Review | Hip Hop’s King caps off historic 2024 with ‘GNX’

Kendrick Lamar has been a longtime pioneer of the rap scene, holding to the nickname “King Kendrick.” He recently came out with his sixth studio album, “GNX,” a surprise project that dropped on Nov. 22. 

“GNX” marked Kung Fu Kenny’s first album release since 2022, despite an eventful 2024. A longtime nickname for the rapper, he was featured on Metro Boomin and Future’s song “Like That,” dissing Drake and J. Cole. After Drake and Cole both responded with tracks of their own, Kendrick released “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” in the span of a week. The songs immediately entered mainstream media and inflated the drama as Lamar called out Drake for hiding yet another child from the public and using the n-word in songs, and accused Drake and his OVO camp of being pedophiles.

“GNX” featured many slights and jabs relating to old beef. On “wacced out murals,” the intro track to the album, Lamar called out Snoop Dogg for promoting one of Drake’s songs from the recent drama, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” when Drake used AI-generated lyrics of Snoop and Tupac Shakur to diss Kendrick. Lamar referenced an even more recent dispute with Lil Wayne on the same song regarding Lamar’s selection as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LIX in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans. Kendrick raps, “Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down,” expressing his disappointment in the anger and animosity from someone he once considered an idol. 

Kendrick strongly represented Cali culture on “GNX.” He brings his West Coast heritage onto an album that at times is better described as an homage. Kendrick recounts a lot of his personal memories on different tracks — “gloria” tells of his infatuation with songwriting, and “heart pt.6” goes through his history with some of his longtime friends, specifically Top Dawg, the label he recently left. “dodger blue” serves as a love letter to his hometown of LA — Lamar raps a lot about the forces that molded him into the man he is today. At times, Lamar seems to be squaring for a scrap, fighting back with strong lyrics on songs “squabble up” and “tv off.” While Kendrick doesn’t explicitly bring up the Drake beef, he exudes confidence on this album, reminding people who the real King of Rap is. 

“GNX’s” production was one of my favorite parts of the album as a whole. Songs like “peekaboo,” “gnx” and “squabble up” combined up-tempo and excitable beats with witty lyricism. Kendrick seamlessly transitions from angry, in-your-face beats to slower, smoother melodies and back again, putting his different styles on display. 

Most of “GNX” was produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff, both acclaimed in the hip-hop community. Sounwave and Lamar go back to his mixtape, “Overly Dedicated,” while Antonoff is well-known as Taylor Swift’s longtime producer. Kendrick samples rap legends Nas, Tupac and Biggie throughout, but one of the defining sounds of the album comes on the third track, “luther.” The song is sampled from “If This World Were Mine” by Luther Vandross, floating into Kendrick’s rising vocals. The sample is sped up but still retains the soft and warm qualities of the R&B original, fitted perfectly with SZA and Lamar’s sound.

I was shocked that I couldn’t recognize most of the features on “GNX” during my first listen. SZA’s suave R&B flow on “luther” and “gloria” was the most “high-profile” feature on the album — I imagine I was not the only one a little disappointed to reach the end of the album to find no verse from Kendrick’s cousin, Baby Keem. However, I found myself more appreciative of the featured artist’s different musical styles without any preconceived notions. Music, especially rap, is often tainted by sky-high expectations that are unrealistic and unappreciative of the artistry behind songs.

I thoroughly enjoyed “GNX”, but even as a big Kendrick fan, it didn’t necessarily stand up to some of his other legendary works. Some songs felt designed specifically for streams and soundbites that would flood TikTok for the next few months. On the other hand, songs like “reincarnated” and “heart pt. 6” resembled what fans know as vintage Kendrick. Sharp hi-hats are mixed with suave melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, as Kendrick guides us through a story as if we were right there with him.

Even with his monumental 2024, plan to see even more of the King as the calendar flips to 2025. Lamar will be headlining the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025. Lamar is no stranger to the bigger stage, as he appeared as a guest performer during Dr. Dre’s halftime show, back in 2022 when the Super Bowl was hosted in Los Angeles. Kendrick also recently announced his upcoming Grand National Tour with SZA. The tour kicks off on April 19, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, just two short months after Lamar’s Super Bowl performance. For all PA residents, Lamar and SZA will be visiting the Keystone State twice on their tour, playing in Philadelphia on May 5 and Hershey on June 16.

Despite no promotion, Kendrick still sold 319,000 first-week units, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 for the fifth time in his career. “GNX” had the third-biggest streaming week of 2024 for hip-hop and R&B albums, with the second-biggest debut week of the year overall.