LOS ANGELES — Kendrick Lamar's album rollout has begun.
The celebrated Southern California rapper dropped a new song on Sunday, his first as a lead artist since 2018. "The Heart Part 5" arrives less than a week before the release of Lamar's long-awaited new LP, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," which is due Friday; the single's appearance recalls that of "The Heart Part 4," a non-album cut that came out shortly before 2017's "Damn."
Built atop an interpolation of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You," "The Heart Part 5" opens with Lamar, 34, announcing, "As I get a little older, I realize life is perspective." The densely lyrical track goes on to ponder gang violence, mental health, religion and the murder of Nipsey Hussle, who was shot to death in 2019 outside his clothing store in South Los Angeles.
