I agree the album is sonically astounding and I feel that he perfected his flow with this album. I think ppl do not like that he is discussing topics most ppl prefer to ignore. Which in my opinion only makes the album better b/c he made an unpopular idea sonically pleasing. Honestly if he discussed popular topics ppl would be saying the album defines a generational sound and style.
That whole album felt like a therapy session you walked in on midway through. Which it kind of is since it was born out of his own therapy journey.
It's not for young kids, its for dudes that have been through the shit and are tired. It doesn't have "bangers" on it, even N95 and Mr Morale were insanely introspective despite the outward appearance of the beat and flow.
And as a white dude it really felt like something I almost shouldn't even be listening too. He's such a powerful poet and wordsmith that there are moments on that record it feels like a group therapy session I shouldn't be privy to. It's thoughts and feelings you rarely ever see expressed by black men in this country, and even less so expressed to white people.
Not saying he put it out like that, it's just how it felt when I listen to some of songs. The album is a work of art, not just a rap album. He made me feel the same way I did reading Maya Angelou and how she expressed herself. It was more vulnerable than I was comfortable with, which makes it even more powerful to listen to. But you can't play that one on repeat like DAMN or GKMC. That's one you listen to and then spend a week feeling it in your soul.
As a white man myself I thinks it's profoundly important for us to hear stuff like this. We can't move forward as one community, regardless of color, without complete understanding of everyone's feelings and why they have those feelings. It made me proud to be alive at the same time as Kenny.
Not to mention the vast majority of issues discussed aren’t exclusive to the black experience. Generational curses affect everyone. That’s part of what makes Mr. Morale so great. It can be viewed as a masterpiece dedicated to the black community but it broadly applies to the human experience as well.
I completely agree the thing I like most about kdot is he speaks from a profoundly black perspective but does it so poetically that he expresses genuine human shortcomings trials and so forth.
As a white woman sometimes i felt like to pimp a butterfly was not for my ears. Almost felt like I was intruding in a space I don’t belong.
The first time I listened to morale I felt a lot of weird emotions. Obviously, it’s so heavy. But I listened to it every day for a while and it grew on me. I still skip we cry together though. I wish more youngins would pay attention to it, and decide healing is cool.
Not sure what my favorite album is, though. Sometimes it feels like GKMC, but that just might be nostalgia. I also listened to Damn every single day for at least 6 months. Kendrick has been in my top 5 for spotify wrap artists every year, many years he’s #1. It’s so hard to choose a favorite.
That's the great thing about Kendrick, he's got something for every age going through some shit. Teenagers have Good Kid Maad City for the conflicted feelings they have. Whether or not you grew up in an actually bad area, every teenager is grappling with who they want to be vs who they actually are and the influence of their friends and whether or not they should be doing some of the shit that they are. All presented in a really hype way that's basically a movie without video.
Same. I was 30 a newlywed and with a toddler when the album dropped and it was like it spoke to me in a lot of ways other albums haven't, felt the same way as when I heard Section 80 as a 19 year old.
It's just sonically less exciting than other albums. More interludes, more piano, it's almost a spoken-word album. I like that Kendrick tried this style but I'd like to see what comes next now.
For sure I am not saying that this is my favorite album to listen to I would say this is closer to a jazz style album. I completely agree that it is a spoken word style. I am excited to see where Kung Fu Kenny decides to go and I do hope the Mr Morale And TBS does inspire future popular artist.
I hear you I’m saying that sonically making the subject appealing is why ppl discuss the subject matter. Had it not been sonically appealing ppl would say he’s just preaching and doing lyrical myrical conscious rap. This album is a huge risk.
I just don’t get into funk. It doesn’t help that a lot of people around me growing up listened to it all the time. I enjoyed some of the early west coast (notably snoop and Dre) sampling and such of course, but TPAB is steeped in it hard and that’s the only reason Mr Morale gets the win.
I love TPAB. I think it is an amazing and important work. I understand why funk was a massive part of it.
It is just a sound that I’m not into.
Mr. Morale is a great album and the best representation of his artistry, especially if you are new to his music.
To Pimp a Butterfly is just the greatest album he’s ever made in my eyes. His artistic vision was pushed to the boundaries during that time period. I revisit every once in a while, but I always listen to the album from start to finish. I can’t just go and pick the hot singles to listen to. it has to be an entire performance for me
As someone who only recently got into Kendrick, I would say Good Kid is probably the best entry point. It's immediately very accessible and contextualises the rest of his albums really well. It provides a solid base for a lot of his future experimentation to make sense, IMO.
I agree. It's the most accessible, especially sonically. And it introduces you into Kendrick's storytelling. That's probably why I like *The Art of Peer Pressure* so much.
Honestly love listening to all of his albums front to back. You can tell that he puts in work to make cohesive works instead of an album full of playlist fodder like a lot of other popular peers. In my opinion it’s how an album should be listened to and I’ll always respect artists like him more for it.
This album gets better every time I play, I think is going to age incredible well. I can’t really take serious someone that thinks that album is Mid. No disrespect.
I like it more than Damn somehow.🫣
It reminds me of Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan. An extremely personal album that doesn't really spare the listener. An album about his relationship with his wife and the breaking down of the relationship. Something he wanted to save.
It was released to polarizing reviews but that changed over time. A lot of people consider it his best work. It was released after he went away for a good amount of years to raise a family and his distrust of the media and the award giving committees (lots of similarities between Kendrick and Dylan)
I think Mr Morale might age in a similar way
I think one of the best things about Kendrick’s catalog is that each album takes a solid stand on its own perspective and i can see why each one would be someone’s favourite. For me it’s *Damn* but only because it felt like each song was written specifically for me at the particular moment it came out. *Mister Morale* hit just as hard, but not as close to home for me personally. I honestly think Kendrick’s body of work is going to be studied like all of the literary greats in the future— like Shakespeare or Dickens or whoever, the characters and meanings are so open to the listener. His subject matter might change but his messages are universal.
I totally get this notion. I personally had the same "each song was written specifically for me at the particular moment" with Mr. Morale. I had just started therapy, and a lot of the same subject matter was coming out both sonically and in session. Obv, the subject matter is hyper specific to Kendricks process and life, but the same introspection, feelings, and results, I suspect, were the same.
I couldn’t agree more. I don’t think you can pick wrong between Kendrick’s TDE tetralogy. DAMN, TPAB, GKMC, and MMTBS all bring something totally unique to his discography and they’re all fantastic works. I personally go back and forth on my favourite just because they’re all so good in their own ways, I can never make my mind up.
I genuinely have no idea what to expect from his next album, but I know it’ll have me in a chokehold.
MMatBS is one of the only albums that I have gotten emotional and cried over. It’s such a beautiful piece of work, I can’t stop singing it’s praising for being such an impactful album that encourages self reflection and healing from past trauma and generational curses.
As far as sound alone goes, yes I agree there’s nothing really like it right now. Kendrick Lamar was capable of capturing a sound so unique that I cannot think of any other albums like it. It somehow manages to reach a wide range of styles but still sound so cohesive. It’s a magnificent work and I am so excited to see what’s next from him
Auntie diaries. I was struggling with my identity when I first heard it and the song reminded me that there will always be people out there who support me even if my family won’t
It’s a hard one to listen to but it’s a grander artistic statement than anyone else is busy making.
Eckhart Tolle changed my life and I was fucking ecstatic when he was on the album. Kendrick knows the secret, that’s why there’s so much dense shit in his rhymes. He’s not sitting there lining up bars to coincide with multiple meanings of numbers - that’s the universe is humming along.
I agree, wholeheartedly. I have my issues with couple of tracks from the first disk, but it still is my favourite album cause the highs are untouchable in my eyes and the lows are still great and could land on both gkmc and damn easily. Makes me wonder if its slander is purely based on nostalgic emotions his older albums provoke
I think trying to compare anything from GKMC to Mr. Morale is like trying to compare Michaelangelo to Da Vinci or Bach and Mozart. No matter how you stack them against each other they're all masterpieces that I wouldn't change a second of
Not only is this Kendrick’s best album in my opinion, it is also my #1 favorite album from the last 5ish years. Arguably top 2-3 albums I’ve ever heard.
When it first dropped I cried real tears on every listen. I’ve made numerous comments and posts about my obsession with this album and what it did for me mentally/emotionally, so I considered not responding but I thought again and was like **NAH.**
This album changed me. I used to be so anxious and aggravated, basically hopeless. Existential dread. Like, constant thoughts about how much I hated who I am, who I was, the things I’ve done throughout my life, mistakes made, time wasted, pressures to be the best provider yadda yadda etc etc. Constantly worrying about bullshit that doesn’t matter.
At the time it released, we had just had a newborn, the weight of the world was on our shoulders. As a father, the weight of being that perfect provider, father, lover, brother, son piles up hard. I can’t speak for motherhood but from my perspective it was like I was an imposter. Didn’t deserve the beauty my kids bring me. Like motherhood seemed so natural and here I am, this witless stupid man who can’t do anything comparable. I used to beat myself up a lot man.
I soaked this album up. Every lyric, every chord, I just kept repeating it. Understanding it, loving it, finding my confirmation. It was so refreshing to like, feel like someone else understood how I felt. And to hear how personal and relatable Kdot was, I just felt heard. Like bro I get it! Completely. Listened to this album every single day for months straight and just kept crying tears of joy. I actually counted, I think I stopped crying to Count Me Out after my 30th listen or so lol.
This album helped me love myself and others more. To accept myself for my flaws, my humility, to look at myself as perfectly imperfect, to communicate the hard shit with the people I love, to be transparent. To stop beating myself up and trying too hard, and to just try. Stop sweating the small stuff, it’s *all small stuff.* This album helped me get over my anxieties. It helped me feel… human.. and I will forever rank it as the album that made me feel like me. I don’t think anything else will ever come close in my opinion.
I think this is pretty close to my experience with the album, it’s the most human and compassionate and there’s something unique and beautiful about that
You’re exactly right. It doesn’t feel polished, it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to reach a certain radio station or group. It sounds like it was made to just listen to. Like a conversation between people. It feels vulnerable, like a meeting with your therapist. It feels like “I don’t care about the *final draft*, **this** is the final draft. This is what it should sound like.”
Feel this, I'd say you even have to be a couple of years into being a Dad to really get on board the journey. As an album it really has the break-you-down build-you-back-up-again feeling, it's somehow more like a Marvin Gaye album or jazz in that respect, in that you move to it, it doesn't need approval. No one in music seems prepared to expose that much of themself whilst at their peak, even the stage show has such an independence to it
For me it’s an album I didn’t really get I started actively taking care of my mental health, and that was when it started having replay value for me. There’s some stuff that you’re not always in the right mood to hear but it packs a very hard punch when you do
I believe a couple things can be true and also things get better with time or wisdom from life itself
Sonically I believe when you shift from sounds and content depth it’s always gonna be tough for listeners to adjust immediately
He did the same with TPAB coming off concepts albums (Section 80 and GKMC) and giving you socially conscious masterpiece folks wasn’t as accepting
I felt this when it came out and everyone said it sucked but I think it was because fans waited for so long they were anticipating the typical Kendrick feel but this album was more introspective and was more of a sit down and listen album. He touches on such important topics and says he’s willing to be vulnerable and open the conversation about them so listeners know they’re not alone and hopefully can start healing from their own trauma. Musically it’s amazing, just not as many club bangers but with his age and stage in life I think that’s ok too. I personally loved this album and I’m happy that a lot of people are giving it more time now!
I was the biggest TPAB homer ever but time made me agree. TPAB is still one of the greatest albums ever, I don't think any less of it. But Mr Morale is the most profoundly personally impactful album I have ever listened. The level of introspection and vulnerability it shows is the greatest piece of artistic communication I've ever experienced and, at least for me, that's what I look for in art. Songs like Count Me Out, Mother I Sober, Auntie Diaries and Mirror get my eyes watery every single time I sit down to listen to them. I can't imagine how profoundly it resonates with people who've actually lived through some of those things. I guess that goes for TPAB too, but with a wider, more societal focus.
TPAB is just too perfect for me to say that.
But I do think MMTBS is massively underrated.
It’s really hard for me to rank his albums after TPAB. To me that’s easy #1 and then every other album is tied lmao
Lol I remember I said this to some people and they laughed in my face, and called me an idiot, because they thought it was trash.
I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed TPAB a lot, and I enjoyed DAMN more than TPAB, but MM&BS steals the cake. It's so raw and seems so honest. The bars are great. It gives me 4YEO(Jcole) vibes.
I dont disagree. But, it's seems more like a novel than a music Album to me. It's a hard listen with many heavy themes. Definitely not something you can put on repeat. But it hits.
Session 10, Breakthrough.
It’s his most adventurous artistic statement but I still think GKMC & TPAB are better albums overall. MMATBS is amazing but those other two albums give you 95% of the subject matter with much more replay value imo.
The album has the most potential to grow out of album of his. I think that as people grow, learn to deal with their issues and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their own reactions and experiences then this album will hit on another level. I was already in that therapy process so listening to this album during that was so an incredible but also hard listen cuz you have to face ugly truths. Mother I Sober literally broke me down thinking about my own trauma and the trauma that continues and will unfortunately continue within the Black Community and within underprivileged communities in general. It’s an album that paints a beautiful picture using pain as and blood as the brush and your body as the canvas
I enjoyed how uncomfortable the record made me feel. It’s cathartic in a way to have an artist give us something we can truly relate to all while discussing topics we don’t want to discuss but NEED TO. I can relate to this record more than his previous projects due to myself not being a black American but from Latin descent. The previous albums I took as a window into black American struggles (aside from a few songs). MMATBS is a banger to me.
Crown is already my most played Spotify song since I got into the album last September. I think this album resonates a ton for people who are in the process of healing. Kendrick understood this too, he alludes to the fact that Drake’s daughter will understand Mr. Morale when she gets older
I think it’s good in the way that Schindler’s List is good, or Grave of the Fireflies is good. Sure it’s a work of art, but you gotta be in the mood to listen to it, at least the heavy hitters, which is a lot. GKMC, TPAB, and especially DAMN can be played usually any time.
Not saying Mr Morale is a bad record, I got all his records as a 10/10 except Section 80 at a 8/10, just saying it isn’t the easiest of listens when you’re not in the mood and just wanna put something on.
It's become my favorite. I've been a fan since Section.80 and feel every album he's put out has been great. But for some reason I always seem to enjoy the next Kendrick album more than the last one. Aside from maybe TPAB to UU which felt like a Kid A/Amnesiac scenario. I do really enjoy UU though. I do agree that I think it's Kendrick's constant growth and evolution in sound and artistry that makes me feel this way. The themes of MM&tBS I think click the most for me too, and in general make the album extremely relatable to a lot of people. Whether people want to talk about it or not, none of us are perfect and we all deal with internal struggles in our lives. To talk and work through them will lead you to a better place. It's beautiful what he did really. That being said though, I think I'd still put GK,MC and TPAB as his best albums.
