Last year, Kendrick Lamar returned with his new albumMr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The project followed a long 5-year drought of studio albums dating back to the release of DAMN. in 2017. Following the release of the critically acclaimed album he took off on a major tour in support of it. Dates across North America and Europe saw the rapper lighting up the stage for massive delighted crowds. Much like some of his major touring contemporaries Taylor Swift and Beyonce did this year, Kendrick captured the magic of the tour in a concert film.
For the Mr. Morale concert film, Kendrick focused on just one show rather than collecting performances from various shows and assembling them together. The show he chose to focus on was a massive sold-out affair in Paris in October of last year. The show was originally streamed through Twitch before an edited version made its way onto Amazon Prime. Earlier this week Kendrick was in attendance for a screening of the film which was followed by a Q&A where he explained some of the motivation behind the project. Check out some of the answers he gave below.
In the Q&A, Kendrick Lamar answers numerous questions about the creative decisions that went into the film. When asked about why he chose Paris Kendrick had some jokes before delivering a genuine answer. “N-ggas was just copying JAY-Z and Kanye,” he joked. “We was thuggin’ around that m*thafucka like 2012, 2014. That was like second home, just shooting sh*t, just getting material. So to go back and shoot on the anniversary of good kid, that’s special.”
When asked what he did differently knowing the show was being filmed, Kendrick had a hilarious answer. “The difference for me was, I was shaking major ass, man. I ain’t never shaken that much ass, bro! But at the same time, it’s freeing, though, ’cause that’s who I am.” What do you think of Kendrick Lamar’s reflections on his concert film from last year? Let us know in the comment section below.
Back in 2017, Kendrick Lamar remarked on his track “The Heart Part 4” that there’s “a difference between accomplishments and astonishments.” To no one’s surprise, one of the greatest artists of the past fifteen years continues to do both. Moreover, the Compton MC’s 2022 album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has spent a full year on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Chart Data reported the accolade and specified that the project currently sits at No. 110. Interestingly enough, his previous LP (2017’s DAMN.) is currently at No. 41.
Of course, such an achievement is expected from a body of work that has garnered such widespread and agreed-upon acclaim amid hip-hop heads, casual listeners, and the wider pop culture sphere. Kendrick Lamar’s latest full-length work won Best Rap Album at the 2023 Grammys, and provoked deep conversations around its themes. Across its nineteen tracks, the former TDE artist delves into spirituality, family, generational trauma, talent, responsibility, social change, and much more. In fact, it’s quite the feat to have such a dense album contain as many accessible bangers as it does emotive breathers.
Still, that’s Kung Fu Kenny for you, who continued his streak of record-breaking and awe-inspiring moves. For example, his tour for the project, supported by Baby Keef and Tanna Leone, became the highest-grossing headlining trek by a rapper in history. With that milestone, he surpassed the likes of Kanye West, Drake, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, and many other insane concert series. Especially these days, it can seem tough to find artists in the game who break artistic ground as much as they break commercial records. But those talented MCs are always there, and Kendrick Lamar is currently leading the charge.
However, rap fans are also excited to see who will reach similar heights of crossover appeal and creative amazement. That’s not to say that they’ve become less hungry for new offerings from the 35-year-old, not by a long shot. His leaks garner a lot of attention online, whether for the potential displays or by their quality as they stand. For at least ten years, he’s been at the top of the game, and it’s been crazy to see him hold onto that spot no matter how long he takes to drop. For more updates and the latest news on Kendrick Lamar, log back into HNHH.
The biggest hip hop tours of all time serve as a key reminder as to how crucial concerts are to the hip hop genre. As we continually move towards a digital era, concerts remain the lifeblood of artists’ livelihoods. The Covid-19 pandemic shied a visible light on this, as complaints surrounding streaming revenue for artists became even louder during the pandemic. Essentially, the music industry realized that the hard-earned money of fans looking to see their favorite artist live was still the hallmark source of revenue for artists and music companies alike.
The pandemic left artists lost as they scrambled to figure out other sources of revenue to keep their image relevant. In addition, many struggled to find meaning in their work because they may never be able to display it to a live crowd. In essence, tours remain an essential aspect of the music industry. This is especially the case for hip hop, where the energy of many tracks is best conveyed in a live setting. Take a Playboi Carti set, where fans lose their minds to “Rockstar Made” while shoving each other in a mosh pit. We’re looking back on the highest-earning tours in hip-hop history.
