Kendrick Lamar - GNX (Album)
It’s November 27th, five days removed from the surprise release of Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. We sift through the sensationalism from both ends of the spectrum of “classic” <-> “garbage” and sit with the remains: quite a project from the Compton creative.
Firstly, opening Spotify and seeing that the intro track is called “wacced out murals” is literally insane. You can’t mess up a song with that kind of name so I already walked in with bias and expectations. Immediately we get the first taste of a mariachi singer, Deyra Barrera (that we’ll revisit a few times throughout) with an epic “Siento aqui tu presencia” — translated to “I feel your presence here.” The way Kendrick raps here has been spoken about extensively on socials and podcasts. Especially the references and direct calls to others in the industry (including a line no one seems to be touching that may refer to the indictment and trial of Diddy / watching the party die, a sentiment that was originally attributed to only Drake, prior to said arrest).
There’s something about all this that just seems like a casual stroll to Kendrick with easy displays of lyricism like on the title track “gnx”, “peekaboo”, and “tv off”, which has its own viral meme with contributions from all places (like McDonalds, DreamWorks, sports teams, to say the least). While also giving us such honesty with “heart pt. 6”, “gloria”, and a Pac homage in “reincarnated”. And the fact we may have two more hits on our hands with “squabble up” and “luther” ft SZA doesn’t go unnoticed to me.
What I love is that GNX, even though now regarded as kind of a pre-cursor, a warm-up, a “throwaway” piece of music scrapped up together, it has so much care and intention to it laced in each song. I’m sure much of it paying homage to the West Coast and homegrown talent all over it helps with that. The belt he’s wearing on the cover is a monument to that. Kendrick and his team is intentional, to the point of psychopathic detail. That’s heard in the bars, even the flows, but also especially the beats, with 11 of 12 produced by himself, Jack Antonoff and Sounwave (excluding only “peekaboo” produced by Sounwave, Scott Bridgeway, and Sean Momberger). The West Coast sound is stamped all over this with not a single second wasted, leaving the Taylor Swift producer in a favorable place to go from here. Like, come on, do you hear “dodger blue”??? “hey now”??? The “One Mic” feeling from “man at the garden”?? The sample flips on “heart pt. 6” and “reincarnated”??? Of course with some help as well from other in house producers along with the likes of DJ Dahi, DJ Mustard, Cardo Got Wings, Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Tane Runo, and more.
I want to dial down on a favorite but I can’t. I walk away with a fun project that has many, many, highs for different reasons. Well-placed features throughout that each deliver what they need to. A handful of quotable lines to blurt out for no reason at random. Plus displays of lyrical prowess from K Dot to revisit that only happens with loving the craft for decades along with some overall fun. And excitement, as much of his involvement with music has been in 2024. Dot sounds like a man who’s focused, determined, actively healing, and still standing on business. I can appreciate that.
To end with a bit more context, we have J. Cole recently re-releasing beloved projects in tandem with a limited podcast series recounting his career so far (presumably leading to The Fall Off sometime soon). Including two songs from when Dot and Cole were working on a collaborative project. We also have Drake as the plaintiff of two lawsuits against UMG regarding pumping streams into “Not Like Us” and related defamation for pushing said song. As well as making comments on a streamer’s platform saying “Hip-Hop is weird right now”, Steve Lacy is a fragile opp, and throwing more kindle in the fire of his longstanding beef with The Weeknd.
Either way it all falls we also now have visuals to “Squabble Up” that allude more to what the streets have been saying: this project is just the first of, or leading to, a double album from Duckworth. Whether that’s tomorrow, early December, or around/at the Super Bowl in February, there’s clearly more brewing in this multi-layered entity that, at face value, appeared to have been settled by the Summer.
As a fan, and not a bot, I’m pleased. Especially with Kendrick’s camp. To think, if only Birdman paid The Neptunes accordingly (or.. you know.. anybody) then maybe, just maybe, we wouldn’t be here.
Don’t turn the tv off just yet, things are still getting crazy, scary, spooky, hilarious.