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- [00:01]
Cole Kushna
This episode is presented by so delicious Dairy Free. We listen to music to free our minds, but are you ready to dairy free your mind this summer? Discover so delicious Dairy Free frozen desserts with so many next level flavors that are 100% dairy free and unbelievably creamy. Your taste buds will do a double take as you figure out your ultimate flavor. Is it salted caramel cluster or chocolate cookies and cream? Cookie dough or coconut? Vanilla bean or even mint chip or the classic vanilla? Find out at sodelicious dairy free.com from the Ringer Podcast Network this is dissect long form musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. This is the final episode of our season long analysis of Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. I'm your host Cole Kushna.
- [00:59]
Unknown Advertiser
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- [01:28]
Cole Kushna
25Th last on 1 dissect, we completed our analysis of Mother Isober, the emotional and spiritual apex of Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. It was there we heard Kendrick trace the roots of his trauma, confront his guilt, forgive his mother, reflect on his cousin chaotic and envision a new path for baby Keem Whitney and his children. After completing his transformation and breaking his family free from a generational curse. The song ended with a divine reunion between Kendrick and Whitney, then their daughter Uzi, signifying a relationship healed and a family restored. What transpired on Mother I Sober is both an end and a new beginning. Uzi crowning Kendrick Mr. Morale. To conclude, the song represents a new model of living, one that rejects the mask and embraces the mirror that exchanges moral acting for authentic imperfection. No longer tap dancing for validation, Kendrick retires his Big Stepper shoes and and exits the stage of public approval. What comes next on the album is an epilogue, one final reflection where Kendrick formally reveals the key to Mr. Morale's two act structure and offers the same mirror that guided his transformation to anyone willing to take it.
- [02:39]
Kendrick Lamar
I Choose Me.
- [02:54]
Cole Kushna
Mirror begins with the final appearance of Kodak Black, who takes the stage to introduce the song's refrain, I choose me. Kodak's presence here at the album's end closes the final story arc woven throughout Mr. Morale recall. Earlier this season, we compared the album's theatrical framing to a morality play, a popular 15th century genre designed to teach moral lessons to largely illiterate audiences. Morality plays dramatized the internal struggle between good and evil through characters who personified specific virtues and vices, figures like lust, goodness, or envy. The protagonist often represented all of humanity, making the lessons universally applicable. Understanding this framework, we can see how Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers naturally mirrors the structure of a morality play. Each character in the story clearly represents a broader concept. Whitney embodies the divine Feminine. Kendrick's therapist Eckhart Tolle, represents spiritual enlightenment, a mentor figure who fully embodies Mr. Morale. Kodak Black represents the Big Stepper, someone largely shaped by environmental conditioning, still living under a generational curse. Baby Keem, also born to be a Big Stepper, represents someone redirected toward a new path toward Mr. Morale. And then there's Kendrick OK Llama, who, like the protagonist in a morality play, represents humanity. His name means my people, and in the Heart Part 5 music video, he proclaims, I am all of us. OK Lama embodies the full spectrum of Mr. Morale in the Big Steppers, the God and ego within all of us. His journey plays out like a classic battle between good and evil, where he confronts his trauma, breaks the curse, and transcends his Big Stepper conditioning. In doing so, he earns the title Mr. Morale, as symbolized by his daughter, crowning him with the moniker at the end of Mother Eye Sober. Indeed, as we explored last episode, Mother Eye Sober brought closure to each major character arc in the morality play. Whitney's divine feminine energy helped guide Kendrick's healing, culminating in their reunion. The therapist Eckhart Tolle's lessons were fully enacted, leading to Kendrick's personal transformation. Baby Keem's path was acknowledged as a redemptive counterpoint to Cousin Chaotic's death. And while unnamed, Kodak Black was alluded to in Kendrick's final acts of liberation when he set free the abusers and acknowledged the pain that drives harm. Now, at the start of Mirror, Kodak Black returns to formally close his story arc, voicing the final moral of this I choose me. While we'll unpack the meaning of that phrase when Kendrick repeats it later in the song. I want to use Kodak's return here at the end of the album as a reminder of how carefully constructed Mr. Morale's narrative truly is. Each character serves a symbolic function. Each character's arc resolves with intention, and together they present a cohesive story that offers audiences a moral framework. Like the morality plays before it, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers invites us to examine our own choices, our vices, our virtues, and the masks we wear. And with OK Lama being meant to embody all of humanity, its lessons are intended to extend beyond Kendrick's individual story. If we choose to engage with the mirror Kendrick holds up, this album becomes a tool for reflection and for those who are ready. Personal growth and communal evolution.
