![]() And while many rappers treat the creative process like an assembly line – a producer will send over a beat, they'll write a verse to it, then head to the studio, before an engineer delivers the finishing touches – Kendrick opts for a more collaborative approach. The key names that crop up repeatedly on the credits list are DJ Dahi, Beach Noise, Sounwave, and J.LBS. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar enlisted a wide range of producers, engineers, and instrumentalists, many of whom he's been working with for a decade or more. While many rappers treat the creative process like an assembly line, Kendrick opts for a more collaborative approach From the moody, stunted old afro-funk sample that forms the beat for Worldwide Steppers to the disjointed piano chimes and harrowing domestic argument featured in We Cry Together, it's an album shaped by dark sounds and disturbing images. The sonic atmosphere created across the record is crucial when it comes to developing this narrative and conveying the fact that, as Kendrick's first words on the project sum up, "I've been going through something". It's an important point in a world of unchecked, tribal celebrity idolisation, but ultimately the result can be difficult to stomach. The heavy creative role played by rapper and alleged abuser Kodak Black confounds this issue, and contributes to the record's concerted attempt to deconstruct the Kendrick God complex - as he raps in Savior, "the cat is out the bag, I am not your savior". Morale & The Big Steppers is laden with difficult subject matter. ![]() Whether it's exploring generational cycles of abuse on Mother I Sober or rapping about the need for "grown men with daddy issues" to "give the women a break" on Father Time, Mr.
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