1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers (2023)
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 26: Kendrick Lamar performs as he headlines the Pyramid Stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2022 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tour has officially become the highest-grossing tour in hip-hop history. In fact, it’s the highest-grossing tour by far. Going nationwide, the tour garnered $110 million in revenue across 73 shows. His fifth studio album was his most anticipated yet, as he returned from a five-year hiatus from music. Lamar was as introspective as ever, delving into his personal biases and rapping about the demons of Compton life that still live within him. However, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers also has plenty of crowd-including bangers such as “N95” and “Silent Hill.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 12: Offset and Drake attend Huncho Reality “The Album Release Experience on October 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic)
Drake and The Migos were arguably at their respective peaks in 2018. Amidst the rollout of Scorpion, Drake’s “God’s Plan” and “In My Feelings” took over the internet. The Migos had just released Culture II, the follow-up to their highly successful Culture debut. The two titans coming together would always generate one of the biggest hip-hop tours to date. The tour innovated the performance setting for hip-hop artists. Drake decided to switch things up by performing in the middle of the stadium on a raised, rectangular platform rather than a traditional stage. Darting from corner to corner, the Toronto-based MC was tasked will keeping all four sides of the crowd engaged. The increased fan accessibility was a hit, making Aubrey & The Three Migos the second highest-grossing tour of all time.
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 20: Future and Drake perform onstage at Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash Block Show at Phillips Arena on June 20, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Views ran the summer of 2016. From the iconic dance grooves such as “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance,” it only made sense for Drake to top off the album with a nationwide tour of the record. He counteracted the smooth grooves of Views for the Summer Sixteen Tour by collaborating with Future. Naturally, much of the What a Time to Be Alive mixtape was performed throughout the tour. Generating over $84 million across 56 dates, the tour dethroned the Watch the Throne tour for the highest-grossing hip-hop tour ever.
WASHINGTON, DC – November 3rd, 2011 – Chart-topping rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West perform their collaborative album Watch The Throne at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Kanye West and Jay-Z were the two hip hop kingpins in the early 2010s. The two shifted the sound of hip hop, a process that began all the way back to The Blueprint. Ye’s notoriety as a producer grabbed the attention of Jay-Z, who worked with him throughout much of the project. This would kick off a decade-long slew of collaborations, which would peak with Watch the Throne. The two would parlay the hit record into the most successful hip hop tour to date, grossing $75 million. Featuring striking visual elements and seamless crowd control, the two set the bar for other performing MCs to live up to.
5. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 28: Recording artist Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award for ‘Damn’ onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Even for Kendrick Lamar’s humble and melancholic personality, he’s still established himself as one of the most in-demand touring artists. While he most recently proved this with the Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tour, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. was his most commercially successful record to date. Featuring bangers such as “DNA” and “Humble,” his fourth studio album was his most expensive-sounding project. Lamar explored his journey from the streets of Compton to the limelight on the project. He’s keenly aware of his faults in a record that, similar to Tyler, the Creator’s Igor, was sequenced as a perfect thematic loop. DAMN.’s success was inevitably reflected in the project’s tour, which grossed over $40 million in North America alone.
Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Kendrick Lamar is gearing up for another leg of his impressive The Big Steppers Tour. The tour supports his latest No. 1 album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppersreleased last year. Lamar was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California. Kendrick is mainly known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious lyrics. Further, he is widely considered one of his generation’s most influential hip-hop artists. Lamar started his mainstream music career after signing with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005.
The Compton artist’s career has skyrocketed since then. Lamar has sold over 70 million records in the United States alone. Additionally, all his studio albums have been certified platinum or higher by the RIAA. He topped the Billboard charts for the first time after being featured on the remix of “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift. Kendrick has also received numerous accolades throughout his career. They include 17 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two American Music Awards. Lamar has also bagged six Billboard Music Awards, 11 MTV Video Music Awards, a Brit Award, and a nomination for an Academy Award. These are some of the emcee’s best songs from his discography.
