Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, has become the talk of the music world since its initial release on Friday (May 13), with a slew of fans, critics, and Lamar’s peers praising it over the weekend. Eminem, who revealed that Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers left him speechless after taking a deep dive into the album, was one of the stars who was particularly impressed with the rapper’s new double-disc effort.
On Sunday (May 15), the Detroit “Rap God” tagged his longtime collaborator Dr. Dre while handing Kendrick flowers, writing, “Yo @DrDre this Kendrick album is f ridiculous.” “I can’t say anything.”
Eminem, who previously collaborated with Lamar on the song “Love Game” from his own 2013 album, Marshall Mathers LP 2, has repeatedly praised Lamar’s artistic talent and skill. Em referred to Lamar as one of the greatest lyricists of all time during an interview on SiriusXM’s Shade45 earlier this year, prior to their performance alongside Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Anderson.Paak, and Mary J. Blige as part of Dr. Dre’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.
“I absolutely would agree with that,” Eminem replied when asked if he feels the Compton native is one of the “most electrifying vocalists” in the game today. “Kendrick is at the very top, top tier of lyricists. Not just of his generation, but of all time.”
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has not only proven to be a critical success, but a commercial one as well. According to HITS Daily Double, the album is projected to move between 325,000 and 350,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. alone in its first week, which would account for the biggest opening week for an album of 2022 thus far.