Lorde has heaped praise upon rapper Kendrick Lamar’s latest album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, calling the rapper the most “popular and influential artist in modern music”.

After a five-year wait, fans were not left disappointed with K.Dot’s latest efforts upon the release of his highly-anticipated double album which is packed with conflict, ambiguity, controversy, and masterful storytelling.

And it seems that longtime fans aren’t the only ones impressed, with several renowned artists, including Lorde, publicly commenting on their love for the Compton rapper’s new tracks.

“I’m loving Kendrick,” she wrote in her email newsletter to fans. “I cannot get over the most popular and influential artist in modern music displaying a working nervous system, admitting mistakes, trying to process intergenerational trauma and prejudice. I love the way the album opens, the pace and heat of the first few songs, and later ‘Count Me Out,’ the build and strings in ‘Auntie Diaries’… special.”

“I love the way the album opens, the pace and heat of the first few songs, and later ‘Count Me Out’, the build and strings in ‘Auntie Diaries’… [it’s] special.”

Lorde wasn’t the only artist to speak of their love for the album, with fellow Detroit native Eminem saying of the album: “Yo @DrDre this Kendrick album is f****** ridiculous. I’m speechless.”

Lamar’s latest record has received a slew of critical praise upon its release, with Rolling Stone saying of the album: “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is the kind of dense, complex, contradictory, and thrilling journey into the mind of Pulitzer Kenny that we’ve been waiting for. With more than 70 minutes of music, there’s plenty here to process, enjoy, and debate.”

Meanwhile, in exciting news for Aussie fans of the ‘N95’ rapper, Kendrick Lamar has also announced the tour dates and locations for his The Big Steppers tour. Lamar announced four locations across Australia starting in Perth on December 1st and ending in Brisbane on December 12th. After his run in Australia, Kendrick will visit Auckland, New Zealand for his final show on the tour.

These five dates will be the final five shows of his tour.

Australia and New Zealand tour dates

12-01 Perth, Australia – RAC Arena
12-04 Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
12-08 Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
12-12 Brisbane, Australia – Entertainment Center
12-16 Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena

For more on this topic, follow the Hip Hop Observer.

Check out ‘N95’ by Kendrick Lamar:

YouTube VideoPlay

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine