Kendrick fans can once again rejoice as the rapper announced the release of his newest album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” set to debut May 13. The announcement was made public on April 18 via Twitter as the rapper responded to an earlier tweet from @raptalksk that stated “Kendrick Lamar is officially retired.” The rap icon instantly followed up on this statement with a link from oklama.com with an official document stating the release. The document was also formatted similar to one that basketball player Michael Jordan released in 1995 announcing his return to the NBA.

The release of Lamar’s previous 2017 Grammy Winning album “Damn” gained huge mainstream success after selling a whopping 3 million copies and becoming certified triple platinum seven times. The album eventually led Lamar to win a Pulitzer Prize, alongside an honoree position at Variety’s Inaugural Hitmakers event. Since “Damn,” Lamar hadn’t officially released his own tracks. Instead Lamar made multiple features on the 2018 soundtrack to Black Panther, including a duet with SZA.  In 2021, Lamar was also featured on two tracks on Baby Keem’s album “Range Brothers” with one being the Grammy Award-winning track, “Family Ties.” Alongside Keem, Larmar was also featured in Siri’s “Hair Down,” Raphael Saadiq’s “Rearview,” the Lion King’s “Nile,” Dreamvilles “Under the Sun,” and 2 Chain’s “Momma I Hit a Lick.” 

But the long-awaited announcement of  Lamar’s latest musical endeavor was initially met with confusion as many fans were skeptical of what would come next. Last summer, Lamar’s record label, TDE, a new album that was originally thought to be tied with Lamar. This stirred fans on social media but was eventually dismissed to be teasing Isaiah Rashad’s album. According to an article by Pitchfork, Lamar teased the record as his “final TDE album” in Aug. 2021.

 “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 said. “There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown.” Lamar signed the note with, “Oklama.”

Alongside collaborations, Lamar is als0 looking to further his business ventures within the entertainment industry as well. In March 2020, Lamar and longtime collaborator Dave Free announced pgLang, a new multilingual  service company, according to Pitchfork, that offers immersive opportunities for those who wish to  furthering their own creative pursuits in storytelling regardless of race, sex, or age.

Lamar also performed at the 2022 Super Bowl with iconic musicians Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary G Blige and 50 Cent.