Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed fourth studio album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers earned the top spot on the Billboard 200. The album is also the biggest debut of 2022 so far with 295,500 album-equivalent units. Bad Bunny previously held the position with his recent release Un Verano Sin Ti earning 274,000 album-equivalent units. In support of the album, Lamar will be hitting the road with Baby Keem and Tanna Leone later this year. It is set to kick off July 19 in Oklahoma City and will go across North America including stops in Tampa, Nashville, Washington D.C.  and Oakland. It concludes with a four-night run at the Cypto.com arena (aka the Staples Center). Tickets for the tour are on sale now.

Fans speculated a new album was on the horizon after announcing a show in Milan, followed by being announced as a headliner at Miami’s Rolling Loud Festival in July. He then released “The Heart Part 5” which showed Lamar face-morphing into O.J. Simpson, Kanye West, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, Jussie Smollett, and Nipsey Hussle. The song did not make the cut on the album. He also released “Mother, I Sober” featuring Portishaeads’ Beth Gibbons. Other features on the album include Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Baby Keem, newcomers Taylour Paige and Tanna Leone and Kodak Black.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna