Episode Overview

In Season 13, Episode 11 of Dissect by The Ringer, host Cole Kushna delves into Kendrick Lamar's poignant tracks "Crown" and "Silent Hill" from the album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Released on May 27, 2025, this episode continues the season-long exploration of Lamar's introspective journey, analyzing the intricate layers of his music and its deeper meanings.

Dissecting "Crown"

Production and Instrumentation

"Crown" is exclusively produced by Duval Timothy, the pianist prominently featured throughout Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Kushna notes that the instrumental is a reinterpretation of Timothy's 2016 piece, "Through the Night," characterized by its intimate and meditative quality. The piano's left hand oscillates between F sharp and C sharp—an open fifth interval known for its tonally neutral, hollow sound. This repetition serves as a contemplative anchor, creating a suspended sense of time within the track.

Lyrics and Themes

The song's three verses revolve around Lamar's complex understanding of love:

1. Verse One focuses on Lamar's tendency to help friends and family through favors and financial support, masking his lack of control. He admits, "You walk around like everything is in control" (02:49), hinting at the facade he maintains.

2. Verse Two explores Lamar's inability to express his own needs, even when facing life-or-death situations. He reflects on prioritizing work over mental health, revealing that his relentless schedule, intertwined with personal losses, was a "compromise done out of love" (03:10).

3. Verse Three delves into Lamar's relationship with his fans, acknowledging the mutual love but questioning its conditional nature. He sings, "They idolize and praise your name across the nation" (05:05), pondering whether this love would persist if his music changed.

Therapeutic and Philosophical Insights

Kushna interprets the chorus of "Crown" as a therapeutic mantra, symbolizing Lamar's journey to set boundaries and reclaim agency. The repetition, "Heavy is the head that chose to wear the crown" (10:08), mirrors Shakespeare's "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," emphasizing the burdens of leadership. By adding the word "chose," Kendrick underscores his agency in assuming this role, highlighting a pivotal moment of self-awareness and boundary setting.

Connections to Kendrick's Discography

The episode highlights a five-album chain of connections in Kendrick's work, where "Crown" references "Pride" from Damn, which in turn references other tracks like "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and "Section.80". This intricate web showcases Kendrick's meticulous craftsmanship in weaving interrelated themes throughout his discography.

Dissecting "Silent Hill"

Production and Instrumentation

"Silent Hill", produced by Beach Noise Boy, Wonda Jahin Sweet, and Soundwave, begins with Lamar's acapella lines, setting a haunting tone that aligns with the song's title—evoking the eerie atmosphere of the horror video game Silent Hill. The instrumental features subtle gunshot sounds, likely sampled from the GoldenEye 007 video game, enhancing the song's sinister vibe.

Lyrics and Themes

The track addresses Lamar's struggles with internal demons and external pressures:

• Verse One: Lamar grapples with addiction cravings, manipulative relationships, and his own anxious thoughts. He warns, "Push these n off me like pushing the snakes" (19:00), symbolizing his efforts to rid himself of toxic influences.

• Verse Two: Kodak Black's feature underscores similar themes of overcoming adversity and striving for a better life despite past hardships. He expresses a desire for genuine circumstances over material wealth, revealing the emotional complexity behind his actions.

Interrelation with Other Tracks

Kushna draws parallels between "Silent Hill" and "Rich Spirit" from the first disc of the album, noting their shared themes of isolation and battling spiritual egos. This mirroring extends to the album's dual-disc structure, where the second disc's focus on the individual reflects the first disc's emphasis on humanity as a whole.

Therapeutic and Philosophical Insights

Echoing Eckhart Tolle's teachings, the song delves into the addiction of compulsive thinking and the struggle to silence one's inner turmoil. Lamar's depiction of meditation—"Head up, chest down, silence. I'm stressed out" (26:05)—illustrates his attempt to quiet destructive thoughts, aligning with Tolle's notion that true thinking emerges once one disidentifies from the egoic self.

Reflection Points and Album-Wide Connections

Kushna emphasizes the reflective nature of Kendrick's work, where Silent Hill serves as a microcosm of the album's broader themes:

• Individual vs. Collective: The mirrored structure of the album's discs symbolizes the interplay between personal struggles and universal human experiences.

• Ancestors and Spirituality: References to howling at the moon and connecting with ancestors highlight Kendrick's exploration of spiritual heritage and its influence on his present self.

• Conditional Love and Responsibility: The ongoing dialogue about love's conditionality underscores the tension between personal well-being and the expectations of others.

Conclusion

In this episode of Dissect, Cole Kushna masterfully unpacks the layers within Kendrick Lamar's "Crown" and "Silent Hill," revealing the artist's profound introspection and thematic cohesion across his body of work. By intertwining lyrical analysis with philosophical insights and connecting to Kendrick's broader discography, the episode offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of the emotional and psychological depths of Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers.

Notable Quotes:

• Kendrick Lamar on "Crown": "For the time it comes and I'll be there when somebody needs you know one thing I've learned love can change with the seasons." (05:05)

• Eckhart Tolle on Boundaries: "A low quality no [...] you simply say, I love your children... but I can't do it anymore." (10:08)

• Kendrick Lamar on Leadership: "Heavy is the head that chose to wear the crown." (11:07)

• Eckhart Tolle on Thinking: "Thinking is addictive for most humans... it is what needs to come to an end." (27:03)