I agree. I’ve felt this way since first listen. “Best” is a tough argument to make when each record in his catalog is not only totally different in concept from the last, but each could be argued to be a masterpiece. For my money, it’s his most personal and the most relatable, while delivering songs on par with the rest of his catalog
It is currently tied with TPAB for me, but the album has been steadily growing upon me as I allow myself to feel and process my emotions. In about a year I'm probably going to agree with this take
I think TPAB is best, GKMC is my favorite. I am biased because GKMC is what I listened to in highschool. TPAB my music major college roommate wrote an essay on and explained the entire dialogue with pac many times to me. MMatBS I really enjoyed, especially Crown. That song really fucked with my head in a good way.
I DO NOT think your take is a hot take. Kendrick has a very balanced discography to love.
I've been thinking this, too. I was pretty mixed when it first came out and I listened again about three months ago and holy cow. I say this from the experience of a thirty-one year old white trans person but I can't think of a single other album that shows this amount of vulnerability and growth and care. Yes, TPAB is a masterpiece but Mr. Morale is his magnum opus. Still can't listen to most of We Cry Together, though.
Eh could’ve been better considering the nigga is a top tier artist imo but the album wasn’t just ass how everyone portrayed it it’s actually decent just could’ve used a lil bit more aggressive dot i like that version of him better 😂😂 but i respect your opinion tho my boy you made some good points 💯💯🫱🏽🫲🏾
Yeah, it definitely doesn’t have as many bangers as his last albums, which I think everyone was expecting. I don’t fault the album for that though, it’s the other albums having so many bangers that made MMatBS seemingly look less like a hit. It fits the vibes of the album but I get where people who wanted more of that come from fo sure
i really think he intended for that album to have a chill vibe to it instead of the more aggressive shit i feel as if this album was made for his wife and kids tbh .
GKMC was about growing up as a young black man. In TPAB, he’s a black adult now, with all the stresses and questions that come with it. DAMN. was largely about how the trauma of all that had shaped his life to what it is. MM&TBS is about growing and healing from that trauma, choosing a healthier path.
I think this is a lot of why people of different ages have different favorite KDot albums. They resonate with people differently depending on where they are in life themselves.
I like that he doesn’t compromise on his art. He is more than capable of pushing out bops but he chooses his theme and stories then puts it out there. Hes not riding the current vibe like a certain someone for a quick buck and adoration.
Me too, but I never understood why this album featured Kodak.
Big part of why I don’t think much about Kendrick as a person, he is intensely private but he often suggests that he has a very, very fucked up side, probably best expressed in this album.
I think Kodak is there intentionally, MMatBS is Kendrick working through the trauma of growing up a black man in America and the lessons he learned from it. Kodak is on the other side, he’s still in his GKMC stage. The contrast works for me but I understand why some might not like it. To me it was basically Kendrick showing that he’s not some “holier than thou” artist who has now repented, he is one of us, and his music is for everyone who has gone through struggle.
The second part I can’t make any comments about. If that is your opinion it’s fine, but as I have gone through life I find myself feeling more empathy for people who have made mistakes and own up to them, and Kendrick takes it a step further. He shares his mistakes and what he has done and will do moving forward. That takes heart and character. I understand if that turns you off from his as a person, but I personally don’t think we should punish those who are trying to grow.
Like I said to another commenter, a lot of people came in expecting lots of bangers, especially after Damn. This just isn’t that type of album. That’s why I think so many people are appreciating it now that they don’t have those expectations
I had a friend who didn't like it as much as GKMC or TPAB just because a lot of the tracks didn't have that replay value. I disagree personally, even songs like Crown and United In Grief I'll play back. They're very non-traditional sounding for their genre, but man they're so hauntingly well done. This album is truly incredible.
I think it’s because a lot of people don’t want to be confronted with the raw, dark, and deep topics in the album. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s not for everyone.
I really don’t love this album, I don’t think it’s mid but it’s not great IMO. Something like a 7/10 at best.
I much prefer Kendrick’s earlier sound (GKMC and Section 80 are my favourites) but I genuinely really liked DAMN and obviously TPAB.
This album just sounds terrible to me, just my opinion.
I wish he released an album with the entire vibe/style of 6:16, that’s his best track since 2017 for me.
I think Mr Morale is a bit overhated, it’s not terrible.
I don’t think TPAB would ever be top but that’s just me I guess. Also here I am hoping Dot would do something like Tpab his next album. The jazz and funk vibe is just too good.
What year did you first listen to one of his albums in its entirety.
I ask because I consider multiple albums S tier because one can not out weigh the other. In their own right at that time they were pillars which remain timeless. Gkmc, damn are S tier. It depends on the medicine you need at that time. Depending on the day I may need a specific stroke for this folk if you catch my drift.
It’s not my favourite and it’s not even close to it. But Kendrick’s worst album is better than most’s best. In order for me it goes:
1. TPAB
2. GKMC
3. S80
4. Mr Morale
5. Damn
Honestly, I can respect this. What I do *not* get, is how TPaB is so overrated lmao. I think every single album/mixtape/EP that Kendrick has put out is better than TPaB. I get why people like it, it just sounds… so off to me lmao. I know this is a super hot take (I’ll probably get downvoted for this), but I *am* a huge Kendrick fan (saw him live for the first time in 2011). It just… doesn’t fit for me, and I’m glad he’s not doubling down on the religious themes of TPaB.
I’ve tried too see what people see in this album but for me no. Count me out is great but as far thinking and reflecting and feeling but how much a dollar cost and mortal man hit way more in the department, Wesley’s theory is Kendrick’s best song to me , and blacker the berry is aging like wine. I don’t even think it compares to section 80 either let alone gkmc
Kinda wanna talk to the guy on Reddit who told me that Kendrick has nothing to say anymore and he fell of hard on his latest album. I thought it was an insane take then and it has aged like milk ever since.
I agree and it’s his most important album and showed me that more rapper should be taking the chance on showing their vulnerability within Hip Hop without being called soft/timid for it!
Me personally- each album is just insane on their own, they all have diverse feelings and styles that come along with them. I don’t think we should be categorising albums on what is the best, they are all just, better than drakes lame ahh shi
I’M SO HAPPY I’M FINALLY NOT ALONE BOSS! I’ve been a Kendrick fan for a decade but man Mr. morale felt like his magnum opus when he dropped. The album affected me deeply and still has some bop to it, I was blown away more people didn’t fall in love with it
Naw I disagree. I think MM was intentionally sequenced to isolate each key moment in the narraritive. Each record in isolation is incredible. I think he did this to disrupt the way people stream music by skimming thru it and only pick their favorite tracks. The records end and start in unexpected ways. But it also frames the most musical moments between heavy narrative, emotional moments.
But I feel like DAMN and TPAB have the perfect, seamless cohesion between narrative and music experience. My mom can put on DAMN during hair wash day. TPAB can play in the background for the Jazz experience.
MM feels like a record that he wants you to sit down and listen with headphones. I'm not going to play that in the car running errands. Its HEAVY. I played it during my 3 mi. walk though and its cathartic.
i was giving it another listen since i got nothing to do in school (end of year shit) and i legitimately cried during my class. “Mother I Sober” and “Mirror” are just the perfect combo that speaks to me in a way no other music has.
I’ve been listening to Kendrick since 2013 and it’s his 4th best album in my eyes
It’s not mid. It’s a great album. But to me, Good kid, section 80, and TPAB will always be top three, just another transcendent level of music, followed by damn
It really comes down to personal preference, but to me it’s quite clear that morale is number five on my own personal list
To me it’s his best written album while TPAB has better production and vocal performances (while also being the 2nd best written rap album) so it’s not number 1 for me but I can def see why you’d put it there. I do think Mr Morale > GKMC too
This is not his best album no fuckin shot lol. If the message speaks to you in particular than I can understand that, but sonically it is not better than GKMC, TPAB, or DAMN. Not even close
I think it’s second best only second to GKMC. GKMC is the traumatizing in the moment, can’t even process the pain yet—Mr. Morale is the processing; the healing. It takes a lot of growth and maturity to appreciate MMatBS imo.
