Eminem And 6 Other Rappers Expressed This About Kendrick Lamar's Newest Album
It's been a while since a new Kendrick Lamar album was released, but this year, the Compton elite emcee treated his fans with the most exciting musical event of 2022: the release of his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Released on May 13th this year, Mr. Morale serves as Lamar's final project at Top Dawg Entertainment, the musical imprint that made his name big.
"As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling," he wrote.
With guest appearances from Summer Walker, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Ghostface Killah, and more, Mr. Morale gives a retrospective look to Lamar's consciousness. So, how do fellow musicians rate this project? Here's a look at what Eminem, Tyler the Creator, Lupe Fiasco, and others have said about Lamar's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and what's next for the rap star.
9 Eminem Was Left 'Speechless' By Kendrick Lamar's New Album
Having come from the same Aftermath Entertainment camp, Eminem is a long fan of Kendrick Lamar. In fact, the pair linked up on a track called "Love Game" back in 2013 on Em's Marshall Mathers LP 2 and co-headlined the NFL Super Bowl halftime show this year. Taking it to Twitter, the Rap God said that the album's made him "speechless" for how good it was.
"I got my clarity just studying Eminem when I was a kid. How I got in the studio was all just curiosity. I had a love for the music, but it was curiosity," Lamar told GQ for a 2016 cover story, adding, "The day I heard The Marshall Mathers LP, I was just like, How does that work? What is he doing? How is he putting his words together like that?"
8 Lupe Fiasco Calls Kendrick Lamar's New Album 'Exceptional'
As the two most significant names in the conscious hip-hop scene, Lupe Fiasco and Kendrick Lamar are constantly battling each other for the top elite emcee. This year though, the Food & Liquor rapper took to Twitter to compliment his fellow rapper, tweeting, "Reporting from Hawaii. Exceptional work Mr. Lamar."
"In my own words…once again for you [expletives]…I love me some KDot…always have always will," he took to Twitter back in 2020 amidst the comparison's controversy, adding, "Is he a better artist than me? Yes. Is he a better lyricist than me? No. Does he make better songs than me? Yes."
7 Lil Durk Thinks Kendrick Larmar's Album Is Top Notch
As Lamar made his waves with the anticipated new album and even briefly caused Spotify and Apple Music to crash, Lil Durk joined the movement and took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the latest record. According to him, Kungfu Kenny has "just made it scary" for other rap artists to drop an album, as it will be a suicide mission to compete with an elite emcee of Lamar's caliber for a head-to-head, sales-wise or quality-wise.
6 Tyler, The Creator's Favorite Song From Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Tyler, the Creator and Kendrick Lamar have a long history of friendship, and they have never been shy about praising each other. Last year, when Lamar made his return to music with a guest verse on Baby Keem's album, Tyler admitted that it "almost" ruined him in a good way. He told XXL, "Because it’s someone at that level still gunning. He’s trying new voices. He’s trying new s**t. He’s still learning. You can tell he was off his phone for a few months."
Speaking about Lamar's new album, however, the IGOR rapper joined the online conversation on Twitter, citing the chorus of his favorite song off the album featuring Baby Keem, "Savior." He tweeted, "ARE YOU HAPPY FOR ME? REALLY?"
5 Wale Is Proud Of Kendrick Lamar And His New Album
Over 15 years of his career, Wale praised Lamar's latest album, despite having kind of a tumultuous relationship in the past. He took to Twitter, "Very proud of my boy @sam_dew#MrMoraleAndTheBigSteppers and @kendricklamar." In the past, he'd also hailed the Compton emcee as one of the top five illest rapper to ever touch the mic. He told XXL in 2017 while discussing Eminem vs. Kendrick Lamar's lyrical abilities, "As far as executing, writing rhymes, and telling a story, [Kendrick is] one of the top five rappers of all-time."
4 Denzel Curry Quotes Kendrick Lamar's New Album
Denzel Curry showed some love for Kendrick Lamar's "Father Time" from the Mr. Morale album. He took to Twitter to cite Lamar's second verse, "Trust nobody only ya mama nem."
Although Curry has previously called out Lamar and put himself above the DAMN rapper on the list of the world's best rappers, in a competitive spirit, he told XXL, "Just look out for me. Look out for any of the next projects that’s ’bout to come out. I’m ’bout to shake the whole game up. I don’t care what anybody got to say, bro. I’m the best rapper alive. Point blank, period."
3 Rapper IDK Praises Kendrick Lamar's Engineering
While most people praise the lyrical and aesthetic outcome of the album, rapper IDK, whose real name is Jason Aaron Mills, took some time to appreciate the production and the engineering process of the project. "New Kendrick Lamar is mixed very well. Top notch engineering," the tweet reads.
2 How Did "Mr. Morale" Perform Commercially?
Commercially speaking, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers gave Kendrick Lamar his fourth number-one album, debuting atop the Billboard 200 chart with 295,000 album-equivalent units. Upon its release, it also temporarily crashed Spotify and Apple Music with a record of 60 million streams during the first days on the latter platform.
1 What's Next For Kendrick Lamar?
To further promote the album, Kendrick Lamar is embarking on The Big Steppers Tour this summer. Linking up with his collaborator and cousin Baby Keem and pgLang signee Tanna Leone, the worldwide tour will kick off at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on July 19, 2022. The second, European leg will begin in October until its conclusion in the third Oceanian leg in New Zealand.
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