Mr Morale & The Big Steppers: Seeking liberation from a legacy of generational trauma

Kendrick Lamar embarks on a campaign of self-reflection and healing in his final studio album with label Top Dawg Entertainment. This story will be updated each day.

Grief, ignorance, infidelity and finding the strength to heal after a lifetime of setbacks; these are but a few themes in Compton-based rap superstar Kendrick Lamar’s latest release titled “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.”

The album is a masterclass on every element of rap. The writing has poignant messaging and even sharper delivery. As an emcee, Lamar changes his flow and alters his voice at will, embodying different personas and emotions to compliment his words. This is some of his best storytelling yet, which is saying something for an artist as gifted as Lamar, who many have stamped with ‘GOAT’ status.

In this double LP, the Pulitzer Prize winning songwriter pulls back the curtain on his own private life, most notably putting long-time partner, Whitney Alford, center stage along with their two young children.

The album is deeply intimate, diving into Lamar’s flaws as a partner, a friend, a role model and now a father figure. He doesn’t hold back in his reflections, he lays it all out with so much honesty you feel the pain he puts others through and how it pains him.

Lamar is on a spiritual path to evolve into something greater than he could have imagined, carrying the trauma of his past and struggling to heal centuries of torment.

Many of the themes and ideas in the album are expressed twice over, which some listeners on social media believe is Lamar’s way of expressing two perspectives of the same topics at different points of his life.

The break in perspective starts on track 01 of disc 2 titled, “Count Me Out,” the track referred to as “the breakthrough [session].”

Before going further into the album’s structure, let’s go ahead and delve into the first intimate portrait Lamar offers in disc 1.

01: United In Grief

I’m starting to feel like it’s only one answer
To everything, I don’t know where it is (Woah)

Lamar’s albums are always woven together with narrative in the form of intros and outros to most of the songs. Mr. Morale follows that pattern with a harmonized chorus, creating a patchwork of his thoughts through hymn-like messages. In “United In Grief,” Lamar poses questions only to answer them with his pessimistic outlook.

He asks “What is a bitch in a miniskirt?”

“A man in his feelings,” he answers “with bitter nerve.” In the culture of toxic masculinity, a man who expresses his feelings is viewed as weak or feminine in Lamar’s comparison. This is one of the explored themes in MM&tBS.

Lamar’s negative life experiences are taking control of his outlook, he speaks matter-of-factly, because these lessons left scars. His conflict is with the harsh reality of his background, where he feels many in his position are set up for failure.

In admitting that he sought therapy to mend his trauma, his arrogance gives way to confusion, “Popping a bottle of Claritin (Woah)/ Is it my head or my arrogance? (Woah)/ Shaking and moving, like, what am I doing? I’m flipping my time through the Rolodex.”

In the chorus, Lamar talks about flaunting the rewards of his labor, either through big purchases or fronting a tough gangster persona in his raps. The second verse reflects on an encounter with an attractive fan he met while touring for m.A.A.d city, his first major release.

In talking with the fan, he realizes they share common ground in the trauma they experienced. Lamar reflects on having called his friend, Chad Keaton, who was shot while the rapper was on tour. A victim to gang violence, Keaton died from his injuries while in the hospital, a critical moment in the rapper’s life.

“Chad left his body after we FaceTimed/ Green eyes said you’d be okay, first tour sex the pain away.” So begins Lamar’s dependence on sex to suppress his pain and emotions. “I grieve different,” admits Lamar, “I grieve different.”

The final verse touches on Lamar using his newfound wealth for retail therapy, making big purchases on things he doesn’t really need or really want. He makes purchases when his peers do, and he sees his cousin, a rising star, doing the same thing.

“I bought a Rolex watch, I only wore it once/ I bought infinity pools I never swimmed in/ I watched Keem buy four cars in four months/ You know the family dynamics on repeat.”