- [06:14]
Kodak Black
The pressure's taking over me is beginning to loom Better if I spare your.
- [06:21]
Unknown Female Character
Feelings and tell you the truth.
- [06:25]
Kodak Black
Lately I redirected my point of view you you won't grow waiting on me.
- [06:34]
Cole Kushna
Kendrick enters the track singing more than rapping. He begins, the pressure's taking over me it's beginning to loom Better if I spare your feelings and tell you the truth. Here, Kendrick reinforces the weight of the crown he once wore, the pressure of being seen as his community savior. That burden was intensified by the chaos of his personal life, a sex addiction that fractured his relationship, further complicated by the demands of fatherhood. Something had to give, and Kendrick chose himself and his family. That shift is implied in the next line. Lately I redirected my point of view. His focus on the external, fame, expectations, performance was redirected inward. He looked in the mirror and confronted the fractured self staring back. Having undergone that journey, he now offers one of its most sobering lessons. You won't grow waiting on me. Kendrick can say this with certainty, because he knows what growth personally required from him. It was a process no one else could do for him. Not his parents, not Whitney, not Eckhart Tolle. Outside forces can guide, influence and inspire, but the real work must be done by the individual seeking change. This is the truth Kendrick alluded to just moments before. And it's the truth that ultimately led him to take off the crown and relieve himself of the burden of saving others. He's come to understand the impossibility of that role. No matter how hard he tried, salvation was never something he could offer. It's something each of us must earn for ourselves.
- [08:01]
Kodak Black
I can't live in the matrix Rather fall short on your graces this time I won't trade places not about who's right, who's wrong Eve are the only thing known Ask me when I'm coming home Bleed twice again I'm gone Kendrick's.
- [08:21]
Cole Kushna
Delivery grows more intense, as if shouting to the world out his window, he says, I can't live in the matrix Rather fall short of your graces Society here is likened to the simulated reality in the classic sci fi film, where humanity is unaware it's trapped in a simulation. The protagonist eventually discovers the truth about his existence and eventually breaks free. It's a potent analogy about the compromises and mass that are required by society, especially the virtue signaling online culture he'll specifically take aim at later in the song. Rather than uphold the facade of image, curation and moral grandstanding, Kendrick vows to live authentically, embracing his imperfections. Even when that results in criticism, he continues, not about who's right, who's wrong. This feels like a critique of the binary tribalism that dominates public discourse, especially online, where conversations often descend into us versus them, into choosing sides and blaming others for the world's problems. Kendrick resists that impulse. By this point in the album, he's transcended binary thinking. He's learned that healing doesn't come from judgment or blame. It comes from empathy, compassion and forgiveness. From removing your ego and seeing a version of yourself in every human being. Throughout Mr. Morale, Kendrick intentionally challenges moral binaries with songs like Auntie Diaries to the reoccurring presence of Kodak Black. These morally ambiguous choices function as experiments in empathy, forcing listeners to wrestle with contradictions. Auntie Diaries is both a powerful story of acceptance and a song that knowingly uses problematic language. Kodak Black's sexual assault conviction is something we should all denounce. And yet contextualizing him as a product of generational trauma and likely a victim of abuse himself challenges us to see Kodak as more than the harm he's caused. The moral of the story told in Mr. The Big Steppers is that morality isn't about clean binaries. The instinct to divide people into heroes and villains, victims and perpetrators is itself a product of the ego. Kendrick urges us to evolve beyond these binaries in favor of recognizing the complexity of human beings, the ability to see the wounded child in every abuser, or the broader human unconsciousness that drives destructive behavior. Kendrick's vision of progress requires moral flexibility to resist the urge to resolve every conflict into right or wrong. Because ultimately, when you finally look in the mirror, that same flexibility and grace will be required for yourself. You have to see more than your worst moments. You have to be able to forgive yourself if you're ever going to evolve. This brings us to the next line. Evolve the only thing known. Kendrick points to evolution as the ongoing universal story of human civilization, a constant push forward, like so much of Mr. Morale, it seems informed by Eckhart Tolle's work as a central premise in his Book A New Earth is that human consciousness must evolve beyond reactionary thought and the false identities of the ego. A significant portion of the Earth's population will soon recognize that humanity is now faced with a stark evolve or die. We need to go on to the next stage now as a matter of urgency. Otherwise will be destroyed by the mind, which has grown into a monster. For Tolle, the only way for humanity to evolve is through individual transformation of one's consciousness. As your inner state determines your contribution to the outer world. Without a change in consciousness, the source of your behavior, action alone will only perpetuate the same dysfunction. Our state of consciousness creates our world. And if there is no change on that inner level, no amount of action will make any difference. We would only recreate modified versions of the same world again and again.
