5 out of 5 stars
Wake up, Kendrick Lamar dropped a surprise no-skips album!
In his first album following the intense rap battle with Drake, Lamar’s new project “GNX” fuses his life stories with layers of music history. Lamar uses the attention he knew he was going to receive to boost some upcoming LA artists and show his artistry through creative sampling.
“GNX” was released Friday morning under Lamar’s pgLang label through Interscope Records. The 12-song project features SZA, Roddy Ricch and eight lesser-known LA based artists.
I was disappointed on the first listen. On the surface, I heard a more radio-ready side of Lamar. The beats seemed a little basic, and lyrics superficially displayed Lamar’s “I hate everybody” attitude.
I was instantly worried that Lamar was going to become another rapper who reaches for clicks and radio play now that he’s received so much attention from his rap beef with Drake.
After five listens and some extensive research, my first impression was totally wrong. This album is incredible. “GNX” sounds more like pop-rap than any other Lamar project, but this album is inundated with nods to musicians who influenced him, it’s lyrically masterful and it gives space for artists in his community to shine.
Track one, “wacced out murals,” addresses some of the fallout from the Drake debacle. Lamar references the disappointment he felt when fellow West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg reposted “Taylor Made Freestyle,” a diss Drake recorded featuring AI versions of Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. The since-deleted track essentially told Lamar he needed to make more Drake disses and was letting the West down.
Lamar also pays respect to Lil Wayne, rapping “Used to bump ‘Tha Carter III,’ I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down.” The lyrics reference drama surrounding the Superbowl Halftime Show. Many hip hop fans believe the performance should have been given to the New Orleans native Wayne, but it was given to Lamar.
Singer Derya Barrera appears on “wacced out murals,” “reincarnated” and “gloria.” Her vocals open the three songs with soulful Spanish. The Mexican-American thanked Lamar on her Instagram for the opportunity to help show the diversity of LA culture in music.
“reincarnated” samples 2Pac’s “Made N—–” and tells the story of a single soul journeying through music history. According to Genius, the first verse references guitarist Chuck Berry’s life, the second verse is about Billie Holiday and the third verse is a conversation between Lamar and God.
Lamar sees himself as a continuation of the musicians before him who faced troublesome lives, and he discusses his evolution as a soul with God. His choice to use the beat of “Made N—–” song shows his positioning as the new king of rap in the West. His ability to match 2Pac’s flow, attack the beat and tell such a well-developed narrative is astonishing.
“gloria” also features Lamar’s lyrical expertise. He tells the story of lifelong love with a woman through all his life experiences. The woman is his pen, and the song personifies the relationship Lamar has with songwriting. SZA’s vocals add to the loving tone of the last track.
Although Drake tried to ruin Lamar’s “The Heart” song series by posting a diss track titled “The Heart Pt. 6”, Lamar still created “heart pt. 6” for “GNX.” The hook samples SWV’s R&B song “Use Your Heart.” Lamar recollects about meeting with hip hop artists he idolized (such as Ab-Soul and Jay Rock) throughout his career, nodding to how experiences of being an artist growing in LA shaped the man he is now.
“man at the garden” is a somber, poetic song that repeats “I deserve it all” every third line. Although the surrounding bars are relatively short, Lamar uses this track to take the respect he has earned. He deserves to be at the top, the “man in the garden” in religious terms.
“hey now” with Dody6 features Lamar waking up like a sleeping giant. He uses a low tone of voice for much of the song and banters with Dody6’s laid-back flow. “hey now” is the first track on the album to feature one of the lesser-known LA artists. The song tells listeners that Lamar knows he is big enough to forget his Compton background entirely, but he instead is choosing to introduce mainstream hip hop to these underground rappers.
“tv off” with Lefty Gunplay is like a “Not Like Us” cousin. The track features an upbeat Mustard beat with a higher-pitched Lamar. Lefty Gunplay’s repeated “crazy, scary, spooky, hilarious” bar in the second half of the song is undeniably catchy.
“dodger blue” is a love letter to LA. “luther” again features SZA’s beautiful vocals and a more chill Lamar. “gnx,” “squabble up” and “peekaboo” all show Lamar is not a man to play by bringing back the aggressive cadence and lyricism that we’ve seen throughout his career.
Despite initially thinking this album was rushed and missing the deep Lamar I have loved most of my life, I have completely fallen in love with it. Kendrick Lamar is unbelievably talented. The way he somewhat secretively flexes his talent for hip hop and his love of culture in a put-it-on-repeat manner is phenomenal. This man is the best rapper of this generation, without question.
Photo courtesy of Variety.