02: N95 ft. Baby Keem

Take off the Chanel, take off the Dolce, take off the Birkin bag
(Take it off)
Take all that designer bulls**t off, and what do you have?

Lamar’s perspective in track 02 shifts to the people, famous or otherwise, who use expensive clothing, jewelry, and fake personas to demonstrate higher status or higher thinking. He sees that society as a whole is focused on perception rather than what he feels are real problems.

Lamar is disgusted by what he sees. He wants those he’s rapping about to take the ‘mask’ off and reveal who they really are, someone who hides their individuality, their pain and insecurities for acceptance.

“You ugly as f**k! (you out of pocket)/ Huh. Two ATMs. You steppin’ or what?”

“N95” performed with Lamar’s fellow label artist and cousin Baby Keem, is demonstrating the hopelessness in K-Dot’s outlook. He’s experienced fear and loss his whole life, discouraged by little progress to show for it in terms of change.

Lamar doesn’t have the answers, but his ego makes him feel that by dismissing the fakes and being a realist, he is better than the all the people he believes are virtue signaling online or in media. This is a concept he explored in his verse on Keem’s “Family Ties.”

The world’s darkness causes Lamar anguish, and he jumps into the stressors in verse two.

“The world in a panic, the women is stranded, the men on a run/ The prophets abandoned, the law take advantage, the market is crashin’, the industry wants/ N***as and bi***es to sleep in a box while they makin’ a mockery followin’ us/ This ain’t Monopoly, watchin’ for love, this ain’t monogamy, y’all gettin’ f***ed”

War, recession, homelessness, police cruelty are just some of the things weighing on Lamar’s psyche. He’s doesn’t hear God’s voice in religious leaders, he sees impoverished Black communities suffering without assistance while their creative influence gets pimped by pop-culture and white America.

Lamar is “done” with explaining himself, he’s done with trying to convince people wrong from right or what’s worth the fight. He recalls going to his peers’ funerals of which there were several in his hood.

Nothing has been able to stop the wheel of gang violence turned by forces of racial discrimination and lack of opportunities for marginalized youth. Lamar thinks of his earliest aspirations of achieving wealth and fame, transitioning to the consequences of success and the spotlight.

“Servin’ up a look, dancin’ in a drought/ Hello to the big stepper, never losin’ count.”

Verse three challenges the listener to keep their honor and their dignity rather than exchange it for safety or wealth. “Tell me what you would do for aesthetic/ Would you sell your soul on credit?/ Would you sell your bro for leverage?” He’s calling out the weakness we have when faced with temptation.

He asks where are the hypocrites at? Where are the people who don’t stay consistent in their values. Who thinks their community is the only one deserving of attention.

Before ending, Lamar tells himself that he is flawed and a hypocrite as well. Despite his effort to be decent and and honest through his art, he is often just a celebrity saving face. Lamar says he doesn’t acknowledge “cancel culture,” he will continue to speak his “truth” with the same mask of arrogance that’s shielded him throughout his life.

03: Worldwide Steppers

No, I don’t blink like I used to
Awkward stares at everybody, see the flesh of man
But still, this man compared to nobody
Yesterday, I prayed to the flowers and trees
Gratification to the powers that be

Kodak Black invoking the name of Eckhart Tolle in the intro opens the first incision into Kendrick Lamar’s flood of thoughts in Worldwide Steppers. Tolle is a German self-help and spiritual teacher famous for authoring books on enlightenment and believing that God is present in our being and the voice of God is our own consciousness (might not be an accurate description of Tolle’s writing).

Regardless of whether or not Lamar or Kodak read or follow those teachings, we know that Lamar has begun therapy and he connects his psychological healing with his unconventional but still very spiritual connection with God.

“Writer’s block for two years, nothin’ moved me/ Asked God to speak through me, that’s what you hear now/ The voice of yours truly” I don’t believe Lamar is saying that he himself is the Christian God of the bible. He is drawing from the philosophy of Tolle, saying that his words are God’s words, because he worships the source of his words and creativity; his self and his being.

