Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, dropped on Friday, and many listeners had a lot to say about it. Some were disappointed, and others, arguably in the majority, applauded Lamar’s emotional openness and the album’s ingenuity.
One white dad, however, appeared impressed, and while he admitted he’s not well versed in Lamar’s music or rap, he was as pleased with Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers as the rest of us.
Rap’s newest fan expressed his opinion on The FrontRoom, a music review podcast he hosts with his son, Kai. The father-son duo has featured other iconic Black artists on their show, including Erykah Badu, Tupac, DMX and more. This time, they did a deep dive into Lamar’s Morale, breaking down the album song by song.
Kai’s dad, who he said in the video’s caption that he “hasn’t heard any Kendrick Lamar prior to this album, except for one song,” seemed to marvel at the rapper’s lyricism and use of musical elements.
Kai’s dad was mystified from the jump, telling viewers that he was pleasantly “caught off guard” with Morale‘s opener, “United in Grief.” He praised the “contemplative piano at the end,” and liked how the song “jumped around.”
“He’s really doing something here, but I don’t know what it is,” he said with a mix of confusion and glee.
While Kai had to explain a lot of the slang and pop culture references throughout the album, his dad had a great grasp of what Lamar was saying, and was blown away by more than one track. He broke down the juxtaposition in “Worldwide Steppers” like a pro, explaining that he was impressed by the rapper’s exploration of his fatherhood and “sexual prowess as a young person.”
Later, Kai’s dad talks about his love of the snaps in “Count Me Out,” and as the pair go through the rest of the album, he makes some smart observations about rap music.
“In rap, often the music itself, the beat often doesn’t result in a peak like the way it would in rock music,” he explained while breaking down “Crown.” “I kinda like this because it’s different from the other stuff I’ve heard.”
Both he and Kai were amused by Lamar’s “Silent Hill.” Kai’s dad added, “I almost feel like only Kendrick would get away with this.”
“It takes guts to do something like that,” he continued, referring to the song’s almost boastful lyrics. “I don’t know how many people would think about having a chorus like that.”
He went on to marvel at the cerebral and introspective nature of the album.
“This [album] is more about his beliefs, what he feels, finding himself,” he said.