- [12:03]
Eckhart Tolle
It has to start from you. Any change on the planet in order to be true change, and not just a variation on the same theme, must entail a change in consciousness. Because whatever humans produce, whatever they manifest externally, arises and corresponds to out of their arises out of their state of consciousness. If that state of consciousness is dysfunctional, disharmonious, negative, fearful, angry, and millions live in that state, identified with their ego, then you get huge collective egos fighting other collective ego egos. And that's the insanity.
- [12:52]
Cole Kushna
The idea of repeating the same dysfunction is central to Mr. Morale's exploration of generational trauma, how unhealed pain repeats itself across time. Kendrick's choice to confront that pain rather than suppress it enacts Tolle's teachings. That true change begins within Kendrick's personal evolution breaks the cycle of dysfunction, not just for himself, but for his children, his partner, and potentially generations to come. That's the power of individual transformation to flower outward. And that power lives in all of us. Kendrick then closes the verse. Ask me when I'm coming home. Blink twice again, I'm gone. Blinking twice often implies disbelief, like you're seeing something so unexpected you blink again to make sure it's real. But in the time it takes to double check, Kendrick's already disappeared. It's a metaphor for his emotional and spiritual departure from the Matrix. He's abandoned the stage, the savior complex and the ego's hunger for external validation. He's choosing himself, his family, and his inner peace over fame, sex and indulgence. In other words, he's choosing me over the mask.
- [14:10]
Kodak Black
I choose me. I'm sorry. I choose me. I'm sorry. I choose.
- [14:19]
Cole Kushna
Kendrick repeats the refrain, I choose me. I'm sorry. Like a mantra, a steady, almost meditative affirmation of self. The line is a direct response to the chorus from Mother I sober I wish I was somebody, anybody but myself. That line captured the burden of trauma so deep it distorted Kendrick's identity. When pain feels inseparable from yourself, escape can only be imagined as becoming someone else entirely. However, through the transformation on Mother Isober, Kendrick reaches a place where he can finally choose himself not as an idealized version, but as he is imperfect, scarred and shaped by hardship. To look in the mirror and accept what you see is the resolution to the album's examination of authenticity and identity. In Choosing himself, Kendrick no longer needs the mask, no longer needs to act. He can move through the world exactly how he is, comfortable in his own skin, freed of the unsustainable weight of trying to be something that he's not. As we discussed last episode, choosing yourself is not an act of selfishness. It's a meaningful contribution to those around you. When you learn to forgive, accept and love yourself, you become more capable of extending that same grace to others. You begin to see people as more than victims or perpetrators, more than their virtues or their flaws. You meet them where they are with compassion for their journey, understanding that you never know the circumstances of one's life and the burdens they might have inherited. And for those still unconscious, still ruled by ego and the pain body, you're able to withhold judgment, holding space for the possibility that they too might one day transform and heal. And this brings us back to Kodak Black, who first introduced the refrain I choose me at the top of the song. By giving Kodak these words, Kendrick again challenges us to view him through a lens of compassion, to hold the complexity of condemning someone's actions without condemning the person entirely. Anyone who's followed Kodak's career, especially in recent years, can see that he's still at war with his demons and may now be battling addiction. Did Kodak fully understand or embody the depth of I Choose Me the way Kendrick ultimately intends it? Probably not. At least not yet. But as the writer and director of this morality play, Kendrick giving that line to Kodak becomes a symbolic offering, a vision of redemption for those still caught in the grip of generational curses Kendrick traced all the way back to the trauma of American slavery. Much like the closing moments of Mother Eye Sober, when Kendrick declares the possibility of transformation to abusers, Kodak's recitation of I Choose Me feels aspirational, a hope that one day he too might reach the healing Kendrick found himself by placing Kodak on his stage, illuminated in a Different light than the one society usually casts. Kendrick invites us to extend grace to the big steppers of the world, holding faith that Mr. Morale still lives within them, waiting to break free.
- [17:10]
Kodak Black
She woke up in the morning for the daily news I was so low Morning.
- [17:29]
Cole Kushna
Kendrick begins. Verse 2. She woke up in the morning for the daily news I was so low. And mourning through the Family Feuds. He introduces a new female character who starts her day consuming the daily news. Focused on the external world, Kendrick contrasts this with his own mourning, which he transforms into mourning as in grief over his personal world. Family Feuds evokes both internal familial conflict and the TV game show, subtly mirroring the woman's morning ritual of passive media consumption. Meanwhile, so Low doubles as solo, describing Kendrick's depressive isolation. Together, these lines acknowledge the spiritual and emotional journey we've just witnessed across Mr. Morale. Kendrick, abandoned and alone after Whitney left him, facing grief he once numbed with vice, and excavating the generational trauma he inherited. This was the reality of his 1855 days, the time between damn and Mr. Morale. While others focused on the external social movements, politics, cultural wars, Kendrick was turned inward, rebuilding from the inside out. This sets up the next line. Baby, I told you a story and laid down all the rules. Speaking directly to the woman, Kendrick positions the album as a personal story layered with rules or. Or a loose blueprint others might follow on their own path to healing, but in the end, it's still just a story. It can guide but it can't save. And this brings us to the final line, reinforcing an idea we heard in verse one. Still you won't grow waiting on me at this point in the song, Kendrick hasn't yet revealed who the woman he's addressing actually is. However, after a repetition of the chorus, she remains the central focus of the third and final verse.
- [19:09]
Unknown Female Character
Cause all of it's toxic Girl I'm not relevant to giving no problem personal gain of my pain is nonsense darling my demons is off the leash for a mosh pit Baby I just had a baby you know she need me Working on myself and counseling is not easy don't you point a finger just to point a finger Cause critical thinking is a deal breaker Faith in one man it's a ship sink and do.
- [19:29]
Cole Kushna
Yourself a favor Kendrick begins Verse three. Cause all of it's toxic Girl I'm not relevant to giving on profit Personal gain off my pain it's nonsense darling my demons is off the leash for a mosh pit still addressing this woman figure, Kendrick casts A sweeping dismissal of the entire ecosystem around him. Fame, media, online discourse, the music industry. All of it, he suggests, is corrupt, exploitative and spiritually hollow. So rather than continue playing the game of transactional relationships, Kendrick retreats My Demons is off the leash for a mosh pit is a particularly potent image. It calls back to Mother Eye Sober, where Kendrick admitted to letting his ego purge while on tour, a time when the fast paced city to city grind provided endless temptation and little space for healing. Each show may have been cathartic for the audience, but behind the curtain it was chaos, another kind of mosh pit for his demons. The tour environment fed the very behaviors he was trying to escape, an issue compounded by the likely reality that Kendrick was under contract to perform. At some point, making money for others while sacrificing his own mental health became untenable. This reminds us of another significant step Kendrick made with the release of Mr. Morale, fulfilling his contract with Top Dog and Interscope Records in order to start his own Co. In PG Lang. Paired with his spiritual liberation, this financial freedom gives Kendrick ownership of his art and ip, marking a shift from being a cog in someone else's machine to architecting his own. It also establishes a foundation for generational wealth, a legacy designed to outlive him and serve lifetimes beyond his own. Kendrick then continues, Baby I just had a baby you know she need me working on myself the counseling is not easy. Kendrick is asking for empathy from this unnamed woman, a reminder that we don't always know the conditions of someone's personal life that might be preventing them from action. On a broader scale, this thread continues with don't you point a finger just to point a finger Cause critical thinking is a deal breaker Faith in one man is a ship sinking Here on the album's final song, Kendrick reinforces its central themes we discussed all season. Lack of independent thought and the homogeny of groupthink is revealed as the ego's need for external approval and fear of judgment. Pointing blame outward becomes a way to avoid looking inward. And be it a politician or artist, waiting for a single person to save humanity is just another way of avoiding the inner work required of all of us. But as Kendrick reminds us next, our salvation doesn't require a hero. It begins with the willingness to face what's already right in front of each and every one of us.