This song is clearly coming from Lamar’s persona, since it’s discussing things from his own life. While examining his words, it’s clear (in this song more so than others) that he is speaking to his therapist. It’s not a back and forth dialogue because Lamar is venting his emotions for the first time.

What Lamar is giving us in Worldwide Steppers is him discovering vulnerability while still holding up the hard outer shell that he feels protects him. The first verse is that bottled up fear and emotion spilling out.

He finally regains his focus when the second verse starts, he tells a story of having sex with a upper-class white girl for the first time as a teen. The girl’s father was a cop, Lamar uses that fact, along with generations of racism, as justification to treat the girl poorly or use her for his own gratification. A presumably young girl is a vulnerable target, but Lamar doesn’t care.

He does it again with someone else after attaining success with GKMC. It’s ultimately an indication of his hate and lust, some of his greatest flaws.

“I’m a killer, he’s a killer, she’s a killer, bitch/ We some killers, walkin’ zombies, tryna scratch that itch/ Germophobic, hetero and homophobic/ Photoshoppin’ lies and motives/ Hide your eyes, then pose for the pic.”

It’s a confession, maybe to his therapist, maybe to Whitney. One way to interpret this is his way of deflecting guilt for his own sins or wrongdoings. Everyone is guilty of something, everyone is insecure doing what they think is right without ever being sure.

He’s straight and homophobic, which is ignorant, but I believe it’s more for the point of context than his actual views. How many people that grew up in his complicated environment are perfect, enlightened and tolerant? We manipulate our thoughts to believe our actions are morally correct or justifiable, but we shield our eyes to not be exposed by the light.

04: Die Hard

Can I open up? Is it safe or not?
I’m afraid a little, you relate or not?
Have faith a little, I might take my time
Ain’t no saving face this time

Following Worldwide Steppers, Die Hard is Lamar after he vented his fears, doubts and emotions to his therapist. Once that anger was let out, he’s able to find his footing and approach his partner, Whitney Alford, in a vulnerable state. He is finally communicating without barriers.

Lamar begs for affection, for comfort and support from the person who endured so much already. Lamar hopes there’s still time to save their relationship but is knows that his journey will cause more trauma and he fears it could be the final straw.

The only thing Lamar can promise is challenges in the road ahead. The unfortunate truth is not every relationship can be saved, and the process of healing is not only an upward trajectory. His worries make him feel that Alford won’t endure more trauma and suffering, even in his pledged faithfulness.

“I hope I’m not too late to set my demons straight/ I know I made you wait, but how much can you take?/ I hope you see the God in me, I hope you can see And if it’s up, stay down for me, yeah”

Lamar asks a lot of the mother of his children, but want he really wants is her support. His insecurity might lead him to believe that he doesn’t have enough strength to work through this on his own. For Alford, the damage is already done, the trust is long broken and she doesn’t owe him support he hasn’t yet earned.

All Lamar can do is communicate his feelings, but ultimately this journey is one he can only do alone.

“Do you love me? Do you trust me?/ Can I trust you? Don’t judge me/ I’ma die hard, it gets ugly/ Too passionate, it gets ugly”

In his last verse, Lamar reveals his goals and convictions as he heals. I can see Lamar’s perspective. He knows he has problems and suffers from past trauma, but he is hopeful that he can heal both himself and his relationship. He loves Alford, and says he is committed to her.

From Alford’s perspective however, this last verse can bring up past trauma in itself. It’s different when you’re on the receiving end of his issues, and without knowing the intricacies of their relationship, this situation is all too familiar in toxic environments. Perhaps Alford herself is unsure if she can do this.

“If I told you who I am, would you use it against me?/ Right or wrong, no stone, just love to send me.” That is a huge ask considering he admitted it took a long time for him to get help.

I appreciate that Lamar went there for this song. It’s not easy to talk about even between two people, but airing out your relationship to the whole world? Celebrities avoid that like the plague.