★★★★★
West Coast 90’s throwback dispels any argument for the Greatest of All Time
It’s Just Big Me
Kendrick Lamar has had a year to remember. His rap battle against hip-hop/pop superstar Drake saw the two trading diss tracks daily, culminating in Lamar’s chart topping hit “Not Like Us”, which is now in the running for Song of the Year at the upcoming Grammy Awards. For most artists, that would be it. However, Kendrick Lamar is not most artists. An additional Pop Out concert in LA on Juneteenth alongside a Super Bowl Performance announcement left fans craving for new material, culminating in his surprise release on Friday the 22nd of November; A brand new Kendrick Lamar album GNX, featuring entirely new material.
All Eyes On Kendrick
If I were to compare this album to anything, I would say it is Kendrick’s equivalent to All Eyez on Me, which comes through in both the album’s presentation and lyrical approach. This is evidently the most 2Pac inspired album Kendrick has released, with an emphasis on upbeat West Coast centred bops that harken back to Pac hits of the past like “I Get Around” and “How Do U Want It”. This translates in the highly anticipated “squabble up” and “tv off” amongst others, that feature bouncy beats, off-kilter and almost humorous vocal inflections from Lamar, allowing himself free reign to experiment within his boundaries, leading to astounding results. In many respects, this kind of raw energy hasn’t been present in his work since good kid, m.a.a.d. City.
Despite my 2Pac comparison, ironically, this is easily Kendrick’s shortest release to date, clocking in at 44 minutes. In many ways this makes it one of his most easy to revisit, which owes itself heavily to the way the songs are structured. With every no-nonsense banger like ‘hey now’, which has an incredible build into a spaced out funky bridge and bass heavy chorus, there is a slow but equally groovy ‘dodger blue’ detailing Kendrick’s ability to sit back and create an atmosphere over a slower, sensual beat. It helps that the tracklisting is laden with hidden features, mostly from blooming LA-based artists who Lamar seems to be platforming with his growing influence.
gnx
This does come with some downsides however. The title track ‘gnx’, a posse cut with the likes of Hitta J3, YoungThreat and Peysoh, has an overbearing beat, with lyrics so purposefully substanceless that it actually distracts from the song’s genuine qualities. The performances from the vibrant alumni are entertaining, but this feels like something left from the cutting room floor.
Despite these antics, Kendrick hasn’t let go of his cut-throat agenda on this album, which has been present across his 2024 discography. From the opener “wacced out murals”, K. Dot brings a haunting delivery of blows and threats, alluding to the state of hip hop and continuing to proclaim himself as the greatest to ever do it. Shots are fired at Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and some subliminals toward Drake and P. Diddy, with the exception of expressing his thanks to Nas. Kendrick sounds genuinely out for blood on this track and sets a dangerous precedent for tracks to come.
A similar energy appears on “man at the garden”, a stripped down cut where Kendrick reflects on his growth both artistically, financially and personally, claiming in a grand statement that ‘I deserve it all’ a sentiment repeated again and again. For most rappers, this would be a notion seen on half their discography, but after the trials and tremulations suffered, be that the struggles of poverty, overcoming suicidal thoughts, a savior complex and various other personal struggles, Kendrick makes a valid case for himself. Later in this project, in what can only be described as one of his best ever, Kendrick presents a deeply Pac inspired through “reincarnated”, wherein he likens himself to a washed up blues guitarist and former female singer, considering his own moral struggles in relation to theirs. This culminates in a climactic moment of Kendrick presenting a conversation with God himself and his alignment to his faith in a way similar to previous tracks like ‘Mortal Man’. It’s a powerful moment that resonates as a true jawdropper.
Kendrick allows for a softer presentation here as well, calling upon his former labelmate popstar SZA on tracks “luther” and “gloria”. The latter of these reads as a love song to his writing process, detailing his progressive highs and lows. Similarly, “luther” is presented as a Luther Vandross inspired utopian love duet ballad between the two that essentially gives fans the Kendrick/SZA collab we’ve waited for since their 2018 hit “All the Stars”. Suffice to say, it was well worth the wait.
There’s room for further self-reflection on “heart pt. 6”, the continuation of his heart series (that ignores and outdoes Drake’s diss track of the same title) that sees Kendrick recount his growth as an artist alongside his labelmates and former Black Hippy alumni, suggesting bittersweet news for hopes of an imminent reunion or collective album anytime soon. It’s clear as well that Kendrick is at his most self-aware in terms of taking his legacy in the genre into consideration across this project, and looks to use his influence as a means of shaping hip hop’s sound for the next generation to come.
It goes without saying that the production from Sounwave, DJ Mustard (“MUSTAAAAAAARD”), and surprisingly Jack Antanoff on this is some of the most snappy, concrete and fully realised of Kendrick’s entire catalogue, let-alone of the year in hip-hop. Combining soft, Summery, acoustic instrumentation with low-key, understated bass bangers, there isn’t a song on here that feels like it was forgotten, even if some ideas should’ve maybe remained in the studio. It truly is a fully realised piece of work through and through, even though it does leave you thirsty for more. However, with a 12 song surprise release alongside an additional 6 songs from Kendrick this year, it’s hard for us fans to complain.