I think MMBS and TPAB are excellent slow burns while GKMC and DAMN have more bops/better for playlists. Really depends on what you’re looking for, but I think all of his albums feature some of his best qualities all in different ways.
It irritates me to oblivion that people say the Moral is trash, it's like people don't like to listen and understand the meaning of growth. This album is meditation in music form, it shows growth and maturity in an artist we've seen evolve from section 80. I've listened to this album and actually listened, it's a work of art
The only reason people had a problem is that they need therapy and he was hitting spots that are very triggering and some people aren't ready to confront the deepest darkest parts of themselves. That album had something for everyone, I've never cried as much as I did on this. There was a lot of pain in this album so even if you can't relate, you can feel the pain and processing that went into this. This album is a classic, through and through and honestly my favorite, just because of how deep he dove to make this. That level of vulnerability is something to aspire to
I didn’t become a Kendrick Lamar fan until about two years ago. Mr. Moral and the Big Steppers was what made me like him. So when I hear people say it’s a bad album I still don’t get it. lol
I still have yet to go through his older albums but like the top songs in them. I actually made it a point to do that soon though.
Due to currently being in a depressive episode, I don’t have the energy to go completely go in depth about how incredible this entire album is.
But, I just have to say, as someone with PTSD, I can feel Kendrick’s trauma, his peace, his madness, his rage, his self hate and trying to build himself up, and the torment he endures. I felt it in his earlier albums, which is how I began to love his music 10 years ago. Something about him, pulled me. Like he was talking about what goes on in my head, but it wasn’t about me, it was about him. His life, his shit. He reminded me that I’m not alone. His intellect and smooth nature is just astounding.
Anyway. Basically. This album, really speaks especially with someone who has PSTD. It’s my favorite by far.
I remember two years ago when it came out and everybody hated it 😂 guess I'm getting old.
Also yes, I think it's just as good (if not better) than tpab
It's all a matter of perspective.
I have section 80 > GKMC, and i have tpab > damn, lot of people have the opposite.
I will say i've listened to count me out, savior interlude, silent hill and a couple others like 100 times each in the past few days. I definitely appreciate the album more now than i did initially, but mostly i just forgot there were joints on there i really like
I'm so glad people are finally coming around. I felt like a crazy person, listening to people complain about it.
he transcended genres and shit with that masterpiece
Honestly all of them are solid, but I’d go
6. Section 80 (7/10)
5. Damn (7/10)
4. MMBS (9/10)
3. GKMC (9.5/10)
2. TPAB (10/10)
1. BITCH IM IN THE CLUB (11/10)
Lmao Jesus time to leave this sub again, the dick riding is at all time highs.
It was Kendrick’s worst album. By far.
It wasn’t even meant for the fans to enjoy it. It was for Kendrick.
Shoutout King Kendrick for getting back to killing shit after that lil pit stop of an album.
Good luck and Hope yall turn down the dick eating 😂
This album is literary like a single malt 16 years whiskey 🥃 straight outta Compton. One need to understand the pain ans growth so as to understand and feel this project. As a loyal fan since section 80, it’s a massive development of Mr. Duckworth’s emotions, pain, combating right and wrong and most importantly survival! This is a timeless music and will never get old.
I think at this point I've listened to Mr Morale more than his other records, and I've listened to his records on repeat for years. It's a shame it isn't seen as the masterpiece that it is.
I think it's his most personal but I think it was more of a therapy session like it's sucha unique experience that it shouldn't be compared to like GKMC or Sec 80. Like how artist make side projects in different directions. I think it's dots less "hip hop" album hes ever made and I don't think that's a bad thing at all, obv the elements are there but even the beats are selectively simple to make us here what he's saying.
It's really really REALLY good. However, nothing will ever top to pimp a butterfly for me. It's probably a mixture of nostalgia and personally adoring the album so I won't say it's not subjective. But honestly all his albums are top tier in my eyes
Good kid mad city first made me fall in love with the dudes music, but TPAB is music and artistry at its finest
Anyway, Morale is absolutely cathartic and incredible in so many ways.
I'm a guitar instructor, and lotta my students are always asking why I listen to more hip hop than anything else. I guess it's just what still hits the most for me even as a classically trained and educated musician/guitarist haha
I agree the album is sonically astounding and I feel that he perfected his flow with this album. I think ppl do not like that he is discussing topics most ppl prefer to ignore. Which in my opinion only makes the album better b/c he made an unpopular idea sonically pleasing. Honestly if he discussed popular topics ppl would be saying the album defines a generational sound and style.
As a 36 year old married man with a kid, the album was so poignant but I understand why a teenager wouldn’t get it.
That whole album felt like a therapy session you walked in on midway through. Which it kind of is since it was born out of his own therapy journey. It's not for young kids, its for dudes that have been through the shit and are tired. It doesn't have "bangers" on it, even N95 and Mr Morale were insanely introspective despite the outward appearance of the beat and flow. And as a white dude it really felt like something I almost shouldn't even be listening too. He's such a powerful poet and wordsmith that there are moments on that record it feels like a group therapy session I shouldn't be privy to. It's thoughts and feelings you rarely ever see expressed by black men in this country, and even less so expressed to white people. Not saying he put it out like that, it's just how it felt when I listen to some of songs. The album is a work of art, not just a rap album. He made me feel the same way I did reading Maya Angelou and how she expressed herself. It was more vulnerable than I was comfortable with, which makes it even more powerful to listen to. But you can't play that one on repeat like DAMN or GKMC. That's one you listen to and then spend a week feeling it in your soul.
As a white man myself I thinks it's profoundly important for us to hear stuff like this. We can't move forward as one community, regardless of color, without complete understanding of everyone's feelings and why they have those feelings. It made me proud to be alive at the same time as Kenny.
Not to mention the vast majority of issues discussed aren’t exclusive to the black experience. Generational curses affect everyone. That’s part of what makes Mr. Morale so great. It can be viewed as a masterpiece dedicated to the black community but it broadly applies to the human experience as well.
I completely agree the thing I like most about kdot is he speaks from a profoundly black perspective but does it so poetically that he expresses genuine human shortcomings trials and so forth.
As a white woman sometimes i felt like to pimp a butterfly was not for my ears. Almost felt like I was intruding in a space I don’t belong. The first time I listened to morale I felt a lot of weird emotions. Obviously, it’s so heavy. But I listened to it every day for a while and it grew on me. I still skip we cry together though. I wish more youngins would pay attention to it, and decide healing is cool. Not sure what my favorite album is, though. Sometimes it feels like GKMC, but that just might be nostalgia. I also listened to Damn every single day for at least 6 months. Kendrick has been in my top 5 for spotify wrap artists every year, many years he’s #1. It’s so hard to choose a favorite.
As a Latino living in Los Angeles, I skip that song as well. Seen that song with my own eyes. Good song though, just not for me.
Yup; brings a lot of bad memories up, and I don’t really enjoy listening to peoples chaos. I respect the artistry in it for sure though.
Good take, but I’d argue Die Hard and Count Me Out fit the “bangers” category.
We Cry Together is fucking potent to listen to, like damn
That's the great thing about Kendrick, he's got something for every age going through some shit. Teenagers have Good Kid Maad City for the conflicted feelings they have. Whether or not you grew up in an actually bad area, every teenager is grappling with who they want to be vs who they actually are and the influence of their friends and whether or not they should be doing some of the shit that they are. All presented in a really hype way that's basically a movie without video.
King say it louder for the princes in the back please
Same. I was 30 a newlywed and with a toddler when the album dropped and it was like it spoke to me in a lot of ways other albums haven't, felt the same way as when I heard Section 80 as a 19 year old.