- [22:05]
Unknown Female Character
They pointed at me so the reflection can mirror freedom she told me that she need me the most I didn't believe her. She even called me names on the post. The world can see it jokes and gaslighting mad at me cause she didn't get my vote she say I'm trifling disregarding the way that I cope with my own vices maybe it's time to break it off run away from the culture.
- [22:25]
Cole Kushna
Here in the final verse of the album, Kendrick reveals its symbolic do yourself a favor and get a mirror that mirror grievance. Then point it at me so the reflection can mirror freedom While we've discussed the mirrored two disc structure of Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers all season, this line is its formal acknowledgment. Mirror Grievance refers to the album's opener, United in Grief, while Mirror Freedom points to Mother Eye Sober, where Kendrick achieves personal liberation from that grief. The mirror, first aimed at collective grievance that was then turned toward Kendrick, reflects the album's large form structure. Disc one, the Big Steppers explores humanity at large, a chaotic portrait of unconscious living shaped by the ego and pain body. Disc two Mr. Morale shifts inward, charting Kendrick's individual therapy guided journey toward healing, a personal path now offered as a blueprint for the worldwide steppers to follow. The album's innovative structure joins a discography where each project is a self contained story with its own distinct framework. Good Kid Mad City is a short film with a Tarantino esque non linear narrative. Events unfold out of order, mirroring the chaos of memory and trauma. To Pimp a Butterfly is a blank letter slowly threaded together by a poem ultimately revealed as being read to the spirit of Tupac during the album's twist ending. Damn is a choose your own adventure album where one sequence leads to life and the other to death, depending on whether you play it forwards or backwards. And now with Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers we have a theatrical play in two acts, a mirrored structure that reflects the inseparable relationship between the individual and the collective, the human and humanity. In this way, the album's structure captures its central premise, the idea that we are all reflections of each other, that each of us is OK Lama Kendrick then continues the verse, returning to the unnamed woman figure she told me that she need me the most I didn't believe her she even called me names on the post the world can see it Jokes and gaslighting Mad at me cause she didn't get my vote she say I'm triflin' On one level, this seems to reference a tweet made by the rapper and activist no Name during the height of Black Lives Matter in May of 2020 four days after the murder of George Floyd no Name tweeted, poor black folks all over the country are putting their bodies on the line in protest of our collective safety and y' all favorite top selling rappers not even willing to put a tweet up N Word's whole discographies be about black plight and they are nowhere to be found. Most interpreted the top selling rappers to be J. Cole and Kendrick, with Cole going so far as to release a response track to the tweet called Snow on the Bluff. Kendrick didn't engage with no Name publicly, and here on Mirror he only alludes to the moment as part of his album long critique of judgment, online performance and the lack of empathy in digital discourse. In this passage, he describes the way dialogue and disagreements now play out publicly through posts, jokes, gaslighting and shaming. The line the world could see it underlines the public theater of it all, how platforms like Twitter transform conflict into moral spectacle. I don't think Kendrick is excusing disengagement here. Rather, he's exposing the egoic dysfunction that arises when activism becomes a purity contest, a theatrical stage on which actors, wearing the mask of morality performing the final lines of the verse reveal the identity of the woman Kendrick's been addressing. And it's not no name, he says. Maybe it's time to break it off, run away from the culture to follow my heart. Break it off evokes the end of a relationship, which reframes the entire verse as a kind of emotional fallout not with a person, but with a culture Kendrick once felt committed to. That's why Kendrick has been speaking to the culture as if it were a woman they were once in a relationship. For much of his career, Kendrick played by the culture's rules, seeking its acceptance. This was in large part the subject of The Hart Part 5 and its refrain, I want you to want me too. However, here in the final line on the album's final verse, Kendrick makes clear he's no longer willing to sacrifice his piece for the performance of relevance. And having experienced the entire album to this point, when Kendrick says he's choosing to follow his heart, we know exactly what that means. The heart, as depicted on the album's cover, symbolizes what matters most to Kendrick, his children, Whitney and himself, his sources of unconditional love.
