Kendrick Lamar made his long-awaited return on Friday (May 13) with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Serving as the follow-up to 2017’s Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN., the 18-track project is being billed as a double album with features from Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, Baby Keem and more.
The anticipation that mounted over the last five years has resulted in some big numbers for the Compton-bred MC. According to Apple Music, Kendrick’s fifth studio album has smashed the record for first-day streams. As they explained in a tweet, “Shout out @kendricklamar. K-Dot’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers had the most first-day streams for an album released so far in 2022.” The platform, however, didn’t release specific details regarding the exact numbers.
Kendrick Lamar is no stranger to breaking records. In 2017, DAMN. debuted at No. 1 with over 600,000 total album-equivalent units sold in its first week and became the seventh best-selling album of the year. The Grammy Award-winning project was also certified 3x-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) less than a month after its release.
In 2020, good kid, m.A.A.d city became the longest charting Hip Hop album ever, spending over 400 weeks (or eight years) on the Billboard 200. A year prior, Kendrick’s contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack earned him a Best Original Song nomination at the 2019 Oscars for the soundtrack’s lead single “All The Stars,” the first time a rap song for a superhero film or song for a superhero film in general has earned the nod.
Kendrick Lamar recently announced he’s taking Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers on the road. Appropriately titled The Big Steppers Tour, the 65-date run kicks off on July 19 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and wraps up in Australia in December.
Remember when he used to go platinum by selling actual CDs? That’s when the shit counted… Now mfs can stream legally for free on Spotify without paying a dime. Record sales numbers these days are a fucking joke LMAO
Smashed apple music’s records but still won’t come close to either CERTIFIED LOVER BOY’S sales. Either Apple Music is lying and making up false streams or they are a joke by saying 2 people instead of the usual 1 streamed it.
Kendrick is still the better MC, with more lyrical content, social commentary, and real feel connection to the listeners than Flizzy Flake. Album sales don’t tell the whole story
Kendrick ripping off eminem’s Kim isn’t him being socially conscious
CLB was trash except for like 3 songs that got played out after a week lol. Drake has money and commercial hits, but he’ll never be as culturally relevant or significant as Kendrick is. Commercial hits don’t net you a pulitzer
A pultizer prize isn’t as prestigious especially when you can literally bid the highest for that year. I could do the same. Drake is already culturally relevant and has been going no.1 since 2010 with his first album. It took kendrick 3 albums to go no.1 and even his highest selling album couldn’t touch drake’s.
Why should I listen to more kendrick now that’s he is a cheating piece of shit?
You still listen to R. Kelly, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Tory Lanez. I’d be quiet if I were you.
You shouldn’t. I will though.
Speaking of record sales, Drake only sold 48k pure sales of that 550k first week for Certified Lover Boy whereas Kendrick sold 353k pure sales of that 603k first week for Damn so if it wasn’t for streaming Drake would be nowhere near K.Dot
Because streaming took off beginning summer of 2017. Damn wouldn’t be selling even 10k in pure sales if it came out today.
im gonna listen again
its better then damn i think its the best album ever
hiphop makes me cry this album did it twice now
i cry when i love it … it been awhile
woaw its the best album ever
its not happy tho but i think its me i need more time
or is it reallt scary .. all the time
no… durk heard scary tho
or is it yes
does music have one vision .. can this album be hype
idk i hope its scary all the time
i think i finally get hiphop
new it be big when he came back .. he the greatest and my favoirte .. better then cole
he flow developed and got better
i stop moving for this album
he sat me down
i cried three times lol its like the meme
i might have to see it live
maybe kendrick isnt my favoirte albums …. dont sell your soul
t why you tell em
idk
oh im supposed to shut up
i know illumati maaad lol
the rappers expose it
aint nobody bumping this album , its pure drama an mental health shit, i want fun in my music not this soup opera trash
You lying
And “mental health shit” ????
You’re exactly what’s wrong with us now. I’m all for fun and partying, but what about balance. Everybody isn’t happy
Because you gotta low IQ
Because you got a low IQ