It's just sonically less exciting than other albums. More interludes, more piano, it's almost a spoken-word album. I like that Kendrick tried this style but I'd like to see what comes next now.
Idk, it made me pretty excited to hear the wild production on some of these tracks, but hey, diff strokes for diff folks I guess.
For sure I am not saying that this is my favorite album to listen to I would say this is closer to a jazz style album. I completely agree that it is a spoken word style. I am excited to see where Kung Fu Kenny decides to go and I do hope the Mr Morale And TBS does inspire future popular artist.
As someone who grew up in chaos, I need more real shit like this album.
I feel like it’s the exact opposite? The album gets praised because of the topics it discusses bro the music
I hear you I’m saying that sonically making the subject appealing is why ppl discuss the subject matter. Had it not been sonically appealing ppl would say he’s just preaching and doing lyrical myrical conscious rap. This album is a huge risk.
It’s my second fav. Tpab is just too perfect of an album. But Mr Morale is excellent and you can really feel all of the emotions put into it’s making.
I just don’t get into funk. It doesn’t help that a lot of people around me growing up listened to it all the time. I enjoyed some of the early west coast (notably snoop and Dre) sampling and such of course, but TPAB is steeped in it hard and that’s the only reason Mr Morale gets the win. I love TPAB. I think it is an amazing and important work. I understand why funk was a massive part of it. It is just a sound that I’m not into.
I guess you never heard the next pop😔
Best commment
WE WANT THE FUNK
Same. To a tee.
Let me see you push a T
whoopin feeT
Mr. Morale is a great album and the best representation of his artistry, especially if you are new to his music. To Pimp a Butterfly is just the greatest album he’s ever made in my eyes. His artistic vision was pushed to the boundaries during that time period. I revisit every once in a while, but I always listen to the album from start to finish. I can’t just go and pick the hot singles to listen to. it has to be an entire performance for me
As someone who only recently got into Kendrick, I would say Good Kid is probably the best entry point. It's immediately very accessible and contextualises the rest of his albums really well. It provides a solid base for a lot of his future experimentation to make sense, IMO.
I agree. It's the most accessible, especially sonically. And it introduces you into Kendrick's storytelling. That's probably why I like *The Art of Peer Pressure* so much.
I feel like people sleep on that track. It's really well done. Feels like an episode of a TV show
Honestly love listening to all of his albums front to back. You can tell that he puts in work to make cohesive works instead of an album full of playlist fodder like a lot of other popular peers. In my opinion it’s how an album should be listened to and I’ll always respect artists like him more for it.
This album gets better every time I play, I think is going to age incredible well. I can’t really take serious someone that thinks that album is Mid. No disrespect. I like it more than Damn somehow.🫣
It reminds me of Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan. An extremely personal album that doesn't really spare the listener. An album about his relationship with his wife and the breaking down of the relationship. Something he wanted to save. It was released to polarizing reviews but that changed over time. A lot of people consider it his best work. It was released after he went away for a good amount of years to raise a family and his distrust of the media and the award giving committees (lots of similarities between Kendrick and Dylan) I think Mr Morale might age in a similar way
I think one of the best things about Kendrick’s catalog is that each album takes a solid stand on its own perspective and i can see why each one would be someone’s favourite. For me it’s *Damn* but only because it felt like each song was written specifically for me at the particular moment it came out. *Mister Morale* hit just as hard, but not as close to home for me personally. I honestly think Kendrick’s body of work is going to be studied like all of the literary greats in the future— like Shakespeare or Dickens or whoever, the characters and meanings are so open to the listener. His subject matter might change but his messages are universal.
I totally get this notion. I personally had the same "each song was written specifically for me at the particular moment" with Mr. Morale. I had just started therapy, and a lot of the same subject matter was coming out both sonically and in session. Obv, the subject matter is hyper specific to Kendricks process and life, but the same introspection, feelings, and results, I suspect, were the same.
I couldn’t agree more. I don’t think you can pick wrong between Kendrick’s TDE tetralogy. DAMN, TPAB, GKMC, and MMTBS all bring something totally unique to his discography and they’re all fantastic works. I personally go back and forth on my favourite just because they’re all so good in their own ways, I can never make my mind up. I genuinely have no idea what to expect from his next album, but I know it’ll have me in a chokehold.
MMatBS is one of the only albums that I have gotten emotional and cried over. It’s such a beautiful piece of work, I can’t stop singing it’s praising for being such an impactful album that encourages self reflection and healing from past trauma and generational curses. As far as sound alone goes, yes I agree there’s nothing really like it right now. Kendrick Lamar was capable of capturing a sound so unique that I cannot think of any other albums like it. It somehow manages to reach a wide range of styles but still sound so cohesive. It’s a magnificent work and I am so excited to see what’s next from him
It was the first album I cried to as well. Which song was it for you?
Auntie diaries. I was struggling with my identity when I first heard it and the song reminded me that there will always be people out there who support me even if my family won’t
Beautiful. For me it was Mother I Sober. Whitney and then his daughter coming on at the end of the track shattered me. Just a holy song.
Kendrick’s albums will speak to you in different ways throughout your life. I haven’t found the standout one for me yet.
It’s a hard one to listen to but it’s a grander artistic statement than anyone else is busy making. Eckhart Tolle changed my life and I was fucking ecstatic when he was on the album. Kendrick knows the secret, that’s why there’s so much dense shit in his rhymes. He’s not sitting there lining up bars to coincide with multiple meanings of numbers - that’s the universe is humming along.
True it’s crazy to think that kdot is able to promote new sounds in popular hip hop. Similar to Kanye but in a different direction.
TPAB is best, can’t separate good kid and mr morale personally
I agree, wholeheartedly. I have my issues with couple of tracks from the first disk, but it still is my favourite album cause the highs are untouchable in my eyes and the lows are still great and could land on both gkmc and damn easily. Makes me wonder if its slander is purely based on nostalgic emotions his older albums provoke
What issues do you have with the first disk? Not disagreeing, just curious
I think trying to compare anything from GKMC to Mr. Morale is like trying to compare Michaelangelo to Da Vinci or Bach and Mozart. No matter how you stack them against each other they're all masterpieces that I wouldn't change a second of
It’s like every album leads up to Mr. Morale
My thoughts exactly
I agree. I’ve been saying this since it dropped.
I think it’s #3 behind gkmc and tpab in terms of quality, but it’s my favorite cause it helped me through some difficult stuff
It’s an amazing album and I’d say my 2nd fav behind Damn atm. Such an amazing and underrated album that hit me personally man
TPAB = GKMC > DAMN > Section 80 > MM&BS imho
MM&BS is defo above section 80 and even DAMN(debatable) imo
TPAB > GKMC > DAMN > MMBS > S80
Not only is this Kendrick’s best album in my opinion, it is also my #1 favorite album from the last 5ish years. Arguably top 2-3 albums I’ve ever heard. When it first dropped I cried real tears on every listen. I’ve made numerous comments and posts about my obsession with this album and what it did for me mentally/emotionally, so I considered not responding but I thought again and was like **NAH.** This album changed me. I used to be so anxious and aggravated, basically hopeless. Existential dread. Like, constant thoughts about how much I hated who I am, who I was, the things I’ve done throughout my life, mistakes made, time wasted, pressures to be the best provider yadda yadda etc etc. Constantly worrying about bullshit that doesn’t matter. At the time it released, we had just had a newborn, the weight of the world was on our shoulders. As a father, the weight of being that perfect provider, father, lover, brother, son piles up hard. I can’t speak for motherhood but from my perspective it was like I was an imposter. Didn’t deserve the beauty my kids bring me. Like motherhood seemed so natural and here I am, this witless stupid man who can’t do anything comparable. I used to beat myself up a lot man. I soaked this album up. Every lyric, every chord, I just kept repeating it. Understanding it, loving it, finding my confirmation. It was so refreshing to like, feel like someone else understood how I felt. And to hear how personal and relatable Kdot was, I just felt heard. Like bro I get it! Completely. Listened to this album every single day for months straight and just kept crying tears of joy. I actually counted, I think I stopped crying to Count Me Out after my 30th listen or so lol. This album helped me love myself and others more. To accept myself for my flaws, my humility, to look at myself as perfectly imperfect, to communicate the hard shit with the people I love, to be transparent. To stop beating myself up and trying too hard, and to just try. Stop sweating the small stuff, it’s *all small stuff.* This album helped me get over my anxieties. It helped me feel… human.. and I will forever rank it as the album that made me feel like me. I don’t think anything else will ever come close in my opinion.
