Primarily a conscious hip-hop record, the album experiments with minimalist production while incorporating elements of jazz, R&B, trap, and soul.

It features narration by Whitney Alford and Eckhart Tolle, and guest appearances from Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead.

Upon release, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Lamar's lyricism and the album's scope, although some found it inconsistent and Kodak Black's appearance controversial.

Other promotional initiatives included headlining performances at Glastonbury Festival and Rolling Loud, and a musical guest appearance on the season 48 premiere of Saturday Night Live.

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers debuted atop the Billboard 200, marking Lamar's fourth number-one album in the United States.

[9][10] In an August blog post, Lamar announced that he was in the process of producing his final album under Top Dawg Entertainment, writing: I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts.

[13][14] During recording sessions, Lamar shielded the album away from most of his family members because he didn't want their influence or feelings to override his own; had he told them about it, then "them shits would've never came out".

[15] The digital version found on streaming services also contains "The Heart Part 5", originally released as a stand-alone promotional single, appended to the end of the record as a bonus track.

[27][15] Songwriting contributions came from a variety of artists such as singer-songwriter Sam Dew, production team Beach Noise, and pianist Duval Timothy, in addition to Thundercat, Tommy Paxton-Beesley, and Homer Steinweiss.

[26][28] Due to its "messy but honest" lyrical content, many critics have regarded Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers as Lamar's most confessional body of work.

[30] Throughout the album, Lamar revolves around personal themes regarding his childhood and generational trauma,[31] sexual addiction and infidelity to Alford,[32] and struggles with celebrity worship and fame.

[33] Other topics addressed on the album include fatherhood, daddy issues,[34] therapeutic breakthroughs, spiritual consolation,[35] gender identity,[36] accountability,[37] fake news, cancel culture, capitalism, and performative activism.

[38][16][15] Regarding the album's candid viewpoint, Dr. Christopher Driscoll, assistant professor of religion, Africana, and American studies at Lehigh University, writes "Within the intensely polarizing times we live today, very few artists across genres have the skill and the willingness to be so responsibly honest.

[59][60] To help anticipate Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' arrival, Lamar surprise released "The Heart Part 5" as a promotional single on May 8, 2022, with an accompanying music video.

[70] The October 22 performance at Accor Arena in Paris, France was livestreamed on Amazon Music's Twitch channel to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the release of Lamar's second studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012).

[71] A director's cut of the performance was released as a concert film, titled Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour, exclusively to Amazon Prime Video on November 23.

[83] Steve Loftin of The Line of Best Fit said, "It being one so vulnerable and exposing (including using his family for the artwork), stripping the skin down to the bone, is bold, beautiful, but most importantly, a reminder that an artist like Kendrick Lamar is once in a generation".

[78] Rob Moura of PopMatters said, "On Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, renowned rapper Kendrick Lamar observes the strife plaguing his kingdom and consciously abdicates the throne".

[25] Writing for Exclaim!, Riley Wallace stated, "Kendrick Lamar lets it all out, and even if it's the last time we hear from him in this form, he's metaphorically put his whole heart on the table, with yet another body of work worthy of multiple spins and endless dissection".

[77] Fred Thomas from AllMusic also stated that "While not always an easy listen, the album shows more of its intention as it goes, and ultimately makes sense as the next logical step forward in Lamar's increasingly multi-dimensional artistic evolution".

[75] In a four-star review for The Daily Telegraph, Will Pritchard praised the album's concept and the Kendrick's ability to take "big swings" on songs such as "Father Time" and "Worldwide Steppers".

[76] In a positive review, Pitchfork's Stephen Kearse said, "On his fifth album, Kendrick retreats from the limelight and turns to himself, highlighting his insecurities and beliefs.

[23] In a more mixed review, Miloslaw Archibald Rugallini of Sputnikmusic praised the album's writing and performance, but criticized the production and perceived lack of cohesion, stating that "the instrumentals rarely serve the performances they exist to enhance", and that "the listening experience is defined by languorous stretches between big moments, and becomes more of an exercise in patience than an engaging and enlivening journey".

[85] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times opined that "Mr. Morale is probably Lamar's least tonally consistent work", "rangy and structurally erratic, full of mid-song beat switches, sorrowful piano and a few moments of dead air".

The inclusion of rapper Kodak Black on the album garnered controversy due to him having been accused of rape in 2016 and pleading guilty to first-degree assault and battery.