“N95” (2022)
“N95” is the lead single from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The album is Kendrick Lamar’s first since parting ways with Top Dawg Entertainment. ‘N95” is a seething cultural critique where Lamar spits bile in multiple directions over a bleakly catchy, bass-driven instrumental. With a visual that opens with Lamar hovering about the ocean with arms stretched wide in a crucifixion-like pose, Lamar certainly turned heads with this one.
“Family Ties” – Baby Keem ft. Kendrick Lamar (2021)
“Family Ties” was released on August 27, 2021, by Columbia Records and pgLang. The song is the fourth single from Keem’s debut album, The Melodic Blue. “Family Ties” is also Lamar’s first musical release under pgLang, a production company he co-founded in March 2020. Lamar signed Baby Keem under the collective. He is also Kendrick’s cousin, hence the song title. “Family Ties” won Best Rap Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards. It has officially been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA.
“All The Stars” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (2018)
“All the Stars” was released on January 4, 2018, as the lead single to the soundtrack album of the film Black Panther. It was co-written by Lamar and former label-mate SZA. Sounwave and Al Shux also produced the song. Ryan Coogler, the Black Panther director, hand-picked Lamar to produce the soundtrack.
Moreover, “All The Stars” received numerous accolades and nominations, including Best Original Song at the 76th Golden Globe and 91sAcademy Awards. It additionally received four nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. “All The Stars” won Best Song at the African-American Film Critics Association. The video additionally won Best Visual Effects at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. Since its release, the song has sold two million copies in the United States.
“LOVE.” (2017)
“LOVE” is a song from Lamar’s fourth studio album, DAMN. Lamar also co-wrote the song with collaborators Zacari Pacaldo and Teddy Walton. Sounwave and Top Dawg CEO Anthony Tiffith are credited for production. Lamar’s fans have often speculated that the song’s lyrics describe his love and devotion to his fiancée and mother of his children, Whitney Alford. Further, “LOVE” spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and is currently certified four times Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
“HUMBLE.” (2017)
Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE” was released on March 30, 2017. The song was the lead single from Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning album, DAMN. “Humble” also topped the Billboard Singles chart and became Kendrick’s second No. 1 song after “Bad Blood” remix with Taylor Swift. The song won Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video at the 60th Grammy Awards. Mike Will Made-It produced the song. He initially created the beat for Gucci Mane. Additionally, the RIAA has certified ” HUMBLE ” seven times Platinum.
“Alright” (2015)
The song “Alright” is a fan favorite in Lamar’s discography thanks to its messages of hope amid struggle. It was released asTo Pimp a Butterfly’s fourth radio single on June 30, 2015. Pharrell Williams is also credited for the production of the record. The song was primarily associated with the Black Lives Matter movement after several youth-led protests were heard chanting the chorus. It was officially dubbed the Black Lives Matter soundtrack because of this. Additionally, “Alright” received numerous accolades, including four nominations at the 58th Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song. It won the latter two. The song has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
“King Kunta” (2015)
“King Kunta” is a single from Kendrick Lamar’s third album, To Pimp a Butterfly. It was released as the album’s third single on March 24, 2015. Lamar also co-wrote the song with producer Thundercat. Terrace Martin, Michael Kuhle, and Sounwave served as producers. The song’s title references the rebellious enslaved man Kunta Kinte from the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. “King Kunta” has been certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States.
“Control” is a song by Detroit emcee Big Sean. It features guest vocals from Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. Lamar’s verse was labeled as a “wake-up call” for hip-hop, both for his skill as a rapper and for calling out multiple fellow rappers by name. The song was initially intended to be included in Big Sean’s second studio album Hall of Fame. However, this was ultimately hindered by sample clearances.
“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” (2012)
“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” is one of the lead singles from Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City album. Sounwave is once again credited for production. Lamar was also reportedly initially meant to collaborate with pop star Lady Gaga on the song. However, delays in submission eventually led to her part being left out. The song’s version with Lady Gaga vocals was added to later editions of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. Jay-Z is also featured on the official remix of the song.
“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” is generally considered the song that thrust Kendrick into the limelight. The record peaked at No. 32 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached the Top 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. The RIAA has certified “Don’t Kill My Vibe” four times Platinum.
At the 2023 Grammy Awards that took place this past Sunday (February 5), Kendrick Lamar took home the award for Best Rap Album for his fourth major-label album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
Though Lamar’s fiancée Whitney Alford, and their two children — daughter Uzi and son Enoch — couldn’t be at the Crypto.com arena on Grammy night to witness the special moment, the three of them were tuned into the television to watch it happen.