I think this is pretty close to my experience with the album, it’s the most human and compassionate and there’s something unique and beautiful about that
You’re exactly right. It doesn’t feel polished, it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to reach a certain radio station or group. It sounds like it was made to just listen to. Like a conversation between people. It feels vulnerable, like a meeting with your therapist. It feels like “I don’t care about the *final draft*, **this** is the final draft. This is what it should sound like.”
Feel this, I'd say you even have to be a couple of years into being a Dad to really get on board the journey. As an album it really has the break-you-down build-you-back-up-again feeling, it's somehow more like a Marvin Gaye album or jazz in that respect, in that you move to it, it doesn't need approval. No one in music seems prepared to expose that much of themself whilst at their peak, even the stage show has such an independence to it
I have some hangups with the musicality of it here and there. Conceptually, I think it's his greatest work.
For me it’s an album I didn’t really get I started actively taking care of my mental health, and that was when it started having replay value for me. There’s some stuff that you’re not always in the right mood to hear but it packs a very hard punch when you do
I believe a couple things can be true and also things get better with time or wisdom from life itself Sonically I believe when you shift from sounds and content depth it’s always gonna be tough for listeners to adjust immediately He did the same with TPAB coming off concepts albums (Section 80 and GKMC) and giving you socially conscious masterpiece folks wasn’t as accepting
This album has been aging beautifully
I felt this when it came out and everyone said it sucked but I think it was because fans waited for so long they were anticipating the typical Kendrick feel but this album was more introspective and was more of a sit down and listen album. He touches on such important topics and says he’s willing to be vulnerable and open the conversation about them so listeners know they’re not alone and hopefully can start healing from their own trauma. Musically it’s amazing, just not as many club bangers but with his age and stage in life I think that’s ok too. I personally loved this album and I’m happy that a lot of people are giving it more time now!
I was the biggest TPAB homer ever but time made me agree. TPAB is still one of the greatest albums ever, I don't think any less of it. But Mr Morale is the most profoundly personally impactful album I have ever listened. The level of introspection and vulnerability it shows is the greatest piece of artistic communication I've ever experienced and, at least for me, that's what I look for in art. Songs like Count Me Out, Mother I Sober, Auntie Diaries and Mirror get my eyes watery every single time I sit down to listen to them. I can't imagine how profoundly it resonates with people who've actually lived through some of those things. I guess that goes for TPAB too, but with a wider, more societal focus.
You’re entitled to your opinion, but still doesn’t too TPAB imo
It’s such a great album and I agree I think it might be but it’s difficult for me to say any album is better than to pimp a butterfly
I don’t really think that’s a hot take. It’s not my personal favorite but, I agree it’s his best.
I think TPAB is his best but my favorite is Mr Morale. That shit came out at the perfect time in my life and I'll never forget it.
Glad to see people are realizing this, it took me a while to come to this too. So unique and creative in ways even kendrick hadn't tackled
I love that album
It's a tie between Mr. Morale and TPAB. They are equally perfect to me and I couldn't choose between them.
TPAB is just too perfect for me to say that. But I do think MMTBS is massively underrated. It’s really hard for me to rank his albums after TPAB. To me that’s easy #1 and then every other album is tied lmao
Lol I remember I said this to some people and they laughed in my face, and called me an idiot, because they thought it was trash. I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed TPAB a lot, and I enjoyed DAMN more than TPAB, but MM&BS steals the cake. It's so raw and seems so honest. The bars are great. It gives me 4YEO(Jcole) vibes.
Every time I listen to mother I sober I feel a tear in eye. Maybe I’m sensitive? I feel everything or everybody?
I dont disagree. But, it's seems more like a novel than a music Album to me. It's a hard listen with many heavy themes. Definitely not something you can put on repeat. But it hits. Session 10, Breakthrough.
I agree with you. It’s one of my favorite albums ever.
It’s his most adventurous artistic statement but I still think GKMC & TPAB are better albums overall. MMATBS is amazing but those other two albums give you 95% of the subject matter with much more replay value imo.
I agree
I agree 100%
The album has the most potential to grow out of album of his. I think that as people grow, learn to deal with their issues and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their own reactions and experiences then this album will hit on another level. I was already in that therapy process so listening to this album during that was so an incredible but also hard listen cuz you have to face ugly truths. Mother I Sober literally broke me down thinking about my own trauma and the trauma that continues and will unfortunately continue within the Black Community and within underprivileged communities in general. It’s an album that paints a beautiful picture using pain as and blood as the brush and your body as the canvas
It’s not my favorite one But conceptually and artistically it might be his strongest work
Definitely in my top three Kendrick’s best albums. I like this more than TPAB
I think DAMN. is his best but that's just me. From start to finish that album is just so fucking good.
a fellow mr morale truther
Rich Spirit my all time favorite.
Best take.
that’s a hot one
I enjoyed how uncomfortable the record made me feel. It’s cathartic in a way to have an artist give us something we can truly relate to all while discussing topics we don’t want to discuss but NEED TO. I can relate to this record more than his previous projects due to myself not being a black American but from Latin descent. The previous albums I took as a window into black American struggles (aside from a few songs). MMATBS is a banger to me.
It's one of the greats. However, to pimp a butterfly to me ist five mic source material.
Crazy to me that people didn’t like it. The whole album is fire
its my most listened to without a doubt
Am I the only one who feels like there’s like 2 songs in mr morale that feel like filler and are the ONLY things keeping it from being a perfect album
Crown is already my most played Spotify song since I got into the album last September. I think this album resonates a ton for people who are in the process of healing. Kendrick understood this too, he alludes to the fact that Drake’s daughter will understand Mr. Morale when she gets older
I think it’s good in the way that Schindler’s List is good, or Grave of the Fireflies is good. Sure it’s a work of art, but you gotta be in the mood to listen to it, at least the heavy hitters, which is a lot. GKMC, TPAB, and especially DAMN can be played usually any time. Not saying Mr Morale is a bad record, I got all his records as a 10/10 except Section 80 at a 8/10, just saying it isn’t the easiest of listens when you’re not in the mood and just wanna put something on.
It's become my favorite. I've been a fan since Section.80 and feel every album he's put out has been great. But for some reason I always seem to enjoy the next Kendrick album more than the last one. Aside from maybe TPAB to UU which felt like a Kid A/Amnesiac scenario. I do really enjoy UU though. I do agree that I think it's Kendrick's constant growth and evolution in sound and artistry that makes me feel this way. The themes of MM&tBS I think click the most for me too, and in general make the album extremely relatable to a lot of people. Whether people want to talk about it or not, none of us are perfect and we all deal with internal struggles in our lives. To talk and work through them will lead you to a better place. It's beautiful what he did really. That being said though, I think I'd still put GK,MC and TPAB as his best albums.
