Kendrick Lamar: GNX
I think I speak for all of the Kendrick fans when I say we were shocked to see that he had dropped an album on 22nd November - the news must’ve flew through us all like a Mexican wave as we added it to our streaming platforms and listened away.
Kendrick Lamar is actually full of good surprises, but this one was extremely out of the blue, but also welcomed with open arms.
He is the headliner for the Super Bowl in New Orleans next year, so I half expected him to be working towards that like most headliners, but this man said “no Imma do both” - a Gemini, we must stan (I am biased).
After his minor scuffle with Drake (and I say minor for him, as there truly was no competition in terms of rap - I said it, take it up with whoever, just not me), he went quiet and this is what he was doing behind the scenes.
First of all, fun fact of the day - a GNX is a car. A Buick high-performance coup to be precise. It’s no wonder he did name his album this as the Cali sound is undeniable throughout the whole album and is probably a soundtrack when your riding around, palm trees, sun bouncing off your car, kids playing in the street etc. Again, I love when an artist takes me to their culture through their music and Kendrick did that for me in this album. You may not be familiar or used to this sound from him - when we look at previous albums like Mr. Morale, DAMN, TPAB and even EP untitled unmastered, we get a glimpse of LA. GNX is more so straight crip walking, laid back, stripped beats, samples and soft melodies. A sound we have heard used time and time again throughout the Westside rap game.
While the music may be stripped back, Kenny certainly doesn’t lay off in regards to his pen. You may not be a big fan of his, but one thing you cannot deny is that this man is one of the best rappers we have seen - he is great and as he will tell you himself, he is simply the best - GOAT. The message of this album was really simple, as he can be classed as a recluse within the industry. The message is - F the industry fake sh*t, God has got me always and since you have said things about me and mine, I’m going to tell my side and throw a lil jab in there too. Another important message from Kendrick is that he always goes hard for LA and he will rep and put his people on every time. We saw it at The Pop Out: Ken and Friends and we are hearing it again on this album, with features from, AzChike, Dody6, Hitta J3, Peysoh, Roddy Rich, Siete7x, Wallie the Sensei, and YoungThreat, who are all LA/Cali natives. There are also additional vocal contributions from Deyra Barrera, Sam dew and Ink.
We also get our good girl Miss Solána aka SZA back in the mix for two songs - Luther and Gloria which is one of my absolute faves. Gloria was such a good way to end the album as he talks about his relationship in as much detail as he cares to give us (to me it’s just enough). We heard the rumour that he had been physical with his wife and he goes on to say,
“You were spontaneous, firecracker, plus our love is dangerous
Life of passion, laughin' at you lose your temper, slightly crashin'
Dumb enough to ill reaction, ain't no disrespect
Highly sensitive, possessed, saw potential, even when it's tragic”.
People go through a lot in relationships and this song really outlines their timeline, flaws and all. I’m not romantiscing it, but I like the song. It’s honesty and it doesn’t make it right - but it’s honest, true and raw. Expected nothing less from this man.
MUSTARDDDDDDDDDDDD! It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention this man’s name. Kendrick shouted that producer’s name on tv off and no social media skit has ever been the same, again proving that he can create viral moments and get the streams in if he so chooses. Speaking of Mustard - I’m so glad Not Like Us wasn’t added to the album, as it’s a great piece of work on it’s own and it didn’t need to be a part of this. Also GNX is about LA, it’s about Kendrick not a rap beef - a certain someone had already been dragged and the point was proven.
In this album we also get an addition to The heart Series and I loved every minute of it. Heart pt.6 samples my favourite SWV song Use Your heart and it’s just so good! This song goes on to explain what went down with TDE and Black Hippy, and again another use of his pen to explain the culture. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I’d be lying if I said this is my favourite album from him as To Pimp A Butterfly was such an iconic moment and culture shift for me - that album is diamond certified in my house. What I will say, is that as always Kendrick had a set vision and clear agenda in regards to what he wanted to do with this album. His focus and attention to story telling is unmatched within today’s rappers. He gave us that westside, LA flavour and again reminded us why he is simply one of the best to do it.
Rating: 4.5/5
Top Songs:
Gloria
Heart pt. 6
Luther
TV Off
Reincarnated
Man at the Garen
Peekaboo ft AzChike