Within the first few seconds of Kendrick Lamar’s sixth studio album, you can tell that GNX is different. The opening track, ‘wacced out murals,’ starts off serenading its listeners with soft mariachi vocals, but before the listener can even settle in, the music evolves into a synth-heavy beat paired with angry lyrics. ‘Angry’ may actually be the easiest way to sum up GNX, but it’s more complex than that. Even the opening track is a testimony to Kendrick’s persona and a criticism of the current state of the hip-hop industry. Kendrick pulls no punches as he throws shade at the industry in the track, but ‘wacced out murals’ (and GNX) goes beyond personal beef; Kendrick deconstructs the greed, jealousy, and corruption that courses through the veins of modern rap. The final line of the song, “Whacked the murals out, but it ain’t no legends if my legend ends,” reveals the psyche of the record.
From there, Kendrick builds on the summer success of ‘Not Like Us’ with catchy party songs. Influences of ‘90’s G-funk can be found throughout the album, specifically on ‘squabble up’ and in the mellow beats of ‘dodger blue.’ Hyphy (hyper fly) DNA is fundamental to ‘hey now;’ ‘tv off’ includes a rattling, futuristic drum beat and an already famous “Mustaaaaard!” scream.
GNX features the best production on a Kendrick record since TPABF, which won Album of the Year at the Grammys. Jack Antonoff, famous for collaborating with artists such as Taylor Swift and the 1975, and Sounwave provided the main contributions for the album. One of the best tracks on the album, ‘reincarnated,’ allows Kendrick’s outstanding rap to shine by backing him up with an infectious beat that samples from a 2Pac song. The title track ‘gnx’ is relatively simple, but its high-energy flows give the track life as Kendrick boasts about his influence on the rap industry.
Love ballads ‘luther’ and ‘gloria’ (both collaborations with R&B artists SZA) are the more understated tracks on GNX as Kendrick and SZA exchange verses in beautiful lyrical conversations. Speaking to Kendrick’s personal philosophy, ‘man at the garden’ is one of the richest tracks on the album; it’s littered with biblical references, specifically to the garden of Eden, and every time Kendrick repeats “I deserve it all,” it takes on a different meaning.
The most matured track on the album is ‘heart pt. 6.’ Kendrick’s ‘The Heart’ series first started in 2010, and the last entry came in 2022 on Mr. Morale. People expected part 6 to address Kendrick’s rap beef with Canadian pop/rap artist Drake – Drake did release a song titled ‘THE HEART PART SIX’ to mock Kendrick – but this time, Kendrick decides to take the highroad and creates an insightful, retrospective look on his early career.
It’s not that GNX is without its flaws: tracks like ‘dodger blue’ and ‘peekaboo’ are more surface-level than we’ve come to expect from Kendrick — but in the end, the good heavily outweighs the minimal missteps that Kendrick made.
GNX is certainly more imposing than Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, which was a highly testimonial chronicle of grief and evolution (songs like ‘Father Time’ and ‘United in Grief’ are Kendrick’s most personal), but that doesn’t make GNX any less introspective — or any less impressive. Great rhythms; a litany of musical and cultural influences; frustration, pride, and dedication coursing through the veins of the album: GNX is an immediate hit and an obvious candidate for the best record of 2024.