Alford shared a video on her Instagram story, featuring herself and their children watching Lamar deliver his acceptance speech.
“First and foremost I want to thank my family for giving me the courage and vulnerability to share these stories and share my truth with this album,” said Lamar during the speech. “I want to thank my fans for trusting me with these words. As artists… we say things to provoke thoughts and feelings and emotions.”
When three-year-old Uzi heard the word “family,” she was overjoyed to know Lamar was talking about her, Enoch, and Alford.
“Daddy! He’s talking about us!” she says in the clip shared to Alford’s story. “He’s talking about us. He’s talking about his family… Uzi and Enoch and mommy.”
On Grammy night, Lamar also took home the awards for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “The Heart Part 5,” bringing his total number of wins for the night up to three, and his overall Grammy wins up to 14.
Kendrick Lamar might not have won AOTY at the Grammys but he didn’t leave empty-handed. K. Dot had a phenomenal evening that saw him win three out of eight of the categories he was nominated in. As he won the Best Rap Album category, he thanked his family their support to create the album.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my family for giving me the courage, you know, and the vulnerability to share these stories and share my truth with this album,” he said. “I want to thank my fans for trusting me with these words. As artists, we all entertainers.. we say things to provoke thoughts and feelings and emotions,” he continued. “Making this record was one of my toughest albums to make,” he added. “I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make a song like ‘Mother I Sober.’ That’s special to me. All we wanted was to be the biggest underground artist of all time and I finally found imperfection with this album.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Alford Whitney, Kendrick Lamar’s fiancée, later shared an adorable video of their two kids reacting to the news. His daughter and son, who graced the cover of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers alongside Whitney, dressed up for the occasion as they witnessed their father make history. “He’s talking about us,” Lamar’s daughter said in the clip, “He’s talking about us! He’s talking about his family! Uzi and Enoch and mommy. Whitney congratulated Kendrick in the caption, writing, “Congrats on 3 more @kendricklamar we [white heart emoji] and appreciate you!”
Though Kendrick Lamar’s kept his family out of the spotlight, he opened up a lot more on his album. However, the album almost didn’t see the light of day. During an interview with W Magazine, he explained that he was hesitant to drop Mr. Morale after completing it.
“When I got to completion and I said, ‘I may or may not put this out; I’m not going to put this out; it’s way too much.’ I thought about my children,” he says, a grin spreading across his face. “I thought about when they turn 21, or they’re older in life, and when I got grandchildren, or if I’m long gone—this can be a prerequisite of how to cope. That’s the beauty of it for me.”
Check out the reaction from Kendrick’s children below.
Every year the rap album of the year is a moment of high conversation on the timeline. In the 50th year of Hip-Hop, Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is the winner. The award was presented by Cardi B.
King Kendrick beat out Jack Harlow’s Come Home The Kids Miss You, DJ Khaled’s GOD DID, Future’s I NEVER LIKED YOU and Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry.
Earlier in the evening, Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Pt. 5” won Best Rap Song.
It’s been nearly six years since Kendrick Lamar released his critically acclaimed fourth studio album, DAMN., in 2017. The project debuted at No.1 on Billboard and spawned chart-topping hits like “Humble,” “Loyalty,” and “Love.” The album sold over 600k units in its first week and has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) since 2018. Lamar even scored a Grammy for Best Rap Album and a Pulitzer Prize For Music. On Friday, January 20, the rapper hit another major milestone with the album: It’s now spent 300 weeks on the Billboard 200.
“.@kendricklamar’s ‘DAMN.’ has now spent 300 weeks on the Billboard 200. It has never left the chart,” Chart Data reported.
.@kendricklamar‘s ‘DAMN.’ has now spent 300 weeks on the Billboard 200. It has never left the chart.
Lamar’s commercial success has been substantial throughout his career, and he’s been cemented as one of his generation’s most influential hip-hop artists. Recently, his second album, good kid, m.A.A.d city., became the first hip-hop studio album to spend 10 years on the Billboard chart — an incredible feat.
