Kendrick Lamar Announces New Album ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’

Rapper Kendrick Lamar surprised fans on Monday by revealing the title and release date of his next studio album. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is due out on May 13.

Lamar shared the news by responding to a tweet that read, “Kendrick Lamar is officially retired.” The rapper posted a link to his oklama.com website that included the vague letter displayed below:

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers will be Lamar’s fifth studio album and first since his Pulitzer-winning 2017 LP, Damn. Kendrick did produce, curate and contribute to the 2018 soundtrack for the film Black Panther.

Last August, Kendrick Lamar published a blog post on oklama.com indicating his next album would be his last for longtime label Top Dawg Entertainment. “As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years,” Lamar wrote as part of the note as per Pitchfork. “The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators.”