It’s official — Kendrick Lamar has the No. 1 album in the country.
Billboard has confirmed that the 18-track Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has landed in the top spot on the U.S. 200 chart. The highly-anticipated album earned an impressive 295,500 album equivalent units in the U.S. in the week ending May 19, according to Luminate.
Billboard states it’s the highest-earning debut of the year for any album, besting Bad Bunny and Future’s first-week sales.
A majority of the success of K. Dot’s massive debut comes from streaming. Billboard notes that of the 295,500 album equivalent units Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers earned 258,500 came from streaming. The album garnered 35,500 physical album sales and 1,500 track equivalent album units.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is the “Humble” rapper’s fourth-straight project to debut atop the charts. No artist — from any genre — has earned more album equivalent units since Adele’s 30 debuted with 839,000 units in November 2021, according to Billboard.
K. Dot announced he would be releasing the two-part album on April 18 via his Oklama website.
The announcement came days after the fifth anniversary of his 2017 effort DAMN. and eight months after he shared that Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers would be the last project he releases under Top Dawg Entertainment.
“As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years,” he wrote via his Oklama site back in August. “The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling.”
“There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown,” he continued. “Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I’ve prayed for you all. See you soon enough.”
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers includes features by Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killa, Baby Keem, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Kodak Black.