GNX BY KENDRICK LAMAR
BY ELLA EDWARDS
On November 22nd, I bumped into a friend of mine who looked way too excited for noon on a weekday. “Kendrick just dropped!” he explained. Despite Kendrick Lamar’s recent prolificity during beef with Drake, it isn’t everyday that the Pulitzer-recognized rapper puts out an album. Not only that, but Lamar’s previous albums have been consistently stunning, such as the storytelling, Compton-rooted good kid, m.A.A.d. city, funky and political To Pimp a Butterfly, religiously-driven DAMN., and therapy-inspired Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. This is all to say, GNX’s release is a huge deal for Kendrick fans.
PHOTO BY DAVE FREE
Lamar opens the album with an unapologetic track entitled “wacced out murals,” referring to an instance of vandalism on a mural of the musician. Throughout the song, he also addresses frustration with other rap artists, such as Lil Wayne for his lack of support upon hearing that Kendrick will headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. He also calls out Snoop Dogg in the same verse, criticizing a social media post of Snoop’s, in which he reacts cheerfully to a Drake diss called “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which featured Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur’s voices using AI. Featuring mariachi-style vocals by Deyra Barrera, “wacced out murals” boldly declares what’s what to kick off the album, raising Lamar’s criticisms of “the other side,” as well as his commitments to perseverance and authenticity.
He follows this track with “squabble up,” a thoroughly danceable bop, as evidenced in the music video following the song’s release. K. Dot punctuates the triumphantly confident “squabble up” with a catchy chorus, singing, “I feel good, get the fuck out my fa-a-ace!” He takes this energy down a notch in the next track with “luther,” which features a chill beat and driving orchestral swells. SZA’s vocals elevate “luther,” and the duet pays homage to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s 1967 song, “If This World Were Mine.” In fact, samples of Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross’s 1982 cover appear on the track.
After “luther” comes the empowered song “man at the garden,” which builds from start to finish with the affirmative repetition of “I deserve it all”. This track lists off Lamar’s achievements and values, stressing them as reasons for his well-earned success. With listeners completely convinced of the rapper’s merit at the end of “man at the garden,” Dot dives right into “hey now” and proves it, showcasing his proficiency in vocal intensity and “therapeutic flow[s]”. With a feature from Dody6, this song is cold as hell and claims influence, class, and cultural significance.
“reincarnated” is next, punctuated by a dreamy piano vamp and funky basslines, reminiscent of instrumentals on To Pimp a Butterfly. On top of the drum kit and guitars, which are an exciting choice for the genre, Kendrick’s voice reaches guttural levels on this track, an emotion-evoking talent heard previously in his catalogue on tracks like “u”. The lyrics on “reincarnated” tell the story of Lamar’s past lives and “present life,” describing struggles with musical careers, gluttony, addiction, and pride. The song also includes a pensive conversation between Kendrick and God himself, something that listeners might recognize from “How Much A Dollar Cost”. This track is exactly what we look for from Kendrick Lamar: a source of chills and catharsis, with beats so good that you find yourself doing the ‘stank face’ involuntarily. If you can’t tell, this is my favorite track on the album.
“reincarnated” leads into “tv off,” a catchy and fun critique of people these days, essentially, urging people to ‘turn off the TV’ and move past conformity. “tv off” is kissed by DJ Mustard with a strikingly similar touch to this spring’s chart-topping “Not Like Us”. It closes with a feature from Lefty Gunplay, who chants, “crazy, scary, spooky, hilarious,”, an outro that has been stuck in my head since GNX’s release.
The album’s eighth track is “dodger blue,” which is chill, funky, and authentically L.A.. K. Dot flexes his hometown pride in this one, as well as some thoroughly satisfying melodies (I could listen to “streets don’t love you, better respect the code” a billion times…). The talents of Wallie the Sensei, Roddy Ricch, Siete7x, Ink, and Sam Dew take “dodger blue” to another level as well, making for a super strong track overall.
Next is “peekaboo,” a fast-paced warning to anybody dumb enough to mess with Kendrick, featuring AzChike. It is followed by “heart pt. 6,” a continuation of Lamar’s ‘The Heart’ series. He samples SWV’s 1996 song “Use Your Heart” in the chorus, making for a twinkly and dreamlike sound. The lyrics describe the Compton rapper’s experiences in the music industry and rise to success, culminating in what almost seems to be a thesis for the album: “Now it’s about Kendrick; I wanna evolve, place my skillset as a Black exec’.”
PHOTO BY AMY HARRIS
After “heart pt. 6” comes “gnx,” with verses from L.A. rappers YoungThreat, Peysoh, Hitta J3. This catchy, hype-up West Coast anthem boasts influence and hard work, aligning well with Lamar’s rhetoric throughout the album. The final track, “gloria,” featuring SZA, uses personification when referring to Kendrick’s art and is a sort of love letter to his work. The two sing to Lady Rap, ‘Gloria’, backed by congas, flamenco-esque acoustic guitar riffs, and orchestral passages. It summarizes K. Dot’s complicated relationship with his music, the backbone of this hustle-focused record.
A clear F-you to Drake, GNX is a success album, tracing repeatedly back from Kendrick’s Compton roots to his current position at the front of the scene. This is thematically fitting for a record following the crazy virality of the recent Drake beef. One thing is clear: Kendrick Lamar has earned these bragging rights.
