He’s iconic; a genre-defining legend whose every move becomes a cultural moment. Kendrick Lamar’s sixth album, GNX, lands with all the surprise and precision of a lightning strike, announced via Instagram on Nov. 22, with just the album cover and title. Within hours, streaming platforms were buzzing as fans scrambled to hear the latest from an artist who, time and again, has redefined the boundaries of rap and storytelling. GNX arrives in the wake of a blockbuster year for Lamar: his Grammy-nominated single, “Not Like Us,” a victorious rap feud with Drake, and the announcement that he’ll headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in February 2025. True to form, Lamar’s newest project blends his penchant for unpredictability with his laser-focused intensity.
The album’s title, GNX, is a nod to a vintage Buick Grand National, a symbol of West Coast nostalgia that Lamar threads through his lyrics. Over 12 tracks, including the viral “squabble up,” teased in the intro of the “Not Like Us” music video, Lamar crafts a compelling narrative that feels as much like a personal manifesto as it does a cultural statement.
In the hard-hitting “heart pt. 6,” Lamar reclaims the long-running series Drake tried to co-opt, rapping, “Now it’s about Kendrick, I wanna evolve, place my skillset as a Black exec.” The track features a diced-up SWV sample, setting a tone that fuses boldness with introspection. While GNX leans into Lamar’s pop sensibilities, recalling the same flow of 2017’s DAMN. more than the jazz-infused complexity of To Pimp a Butterfly, it is no less ambitious. Tracks like “man at the garden” are minimal yet powerful meditations on success, while “reincarnated” features Lamar in an imagined conversation with his father and Father (yes, that one), layered over a sample from the late rapper 2Pac. Collaborations shine throughout GNX. SZA lends ethereal vocals to “luther” and “gloria,” mariachi singer Deyra Barrera adds a haunting texture to interludes, and Jack Antonoff, Kamasi Washington, and Mustard anchor the production. The result is an album as multifaceted as its creator, oscillating between the explosive and reflective, the deeply personal and universally resonant.
Vocally, Lamar continues to astonish. On “reincarnated,” he’s confrontational and raw; on “luther,” he croons with tenderness. The eerie “hey now” features a chilling whisper that’s equal parts threat and plea. This versatility makes GNX both engaging and addictive, with standout lines that invite repeat listens. “F*ck a double entendre, I want y’all to feel this sh*t,” Lamar declares on the opening track, summing up the album’s ethos. While the lyrical intricacy of earlier projects is occasionally dialed back, GNX brims with passion, celebrating hip-hop’s visceral, soul-stirring joy.
With GNX, Lamar reasserts his place as a rap philosopher-king. As he prepares to take the Super Bowl stage, this album serves as both a victory lap and a promise that Lamar’s evolution is far from over.
GNX is available to stream everywhere now!