Pulitzer prize-winner Kendrick Lamar announces new album out in May

Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer prize-winning rapper, is back after months of silence with the announcement of a new album ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’, out on May 13. The ‘Pimp My Butterfly’ singer shared the news in a cryptic press release. 

Lamar responded to a tweet on April 14 which claimed he’s officially retired. The Compton-born rapper shared the website link of oklama.com.

On the site, a press release reads:

“The following statement was released today by oklama, through his company pgLang at 11:00 a.m. PT in Los Angeles, CA:

Album: ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’Release date: 5/13/2022

All factual information for this release will come directly from this source only.” 

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The ‘DAMN’ rapper had earlier teased this record in 2021, on a website, where he’d said “May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling,” he wrote at the time. “There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown.” 

This is Lamar’s first album since he won the Pulitzer in 2017. Since then, he’s worked on the ‘Black Panther‘ soundtrack, headlined a Coachella and was also part of the Superbowl halftime show at Los Angeles, along with hip hop legends Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J Blige, with a surprise performance from 50 Cent. 

He also collaborated with Keem on “Family Ties” and “Range Brothers”. The former won the duo a Grammy for Best Rap Performance last month, and Keem took the opportunity to say “Nothing could prepare me for this moment tonight”, adding, “I just want to say thank you to my support system. The city of Las Vegas, my family, the women that raised me to shape me to become the man I am today”. 

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Lamar is known for tracks such as ‘DNA’ and ‘MAAD City’, and his track ‘Swimming Pools’ featured in the Safdie brothers’ movie, ‘Uncut Gems’.