“This is not for lyricists, I swear, it’s not the sentiments / Fuck a double entendre, I want y’all to feel this shit.” Dedicated to Kendrick Lamar’s commitment to his art, the visceral opening song of his latest album, “wacced out murals,” makes a striking statement with its echoey, Spanish lyrics that glide into a slow, heavy beat with cumbersome prose.
On Nov. 22, Lamar disrupted the music industry by releasing his sixth studio album, GNX, a mere two minutes after the teaser. Lamar seemed to be riding the waves of his rap-battle victory with Drake that lit flames across social media this spring. This newest release seems to be an attempt at continuing this feverish run.
GNX is a 44-minute long composition featuring a wide array of artists from SZA to AzChike. The moniker is in honor of Lamar’s recently purchased vintage, limited-run 1987 Buick Grand National Experimental (GNX) which he posted on his burner Instagram account, @jojoruski. As seen in the cover art, the renowned car has a special personal meaning: its parent model is the one Lamar’s father used to take him home from the hospital after his birth, signifying Lamar’s deep-rooted connection to hip hop.
Production was primarily led by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff—a relationship that began with the diss track “6:16 in LA” against Drake—marking Lamar’s departure from Top Dawg Entertainment to pgLang. A clear homage to his LA roots in its production, Lamar delivers a core message—he is who he is, he knows his art, and he will put everything he can into it. West Coast music is in his blood; having grown up in Compton, Lamar’s renowned introspective lyrics are a hallmark of the genre.
One of the best tracks of the album was teased at the end of the “Not Like Us” music video on July 4. “squabble up” begins with three sharp lines—“God knows I am reincarnated / I was stargazin’ / Life goes on, I need all my babies”—and then drops into a hyper-energetic, explosive verse. The song—or rather, the 15-second clip—became the electrifying fight song of the summer; it went viral on TikTok and became the Mercedes AMG promotional song for the current F1 season. A highly anticipated release, this sensational party song meets expectations. Elements of G-funk and hyphy, standard features of West Coast hip hop, synthesize to create a track brimming with incandescent energy.
Co-produced with Mustard, who previously worked with Lamar on “Not Like Us,” “tv off” is another West Coast classic. The charged, upbeat track is chopped up with the numerous screams calling “MUSTARD,” and melds together two beats—one adjacent to “Not Like Us” and one stemming from another Mustard project. The lyrics urge folks to “turn his tv off,” a reference to Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (1971) which encourages people to step away from consumption of pop culture and to make actual steps towards one’s own freedom and dreams. It is perhaps a bit too on the nose, but the repetition paired with the beat makes a motivating ensemble.
Lamar slows down the album with “luther,” the first song featuring SZA. This iconic track samples Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross’ 1982 cover of “If This World Were Mine” (1982), a true callback to a classic, old-fashioned duet—a common motif of the album as a whole. Lamar and SZA paint over it with their own gorgeous flair; with smooth lyrics and flowing vocals, this song juxtaposes the first two with its calming tunes, easy harmonies and witty back-and-forth melodies between the two Grammy-winners. This collaboration is no doubt the highlight of the album.
The following three tracks, “man at the garden,” “hey now,” and “reincarnated,” play with the energy levels of the album, pivoting between lethargic, ponderous rap and captivating, snappy tunes.
“man at the garden” is another slow tune with lyrical rap that affirms Lamar’s success; the question of if his success is deserved runs throughout the song—according to Lamar himself, it was and still is. There is a crescendoing thrum near the end until he poses the challenge to the listener: “Tell me why you think you deserve the greatest of all time, motherfucker.” He lists off many of his acquisitions—his wealth, his fame, his power—through the lyrics, punctuating each one with a dry “I deserve it all.” It comes off a bit boorish, but has become part of Lamar’s charm.
The subsequent track has a similar anthem; “hey now,” features a head-bop-inducing beat that speaks to overcoming adversity. Compton-native dody6—an underground artist who was recently freed from incarceration—doesn’t come in until later in the track. His lighter voice contrasts Lamar’s coarser tone and actually adds a refreshing new layer to the album. The lyrics are on the heavier side with phrases like “I’m on the cut with a blower” and “I’m aggressive on the beat and real life;” though sometimes sluggish, the lyrics allow for the vocals to speak more loudly here.
“reincarnated” begins the second half of the album, circling back to the Spanish-language poem that introduced GNX. The lyrics recount three narratives: John Lee Hooker, Billie Holiday, and then Lamar himself. He first visualizes the two renowned black artists whose greatness bleeds into his own, preaching how his musical prowess is a reincarnation of the legends before. The song culminates in his own reflection filled with biblical references, speaking to how black artists can find strength in the greatness of their predecessors—“I rewrote the devil’s story just to take our power back, ‘carnated.” The song is driven by a 2Pac—a huge source of inspiration for Lamar and his conviction to continue the West Coast hip hop tradition—sample, directly continuing his attack on Drake’s use of AI-generated 2Pac vocals from a few months before.
“heart pt. 6” is the most recent installment of Lamar’s “The Heart” series—a set of songs where he muses on his current life. This one is simply a love letter to TDE: “Everything I had was for the team, I remained patient / Grindin’ with my brothers, it was us against them, no one above us, bless our hearts.” It is a reflection of those he’s worked with over the past decades, such as Dave Free and Punch—people who have shaped and supported his career. The song paints a vivid picture but is more reminiscent of the past rather than focused on the present, a deviation from the core messaging of the series.
In general, this album, while deserving of high praise, does fall flat compared to past releases. One point of contention lies in the lyrics. Compared to the provocative Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (2022), GNX is more centered on Lamar’s own power and esteem, a far cry from the humble, sincere lyricism of the prior release. It does not necessarily lack the authenticity he is known for, but lacks the intensity in introspection that characterizes his older work. His shortage of substantive work seems to be as a result of the wave he has been riding since the beginning of the year; his feud with Drake established Lamar’s resounding status as one of the best rappers of the century. This album seems to be catered more so to his popularity, doubling down on his “Fuck the big three / It’s just big me” provocation that kickstarted the battle.
With that said, Kendrick Lamar still excelled. His album is a catch, and the message is unequivocally true: he does have unparalleled ability, and he knows it. It exemplifies his meticulous craft and cements his renown as an artist. Many are eagerly awaiting his Super Bowl halftime performance, and the subsequent tour with SZA. He truly will be riding his GNX to glory next year.
VOICE’S CHOICES: squabble up, reincarnated, tv off (feat. lefty gunplay), gloria (with sza)
