Suprise! It’s Kendrick!
On November 22, Kendrick Lamar surprised critics and fans alike by dropping a surprise album, titled ‘GNX’. In 12 songs and 44 minutes, Lamar tells us everything he wants to get off his chest.
Some would call Kendrick Lamar a modern-day rap legend. GNX is his sixth studio album. Lamar raps about an abundance of topics, dissing some who he doesn’t mess with, questioning his faith, questioning himself, and more. Fans had no idea this album would be coming. Instagram and X immediately filled up with responses. One user on X wrote,
“Having thoroughly listened to GNX, it’s safe to say Kendrick Lamar delivered another classic.”
Lamar proves that he is what rap is about. He talks about his duty to his fans and himself to be as real as possible in his music. If there’s one thing we can take away from Lamar in 2024, and really since he came out in 2014, it’s that he isn’t going to sugarcoat anything. He is going to speak his mind, and that’s exactly what this album is a continuation of.
What Is This New Kendrick?
The album musically has a big Latin and West Coast influence. Many of the songs begin with Spanish singing and feature Lamar rapping over a guitar carrying a Spanish twang. There is also a certain funk vibe present in the record. A favorite track, in particular, is ‘reincarnation’. One of the most powerful tracks on the record, Lamar reflects on himself, who he used to be, and who he has become. From the first line, it’s obvious.
“I got this fire burnin’ in me from within,
concentrated thoughts on who I used to be, I’m sheddin’ skin,”
It’s a song filled with poetic lyrics about questioning yourself and how Lamar became the man he is today. He talks about how he has been in different bodies before. A reincarnated being. He paints the struggles he’s faced with fame, money, and power in the various lives he’s lived. Even having a conversation with God on the track. Vulnerability Lamar has never strayed away from.
‘tv off’ has a different intention. More about Lamar letting his anger out. He has Lefty Gunplay, and Mustard, hop on the beat as well. Lamar lets other rappers know that he is the real deal in hip-hop, and there aren’t a lot of real rappers with authenticity left, according to him.
“Few solid n***** left, but it’s not enough
Few bitches that’ll really step, but it’s not enough
Say you bigger than myself, but it’s not enough
I get on they ass, yeah, somebody gotta do it.”
Lamar is fully transparent on ‘GNX’. About how he views himself, his peers, and the whole industry, as well as other things. The album rounds out an eventful year for the Compton rap icon. Now 2025 is on its way, with a Kendrick Lamar Superbowl on the horizon.