- [26:56]
Kodak Black
Sorry I didn't save the world, my friend. I was too busy building mine.
- [27:00]
Cole Kushna
Again, Kendrick begins the bridge singing, I realize true love's not saving face, but unconditional. With this line, he ties a bow on another core theme of the album. Back on the song Crown, Kendrick unpacked his previous understanding of love, realizing that many of the relationships he once believed were rooted in love were actually conditional, sustained by mutual or sometimes one sided self interest. This kind of love hinges on utility, how a person served your life or image. But when those benefits fade, so does the love. It's seasonal, fleeting and transactional. Here, on the album's final track, Kendrick now describes this love as merely saving face, an idiom used to mean avoiding damage to one's reputation, typically by falsifying a situation so it appears to be something that it's not. Within the album's motivic framework, conditional love is just another mask worn by the ego to pursue its own self interests. Through the emotional and spiritual work documented across the album, Kendrick arrives now at a deeper understanding. True love is unconditional, and he credits his children for teaching him this. In an interview with W magazine around the time of the album's release, Kendrick said, a lot of times we play with the idea of unconditional love and don't necessarily know if it's real until you feel it. My children allowed me, in their development as human beings beginning to walk and talk to remove my ego, to know that my children too will have their own independence that allows me to understand unconditional love on my end. Will I allow them to be themselves? That's love to me, and when I look at that, I try to apply it with how I express myself, how I look at my career and how I meet other individuals. Am I allowing them to be themselves without any judgment? My children have taught me that, unquote. Crucially, Kendrick directly links unconditional love to ego death, a rejection of judgment and control, and allowing others to live authentically. All core themes of Mr. Morale. This kind of love is not based on self interest, but as we discussed earlier in Compassion, it's about meeting people where they are, respecting their journey, and seeing a reflection of yourself in their experience. In his first ever live performance of Mr. Morale back in June of 2022, Kendrick spoke to the crowd about these very same ideas before performing his final song.
- [29:19]
Kendrick Lamar
But if we could share our stories and listen to one another, then we can see there's a whole lot that we got in common, no matter how we look, no matter the race.
- [29:36]
Cole Kushna
It's a little hard to make out, but Kendrick here says, quote, this album is feelings that people can cope to because everybody going through something. But if we can share our stories and listen to one another, then we can see we got a whole lot in common. No matter how we look, no matter our race, creed, color, gender, sexuality, any of that. When you sit back and really digest it and talk to somebody, you can find that common thread. You'll be like, you're just like me and I judged you for so fucking long. I respect you and I love you. Once again, Kendrick reinforces the album's guiding principles of reserving judgment, allowing others to live authentically, and seeing a version of yourself and everyone attributes that allow you to love unconditionally. These ideas lead us to the next lines. When will you let me go? I trust you'll find independence. If not, then all is forgiven. Kendra continues the relationship metaphor here, speaking to the culture he's broken up with. He asks to be released, to be allowed to live freely, authentically, and no longer bound by the need for validation or approval. And yet, even as he asserts his independence, Kendrick extends grace. He forgives those who refuse to let go, who continue to criticize, judge, or misunderstand his decision to leave the matrix. This moment is one final enactment of the values Kendrick has cultivated through his transformation, the ability to show compassion even toward those who resist your growth or resent your freedom. This is part of seeing yourself in others. It's the recognition that the intuition to judge others is universal. And it's a tendency Kendrick had to confront in himself, to judge others, for still judging him would reflect the spiritual ego we explored in rich spirit, the subtle way the ego hijacks spiritual insight to elevate itself as morally or spiritually superior. Instead, Kendrick models the humility of Jesus, whom he symbolically honors by donning the crown of thorns on the album's cover. As Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Kendrick's forgiveness here at the album's end is the closing gesture of a healed man, a man choosing empathy over ego, release over resentment. With that final offering, Kendrick says one last goodbye. Sorry I didn't save the world, my friend. I was too busy building mine again. Here, Kendrick addresses the symbolic woman, not as baby or darling as he did previously. Now it's my friend again, playing into the relationship metaphor, expressing his desire to remain friends after the breakup. This then gives way to an extended iteration of the song's refrain, which is now repeated exactly 10 times.
- [32:24]
Kodak Black
I choose me. I'm sorry I chose me. I'm sorry I choose me. I'm sorry I chose me. I'm sorry I chose me. I'm sorry I chose me. I'm sorry.
- [32:55]
Cole Kushna
The sheer repetition of the refrain drives home the album's central message One final choose yourself. Love yourself without condition, and begin healing the world by healing yourself first. Now, when we take a closer look at how many times Kendrick repeats the phrase during these final moments of the album, we find that he says, I choose me. I'm sorry. Ten times in the two previous iterations of the chorus, Kendrick repeated that refrain six times. This may be arbitrary, not intended to symbolize anything at all. However, both 6 and 10 repetitions are somewhat odd numbers when working in a 44 time signature. I'll spare you the full technical breakdown, but in four four time parts are typically structured in multiples of four, so you usually hear things in groups of four, eight, or even sixteen. So hearing this refrain repeat six times in the choruses and then ten times in the outro struck me as somewhat odd. Then I began exploring their symbolic meanings and found them especially compelling when viewed alongside the conclusion of the previous track, Mother Eye. Sober. Recall that Kendrick ended that song with seven declarations of freedom. That climactic moment marked the culmination of Kendrick's transformation, and I personally felt the use of seven was clearly intentional. As we discussed in Biblical Symbolism, seven represents completion of divine work and is often used to signify God's perfection and blessings. Now, if we extend this same biblical symbolism to the numbers 6 and 10, we find some very compelling connections, as both numbers are frequently used in the Bible, specifically in relation to the number seven. Let's begin with the number six, which traditionally symbolizes human imperfection falling short of God's perfection represented by the number seven. In Genesis, humanity is formed on the sixth day, and God commands six days of labor before the holy rest of the seventh. More broadly, the number six often reflects humanity's imperfect condition when separated from God, highlighting the gap between human effort and spiritual completion. The number 10 builds on this framework by forming a bridge between that gap. Like 7, the number 10 represents a kind of completeness. But rather than signifying divine completeness, 10 specifically reflects human completeness, completeness that is achieved by obeying God's instructions. This is most clearly illustrated in the Ten Commandments, a moral framework given to humanity as a guide for living in alignment with God's will, creating a harmonious pathway between humans and God. In this way, we can view the number 10 as a kind of symbolic resolution between 6 and 7, between human imperfection and divine perfection. By living in accordance with God's instructions, humanity moves from an imperfect, incomplete state toward alignment with the divine, opening the path to receive God's blessings. In the Bible, this symbolic movement from Imperfection to wholeness is expressed in the life of Jesus. In Christian theology, Jesus enters the world at the level of six, fully human, burdened with all the limitations of the flesh. Through his divine nature, Jesus embodies seven the perfection of God made manifest. And through his teachings, his sacrifice, and his model of love, Jesus became the bridge that makes 10 possible. Human completeness aligned with God's will. Like OK Lama being the mirror between Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, Jesus is the mirror through which humanity sees what it means to live in harmony with God. Now, all of this symbolism becomes especially meaningful here in Mr. Morale and the Big Stepper's final moments, where Kendrick's use Of the numbers 6, 7 and 10 forms something like a symbolic constellation, bringing the album to a natural conclusion. In Mother Eye Sober, the use of the number seven marks the sacred moment of release, the spiritual completion of Kendrick's internal transformation. In declaring forgiveness for himself, his family, and even all abusers, Kendrick's prophetic voice offers God's grace with a compassion that reflects the teachings Christ embodied. Then in Mirror, the use of 6 and 10 functions like a coded epilogue, each number capturing a different facet of the journey. The six repetitions of I Choose Me in the choruses mark Kendrick's acceptance of human imperfection. Recall that during the Mr. Morale era, Kendrick consistently emphasized this theme. In his Instagram note to fans he wrote Mr. Morale the catalyst to my self expression. I'll never forget the process of falling in love with Imperfection. After performing his Morale set at rolling loud in 2022, Kendrick said this about his legacy.
