After over two years of anticipation, murmured speculation arose among fans on social media regarding the potential release of a new project from the 16-Grammy award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Prior to the ultimate release of the album “GNX”, Lamar was scrutinized upon the release of three singles, “euphoria,” “meet the grahams” and “Not Like Us” that functioned more evidently as diss tracks, designed to call out fellow rapper and 5-time Grammy award winner Drake.
Because of the scandal that ensued with Drake’s response, the single “No Face,” Lamar’s release of an album on Nov. 22 came as a shock to many.
While Drake and other artists are alluded to in “GNX,” they are not the main focus.
The album contained 12 tracks and roughly 12 features, most notably the 4-time Grammy award-winning R&B talent SZA, who appeared throughout the album.
While “GNX” was relatively short, amassing only 44 minutes, it contained new and exciting elements that struck fans. Typically – as notable in his prior albums, such as ‘DAMN.,’ Kendrick Lamar had favored a storytelling style, detailing a well-strung and noticeable story throughout each song. Though ‘GNX’ did not have the same aspect of storytelling, it was able to harness themes of personal growth, identity and culture, prosperity, and broader societal issues.
In matters of production, ‘GNX’ was relatively different from the previous stylistic choices Lamar had made. Throughout the album Lamar used elements of G-Funk, likely pulling from the West Coast style as an homage to his hometown Compton, which is something he had not fully delved into in his previous albums. Additionally, a more raw vocal style was used, likely a choice to further emphasize identity as a central idea.
That being said, in regards to Lamar’s other projects, ‘GNX’ is far from superior. Despite the pleasantly surprising and exciting aspects of the LP, his previous albums contain stronger lyrical maturity and more enjoyable production style.
Still, the album was extremely impressive, and monumental for Lamar.
“GNX” became his sixth consecutive album to reach No.1 on the Billboard charts, and quickly rose to No.1 within the first week of its release.
Aside from the commercial success of the album, Lamar has announced his first stadium tour, where he will be performing alongside SZA.
Though slightly underwhelming in contrast to his other projects, ‘GNX’ boasted clear musical maturity from Lamar, and has quickly become one of the better hip-hop albums of 2024. His ability to masterfully pick features and highlight themes provides each song with depth and excitement, while also demonstrating Lamar’s ability to work creatively alongside other artists.
Grade: B+
