Kendrick Lamar Wears a Crown of Thorns For New Album Cover Art
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ cover art has been revealed by Kendrick Lamar ahead of the album’s release on 13th May. The new cover features Lamar with a blank look, similar to the artwork for its predecessor, 2017’s Pulitzer-winning ‘DAMN.’
However, there’s more of a scene to enjoy this time: Lamar stands with his back to the camera, looking wistfully out the window of what appears to be his family’s bedroom. He’s dressed in a white tee and muted pants, with a revolver dangling from his belt and a thorny crown on his head.
Lamar is pictured cradling a young girl who stares piercingly at the viewer of the cover, as a woman breastfeeds a newborn baby on the bed in front of him. It’s a beautiful image of rich browns and beige, with a distinct theme of family, shot by New York photographer Renell Medrano.
Check out the cover below:
‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ will be released on 13th May via pgLang / Top Dawg / Aftermath / Interscope. Lamar announced it just a month ago, cheekily doing so by responding to a fan who erroneously declared that, Kendrick Lamar is officially retired.
The album’s first and seemingly only single, ‘The Heart Part 5,’ was released earlier this week. It was renowned for its divisive video, which featured “cameos” from Kanye West, Will Smith, OJ Simpson and the late Nipsey Hussle thanks to deepfake technology. It was also notable for being his first headlined release since 2018 – when he released ‘All The Stars,’ the first song from his self-curated Black Panther soundtrack, starring SZA.
Fans, coworkers and the entertainment industry all praised the song and video. Lauren London, Hussle’s partner, called the video “strong art,” referring to it as the start of a collaboration between Lamar and South Park directors, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
–Shantala
