Explaining Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Albums

What's The Headline

After 5 years, Kendrick Lamar has released Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, his long-awaited follow up to DAMN. Like its predecessor, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is 2 albums in one and loaded with hidden references. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we explain the meanings behind the two albums--Mr. Morale AND The Big Steppers--and explore Kendrick Lamar's career of complex works of art.

0:00 Intro
7:47 Kendrick Lamar started the rollout for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers in August 2021
15:20 The meaning of Kendrick Lamar’s Oklama nickname
18:11 AFH’s personal relationship with Kendrick Lamar
28:00 AFH was among the first publications to report that DAMN was really 2 albums in 1
37:50 “The Heart, Pt. 5” contained a number of hidden clues about Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
45:00 Kendrick Lamar is looking in the mirror in the video for “The Heart, Pt. 5”
51:15 The meaning of the artwork for Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
1:01:56 Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers are 2 separate albums with different artwork and themes, and they are in reverse order
1:11:00 Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is not in the order in which we are supposed to listen
1:24:00 Explaining the Mr. Morale album
1:24:12 Count Me Out
1:25:35 Crown
1:28:30 Silent Hill
1:31:40 Savior Interlude
1:37:20 Savior
1:42:28 Auntie Diaries
1:46:00 Mr. Morale
1:51:10 Mother | Sober
1:55:00 Mirror
1:57:20 Explaining The Big Steppers album
1:57:48 United In Grief
1:59:24 N95
2:01:50 Worldwide Steppers
2:03:40 Die Hard
2:06:36 Father Time
2:10:25 Rich Interlude
2:12:00 Rich Spirit
2:15:40 We Cry Together
2:20:00 Purple Hearts
2:23:40 What is next for Kendrick Lamar