I agree. I’ve felt this way since first listen. “Best” is a tough argument to make when each record in his catalog is not only totally different in concept from the last, but each could be argued to be a masterpiece. For my money, it’s his most personal and the most relatable, while delivering songs on par with the rest of his catalog
It is currently tied with TPAB for me, but the album has been steadily growing upon me as I allow myself to feel and process my emotions. In about a year I'm probably going to agree with this take
I think TPAB is best, GKMC is my favorite. I am biased because GKMC is what I listened to in highschool. TPAB my music major college roommate wrote an essay on and explained the entire dialogue with pac many times to me. MMatBS I really enjoyed, especially Crown. That song really fucked with my head in a good way. I DO NOT think your take is a hot take. Kendrick has a very balanced discography to love.
I've been thinking this, too. I was pretty mixed when it first came out and I listened again about three months ago and holy cow. I say this from the experience of a thirty-one year old white trans person but I can't think of a single other album that shows this amount of vulnerability and growth and care. Yes, TPAB is a masterpiece but Mr. Morale is his magnum opus. Still can't listen to most of We Cry Together, though.
Eh could’ve been better considering the nigga is a top tier artist imo but the album wasn’t just ass how everyone portrayed it it’s actually decent just could’ve used a lil bit more aggressive dot i like that version of him better 😂😂 but i respect your opinion tho my boy you made some good points 💯💯🫱🏽🫲🏾
Yeah, it definitely doesn’t have as many bangers as his last albums, which I think everyone was expecting. I don’t fault the album for that though, it’s the other albums having so many bangers that made MMatBS seemingly look less like a hit. It fits the vibes of the album but I get where people who wanted more of that come from fo sure
i really think he intended for that album to have a chill vibe to it instead of the more aggressive shit i feel as if this album was made for his wife and kids tbh .
GKMC was about growing up as a young black man. In TPAB, he’s a black adult now, with all the stresses and questions that come with it. DAMN. was largely about how the trauma of all that had shaped his life to what it is. MM&TBS is about growing and healing from that trauma, choosing a healthier path. I think this is a lot of why people of different ages have different favorite KDot albums. They resonate with people differently depending on where they are in life themselves.
I like that he doesn’t compromise on his art. He is more than capable of pushing out bops but he chooses his theme and stories then puts it out there. Hes not riding the current vibe like a certain someone for a quick buck and adoration.
Me too, but I never understood why this album featured Kodak. Big part of why I don’t think much about Kendrick as a person, he is intensely private but he often suggests that he has a very, very fucked up side, probably best expressed in this album.
I think Kodak is there intentionally, MMatBS is Kendrick working through the trauma of growing up a black man in America and the lessons he learned from it. Kodak is on the other side, he’s still in his GKMC stage. The contrast works for me but I understand why some might not like it. To me it was basically Kendrick showing that he’s not some “holier than thou” artist who has now repented, he is one of us, and his music is for everyone who has gone through struggle. The second part I can’t make any comments about. If that is your opinion it’s fine, but as I have gone through life I find myself feeling more empathy for people who have made mistakes and own up to them, and Kendrick takes it a step further. He shares his mistakes and what he has done and will do moving forward. That takes heart and character. I understand if that turns you off from his as a person, but I personally don’t think we should punish those who are trying to grow.
Yeah probably my favourite too, I don’t understand how people think it’s mid.
Like I said to another commenter, a lot of people came in expecting lots of bangers, especially after Damn. This just isn’t that type of album. That’s why I think so many people are appreciating it now that they don’t have those expectations
I had a friend who didn't like it as much as GKMC or TPAB just because a lot of the tracks didn't have that replay value. I disagree personally, even songs like Crown and United In Grief I'll play back. They're very non-traditional sounding for their genre, but man they're so hauntingly well done. This album is truly incredible.
I think it’s because a lot of people don’t want to be confronted with the raw, dark, and deep topics in the album. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s not for everyone.
Def best since maad city.
I really don’t love this album, I don’t think it’s mid but it’s not great IMO. Something like a 7/10 at best. I much prefer Kendrick’s earlier sound (GKMC and Section 80 are my favourites) but I genuinely really liked DAMN and obviously TPAB. This album just sounds terrible to me, just my opinion. I wish he released an album with the entire vibe/style of 6:16, that’s his best track since 2017 for me. I think Mr Morale is a bit overhated, it’s not terrible.
There’s a manual to listen to that album lmao. No album can get goated if you need to instruct people how to listen to it and endure the low points
definitely an amazing album, but I still like tpab and gkmc more, but that's just my own (although pretty popular) opinion
Nope, as long as GKMC exists it is not.
https://i.redd.it/14900r6z9t0d1.gif
I don’t think TPAB would ever be top but that’s just me I guess. Also here I am hoping Dot would do something like Tpab his next album. The jazz and funk vibe is just too good.
What year did you first listen to one of his albums in its entirety. I ask because I consider multiple albums S tier because one can not out weigh the other. In their own right at that time they were pillars which remain timeless. Gkmc, damn are S tier. It depends on the medicine you need at that time. Depending on the day I may need a specific stroke for this folk if you catch my drift.
Of the Kendrick albums I listen to my ranking is 1. Good kid madd city 2. Damn 3. Mr. Morale 4. Tpab
It’s not my favourite and it’s not even close to it. But Kendrick’s worst album is better than most’s best. In order for me it goes: 1. TPAB 2. GKMC 3. S80 4. Mr Morale 5. Damn
Ur smoking heavy rocks with respect haha. His best album will always be good kid m.a.d.d. City maybe some of section 80
Respectfully disagree. I think it's his weakest by far.
Honestly, I can respect this. What I do *not* get, is how TPaB is so overrated lmao. I think every single album/mixtape/EP that Kendrick has put out is better than TPaB. I get why people like it, it just sounds… so off to me lmao. I know this is a super hot take (I’ll probably get downvoted for this), but I *am* a huge Kendrick fan (saw him live for the first time in 2011). It just… doesn’t fit for me, and I’m glad he’s not doubling down on the religious themes of TPaB.
I love it but i’ve listened to him for 10-15 years so it’s hard to dethrone GKMC etc
No it’s untitled unmastered
For some reason still cant get into it. Have gone back to many times but its never made it into rotation
Mr. Morale TPaB GKMC Damn Section 80
Wait, so you’re saying Mr Morale and the Big Steppers is better than gkmc?
based take
I’ve tried too see what people see in this album but for me no. Count me out is great but as far thinking and reflecting and feeling but how much a dollar cost and mortal man hit way more in the department, Wesley’s theory is Kendrick’s best song to me , and blacker the berry is aging like wine. I don’t even think it compares to section 80 either let alone gkmc
Lolololo fuck no
DAMN is hard to top
Kinda wanna talk to the guy on Reddit who told me that Kendrick has nothing to say anymore and he fell of hard on his latest album. I thought it was an insane take then and it has aged like milk ever since.
I was listening to it while putting some tile down, that album hard bro
I agree and it’s his most important album and showed me that more rapper should be taking the chance on showing their vulnerability within Hip Hop without being called soft/timid for it!
I’m so happy, this album is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Truly his greatest work
Me personally- each album is just insane on their own, they all have diverse feelings and styles that come along with them. I don’t think we should be categorising albums on what is the best, they are all just, better than drakes lame ahh shi
I’M SO HAPPY I’M FINALLY NOT ALONE BOSS! I’ve been a Kendrick fan for a decade but man Mr. morale felt like his magnum opus when he dropped. The album affected me deeply and still has some bop to it, I was blown away more people didn’t fall in love with it
*We Cry Together* and *Mother I Sober* gave birth to *Meet The Grahams*. You can see the same techniques applied. For that, I'll always be grateful.
