It’s been five years since Kendrick Lamar’s last album, DAMN, and the wait for a follow-up is nearly over, with Mr Morale & The Big Steppers set for a release on May 13.
In perhaps the most iconic Twitter ‘ratio’ of all time – the act of replying to a tweet with something that gets vastly more likes than the original – the Compton rapper announced the forthcoming release by Tweeting a link to his Oklama website.
There the news music fans have all been waiting for was, released through Kendrick Lamar’s company, pgLang: Album: “Mr Morale & The Big Steppers” / Release date: 5/13/22.
With almost 5 years exactly since the release of DAMN, many had been speculating as to when one of the most gifted rappers of his generation would be dropping his fifth studio album.
https://t.co/YVE5bZOBL2 https://t.co/UywGGKExb1
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) April 18, 2022
Some were pining, others were even losing faith. Ironically, the tweet Kendrick had replied to announcing the news read simply: “Kendrick Lamar has officially retired”. A joke, no doubt, but nonetheless one that captured the feeling of us all wondering if it would ever come.
For context, Tyler, the Creator has dropped three whole studio albums since DAMN.
That’s not to say it’s been an entirely quiet period for Kendrick within that time. He of course headlined Coachella in 2017, produced some original tracks for the 2018 Black Panther film, toured with Schoolboy Q, SZA and other ‘Top Dawgs’ and scooped five Grammys.
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He did also feature on some tracks – on Busta Rhymes’ ‘Look Over Your Shoulder’ before hooking up with Baby Keem on ‘Range Brothers’ and ‘Family Ties’.
But that only made us want more. And now the wait is finally over – well, it will be on 13th May, to be precise.
Pusha T has also revealed his album will drop this Friday, April 22. Co-produced by Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, it’ll be Pusha T’s first in four years, and comes as a follow-up to 2018’s Daytona. Exciting no doubt, but after five years without a release from Kendrick, that’s the release we’re all talking about.
You could say Kendrick ratio’d Pusha T. But who cares? Thankfully, we live in a world where we get to have both.
