Kendrick finally drops highly anticipated double-disk album 'Mr Morale & The Big Steppers'

Kendrick Lamar has just dropped his highly anticipated new album 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers', which to fans' surprise is a double-sided 18-track project.

The LP features contributions from Baby Keem, Summer Walker, Thundercat, Sampha, Ghostface Killah and more.

Production credits have been given to Pharrell, Duval Timothy, the Alchemist, Beach Noise, Boi-1da, Sounwave and more.

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The album, which spans 73 minutes, follows the true Kendrick style of containing jazz-fuelled hip hop, clever lyricism, soulful melodies in parts, and brash periods of explosiveness.

Released at midnight on Friday (May 13), the album comes shortly after the Compton-born rapper revealed the cover art alongside a new single titled 'The Heart Part 5' - the latest in his 'The Heart' releases.

'The Heart Part 5' is accompanied by a critically acclaimed video depicting Kendrick deepfaking himself into OJ Simpson, Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, and more.

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The 18-track LP tackles some important issues that have been discussed in the 2020s, everything from cancel culture, to coming out as trans, to spirituality.

Many of the tracks are narrated by the voice of Eckhart Tolle, the spiritual leader guiding listeners through the album.

On the track 'We Cry Together', which also features a Florence and the Machine sample, Lamar's partner Whitney Alford is credited as a narrator.

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The album has received some backlash from fans for featuring Kodak Black, who pled guilty to the first-degree assault and battery of a woman who had also accused him of rape in 2016.

However, many members of the music community have been reacting well to the album. Check out some of their responses below:

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Listen to 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers' below.

Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter