Albumdata
| Artist | Kendrick Lamar |
| Album | GNX |
| Year of release | 2024 |
Rating
Introduction
On November 22, 2024, at 6 PM CET, Kendrick Lamar announced his new album GNX was available immediately. A surprise release that turned the hip-hop world on its head. Was it that good(again)?
Route to GNX
Following the release of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which was the last release through Top Dawg Entertainment, 2023 and the beginning of 2024 was dedicated to the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers tour.
On March 19, 2024, Kendrick Lamar posted a message on one of his Instagram accounts that he had bought a vintage, limited 1987 Buick Grand National Experimental (GNX), the same car his father drove on the night Kendrick was brought home from the hospital after he was born. By the way, Buick produced just 547 copies of the GNX, all painted black, making it one of the rarest cars of all time.
Kendrick Lamar – Insta-post 03/19/2024
The message was rather cryptic, but as it turned out it was the first hint towards a new album.
Drake
In 2024 the Drake fued, which originated in 2013, was re-booted when Lamar guested on the Like That single by Future and Metro Boomin’. Drake interpreted it as an attack and released the diss-track Push Ups, which was answered by Lamar with Euphoria and 3 days later with 6:16 In L.A.. Drake’s answer Family Matters was returned with Lamar’s meet the grahams within the hour, and 14 hours later followed by Not Like Us. The last song in particular, sealed the fate of the feud. Not Like Us was globally hailed as a masterpiece and named one of the best diss-tracks of all time. Drake fell quiet and went away and is now probably contemplating his career moving forward, as it has suffered a devastating blow.
Kendrick Lamar – Drake diss tracks
After Lamar had been chosen to play during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, he released an untitled song on September 11, 2024, which was renamed to Watch The Party Die or The Day The Party Died by the press. In October sources close to Lamar confirmed new music was on the horizon.
On November 22, 2024, a minute-long teaser for GNX was shared on YouTube. Within 30 minutes the album was shared on all leading streaming services and was officially released.
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Review
I have listened to the album a number of times and I have to say that I am impressed, yet again. Even though the album isn’t held together by one big message, the songs all have that familar Kendrick Lamar level and have something to say. Lyrically Lamar is once again out of all of his fellow rappers’ leagues.
Lamar worries about the current state of hip-hop and its future. “Yesterday, somebody whacked out my mural / That energy’ll make you niggas move to Europe”, the first two lines Lamar raps on the album, in opening song wacced out murals. Those two sentences convey entire stories in itself. In Los Angeles city Compton a mural has been painted, which is world renowned on social media. Recently the mural has been defaced. The second line refers to the large number of black artists that have left for Europe, because they were understood more, appreciated for their art and were free from the abundance of racism and jealousy. Also, the line “Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me” spreaks volumes as to how Lamar views his fellow hip-hop colleaugues, and vice-versa.
Kendrick Lamar – Mural in Compton, Los Angeles, California
In squabble up colleague rappers are questioned: “Tell me why the fuck you niggas rap if it’s fictional?”. It’s nothing new that Lamar worries about rap as an art-form, but on GNX he seems obsessed by it, and it leads him to unknown heights. Is he busy securing the future of hip-hop or is he perhaps redefining it?
Lamar isn’t modest either. In man in the garden he raps “I deserve it all”, the adulation, the status of best rapper at this point in time and the money of course, “‘Cause my intentions was pure”. In reincarnated he raps about the difficulty (black) artists have to stay healthy, both mentally and physically. The road to addiction seems to be the obvious choice, is within reach and provides some solace (however superficial it is). He calls to build on all the beauty from the past and learn from the mistakes that were made: “Then let’s rejoice where we at / I rewrote the devil’s story just to take our power back, ‘carnated”.
On heart, pt. 6 Lamar looks back on his early years as a starting artist and him leaving Top Dawg Entertainment.
To all my young niggas, let me be the demonstration
How to conduct differences with a healthy conversation
If that’s your family, then handle it as such
Don’t let the socials gas you up or let emotions be your crutch
Pick up the phone and bust it up before the history is lost
Hand-to-handshake is good when you have a heart-to-heart
In gloria he talks about his fiancee, their connection and the things they went through: “Remember when granny died? You looked at me and said, ‘Baby, dry your eyes / Depend on me as your relief, let your anger be mine'”.
GNX is a lushly produced album, as Lamar was helped by Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff. It’s audible both in the music and its production. Lamar has added yet another great album to his, already very impressive, body of work.
Kendrick Lamar – GNX – Back cover
Songs
All songs written by Kendrick Lamar, unless stated otherwise.
- wacced out murals (Kendrick Lamar, Deyra Barrera)
- squabble up
- Luther (Kendrick Lamar, Atia Boggs, Samuel Dew, Solána Rowe)
- man at the garden
- hey now (featuring Dody6) (Kendrick Lamar, Zarius Cunningham)
- reincarnated (Kendrick Lamar, Deyra Barrera)
- tv off (featuring Lefty Gunplay)
- dodger blue (featuring Roddy Ricch, Siete7x and Wallie the Sensei) (Kendrick Lamar, Samuel Dew, Craig Johnson Jr., Traquan Tyson)
- peekaboo (featuring AzChike) (Kendrick Lamar, Damaria Walker)
- heart pt. 6
- gnx (featuring Hitta J3, Peysoh, and YoungThreat) (Kendrick Lamar, Deonta Simuel, Dominicke Williams, Kevin Oropeza)
- gloria (featuring SZA) (Kendrick Lamar, Deyra Barrera, Atia Boggs, Solána Rowe)
Kendrick Lamar – GNX – Booklet
Musicians
- Kendrick Lamar – vocals
- Deyra Barrera – extra vocals on wacced out murals, reincarnated
- Ink – background vocals on squabble up, heart, pt. 6, extra vocals on dodger blue
- Sam Dew – background vocals on squabble up, man at the garden, hey now, reincarnated, dodger blue, heart, pt. 6, gloria, extra vocals on luther
- Paul Cartwright – strings on luther, violin on tv off
- Caleb Vaughn Smith, Drew Forde, Geoff Gallegos, Giovanna Moraga, Kerenza Peacock, Luanne Homzy, Luke Maurer, Stephanie Payne, Stephanie Yu – strings on luther
- Lefty Gunplay – extra vocals on tv off
- Miles Mosley – bass on tv off
- Peter Jacobson – cello on tv off
- Amber Wyman, Malik Taylor, Rickey Washington, Ryan Porter, Sean Sonderegger, Serafin Aguilar – horns on tv off
- Evan Smith, Zem Audu – saxophone on tv off
- Chad Jackson, Marta Honer, Reiko Nakano, Tylana Renga, Yvette Devereaux – violin on tv off
- Roddy Ricch – extra vocals on dodger blue
- Bobby Hawk – violin on heart, pt. 6, gloria
In closing
What’s your opinion on this album by Kendrick Lamar? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Kendrick Lamar – GNX. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
