Kendrick Lamar’s GNX: A hip-hop victory lap fit for a King

No one in the music industry has had a better 2024 than Kendrick Lamar. This year, his feud with Canadian rapper Drake fueled much of Lamar’s creativity. It led to several remarkable diss tracks, including the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated “Not Like Us," solidifying his position in the feud.

During all of this, Lamar was also announced to be headlining the half-time show for the NFL Superbowl, strengthening his legacy as an icon in rap music. Just when we thought we’d heard everything from Lamar for this year, Mr. Morale had other plans and released a surprise album, GNX, with no prior promotion.

The GNX album is his first full-length effort since "Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers" in 2022, and it continues its predecessor's excellence. Lamar’s lyricism is fierier than ever, and the production hits hard. Lamar’s signature delivery captures you from the first song.

Featuring collaborators like pop virtuoso SZA, producer Jack Antonoff, hip-hop heavyweight Mustard, and jazz maestro Kamasi Washington, the album exudes the diversity that one would expect from such a varied star cast of collaborators.

With samples spanning multiple genres and languages, bass-heavy beats, and live instrumentation, the album is inarguably one of the strongest releases of Lamar’s career. It almost serves as a retrospective of the various eras of his career. Spanning 12 tracks, the album seamlessly goes through multiple fiery rap seamlessly blended with melodic flows inspired by 90s R&B and soul.

'wacced out murals'

The opening track for GNX, the song starts with a beautiful opera sample and strings leading quickly into a razor-sharp Kendrick Lamar flow. The lyrics discuss Lamar cementing his place as one of the greatest rappers ever. The bouncy bass-heavy beat keeps your head bobbing, and the production expands minimally as the song draws closer to its conclusion.

Another oddity is the blank bar towards the start of the song. It almost feels like a lousy audio cut or censorship, but it is likely another of Lamar’s eccentric musical choices.

'squabble up'

The intro of this song was briefly teased in the video for Lamar’s decisive diss track against Drake, “Not Like Us.” The song follows the same pattern, almost as a musical successor to “Not Like Us.”

Producer Mustard, who also produced the latter, comes in complex with the single-note, bass-heavy hip-hop beat coupled with a choir chant hook that instantly remains solidified in your brain after the first listen.

'luther'

This song has Lamar teaming up with pop star SZA again and takes on a 90s R&B feel-good sound. Jack Antonoff’s addition to the production adds a layer of polish. Lamar and SZA continue their successful collaborations, proving to be a true musical powerhouse of cooperation. The string section and guitar particularly stand out on this track, adding the right amount of organic zest to the 808-heavy rhythm section.

'man at the garden'

This slow burner once more showcases Lamar’s lyrical ferocity as he talks about how he deserves all he has achieved in his career. The lyrical vulnerability, coupled with the smooth R&B vibes of the production reminiscent of rap greats like Nas, elevates this track as one of the best in the collection. The honesty of the lyrics stands out and makes this song memorable.

'hey you'

The album picks up pace with this collaboration between Lamar and rapper Dody6. The song leans towards the sound of Lamar’s “Damn” album, with a heavy bass hip hop beat, coupled with an exchange of blistering verses between Dody6 and Lamar. This one is reminiscent of old West Coast rap made famous by rap legends Tupac and Biggie.

'reincarnated'

One of the best songs on the album, reincarnated sees Lamar leaning in towards the sound of his seminal album “To Pimp a Butterfly” and the underrated “untitled-unmastered,” with jazz-inspired instrumentation — particularly the groovy bassline, soulful piano, and tight drum work — elevates the track to one of the album’s highlights.

'tv off'

Another one that follows in the footsteps of the “Not Like Us” sound, "tv off" sees Lamar go all out lyrically while producer Mustard backs him up with another bouncy beat that keeps your head bobbing indefinitely. Lamar’s unexpected mid-song shoutout to Mustard adds a playful, meta touch to the track. That doesn’t change it from likely to become a viral moment among fans.

'dodger blue'

This one also sees Lamar don the melodic R&B cap. Featuring collaborations from Wallie the sensei, Roddy Rich, and Siete7x, the quartet effortlessly harmonizes over a groovy, jazz-infused R&B beat. The chord changes are tasty, making this song a welcome addition to any fan's chill hip-hop playlist.

'peekaboo'

This one takes us back to Lamar’s sound on hits like "A.D.H.D," where the bass-heavy beat takes center stage as Lamar spits absolute fire over it. Taking cues from his earlier releases, the track features rapper Chickie, who stands on his own, while matching his energy with Lamar’s monstrously clean delivery.

'heart pt.6'

A continuation of Lamar’s iconic 'heart' series, 'pt.6' stands out as one of the most poignant entries, blending flamenco guitar and neo-soul beats with deeply introspective lyrics. The track also heavily reminisces the musical and melodic style of Lamar’s often overlooked and underrated gem, “untitled-unmastered.” It has an infectiously catchy hook melody sampled from 90s R&B group SWV’s hit “Use Your Heart,” that stays with you instantly after the first listen.

'gnx'

The titled track is probably the most straightforward production on the album, yet one of the most infectious. The loopy piano riff and shuffling bass and drums create an irresistible groove that underscores Lamar’s knack for turning simplicity into brilliance.

Named after Lamar’s favorite Buick model, the song also features bars from Hitta j3, Youngthreat, and Peysoh. The loopy piano riff and the shuffling bass and drums make for a real head-bopper. The features also hold significance as they show how closely Lamar has his ears on all up-and-coming rap artists in his native town of Los Angeles.

'gloria'

The album closer is another collaboration with pop sensation SZA that takes the neo-soul R&B route, one that is successfully followed on multiple occasions throughout this album. The instrumentation is sublime. The string and brass sections act subtly yet effectively, adding another layer of depth to the entire track. Lamar’s introspective lyrics also cut through the heavy instrumentation beautifully, unleashing another moment where Lamar wears his heart on his sleeve.

Verdict

GNX is a 12-song hip-hop masterpiece that looks back at an illustrious career of over a decade and cements Kendrick Lamar’s legacy as one of the greatest rap artists of this generation. It isn’t just a celebration of Kendrick Lamar’s legacy; it’s a declaration that his reign as one of rap’s greatest is far from over.