- [37:21]
Kendrick Lamar
Really just the impact to inspire people, you know, and always showing them that the duality of life is not such a bad thing. You know, we go through so many volatile situations where we don't really know how to connect or, you know, communicate how we feel. So through my music, I want to make sure that's the legacy, showing people how to communicate and it's okay, you know, if you're not perfect, you know, it's about accepting the beauty of imperfection.
- [37:43]
Cole Kushna
Finally, when accepting the Grammy Award for Mr. Morale, Kendrick ended his speech by once again praising Imperfection.
- [37:50]
Kendrick Lamar
That's special to me. All we ever wanted was to be the biggest underground artist of all time. And I finally found Imperfection with this album. So I appreciate y'.
- [37:58]
Cole Kushna
All.
- [37:58]
Kendrick Lamar
I love y'.
- [37:59]
Unknown Female Character
All.
- [38:00]
Cole Kushna
Kendrick's six repetitions of I Choose Me can be understood as a symbolic embrace of his imperfect nature. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is not a savior. He is a flawed human. He is ok. Llama he is, as you are, a reflection of all of us accepting this truth. The 10 repetitions that close the album signal Kendrick's step into divine alignment. It's a parting gesture of moral clarity, a commitment to Mr. Morale to walk the path of truth, love and compassion and reject the ego, judgment and self indulgence of the Big Steppers. That's why Kendrick wears the crown of thorns. It's not a claim to be a savior, but a commitment to doing his best, to walk in the image of Christ, the model for divine harmony, the bridge between imperfection and perfection. The morality play Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers documents the journey of that effort, a flawed, courageous and deeply human attempt to follow that path. It's not the story of a perfect man, but everyman OK Lama who learned to love the imperfections he saw in the mirror unconditionally, who finally found peace of mind and created some paradise through healing, truth and family. Now, as the curtains fall and Kendrick leaves the stage, he offers that same mirror to his audience, to us. And if we accept it, if we choose to face what's staring back, we'll see exactly what Kendrick saw. A reflection of all of us, everything we need to one day find some peace of mind and some paradise of our own. Thank you all for tuning in to season 13 of dissect. This was without a doubt the most challenging and rewarding season we've produced in the show's nine year history. And if you've made it here all the way to the end, I just want to say how truly grateful I am for each and every one of you. Studying Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers and the teachings of Eckhart Tolle has had a profound impact on my own life. And if you've watched this entire season, I imagine the album has done something similar for you. Kendrick Lamar may not be our savior, but his art is a genuine service to humanity and Mr. Morale might just be his greatest contribution yet. What it might lack in commercial appeal is more than made up for with spiritual depth, as the album is a legitimate active model for healing. And like many great works of art, it may be years, even decades, before the world truly understands its value. Anyway, thank you again for watching. If you enjoyed the season, the biggest thing you can do to help is tell a friend about it or share on social media tagging dissectpodcast. You can also leave a comment with what album you want me to dissect next. And don't forget that we have an entire back catalog of Dissect Seasons on Spotify, there's full seasons on DAM and to Bimba Butterfly as well as many others on artists like Frank Goschin, Radiohead, Mac Miller, Beyonce, Tyler, the creator, and more. I want to say a big thank you to my right hand man Kevin Pooler who did a tremendous job helping convert Dissect to video this season. Also big thanks to the ringers Justin Sales for all the support he provides the show, as well as Jon Jones for additional video editing. Alright, thank you again everyone. I'll talk to you all soon.