If there’s one album from 2024 that has stayed on my mind, it’s GNX by Kendrick Lamar. Despite what anyone says, I firmly believe that 2024 was the year of Kendrick Lamar. From making the most unexpected return on “Like That,” to the entirety of his beef with Drake, to the phenomenon that was “Not Like Us,” and then ultimately, the surprise drop of GNX. While I don’t think that this is his best album by any means, I do believe that this is his most interesting album, with some of the best songs of his career appearing in this album.
I started listening to Kendrick during the DAMN. era, which defined my middle school years. Any time I was feeling like throwing a mini party by myself, I would turn up “HUMBLE” or “DNA.” If I wanted to chill or study, “PRIDE” or “DUCKWORTH” were my go-tos. Since then, revisiting his older albums (which I highly recommend) has been fascinating, but even more so, watching the evolution of his musicality and lyricism. That song is “man at the garden.”
When I say this song altered my brain chemistry, I mean it.
Starting with just the title alone: “man at the garden.” The title itself is a biblical reference to two specific gardens, and its meaning shifts depending on interpretation. The first is the Garden of Eden, where Lamar repeatedly says that “he deserves it all” because he did all the deeds he needed to do to go to the garden. The other garden this can be referring to is the Garden of Gethsemane, which Jesus walked into to pray to God and eventually get taken by the soldiers for crucifixion. While that interpretation is more unconventional, it’s still significant, as Kendrick’s spirituality and relationship with God are major themes throughout the album.
Two key elements make this song brilliant. First, a recurring theme throughout the album is Lamar’s return to his roots, paying homage to his hometown, Compton. In many songs, he pays tribute to West Coast rappers who shaped his sound. For example, “reincarnated” is a tribute to Tupac. Here, he pays tribute to Nas. This shows how much respect he has for the place that chewed him up, spat him out, and pushed him to the top, and it is so beautiful to see. More than just a tribute to the West Coast, this song exemplifies raw self-reflection. Lamar isn’t saying “I deserve it all” out of ego or pride or because he won a Pulitzer Prize. He’s saying “I deserve it all” because of his virtues and beliefs. It’s almost philosophical, as he firmly believes that certain steps, deeds, and actions are necessary to enter the garden. His life’s actions justify him and define his worth to enter the garden. The most amazing part of it all is the third verse, where he completely contradicts everything he said in the first two verses by grappling with himself about how the rest of the people around him also deserve it all, but he has to make painful sacrifices to do so. It also forces him to confront his mistakes, sparking an internal battle over whether he truly deserves to enter the garden — before ultimately returning to the same words that began the song.
“I deserve it all.”
This song embodies true reflection. We need to look within ourselves and point out what we can fix and what our strengths are. As women, we often feel bound by societal expectations — beauty standards, public presentation, friendships, beliefs, and more. Songs like this prove that when pen meets paper, true art emerges. It becomes a beautiful piece that mirrors collective experience — what a song should ultimately achieve.