Kendrick Lamar, “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” To think that it’s been five years since the world has heard a new project from Compton’s Kendrick Lamar. Fans have been desperate to hear new work from K-Dot, who in the last few years has collaborated on Marvel’s “Black Panther” soundtrack, and…

Under that moniker DJ Shadow, Joshua Paul Davis in 1996 gave sample-based music one of its first hit albums with Endtroducing. He transcended the established norms of ‘90s hip-hop by incorporating elements of ambient music, electronica and “sampledelia.” Davis found more common ground with U.K. trip-hop than West Coast G-funk—which might…