is why I think there is an increased adverse reaction in regards to the replayability of the album. Im sorry but sexual trauma is REALLY ugly. Saying homophobic slurs is really ugly. There's no 808 drum pattern or beat that will make mother i sober or auntie diaries a "fun" listen. but its a painful truth that kendrick has decided to make public in his pursuit of inner peace. As for your question: how good is anything if you don't listen to it?" it depends why. is it because its not good or for some other reason, like subject matter? You yourself sound like you enjoy almost every song on the album but due to the subject you felt uncomfortable playing it around others? which is fine! i wouldn't recommend schindler's list on movie night unless we are all planning to cry! Point is: I enjoy MCU movies- dumb fun dont have to think too hard and get what i need and leave the cinema. But i also like films like Arrival or Schindler's List: movies that have you sit on the edge of your bed until 3am pondering about what I ought to do in life in order to be a better person or where my place in the universe is. both have their place.

[@cocoatea4369]

Another excellent breakdown, thank you Justin. I saw him on his tour. He didn’t play AD, MIS, and only played snippets of WCT. He did play UIG and WS, which I think are more on par with the heavier tracks. You could definitely feel the energy shift when he did those songs, though - so I understand not necessarily wanting to go that deep. But hey, I’m Jewish and I don’t want to go to the Holocaust Museum a lot either. Most of the time, I just want to put on Seinfeld. It’s hard to find a good balance between trauma and celebration. I’ve always loved KL, but for him to tackle such fragile topics (more directly than a lot of his past work, might I add) made me respect him even more. To me, this makes sense as his last album. He had a lot to say, and I’m happy he said it, bruises and all.

[@CastroJr92]

Man you found a way to perfectly encapsulate how I feel about this album like this is a phenomenal album I know that it is it's just really difficult for me to listen to regularly. I have my favorite tracks of course like N95, I'm really becoming a huge fan of Worldwide Steppers, Father Time is an all time Kendrick song. I also saw him during the Steppers Tour and enjoyed the album a lot even songs I'd usually skip because they're too heavy to listen to alone. But I don't find myself coming back to this album a lot because you have to be in a space where you're ready to unpack some trauma, its emotionally demanding and because of that I've also struggled with the question of whether or not that makes this a bad album.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Exactly, MBW. It's wild dichotomy: something amazing that you don't want to use. How great is something you don't want to hear? I don't have the answers to these questions. Thank you for the analysis, again.

[@CastroJr92]

Right exactly I find myself going back to easier listens like Pusha T's It's almost dry or Tyler the Creators Call Me If You Get Lost etc. even though I love MM just as much if not more. Also I appreciate the reply man keep up the great work 🙏🏾

[@dannybuchanan3661]

For a while I used to want to be a music critic when I was in high school, I can't say that I want to be now, but it changed how I listen to albums and explore genres, which is Ive started being able to appreciate albums without really vibing with them, especially metal albums. I really enjoyed the movie Goodfellas for instance, I appreciate the craft of it, the acting, cinematography, the writing, but I can't see myself watching Goodfellas again in the next 5 years let alone putting it on as background noise like I would a movie like Anchorman or Blade Runner or Zoolander. I think its good to be able to appreciate albums and songs on the same level, to be able to appreciate the feelings that the art brought up in you without feeling that its a failing that you're not putting it on while you're doing dishes.

[@donlanky6388]

I could not have put this any better. I tell everyone MMBS is album of year for me but I have not listened to it that many times. It sounds like a contraction but it is what it is. The album is just what it is, an art work!

[@KristoffTitan]

Like you I am a Kendrick Lamar superfan and I skip about the same songs as you. I sometimes play we cry together but I just as often thing it's too much. Auntie diaries had me sitting with my thoughts for a solid minute. Coming up in/from a culture and society in which the f word was very common and nonchalant. Sometimes certain pills are hard to swallow but we need them to get better. Kendrick came with our medicine sometimes it's too much and we have to skip but its still medicine to the masses that need it. I recon this album is going to age like wine with time.

[@TheCompanyMan]

I agree Kristof. Well said. Thanks for the analysis.

[@HBROGUH]

My absolute favorite hip hop essays! You love the culture! I’m gonna check out this link to support man

[@The_Othy]

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is a beautiful album that purposely made us all uncomfortable on first listen. It acts as a mirror in album form and it all clicks once we stop tap dancing around the pain, traumas and unhappinesses in our personal lives that we mask with social media culture ie: flexing for the gram, emotionally debating played out twitter topics, memes and holding an overall holier than thou attitude or trolling in a comment section for likes. We are the Big Steppers avoiding our traumas and not loving ourselves and in turn hurting the people around us either in person or on the internet. We all have a lot to heal from and Kendrick put it all on front street.

