The long wait for another Kendrick Lamar album is almost over. The elusive MC finally announced a DAMN. follow-up called Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers earlier this month. The highly anticipated project is expected to arrive on May 13. Nearly three weeks out, HitsDailyDouble is already projecting how many units he’s going to sell in its inaugural week.
According to a tweet from Chart Data, not only will Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, it will sell over 350,000 total album-equivalent units upon its release. As the tweet reads, “@kendricklamar‘s ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’ is expected to debut at #1 in the US upon release. current forecast is 350K first week.”
DAMN.was released in 2017 and landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 603,000 total album-equivalent units in its first week of release, becoming his third consecutive album after 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly and 2016’s Untitled Unmastered to debut in the coveted spot.
The following week, the Pulitzer Prize-winning album remained at No. 1 with roughly 238,000 total album-equivalent units and continued its chart dominance into week three with around 173,000 total album-equivalent units. The album was certified 3x-platinum by April 2018.
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Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers will mark Kendrick Lamar’s final album for Top Dawg Entertainment, which he announced last August in a statement on his website.
“I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts,” he wrote at the time. “Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone. Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next.”
He continued, “As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I’ve prayed for you all. See you soon enough.”
