In each of his projects, Kendrick Lamar gives introspective takes that his fans cling to as they identify with his lyrics, but he entered a new arena with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The acclaimed record topped the charts around the globe and sparked conversations about mental wellness and LGBTQIA+ debates within Hip Hop. As listeners continue to argue the album’s placement in Lamar’s catalog, he recently took to the Glastonbury stage to share why he created Mr. Morale.
Clips of K-Dot’s Glastonbury performance have been shared far and wide, including the powerful conclusion where he was bleeding from his diamond crown of thorns and advocating for Women’s Rights following Roe v. Wade’s reversal in the U.S.
However, elsewhere, Lamar took a moment to speak about his Mr. Morale motivation.
“So many faces, y’all blessed me to be upon this stage,” the hitmaker told the roaring crowd. “And you know we blessed to make sure we give y’all some sh*t you feel, and that’s the real reason why I wrote Mr. Morale, because everybody’s going through something.” He added, “No matter what you’re going through, imperfection is beautiful.”
“I wear this crown. They judged Christ,” he said. “They judge you, they judge Christ… I wear this as a representation so you’ll never forget one of the greatest prophets that ever walked the earth.” The diamond-encrusted crown of thorns was reportedly crafted by Tiffany & Co and features 8,000 of the sparkly jewels.
Check out the clip of Kendrick Lamar below.