[@eros-up5jg]

Another great breakdown. The way you’re able to do this is a gift. Even adding Zoolander in there fit perfectly. Kudos

[@aadammohammed5878]

As usual, a fantastic analysis Justin. I think the album is so similar to Requiem for a Dream if you've seen it. An artistic and impactful masterpiece and one of my favorite movies of all time but I never want to watch it again due to its visceral and heart-wrenching tone. I think the album is analogous to a surgery. It's bloody, disgusting but necessary for Kendrick to heal. After the surgery, you don't need to do it again because you're healed already so the pain in the middle won't give you the same catharsis at the end, as before. You know that at the end of "We cry together" they end up fucking, so that engrossment that you had when you intially listened to it is no longer there. I think Kendrick understood this as well, after DAMN and TPAB, Kendrick went on major press runs explaining the subtleties in the albums, howrver after this one, what did he do? He went on Vacation to Ghana. This was healing for him and on the closure track points to this, "I choose me, I'm sorry". Maybe he could have made a complete banger album or a deep layed album that we could analyze for hours while grooving. But this is the project he made while unleashing all his trauma, how we, as the viewers interpretate it, but ultimately it wasn't created with the listener in mind like the other albums. I enjoy the album for what it is and think its a masterpiece but as you said I skip auntie diaries and we cry together now, though I greatly appreciated it when it came out. Not my top project of the year (JID of course) but a classic album that we can appreciate in time. BTW, Justin you could do a further breakdown on Kendrick's "Saviour" Persona through both his music and real life personality. From Hiipower to Saviour, I think it could be a great video.

[@BetoTheButcher]

You nailed this. I've told people that I still bump "Good Kid Madd City" way more than all his other albums but "TPAB" is his masterpiece.

[@Jayberryjam]

i wasn't expecting a zoolander reference and questioned where you were going with it, but respected it at the end. i had forgotten about that line about sting. i think mr morale is an album i can come back to, but i have to be in the mood for it, and it's just easier to vibe to something like swimming pools on any given day, even though that song deals in very heavy topics. kendrick is obviously very skilled in both making a song introspective and listenable.

[@redgenerall28]

We Cry Together is in my daily rotation playlist (alongside N95) still. Too relatable to skip. Too familiar to wanting to never go back to it. But I like songs like this, I like Em's Kim and Puke. Tyler's IFHY. And so on and so forth. But the most memorable line from this album to me is «Everybody grieves different». One of the most memorable lines of the year for sure. On a par with Lupe's «Rappers die too much». Anyway, I agree that Mr. Morale is a difficult album to go back to and it's not something that you would typically just put on in the background. But it's ambitious and relevant and culturally important. And as far as Grammy goes..the album deserves to win. As always, great breakdown, sir 🫡

[@DanielLopez-vt1bu]

I thought I was alone in this. I've only listened to it in full 3 times. It's the best album I don't want to listen to. It's a piece of art, but that being said, I don't go to MOMA every weekend...

[@tawandamajongwe4883]

S/O Bro from Zim,love your content,you're a vet and love your analysis on music,keep up the good work

[@sho-m-er5194]

I listened to this album in full again some weeks ago... upon unpacking the dense content inside of it I've reached the conclusion that there's probably subject matter in it that will affect any listener, it's just entirely dependent on whether they're smart enough to catch it or strong enough to emotionally come to terms with that

[@maxsmart9116]

Great topic! The experience of some of these songs are like most movies or plays. The experience is worth having and you get something out of it and even if you enjoy it you don't return to it repeatedly. I felt the same way about TPAB.

[@hjblacdes61]

I need more rappers doing spoken word it hits every single time for me personally

[@lobo_solo214]

Been following you since the hiphopdx breakdowns. Listening to you and Rude Jude talk shop about music gives me life sometimes. I thought Mr morale was a damn good album. I hear growth artistically but it still sounds like something kdot would do, even as he tries different things. I appreciate the album a bit more than others bc I feel I'm finally coming of age, mentally n emotionally.

[@ReedMySole]

I start the album off at Savior Interlude and go from there. It makes so much since to put the Mr Morale part first. The title tells you how to listen to it. The more I listen to that part of the album the more i like it. Love your point of view but the album can't be too good, its good.

[@dontask3613]

I think the answer is their amazing in an unparalleled way, I think the point of this album was not replayabilty but to get the hip hop community talking about these things that in one way or another we all experience but maybe don't talk about much, and to show everyone he's just a human being like us, flaws and all. I think the album is an unmitigated success.

[@Gabriel-jx2tt]

I think as a whole the music scene today is very commercial, with so many songs being super short, released as singles, and with catchy weird sections meant specifically for TikTok, that something harsh and dense like this is almost like an antidote just to give the scene some kind of breath. I think this album was Kendrick using his platform for transparency and help fill this need, whether that be giving a clear opinion on hard topics and controversy, or pushing artsy and experimental music. It feels like a late-career, established-artist album in that way, so much so that the Heart p 5 literally was a song thanking the fans who were there for their connection and their ears and their support.