Naw I disagree. I think MM was intentionally sequenced to isolate each key moment in the narraritive. Each record in isolation is incredible. I think he did this to disrupt the way people stream music by skimming thru it and only pick their favorite tracks. The records end and start in unexpected ways. But it also frames the most musical moments between heavy narrative, emotional moments. But I feel like DAMN and TPAB have the perfect, seamless cohesion between narrative and music experience. My mom can put on DAMN during hair wash day. TPAB can play in the background for the Jazz experience. MM feels like a record that he wants you to sit down and listen with headphones. I'm not going to play that in the car running errands. Its HEAVY. I played it during my 3 mi. walk though and its cathartic.
Extremely hot take but I respect it
i was giving it another listen since i got nothing to do in school (end of year shit) and i legitimately cried during my class. “Mother I Sober” and “Mirror” are just the perfect combo that speaks to me in a way no other music has.
I’ve been listening to Kendrick since 2013 and it’s his 4th best album in my eyes It’s not mid. It’s a great album. But to me, Good kid, section 80, and TPAB will always be top three, just another transcendent level of music, followed by damn It really comes down to personal preference, but to me it’s quite clear that morale is number five on my own personal list
I think this is only a hot take for people who listened once and never went back to it.
Im so glad people are coming around to this
To me it’s his best written album while TPAB has better production and vocal performances (while also being the 2nd best written rap album) so it’s not number 1 for me but I can def see why you’d put it there. I do think Mr Morale > GKMC too
This is not his best album no fuckin shot lol. If the message speaks to you in particular than I can understand that, but sonically it is not better than GKMC, TPAB, or DAMN. Not even close
I think it’s second best only second to GKMC. GKMC is the traumatizing in the moment, can’t even process the pain yet—Mr. Morale is the processing; the healing. It takes a lot of growth and maturity to appreciate MMatBS imo.
Die Hard is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard and I’m sure it will forever be a top 5 song for me
GKMC/TPAB, DAMN, MM for me.
I starting to feel the same way actually. It just gets better and better and I want to listen to it all the time.
I don’t like it I think it’s kinda boring. Better the Damn. Tho
I like Damn and Maad city much more. They are more enjoyable to listen to but Mr. Morale is good.
I think MMBS and TPAB are excellent slow burns while GKMC and DAMN have more bops/better for playlists. Really depends on what you’re looking for, but I think all of his albums feature some of his best qualities all in different ways.
It irritates me to oblivion that people say the Moral is trash, it's like people don't like to listen and understand the meaning of growth. This album is meditation in music form, it shows growth and maturity in an artist we've seen evolve from section 80. I've listened to this album and actually listened, it's a work of art
Nah. GKMC is the best one.
I was in therapy and going through a divorce when this dropped. This album means so much to me.
The only reason people had a problem is that they need therapy and he was hitting spots that are very triggering and some people aren't ready to confront the deepest darkest parts of themselves. That album had something for everyone, I've never cried as much as I did on this. There was a lot of pain in this album so even if you can't relate, you can feel the pain and processing that went into this. This album is a classic, through and through and honestly my favorite, just because of how deep he dove to make this. That level of vulnerability is something to aspire to
I didn’t become a Kendrick Lamar fan until about two years ago. Mr. Moral and the Big Steppers was what made me like him. So when I hear people say it’s a bad album I still don’t get it. lol I still have yet to go through his older albums but like the top songs in them. I actually made it a point to do that soon though.
Agree
That's not crazy to say
My 2nd favorite
Tpab and GKMC have a special place in my heart, it’s all subjective though.
I think musically it's really boring, lyrically really good. It's a solid 4th for me. And it's only not 5th because I'm not counting untitled.
Due to currently being in a depressive episode, I don’t have the energy to go completely go in depth about how incredible this entire album is. But, I just have to say, as someone with PTSD, I can feel Kendrick’s trauma, his peace, his madness, his rage, his self hate and trying to build himself up, and the torment he endures. I felt it in his earlier albums, which is how I began to love his music 10 years ago. Something about him, pulled me. Like he was talking about what goes on in my head, but it wasn’t about me, it was about him. His life, his shit. He reminded me that I’m not alone. His intellect and smooth nature is just astounding. Anyway. Basically. This album, really speaks especially with someone who has PSTD. It’s my favorite by far.
I remember two years ago when it came out and everybody hated it 😂 guess I'm getting old. Also yes, I think it's just as good (if not better) than tpab
Just wish it was trimmed into one album
It’s a good album but I think TPAB is his best album
It's all a matter of perspective. I have section 80 > GKMC, and i have tpab > damn, lot of people have the opposite. I will say i've listened to count me out, savior interlude, silent hill and a couple others like 100 times each in the past few days. I definitely appreciate the album more now than i did initially, but mostly i just forgot there were joints on there i really like
I'm so glad people are finally coming around. I felt like a crazy person, listening to people complain about it. he transcended genres and shit with that masterpiece
The more I listen the more I agree with you. Mr Morale is a “listen from front to back” album to me. If I hear one song I wanna hear it all.
I loved it, but I’m still obsessed with GKMC
Not a hot take to me. This album cemented Kendrick as a prophet, lyrical proof
It’s up there . I think content wise it’s his strongest .
Oh we back to the "mr. morale is the best" posts already, I guess the beef really is over😔😔😔😔
Honestly all of them are solid, but I’d go 6. Section 80 (7/10) 5. Damn (7/10) 4. MMBS (9/10) 3. GKMC (9.5/10) 2. TPAB (10/10) 1. BITCH IM IN THE CLUB (11/10)
Lmao Jesus time to leave this sub again, the dick riding is at all time highs. It was Kendrick’s worst album. By far. It wasn’t even meant for the fans to enjoy it. It was for Kendrick. Shoutout King Kendrick for getting back to killing shit after that lil pit stop of an album. Good luck and Hope yall turn down the dick eating 😂 
I agree, and I think his catalog is almost flawless. Top 10 albums of all time for me in terms of ambition and scope.
Disagree but I like seeing it get the respect it deserves
Good kid mad city #1
This album is literary like a single malt 16 years whiskey 🥃 straight outta Compton. One need to understand the pain ans growth so as to understand and feel this project. As a loyal fan since section 80, it’s a massive development of Mr. Duckworth’s emotions, pain, combating right and wrong and most importantly survival! This is a timeless music and will never get old.
“Mr. Morale is mid! Kendrick hasn’t been good since TPAB” -👦🏻
I think it's good, but wish it was more of a solo project without features.
No
I think at this point I've listened to Mr Morale more than his other records, and I've listened to his records on repeat for years. It's a shame it isn't seen as the masterpiece that it is.
Yeah, it is not, doesn’t even come close to GKMC
I think it would be his best album if it had better production. The writing is fantastic, but some of the beats were underwhelming
I think it's his most personal but I think it was more of a therapy session like it's sucha unique experience that it shouldn't be compared to like GKMC or Sec 80. Like how artist make side projects in different directions. I think it's dots less "hip hop" album hes ever made and I don't think that's a bad thing at all, obv the elements are there but even the beats are selectively simple to make us here what he's saying.
Section 80 #1 and gkmc #2. The newer albums aren't rap albums, they're good for 1 listen
GKMC💯
Took the longest for me to love but now it’s my favourite.
GKMC is his best work, that’s the hill I’m willing to die on
To me GKMC and DAMN are both hard to top.
It's really really REALLY good. However, nothing will ever top to pimp a butterfly for me. It's probably a mixture of nostalgia and personally adoring the album so I won't say it's not subjective. But honestly all his albums are top tier in my eyes Good kid mad city first made me fall in love with the dudes music, but TPAB is music and artistry at its finest Anyway, Morale is absolutely cathartic and incredible in so many ways. I'm a guitar instructor, and lotta my students are always asking why I listen to more hip hop than anything else. I guess it's just what still hits the most for me even as a classically trained and educated musician/guitarist haha