A warning, this episode contains mention of sexual assault, as well as strong language.

It's been five years since Kendrick Lamar released his last album, Damn. Since then, he's won a

Pulitzer Prize, been nominated for an Oscar and become a parent. But his new double-length

album, Mr. Moral and The Big Steppers, is anything but a breezy victory lap. He examines

generational trauma, sexual politics, and his own attempts to grow amid high expectations

and heavy introspection. I'm Stephen Thompson and today we are talking about Kendrick Lamar

on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR. Joining me today is writer and PR music contributor and co-host

of the bottom of the map podcast Christina Lee. Welcome back Christina. Hi Stephen. It's great to

have you and making his Pop Culture Happy Hour debut is Marcus J. Moore. He's the author of The

Butterfly Effect, How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. He also covers jazz and

experimental music for NPR, The New York Times and other outlets. Welcome to the show Marcus.

Thank you. Thanks for having me. It is great to have you. So Mr. Moral and The Big Steppers is

Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album. It follows not only Damn from 2017, but also Modern Classics,

like 2012's Good Kid Mad City and 2015's To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2018, Kendrick Lamar produced

and curated the soundtrack to Black Panther and also made his acting debut in the TV drama power.

But his output slowed down for a few years after that. In 2021, he did appear on guest

wraps with his cousin, The Rapper Baby Keem. And he performed at this year's Super Bowl half-time

show. He recently released a single called The Heart Part 5, Though That Song Does Not appear

on Mr. Moral and The Big Steppers, which came out this past Friday. The new album is a thorny

73-minute epic. It features guest performances by everyone from Baby Keem and Ghost Face Killa,

to the singer Summer Walker, Portishead's Beth Gibbons, and the actor Taylor Page.

It's Kendrick Lamar's final album for his longtime label Top Dog Entertainment, so it feels

...