In a career full of successful years, 2024 has been one of Kendrick Lamar’s best. He dominated the charts and the cultural conversation with smash-hit Drake diss tracks including “euphoria” and “Not Like Us,” then bagged the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show gig.
Not content with just these feats, though, Lamar surprise dropped a brand new album, “GNX,” on Nov. 22.
There was no fanfare and no buildup — Lamar’s record label didn’t even know about the project until the morning it dropped. The only promotion it received was through Lamar’s social media, where he posted the album’s cover and a photo of himself standing in front of the titular Buick GNX.
After Lamar’s incredible year, one could understand if he would have chosen simply to rest on his laurels and put out music with less effort than his earlier work, or to even refrain from releasing anything after his jam-packed and triumphant first half of the year.
Anyone who would assume that, however, clearly doesn’t know Kendrick Lamar.
GNX is undoubtedly some of his finest work. It masterfully shifts between the explosive, intense style that gained so much popularity earlier in the year with his cutting diss tracks, and slower, more introspective tracks, which are reminiscent of his earlier work and showcase a different side of the artist, one that looks inward.
From the first song, “wacced out murals,” Lamar lets his audience know this isn’t like his earlier work. Deyra Barrera’s mariachi lyrics over the first notes provide a jarring opening to the album before transitioning to the classic West Coast, technical hip-hop that Lamar is known for.
With “squabble up,” Dot finally pays off a teaser nine years in the making, expanding on his iconic freestyle from the classic “Alright” music video. This is Kendrick in his purest form: technical flow, perfect lyrical control and a funky beat, and it’s what makes this one of the best songs on the album.
Then the album takes a slower turn with “luther.” A beautiful collaboration between Lamar and R&B singer SZA, the song provides a welcome change of pace without sacrificing a single moment of incredible music, providing a palate cleanser to prepare the listener for things to come.
The song gained immediate attention, especially since after their “Black Panther” soundtrack collaboration, “All of the Stars,” the world has learned that magic will happen whenever Kendrick and SZA work together.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Kendrick Lamar album without including a new installment in his “The Heart” series. Kendrick has released “The Heart” parts one through five as a precursor to each of his five previous albums. During their feud, Drake attempted to release his part six to mock Kendrick’s style, but as has happened before, Kendrick turns the attempt right on its head with “heart pt. 6.”
Lamar takes this track to reminisce about his past, admitting that his Black Hippy supergroup fell flat because of him. The song provides a candid, self-critical look at Lamar’s style and career over Jack Antonoff’s ethereal beat.
The best song of this surprise release by far, though, is track 6, “reincarnated.” The song is West Coast rap at its finest. Kendrick pays homage to Tupac Shakur by rhyming over his iconic track “Made N*ggaz.” Lamar mirrors Tupac’s aggressive style while still providing his own spin, discussing his battles with his own inner demons and thinking about how he “rewrote the devil’s story just to take our power back.”
Once again, Kendrick Lamar has shown why he is a dominant force in the hip-hop genre and why his fans keep returning for more. There’s no doubt that “GNX” is a worthy addition to a legendary discography, and one can only wait and see how Mr. Duckworth will cap off this action-packed year at the Super Bowl this upcoming February.