[@Dr.Duck22]

I'm a huge fan that something like this exists. Some of my favorite bodies of work are almost oppressive in deep scars of emotion that's conveyed. But putting these hard to explain emotions in such a visceral way doesn't make you want to go back to it constantly. How many times do you really want to visit dark and scarring emotions. Some others like this are grave of the fireflies, fruitville station, or the latest Injury Reserve album

[@SomeBlackGuy]

I couldn't agree more with your analysis. I'm extremely impressed with the album but I never put it on haha.

[@TheOMasterJ]

Great summary of the album. The songs that have replay value I go back to but the songs I skip I can still appreciate the artistry & creativity in them… they’re just not songs you casually play

[@therisingtithes]

I kinda wonder if that was the creative goal. Of course, we don't know KDot's thoughts in the studio, and we want to believe that every performer only gains value from high listenability because that's how they make their money, but perhaps the struggle to listen to some tracks is *as meaningful* an indication of its depth as the joy of going back to them over and over. We tend to comment on music by way of its digestibility because it's supposed to be more accessible in a lot of ways than a very long and very intense novel or movie, but perhaps there is something worth digging deeper into, as creators and consumers both, when a singular song or an entire album is complex enough that we can value it on one strong listen because it made us feel something strongly without diluting it with further watches, just like a very darkly strong film or emotionally challenging novel would stick with us without being easy rewatch/reread material. This isn't me saying there is no merit in asking whether that's necessarily what's happening with everyone's listen of Mr. Morale, but if it is, perhaps that will add a layer of appreciation to the experience.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Awesome analysis, brandon! That's the question at hand this week, art versus utility. Music, as you mentioned, has a different utilitarian expectation than a novel or movie or pieces of visual art. And does a piece of music suffer from lower utility? I don't have the answers to these questions sincerely.

[@massadonking]

I feel the same about those same songs. I skip them but respect their genius. One of my favorite projects of the year

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

I feel like it'd definitely be my AOTY almost any other year, but 2022 has been absolutely nuts with new releases. A very heavy listen, but incredibly essential for the culture.

[@massadonking]

@@Jimmy1982Playlists Very true. So much heat has blessed the culture this year!

[@afroandy2000]

Mr. Morale is similar to the movie Requiem for a Dream for me. Amazing movie but deals with such difficult topics that it makes me never want to put it on again.

[@gogongagis3395]

Completely understand what you mean on this one. I think with music we often get really hung up on replay value in a way that we don’t with other media. For example I’ve only watched Grave of the Fireflies once, and it absolutely destroyed me. I don’t think I ever want to watch it again. It’s just too powerful and it’s done its job. It changed me. I also think it’s one of the best films ever made and everybody who can watch it - should.

[@gogongagis3395]

Can’t believe i watched this whole video and read a bunch of comments and somehow missed your PINNED comment saying exactly the same thing. Apologies! Hahaha.

[@--REGULAR--REGULAR]

I truly appreciate how kendrick continues to put the "candy in the medicine" he is by far the best at doing that music in general in my opinion. For what kendrick raps about, i would honestly rather hear it from him rather than any other rapper out right now especially in the mainstream. Songs like "Mother I Sober" and "Auntie Diaries" aren't typically relatable, fun, cool, trendy or sexy things to talk about in a song but ask yourself what other rappers can make a song about transphobia and generational trauma and make it sound as creative, smart, logical, heartfelt, mature, and genuine, but while having strong songwriting, skillful storytelling with catchy melodies and a instrumental that compliments what he his talking about and without coming off corny, unclear, preachy, idiotic, delusional, petty, and confused??... Maybe nas in his prime but not now, maybe lupe but he'd never put this type of passion, pain or emotional range behind his words like Kendrick or Nas does, maybe Kanye if he were to set his mind on doing it but hes not mature enough or skillful lyrical wise like Kendrick, Nas or lupe. Then there is Cole but his attempt at it wouldn't be as creative or sharp as Kendrick unfortunately, but I don't think it would be too bad. I think Kendrick is by far in a league of his own in hip hop right now. He deserves all the praise and awards.

[@ninjasrose1653]

Respect to K-Dot. But, I personally don't have this album featuring in my top 10! Too many skippables like you said. Totally agree! So much great Hip Hop has been bestowed upon us this year. I do have a couple of tracks in my favourite songs this year though. Great as always from Big Jus haha!

[@tpsam]

We cry together is legit a fusion and lives halfway between cinema and hip hop I don't feel like it belongs to either art form

[@scootsmcdoots80]

Such an important album. I don’t listen to it as much as other albums this year but I think it deserves to be crowned due to the conversations it has spurred.

[@Yet.Another.Rapper.KiG.V2]

This album is best when you are in a difficult time. It really helped me through some dark moments recently.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Me too.