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.

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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 at 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

...