Kendrick Lamar Releases Full-Throttle, Surprise Album GNX
A Summer of Dominance
AFTER a summer spent burying fellow rapper Drake in one of the most high-profile rap beefs this century, Kendrick Lamar has now wrapped up his domination of 2024 by dropping GNX, a surprise album that not even label Universal Music Group knew was coming.
A Vehicle for Victory
The sixth studio album in Lamar’s prolific arsenal comes off the back from a venomous barrage of singles launched at Drake’s OVO camp almost seven months ago but it shows no signs of him turning on the safety on his metaphorical gun.
Racing Past Rivals
Album opener Wacced Out Murals has Lamar displaying there will be no rules of engagement on the album over aggressive staccato strings as he takes aim at his own heroes, such as Snoop Dogg who posted Drake’s AI-generated Taylor Made diss track on his Instagram.
Calling Out the Competition
This trend of calling out anything Drake-related without explicitly naming him is consistent for the entire album, such as Reincarnated. An obvious jab at Drake’s aforementioned Taylor Made, in which he used artificial intelligence to generate Tupac Shakur’s voice, Reincarnated uses a sample of Shakur’s Made N***** with Lamar’s own voice contorted to fit Shakur’s iconic delivery.
Accessible and Eclectic
GNX also follows the route of the produced-for-clubs Not Like Us, the final diss track Lamar released at the end of the beef, leading to a much more accessible album compared with Lamar’s heavy and introspective Mr Morale & the Big Steppers from 2022.
To that end, the album features an eclectic array of tracks that is a cross-pollination of his earlier albums Damn, To Pimp a Butterfly and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Supercharged Production
Responsible for the production of Not Like Us, its meteoric impact on music charts and over 900 million streams on Spotify, producer Mustard (Dijon Isaiah McFarlane) has been brought back by Lamar for GNX.
The Mustard-produced Hey Now and TV Off are strategically placed in the middle of the album’s 12 tracks while other clearly inspired by Not Like Us tracks such as Squabble Up and Peekaboo are intermittently placed in the front and back halves of the album.
A Team of Collaborators
In between each of these club-ready songs, the Pulitzer-winning rapper slides his usual slower songs that range from deeply contemplative to rap rages such as Reincarnated. Similar to Mustard’s return, Lamar has also brought back Sounwave and Jack Antonoff from 6:16 in LA, another diss from the beef, to co-produce the new album. The duo are known for frequently producing Taylor Swift’s albums.
A Strong Finish
Though there are speculations that GNX is one half of a double album, particularly due to the rumour of Swift working with Lamar on an unreleased song, the album as it currently is strong enough to stand on its own as not only one of the year’s hardest rap albums but also the best way to cap off the biggest year in Lamar’s career.
Conclusion
GNX is a testament to Lamar’s ability to adapt and evolve, showcasing his lyrical prowess and production skills. With its eclectic mix of tracks and supercharged production, it is an album that will leave listeners eager for more.
FAQs
Is GNX a surprise album? Yes, the album was released without prior announcement or promotion.
Who produced the album? Mustard, Sounwave, and Jack Antonoff are among the producers who worked on the album.
Is GNX part of a double album? There are speculations that GNX is one half of a double album, but the album as it currently is strong enough to stand on its own.