It’s a big episode. As it always is when it comes to an artist like Kendrick Lamar.
Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, Lamar’s fifth album, the Compton rapper’s first album in five years, is out almost a week now and Niall and Andrea spend an hour and 40 minutes discussing this cerebral, personal, conceptual album in depth.
The album is a therapy session and a morality play, seeking breakthroughs, with Kendrick sharing confessions while also speaking on the culture wars, his saviour complex and his sex addiction.
It’s the same album that explores racial, generational, and centrally, family trauma, while giving space to Kodak Black, who has pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a minor, the same topic that Kendrick unpacks here trying to break the “generational curse” while also exploring his acceptance of trans members of his family.
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His wife, Whitney Alford is central to the album, as is the work of German self-help author Eckhart Toll, while guests are limited but include Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Sampha Ghostface Killah, Amanda Reifer, Taylor Paige, Sam Dew and Tanna Leone.
It’s Kendrick with the N95 mask off.
Episode notes / references
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Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