The “DNA” rapper recently celebrated the album’s 10th anniversary during a stop on his The Big Steppers Tour stop at Accor Arena in Paris this past October. The concert, which was live-streamed in conjunction with Amazon, featured sets from Grammy Award-winning recording artist Baby Keem, who is also Lamar’s cousin, and pgLang’s Tanna Leone. The enigmatic rapper’s concert followed the release of his fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, which was released in May 2022.
The project served as the rapper’s first body of work since releasing 2017’s DAMN., and it debuted at No.1 atop the Billboard 200.
One of Kendrick Lamar’s most frequent collaborators, DJ Dahi, recently slammed leakers who put some of his demos on Spotify. The “Morale Pack,” as it’s titled on the platform, is a set of three new leaks from the Compton MC. Moreover, many thought that they were leftovers from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. However, the legendary producer set some things straight on his Instagram story.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day thre of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
““Why are y’all leaking s**t from 4 years ago???” he wrote on Thursday (January 19). “We didn’t even bounce those records out. These kdot records are strictly demos. Y’all are really dying of thirst out here lol.” Maybe they should ask Kendrick to sing about them.
Jokes aside, leak culture caused a lot of discourse in the 2010s, and continues to hamper projects and releases today. Readers may remember the highly-anticipated state of Whole Lotta Red, when many of Playboi Carti’s songs leaked before he could drop the album. However, this is a pretty different case, as the leaked material is about four years old according to Dahi.
Still, for being four-year-old leaks, these new Kendrick tracks aren’t half bad. Moreover, they contain some interesting overlap with a few Mr. Morale cuts. When it comes to flows, certain lyrics and verses, themes, instrumental choices, and delivery, it appears to be in a similar headspace. In fact, completed tracks like “Purple Hearts,” “Silent Hill,” “Count Me Out,” and Baby Keem’s “vent” are the end results of many of these leaks’ ideas.
Even then, that’s just a theory or small observation, because who knows what else Dahi and Kendrick have in the vault. Mr. Morale was Spotify’s most successful rap album of 2022, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more great material from these sessions. Despite our highest hopes, K-Dot is likely in another phase of his legendary career, but here’s hoping for some more untitled unmastered. tracks in the future.
Regardless, what do you think of DJ Dahi cracking down on leakers who put unreleased Kendrick tracks on Spotify? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest news regarding hip-hop’s greatest talents.
One of 2022’s best albums is still giving us great new songs to bump… kind of. New Kendrick Lamar leaks, seemingly recorded during the making of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, surfaced on Spotify. Moreover, they appeared in a playlist titled “Morale Pack” from user Marozy. Previously, the user leaked versions of Kanye West’s “City in the Sky” and “Mr. Miyagi.”
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day three of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
Surprisingly, those songs are still available on Spotify, and time will tell if the Kendrick leaks stay as well. Furthermore, the three new tracks are titled “Pure,” “Make Me Happy,” and “Computer Love,” respectively. Given similar lyrical references, flows, and themes, these songs sound like they came out of Mr. Morale’s headspace. What’s more is that Baby Keem’s influence is also pretty apparent in these cuts.
Moreover, Keem’s track “vent” originally leaked with a more developed Kendrick verse, which appears in part on “Pure” and on “cocoa.” Also, the new leak was reportedly produced by Pharrell.
someone posted Kendrick leaks on streaming, immediately everyone that “hates” leaks… is posting the link pic.twitter.com/g0V9dq0HUB
Meanwhile, “Make Me Happy” features some lines from “Purple Hearts,” like “Crown on Bob Marley, wrist on Yo Gotti.” Interestingly, “Computer Love” features a lustful refrain and an old-school beat courtesy of the sample, a 1986 Zapp track of the same name. Even though the “HUMBLE.” star’s fifth LP set a high bar, these leaks step up to that caliber.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers sent shockwaves through the game in more ways than one, being Spotify’s most popular rap album of 2022. In addition to the heap of critical acclaim the album’s already amassed, the Grammys nominated it for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album this year. As such, it’s no surprise that its leaks are still pretty good tracks. Much like To Pimp A Butterfly and the following untitled unmastered. demos, maybe we’ll soon see a collection of B-sides from the Compton MC.
Regardless, what did you think of Kendrick Lamar’s leaks on Spotify? Are you still hungry for more fromthe Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers sessions? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, check back in with HNHH for the week’s new releases.
